Maternity wear without the maternity…
My best pal is pregnant. I’ve discovered it’s a fashion nightmare for her because maternity wear is often expensive and can have a short shelf life. It got me thinking about maternity wear without the maternity – here are my tips.
- Invest in some A Postcard from Brighton. It’s deliberately styled to be over-sized so you can buy your non-pregnant size then wear it during and after pregnancy. Consider the long-line vests and tops over your maternity jeans to create blocks of colour or pattern. The vest will also cover your bump completely, no annoying riding up! Plus, these items are made in the UK, often using a lot of viscose (made from wood pulp) so the fabric is breathable. Here’s my pal Fi who is 8 months’ pregnant in her Postcard top and vest. Doesn’t she look amazing!
- Try empire line tops and dresses. The line sits under the bust so will move upwards as your bump expands. This means you can wear during and after pregnancy. Just be careful to make sure that the hem line still looks ok and hasn’t shifted up because of the bump. Here’s a great dress from Nancy Dee that fits the bill – perfect for work or dress it up for a night out.
- Expand your waistband in skirts and trousers by creating a button on a loop. Put the loop round the button on your garment and then the other button through the existing hole in your garment. This will get you through a few months of expansion, just remember to wear tops long enough to cover up the gap! We love these from the Bump Wear Project .
- Waterfall or open cardigans or ponchos – all are very big this season and you can wear your normal size due to their shape. Great as you can wear after the birth too. Here’s a couple of picks from Just g Boutique.
- Winter coats – not an easy one, but our suggestion is to buy a blanket-style wool coat or a jacket with a dual zip that you can unzip from the bottom as the bump gets bigger. Remember, you can always use the expanders (above) on your current coat and treat yourself to a fabulous scarf to hide the gaps! This cosy number from Skunkunk fits the bill nicely.
- Consider buying a dress size larger than you would normally – this will have space for your bump to grow and provide comfort post-pregnancy whilst you shrink back. Admittedly they might not get you through the end of your pregnancy but you’re likely to wear it for longer than maternity wear.
Our final tip is to make sure you are comfortable and wear clothes that fit with your personality because this will make you ooze confidence as well as the gorgeous pregnancy glow!
Has this inspired you to think beyond the traditional maternity wear and given you confidence that you can buy stylish clothing that you can wear before, during and after pregnancy? Why not pop down to Just g Boutique and try on some of these styles to see what fits for you and your lifestyle.
You can follow Just g Boutique on Facebook. Or there’s Twitter, Instagram at Just_g_fashion and I’m on Pinterest too!
Happy shopping,
Gail x