Maternity clothes kind of suck, but they're kind of awesome at the same time. Don't worry, I'll elaborate. But first, my small victory for the day. I went shopping today and nothing (well, except for the undershirt) I wore was maternity. I managed to squeeze into a pair of AE jeans and my favorite Under Armour pullover and still look socially acceptable. Could you tell I'm pregnant? Absolutely. But I could STILL WEAR THEM! My excitement over this stems from the fact that I gained 8 pounds the minute those 2 little pink lines showed up on the 3 (or 4) pregnancy tests I took. I swear.
Back to maternity clothes.
Who decided that all pregnant women needed to wear tops long enough to cover their butts, and they needed to have a cute little bow at the waist? Someone's grandmother surely, who thinks that because you are pregnant you should look matronly. Gag. Now I'm sure that these articles of clothing have been drastically improved from what our mothers wore, but they still have a long way to go. You want some cute things to wear when that baby bump really pokes out? You can find them here, but you'll pay dearly. Unless you just have $45 to spend on a black t-shirt, and then shop yourself silly.
That being said, I've found some really cute things at Old Navy, Gap, and Target. Downside: (most) Old Navy and Gap stores do not carry maternity clothes, therefore they have to be returned through the mail. Target is a good choice for basic things, and they have more of a selection online, which can be returned to any store. The bad part is they basically only get one size run of everything in the store, so if you see something cute there you better snatch it up!
Now here's the truly awesome part about maternity clothes. Ready? They are super-comfy and if you find the right fit, super-flattering =)
Well, most of them. Tops that actually give you appropriate room in the mid-section? Awesome. I know several people I could suggest these to. And let's just say that it is {nearly} impossible to get a muffin-top in maternity pants. Again, several people I know should wear these all the time. The "below the belly" maternity pants from Old Navy have been a huge lifesaver.
If you are lucky like some people (people I hate) then you won't gain enough weight during your pregnancy to require you to wear maternity clothes until you are 6-ish months along. I was not blessed with those genes. Again, + pregnancy test = 8 pounds. Boom. Just like that. Whoever discovered looping a hair tie through your jeans' button hole to give you extra room, I bow down to you.
My tips to you:
Buy maternity basics that will work with what you already own. By that I mean a few pairs of jeans in different styles, a couple of pairs of dress pants, basic tops (t-shirts, tanks, etc), and a few dressy tops. Also, get some maternity leggings/yoga pants (again, why do people not wear these all the time?? You'll see what I mean) as well as maternity tights. You can always use things in your closet to layer, like cardigans, vests, etc. Winter pregnant girls are lucky because we can get by with sweats and no one cares. Summer girls are lucky because you get to rock cute dresses all the time!
Show your bump off! Trust me, hiding it (why would you want to?) only makes it worse. It's hard at first, but once you get past the "Is-she-pregnant-or-is-that-a-Mexican-food-and-beer-gut" stomach, you'll be ready to flaunt it just so people won't think you're fat anymore. At least that's how I felt.
Accessorize! You'll get to a point where your closet is boring you, because you've worn all your maternity stuff/regular items that still fit multiple times, but can't seem to find anything else you like. Scarves, shoes, and jewelry are your friends =) or at least they're mine. I treated myself today with a super cute new pair of pajama pants and a gold giraffe necklace that I fell in love with.
{I can hear my husband rolling his eyes}
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| Pajama pants and necklace from J.Crew Factory Store |
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