Holly recently wrote about how we all have a mom uniform. Whether it’s a dress and heels or sweatshirts and leggings, we moms find what makes us feel good about ourselves…and we all know that when mom feels good, everyone feels good!
And then you get pregnant and have to completely rethink your mom uniform.
My closet is largely made up of fitted pants and skirts to be paired with flowing blouses and cardigans: these are the pieces that make me feel fashionable and confident. But in a cruel irony, they’re also the things that make me feel sloppy and uncomfortable while pregnant! I learned while pregnant with Caroline, and now am having to re-learn, how to dress during this time of my life so that I still feel fashionable and confident.
Here are the five essentials in my maternity wardrobe that help me accomplish that goal:
- Fitted dresses. I never wear fitted dresses in my normal wardrobe; every dress in my closet is A-line or fit-and-flare…with the exception of my maternity dresses.
- Fitted shirts. After I “came out” as pregnant at work, I went from wearing my normal flowy blouses to wearing more fitted tops. Even though my bump could still fit in my flowy blouses, I find that I feel frumpy when I wear them. Pregnant ladies do not need any help feeling frumpy.
- Straight-leg pants and skirts. The day I took the pregnancy test was also the day I got my maternity pants and skirts out of the closet. Even though I wasn’t showing yet, I felt so much more comfortable when I started wearing them!
- Statement jewelry. I love a big necklace or whimsical earrings any day, but since some of my maternity clothes tend to be solid colors (so that they’re more versatile), these items play a big role in my maternity wardrobe.
- Skinny belts. Especially in the earlier stages of pregnancy, a skinny belt above the bump helps say “Hi! This is a baby, not lunch!”.
Combining two or more of these essentials makes it easy for me to feel put together, fashionable, and confident.
