If you are like me, you love fashion, and the thought of wearing awful, daggy maternity wear makes you scream and want to run a mile!-right?!
Well, here are my top tips to keep you feeling comfortable (because alas, when your tummy is expanding, and you feel like you will be sick if anything tight is around your waist, comfort will become a priority- never thought I would type that phrase on my blog!), while still being fashionable and stylish while you are pregnant.
Tip 1: Make your face the focus point in any outfit when you are pregnant.
Try to wear dark colours from below your bust, and down. Keep all bright prints, and detailing up high, so they highlight your face (and not the widening areas of your body).
The above photo shows me wearing the Penelope Red Picasso Skivvy, which can be viewed in the Penelope Red Online Shop in Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/93306454/black-white-turtleneck-top-designer
Tip 2: Wear as much Stretch and Lycra outfits as possible while you are pregnant!
Instead of buying maternity wear, I just wore loads of stretchy clothing. I found dresses to be very flattering, and tight fitting stretch dresses was great too! The above dress was worn to death! The picture shows me at around 3 months pregnant, than at only 6 weeks to go on the RHS. The beauty about stretch- it grows with you!
Tip 3: Even though your pregnant waist is expanding, still try to wear items that define the waist.
The one thing I wanted to steer clear of while being pregnant was those big, long maxi dresses that are constantly sold off as the ultimate (and evidently, only choice) maternity dress. For some reason, people seem to presume the bigger you are, the more flattering it will be to wear a tent!
I don't think so!
The above Penelope Red red dress was fitted around my waist without being pregnant, but since it is a stretchy dress, I squeezed myself into it at 5 months pregnant.
Even though I had to adjust the buttons by about 12 cm on the red and white top I am wearing in the above photo of me at Bondi Beach, I have still defined my waist to some degree. Don't be afraid to accept that while you may be bigger, you still have curves, and you are not one big blob (and believe me, sometimes I felt like that too!)!
Tip 4: Try Bias Cut designs while you are pregnant.
I found my bias cut designs a great alternative to wearing stretch (because by the end of being pregnant, you will be dying to have new clothing to wear!) or maternity wear. They defined my waist, while not being too tight, or big and full.
I chose a size up from my normal size, in the above red and printed bias cut cowl top, and I could still wear it up until I was 8 months pregnant- not bad considering it has no lycra!
The above Penelope Red red and floral bias cut blouse with sweetheart detail is available in the Penelope Red online Shop here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87376189/red-floral-blouse-w-sweetheart-detail
Tip 5: Embrace your soon to be new body!
Be excited! You are about to experience something wonderful and magical!
Not everyone will agree, but I loved wearing tight fitting garments- I found it was more flattering for my shape, but it also flaunted my pregnant tummy. To me it was funny watching my stomach grow!
Probably the best tip I can give you is accept that, yes, your waist will grow. Yes, your boobs will grow. Yes, your bum is going to get bigger (I kind of thought that the waist would grow, but mostly everything else would stay about the same)!
So the best thing to do is go through that mountain of clothing that you call your wardrobe, and put everything away that is not comfortable, stretchy and adjustable for a growing body. Honestly, THIS is the BEST thing to do!
That way, when you need to get dressed, you don't have to look through your wardrobe and wonder what will you wear... you will already have it narrowed down to the items you can wear (and that probably won't add up to much). Also, it will save you from getting upset... no one likes to try on something and realise that their waist has expanded by about 6 dress sizes in the space of 3 months... did that one (not nice!).
