Pregnancy rewind: maternity fashion
Updated: Jul 25, 2020
To say the second half of my pregnancy did not go how I expected it to go would be an understatement. I always saw myself buying all these cute maternity outfits that I could wear to work, on date nights, to events like bridal showers and weddings, etc. Well given that I was quarantined for the last fifteen weeks of my pregnancy, none of that happened. But I love clothes and even though I was stuck in the house for the most part, I still wanted to share my favorite ways that I styled the bump. Saving money is always a huge plus to me and the reason I want to share these now is because the majority of the clothes I wore weren't maternity and I'm able to wear them now too - talk about a win-win.
I also found that I actually already had a lot of clothes in my closet that I was able to wear while I was pregnant. Since I'm showing a lot of pieces that I've had for years, I'm not able to link everything but I found some similar options and linked them below. I hope this post shows you that you don't necessarily have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe when you're pregnant. Hopefully it will help you take a deeper look into your closet to see what you might be able to repurpose and wear while you're pregnant as well as give you inexpensive ideas on clothes you can purchase for pregnancy but still wear afterwards.
My pregnancy was definitely different than I expected or anticipated, but that's how life can be and you just have to make the best of it.
All my love,
Annemarie
Style 1: stretchy bodycon dresses
If you like to show off your bump, this style is for you. Honestly during the last few months of my pregnancy pants were just not comfortable to me. They either hit me at a weird place on my bump or they weren't stretchy enough and I felt constricted. Even though I was not leaving the house, I would still throw on a stretchy, cotton dress and be 1000% times more comfortable. If you find yourself reading this during a time of no coronavirus and no quarantine, these are also a great option to wear out and about. The American Eagle smocked dress is a dress I planned to wear to a bridal shower. You can definitely dress them up or find fancier bodycon options to wear to events and still be super comfortable. This was personally my favorite thing to wear while I was pregnant which is why I have the most examples - Target, Amazon, Forever 21 and American Eagle are my favorite places to shop for the bodycon style.
-Amazon bodycon tank dress: often times I would throw a t-shirt on over my bodycon dresses like the pictures below
-Amazon stretchy bodycon dress: I wore this dress in white to our gender reveal and I wore it in the blush color below to my baby shower. It's SO comfortable, has great stretch and is a great length. You know a piece of clothing is good when you buy it in multiple colors.
-Target: Target's brand Wild Fable has a lot of inexpensive bodycon dress options. I couldn't find my specific dress, but this one is similar.
-Forever 21: I couldn't find my exact dress, but this dress is the same ribbed material. I love the ribbed material because you can easily dress it up with heels or dress it down with sneakers. Forever 21 has a lot of bodycon options.
-American Eagle Smocked dress: smocked dresses look great with or without a bump. They're really flattering and a great option that you're able to wear after pregnancy.
Style 2: swing/t-shirt dresses
If you prefer not to accentuate the bump, then the swing dress option is for you. And, it's just as comfortable as a bodycon dress. I'm a big fan of swing dresses even when I'm not pregnant. They're so easy to throw on and go. Plus they're really versatile - you can dress them up and wear to work or dress them down and run errands in them. My favorite places to find swing dresses are Old Navy and Target.
-Old navy swing dress: I wore this leopard swing dress SO much towards the end of my pregnancy. It's super soft and it was so easy to throw on and be set for the day.
-T-shirt dress: this t-shirt dress from Target is my FAVORITE. I have it in several colors. I wore it so much during pregnancy and have already worn it during postpartum as well.
Style 3: maxi dresses
Maxi dresses are my favorite thing to wear in the spring and summer time. If you can't already tell, I'm all about comfort and I basically live in some of the maxi dresses mentioned below. I even wore the Amazon tie-dye maxi dress home from the hospital. I know what you're thinking...a dress to come home from the hospital?!? But I did a lot of research and the majority of women said they prefer something loose and comfortable to leave the hospital in. And let me tell you, my flowy maxi dress was perfect because it's sooo comfortable and didn't make me feel constricted. With everything that was going on down there, I can't imagine trying to put anything tight on my body like leggings. I've linked a few of my favorite options below.
-Amazon floral maxi: this was one of my favorite maxis before pregnancy and it fit so well while I was pregnant too. It's light and airy so it was still comfortable even towards the end of my pregnancy. It's inexpensive and comes in a red color option as well.
-Amazon tie dye maxi: if this is what I picked to wear home after giving birth, you know it's comfy. I seriously live in this thing pregnant or not. I have it in multiple colors, there are so many color options to choose from! The length is perfect on me as well because I'm able to wear it with sandals without it dragging on the ground.
Style 4: overalls, rompers, jumpsuits
This style might not be for everyone, but anyone who knows me knows I am a huge overalls/romper/jumpsuit fan and this was my second favorite style to wear while I was pregnant. All of the examples below are actually things I had in my closet prior to pregnancy, I wore them during pregnancy and will wear again.
-PinkBlush overalls: PinkBlush carries both maternity and non-maternity clothing. I actually purchased these overalls before I was pregnant because I wanted some linen overalls. So even though these are considered maternity, I can easily wear them during postpartum and beyond.
-American Eagle overalls: they don't have the exact style I have, but these are very similar.
-Target loose jumpsuit: you might not be able to tell, but I'm 8 months pregnant in this picture. I loved loose jumpsuits while I was pregnant because they were airy and comfortable in the heat. I've had this jumpsuit for years but this one seems similar since it's also over-sized and loose.
-Amazon leopard overalls: overalls + fun print = happy Annemarie. These overalls from Amazon are very affordable and on trend. I love the raw hem at the legs. They also tie at the shoulders so you are able to easily adjust the length. I love pairing it with my slip on sneakers pictured below.
Style 5: bodycon skirt and t-shirt
Similar to the bodycon dress, a bodycon skirt is a great way to accentuate the bump and still remain comfortable. Girl, let me tell you, I used to wear bodycon skirts pretty much EVERY weekend in my early twenties when I would go out with friends. Back then I used to wear them with crop tops LOL - yea right. But luckily I found a way to repurpose them with a t-shirt during pregnancy. Again a super comfortable outfit that you can dress down with tennis shoes and run errands in. We had a trip planned to New York City in April (we cancelled due to Covid) and I had a bunch of outfits planned and the majority of them were a bodycon skirt, t-shirt and tennis shoes. Cute yet still comfortable and practical for walking around the city. Forever 21, Amazon and Shein offer great, inexpensive options for bodycon skirts.
-Amazon skirt: this skirt is a great basic to have in your closet and for under 18 bucks, you can't really beat it. It has an elastic waistband so it stretches over the bump but also fits well with no bump. It comes in several different color options.
Some staple maternity pieces:
Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely not saying you shouldn't buy any maternity clothes when you're pregnant. Heck, if you want to go out and buy a whole closet full of strictly maternity clothes, do whatever makes you most comfortable during your pregnancy. For me, we just didn't have that kind of budget so I got creative and repurposed a lot of my clothes. Target was my favorite when it comes to my maternity staples. I put the purchases I really enjoyed during pregnancy below.
-Target nursing bra: I love this nursing bra. It's so soft and comfortable and has padding so I never leak through it.
-Target maternity dress: if you are wanting maternity dresses, Target has a great selection. I purchased the one below and wore it throughout my pregnancy.
Again, I feel like in every post I have relating to pregnancy I can't stress enough that every pregnancy is different and you need to do what you're most comfortable with. Hope this has been helpful! Let me know if you have any questions :)
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