Proudly Pregnant in Style

Happy New Year!! I’m sure you’re wondering where we’ve been in the last few months. J’adorais has been hibernating while I’ve been busy growing a little baby in my belly & enjoying the first few months of motherhood again since our little bundle of joy, bubba number 2, arrived ;).

I’ve been meaning to write a post on pregnancy style, my post on “How to dress like a Yummy Mummy” is still one of J’adorais most popular posts, and whilst I have shared a few styling tips on pre-and post-pregnancy style, I thought I’d share some more up-to-date styling tips after enjoying the joys of pregnancy this second time around.

As I have shared previously, you don’t need to invest much on maternity wear as you are only your larger pregnant size for the 5– 6 months leading up to your baby’s arrival (depending on how quickly your bump starts to grow) and probably don’t want to spend too much on a wardrobe that will only be worn for those few months.  Being pregnant again, I must admit I did not buy any more maternity wear this time around, and simply invested on a few key wardrobe items that I knew I would allow me to be comfortable whilst pregnant but that I would still enjoy wearing post pregnancy.

I loved wearing empire/ baby doll tops and dresses, these are fitted on the top but allow ample room for the belly to grow.

Below, Ellery baby-doll top, which I wore throughout the pregnancy and can still wear post pregnancy.

Wrap dresses are always great, you can adjust them to suit your body size and as you grow bigger you can simply wear a singlet underneath.  They are also great post pregnancy when you’re nursing/ breastfeeding.

Above: This Zimmermann silk wrap dress was a staple throughout my pregnancy and will be wearing it again, the wrap makes it easier to breastfeed in.  Wrap dress worn above with lace up gladiator sandals from Witchery.

While block colours and darker colours are great at making you look slimmer, I also loved dressing in monochrome style.  As per my last post on my key looks during Fashion Week, the monochrome look is a timeless classic & elegant look.

Ellery monochrome silk dress worn above, 4-months pregnant during fashion week. And below, layered with a Burberry trench  in winter .

Vests are great, both for layering on top of dresses and pants.  They are also useful for wearing post pregnancy when breastfeeding (simply layer it on top of a maternity singlet or blouse).

Above: Ellery vest worn at Fashion week (paired with comfortable sneakers for a sporty luxe look).  I wore it throughout my pregnancy, it was especially great for a more corporate look with the right accessories.

I invested on a few shift / A- line dresses that I could wear to work and had room for my belly to grow.  I simply paired them with a smart jacket on top for a more corporate look.

Above, Ellery A-line dress that I wore throughout my pregnancy and even to work (worn with a corporate jacket and with stockings or leggings underneath as the dress did look shorter as my belly grew bigger ;). Worn above at a girly night out, at 8-months pregnant.

Cut-out shoulder tops and off-the-shoulder tops and dresses are also great when pregnant, as “the cold-shoulder trend is incredibly flattering for all women because everyone’s shoulders look great.” (Sarah Rutson, VP of Buying at Net-a-Porter)  It’s a great part of the body to show off and detracts the attention from your belly.

Above: Another staple dress both pre & post natal, Ginger & Smart A-line dress with cut-out shoulders, worn at 7.5 months.  The wrap V-neck collar makes it a great dress to wear post pregnancy, while nursing.

I would recommend pregnant mums-to-be to invest in a good pair of maternity jeans, I occasionally used a pair I had from my previous pregnancy (Just Jeans have a great range of maternity jeans, and so do J-Brand and Target).

In the winter months, it was all about layering, and using scarves to elongate the silhouette.

Above: Ellery printed top worn with GM2NY scarf, Burberry trench coat.

I also loved wearing this cape jacket from autumn to winter, it disguised my belly and allowed plenty of room for it to grow whilst keeping warm in the cooler months.

Above: Cape jacket from Forever 21, worn with jeans and comfy flat boots from Witchery.

This second time around I found it more comfortable wearing dresses in the later months of pregnancy and on colder days layering with leggings underneath.

Maxi- dresses are always great for pregnant women, they elongate your figure, whilst still showing your baby bump.

Above: Camilla & Marc strapless dress worn above at 8 – months.

If you happen to be a bridesmaid whilst pregnant, try to convince the bride for a bridesmaid dress style that will allow for your growing belly (i.e. loser dress styles), as you never know how big your bump will grow by the time the wedding comes.  You can always opt for a different style dress to the other bridesmaids for comfort.  I was lucky enough that my sister picked these beautiful flowy silk printed maxi dresses for her bridesmaids for her wedding.

Above: Bridesmaids at my gorgeous sister Janice’s wedding in Portugal (yes I’m the one blowing the kiss ;).  I wore my dress with a ribbon tied under the bust to give more shape and show off my 8-month-old bump.

Other key tips for pregnant women is to accessorize your look with long necklaces or scarves to elongate your silhouette, wear your bags at hip level, not waist level to detract from your bump.

I also wore comfortable flats throughout the pregnancy, flat sandals in summer, sneakers and very small heeled boots in winter.  For special occasions, such as my sister’s wedding, I wore a low heeled wedge which we custom designed from Shoes of Prey, so each bridesmaid could chose their own heel height.

Well, there you go, my last few months of pregnancy wrapped up in a nutshell. Going through your pregnancy can be both a wonderful experience but also uncomfortable at times, it is good to know how to dress comfortably and still look & feel good as you are adapting to your changing body shape.

For more tips on dressing pre & post pregnancy, please see my earlier post “How to dress like a yummy mummy”.

Wishing you a Happy New Year! Looking forward to sharing more stylish & yummy posts with you this coming year.