belly style: dressing the bump.

i've said it a few times before, but getting dressed when you're pregnant can be really boring. you don't want to buy too many clothes (unless you like wasting money, in which case, go ahead), so it's very important to accessorize well to save your sanity. but there is something to be said about wearing your clothes the right way when you're sticking out a little more in the front.so here are my top five tips for dressing your baby bump. i hope this is helpful to anyone in the early stages of their pregnancy, for those who are looking to spice up their style in the middle of their pregnancy, or those who might just be thinking about getting pregnant. let me know if you have questions or any other ideas in the comments!

(for those of you who are interested, i'll include a list of what i think the best maternity wardrobe is after the tips below)

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1. emphasize that waist!or what little waist you have left. my uniform is generally slacks and a basic shirt or a dress with a cardigan over the top and that can make you look a little like a sack of potatoes without the proper cinching. so 90% of the time, i'll tie a belt around the top of my belly to show that i actually do have a little bit of shape left. it does wonders for the self-esteem.2. don't be afraid to wear things in a different way.when you get big and bored, sometimes you have to think outside the box a little bit. as an example, take this skirt below. it normally looks terrible if you have a bit of bloat going on, but one day before my sister's wedding shower when i was feeling particularly "over" my maternity clothes, i decided to see if i could still zip it up. i could! and as it turns out, if you hike it way up, it falls ever so nicely over your belly. the phrase "don't knock it 'til you try it" applies perfectly to maternity dressing. things that may have looked terrible on your body type before you got pregnant may now look gorgeous on your new body. try everything on once, try layering in different ways, you never know what will work!3. stretch your non-maternity wardrobe - just not too far.by about 30 weeks or so, you will wish for the days that you had the ability to wear all of your non-maternity shirts. so take advantage of the days you still fit into them by wearing them layered over some long maternity tanks or belly bands. most shirts have enough stretch in them nowadays that they won't be permanently stretched from wearing them over your 16-30 week belly. but be careful: once the side seams start to bend too far to the front, and the bottom of the shirt doesn't reach all the way to the bottom of your belly, it's time to switch into the maternity tops. just make the switch and don't look back. the photo below was taken at about 26 weeks along, and i think that was close to the last time i could wear it comfortably.4. basics are your best friend.when you go shopping for your maternity wardrobe, make sure to consider how everything will work together. for example, i don't own any maternity clothes that don't go with black items. i also purchased a lot (and i do mean a LOT) of basic colored items. the majority of my tops are in black, white, cream or grey. i can pair them with any of my non-maternity sweaters or jackets, and they all go with the shorts and pants i have. this means that i get the most wear possible out of all my items, as opposed to having a lot of statement pieces.5. wear what makes you comfortable.so what if i wear the same baseball t-shirt every day after work and on the weekend? who cares if i wear the same black tunic dress and leggings to work once (okay twice) a week? if it makes you feel comfortable, even when the rest of you isn't, then wear it. the jewelry can always be changed, and so can the hair, so chances are, people won't even notice. and even if they do, you get to wear what you want because you're growing a person inside your abdomen. game over.

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now that you have the tips and tools necessary for getting dressed with a baby bump, here is my recommended maternity wardrobe:

• 1-2 pairs of jeans (if you don't wear jeans to work, i'd only buy one)
• 2 pairs of work pants
• 1-2 pairs of shorts (if you're going to be pregnant in the summer...you can also make your with my tutorial)
• 2-4 maxi dresses/skirts (my favorites are from here)
• 2-3 nicer dresses for events and work
• 1 tunic style dress to wear with leggings
• 3 maternity tank tops, one black, one white, one gray (these ones from target and this one from gap are amazing)
• 3-5 basic t-shirts that can be worn to work or casually
• 1-2 casual t-shirts for working out or lounging around the house in
• 1-2 belly bands in different colors (i recommend black and white so they look like tank tops)
• 2-4 nursing bras (but wait to buy these later on if you can, i'm still holding out until i can't fit into my regular bras anymore)

and then unless any of the following are part of your everyday wardrobe already, i suggest NOT buying any of the following:

• button up shirts, your belly will inevitably get too big
• cropped pants, this is too niche of an item that won't get enough wear
• maternity underwear, the stuff they make today is way too small anyway, so better to buy yourself some non-maternity boyshorts that you can wear after you are back to normal
• a maternity swimsuit, i made the mistake of buying one, but realized that i still fit into all my more roomy bikinis and actually have fun with my belly out at the pool or the lake (when else can you strut around in a bikini without sucking in your gut??)
• more than one statement or trend piece, remember that you are only wearing the maternity clothes for a portion of your 9-month pregnancy, and you want to be able to re-wear items as often as possible (and maybe in future pregnancies as well)

so what have we learned from this?

1. be smart (and creative) when getting dressed while pregnant.
2. plan your wardrobe purchases carefully, and invest in the basics.
3. i need to wear my hair in top knots a little less (seriously, the ratio of top knots to loose hair in those photos up there is ridiculous!).

now get out there and flaunt those bellies!

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