Congratulations on your pregnancy!
You are on your way to become a mom, a journey that will surely be one of the best and sometimes, more challenging (with regard to feeling tired, sometimes ill and having less and less to wear as your baby is growing inside of your beautiful belly) you will ever embark on!As you grow bigger, don’t feel intimidated by the extra kilos. With a few good dressing tips from InBlOOm and some good planning, you will look as stylish as always.
The best tip is to stay with the colours and styles that you would normally wear. Don't start wearing prints, completely different styles or different colours just because you're pregnant. You still want to look like ‘you’ and feel confident.
A second general tip is to choose one/ two neutral, basic colours (like gray, black, khaki or olive) and build your maternity wardrobe around that.
The best tip is to stay with the colours and styles that you would normally wear. Don't start wearing prints, completely different styles or different colours just because you're pregnant. You still want to look like ‘you’ and feel confident.
A second general tip is to choose one/ two neutral, basic colours (like gray, black, khaki or olive) and build your maternity wardrobe around that.
Maternity clothes can be very expensive, especially when you consider that you'll wear them for only a few months. In fact, the more you can borrow from friends who’ve recently been pregnant or had babies before you, the better.
Also look out for second hand shops (in your area/ online). Women who spend a lot on maternity clothes often try to recoup some of their costs by reselling them at such stores. With some serious snooping, you may find some designer maternity items at a fraction of the original price.
Also look out for second hand shops (in your area/ online). Women who spend a lot on maternity clothes often try to recoup some of their costs by reselling them at such stores. With some serious snooping, you may find some designer maternity items at a fraction of the original price.
Go Through Your Closet Intensively
Look for any loose tops, pants or skirts with elastic or drawstring waistbands that can be used to get you through the first few months.To get some extra wear out or your current jeans/ pants, try looping a rubber band through the buttonhole and then wrap it around the button. This will provide a few extra centimetres of breathing room.
A store-bought alternative is a navy (for jeans) or any other coloured “Yummy Mummy Tummy” ( http://www.yummymummytummy.co.za/index.php ) band - a stretchy band you wear around your waist that holds up your jeans/ pants so you can leave them unzipped. You can wear a long shirt to cover your waistband and/ or pelvic area.
A-line shifts, empire-waist dresses & tops and pencil skirts paired with long shirts are all styles that flatter a pregnant body very well. For a look that shows off your baby bump wear low-rise pants with a long, fitted t-shirt.
Almost any style made out of soft, stretchy fabrics can work right throughout your pregnancy.
Don't forget your husband/ partners’ wardrobe either. A mens Oxford shirt worn unbuttoned over a form-fitting t-shirt or tank top / or buttoned over leggings with a thin, leather, waist belt worn under your bust always looks very stylish. Make it more feminine by rolling up the sleeves and accessorizing it with large chandelier earrings, a chunky necklace or thick bangles.
Buy Only The Basics at First
When your clothes become too tight and you are not yet big enough for “full-on” maternity wear, a few inexpensive non-maternity pants & tops (in one or two sizes larger than you normally wear), can help you through the next few months. Try the "plus size" stores/ departments like Donna Claire, Penny Coulen etc.Something to remember is that these items will be able to help you out after you’ve had your baby and are in the transition back to your old self again, as well.
Baby Bump = Trend
Feel free to really show off your growing bump. These days, moms-to-be are flaunting their bellies and breasts in skin tight t-shirts and dresses. And all for good reason: Form-fitting wear is much more flattering, comfy and cool than those loose, voluminous and baggy styles of years ago.Show Some Glowing Skin
Remember your favourite body parts from before you fell pregnant?! You’re still you after all?! Show off your shapely legs in a short dress. Or your sexy toned arms in a sleeveless shirt. For your new, ever expanding cleavage, wear a low v-neck top. Don't go all “koekerig” just because you're pregnant!
But please, be careful! Showing your entire belly — unless you're at the beach — can look extremely tacky. Showing ‘some’ skin however, on one body part at a time, will look very sexy.
One Colour Dressing
Wearing a single colour (black, grey, stone), from head to toe, will have you looking really well put together. Use some jewellery, a cardigan or a scarf to add some colour to your look.The Still Important Use of Layering
With a layered look, you can take garments off as needed – especially when you feel warm and everyone else is feeling cold. You don’t want to be left feeling flushed. Layering not only looks good and has a slimming effect; it will also help you stay cool when needed.If The Shoe Fits...
Most women's feet expand during pregnancy – particularly due to water retention. The joints in your body — including those in your feet — are loosening up so that, when you are about to deliver, your pelvis can expand. You may also find your balance to be affected by these new, looser, joints - it is perhaps wise not to wear stilettos. Choose to wear comfortable flats, shoes with wider heels or lower kitten heels instead. Slip-on’s are most comfortable for putting on and taking off.
Accessories are the best tool to use to compliment your outfit. You can give a basic garment or very plain coloured outfit new life by wearing a big, chunky necklace or a coloured pashmina.
Buying a few gorgeous accessories for yourself is probably a much better investment than maternity wear, as you’ll be able to use them long after your little one arrives.
A Good Foundation is Key
Do invest in bigger underwear first – trying to squeeze your larger derriere or bust into your regular underwear won’t just leave you feeling completely uncomfortable, it’s bad for circulation as well.
Breasts WILL swell during pregnancy. For some women as much as three cup sizes! So look for a bra/ bras that have adjustable shoulder straps and hooks to let you adjust the band size.
As for panties, looser is better. Some women prefer over-the-belly maternity underwear, others just buy their favourite thongs or bikinis in a size or two larger and let the waistband rest under their bellies. Whichever you choose, just wear what feels comfortable and cool.
Few women can afford to buy a complete new maternity wardrobe, but I do recommend that you definitely invest in at least two, full-on maternity outfits that make you feel comfortable and confident. A sexy black dress & a good fitting, neutral pair of pants with a matching feminine blouse will make you look like a pregnant style icon!
Just enjoy this time as it too will pass... too quickly actually!
