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When I was pregnant with my first child, a friend and mother-of-three proudly told me “I didn’t buy any actual maternity clothes for any of my pregnancies.” I had only made one maternity wear related purchase at the time: A pair of maternity jeans with an elastic waistband that was so vast I had yet to actually wear them, and yet I felt judged by her declaration. Not buying maternity clothes is sort of the modern day pregnant women’s flex akin to “I don’t own a TV” or “I deleted Facebook.” I felt embarrassed thinking of the state of my browser with 14 tabs open on various “maternity wear” websites. My friend explained that rather than buy maternity specific clothing, she tried to only buy things that she would wear regardless of the shape of her current body. I loved this idea! I too wanted to be the sort of woman who “didn’t buy maternity clothes” and went right home to shop in my own wardrobe.
Leggings often seem to be the go-to suggestion for pregnancy attire, but as a dress lover, leggings don’t make the rotation in my day-to-day life so I was hesitant to reach for them just because I had a human growing inside of me! Other than the aforementioned maternity jeans, I was able to keep to my pre-baby wardrobe by sticking with dresses. To me, this was the ultimate solution to “maternity dressing”; rocking clothes I already had or only buying something I would wear in my post-bump life too.
The Best Maternity Dresses, According to Vogue:
- The Roomy Everyday Dress: La Ligne Vivian dress, $295
- The Sweater Style: Zara soft knit midi dress, $60
- The Belted Shirtdress: Le Jean Misty midi dress, $328
- The Occasion Dress: Taller Marmo Ubud one-shoulder maxi dress, $1,900
- The Sundress: Alémais Evergreen maxi dress, $519
The best way to approach pregnancy dressing is to first evaluate your current wardrobe and see what can comfortably adapt with your body, then add in a few pieces that—and this is the crucial part—you would buy regardless of your incoming baby. Also, look at other areas of your wardrobe that you might have thought off-limits before. Tailored blazers left open or wide-leg denim or leather jackets are great ways to add shape and polish to an otherwise shapeless dress.
Because I was pregnant in the summer, I rotated between a favorite white Isabel Marant dress, a flowy floral Chloé number, and several linen dresses from Sleeper that became my mainstays. I paired them with a few great jackets and then sneakers or ballet flats (plus the inevitable pair of Birkenstocks)—it was a uniform that carried me all the way through. The key takeaway I learned is that you do not need to scour the “maternity” section of your favorite websites to dress that bump.
Below, a guide of some of the best non-maternity dresses that will work for your pre-baby body, your baby-growing body, your post-baby body, and everything in between!
Prairie & Roomy
Most of the first trimester is spent in a sort of limbo: Between morning sickness and the uncertainties of those first few early weeks, you’re likely caught between wanting to shout your pregnancy from the rooftops while also wanting to keep it close to home. You probably won’t look any different at first, which will feel maddening considering how different you feel. There is also often the frustrating sensation of waking up with a relatively flat stomach and having a bump by the end of the day—very hard for wardrobe planning! I found the best dresses for this stage to be prairie-like styles since they were fitted up top for definition but with wiggle room in the body for whatever is happening on any particular day (or hour). (You could go with plain black or white, but there’s a wealth of cute prints in this section.) I relied heavily on a puff-sleeved La Ligne dress and smocked floral dresses from Dôen during this stage as they were comfortable and made me feel instantly put-together. These dresses are also ideal for the final countdown stages of pregnancy as they will have enough space in the flowy material to cover your blossoming basketball!
Knit Stretch
Sweater dresses might not seem like the best option for a growing baby bump but once the bump has made its’ official appearance, a tight knit dress is actually the ideal way to show it off. This usually happens in the second trimester (a.k.a. the “golden age” of pregnancy) when typically the sickness has passed and left behind an adorable baby bump, just the right size to showcase in a slim fitting dress. A fitted knit piece like any from Khaite or Toteme is also a great option if you’re really feeling your bump and want to show it off and work equally well after the baby has arrived when you want a little extra stretch for your post-baby boobs!
Loose Shirtdresses
Sometimes when pregnant the only thing you want to be is comfortable: Think loose, flowy silhouettes and anything in the caftan or cotton poplin category. Garments with a removable belt or tie are ideal here as you can cinch them up for a bit of definition or remove the tie and wear it loosely. I absolutely lived in Jenni Kayne’s James dress throughout my pregnancy—it was perfectly belted in the early days and loose and flowy when I needed it most at the end. Anything with buttons is great for breastfeeding or pumping too; I loved a shirt dress from my Sleeper dresses for this and Zara always has a great selection of button down dresses ideal for breastfeeding.
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Fitting for an Occasion
If any fancier occasions fall during pregnancy, an empire waist is the way to go, Agua by Agua Bendita has some beautiful options. A fancied up caftan is also an excellent evening wear option, anything with a loose silhouette but jazzed up details like feathered sleeves or a bejeweled collar will allow you room for both you and the bump to breathe easily throughout the night and hopefully even dance!
Sun Dresses
If any part of your pregnancy falls in Spring or Summer then sundresses are your best friend. Easy to throw on, sun dresses typically don’t have much in the way of zippers or buttons so there should be plenty of give wherever you need it. Dresses with a tie belt are also ideal as you can adjust them above your bump to still give your look a bit of definition if needed or forgo the belt all together if it feels too constricting.
