The Pregnancy Wardrobe

It was a running joke in high school that when I actually was pregnant, I wouldn't need to buy a single item of clothing because most of what I owned looked like it could stylishly clothe a pregnant woman. When I found out I was pregnant this summer, I naively thought I'd be fine with what I already owned. Well, THAT didn't exactly work out. By the time I was four or five months pregnant, I was finding it hard to wear most of my "normal" clothes. And by hard I mean that even formerly roomy shirts came down to my belly button, if I was lucky. Some didn't make it that far- I'll spare you the details. A friend let me borrow a pair of jeans that were a few sizes larger than my "pre-baby" size, and I wore those until I realized when I sat down, I couldn't really feel my legs. Even my stretchy yoga pants got too snug to wear. Yesterday I made the bad decision to break out a pair of black running tights I used to wear in college, and by the end of the day I think the baby was kicking inside me out of sheer anger of being smashed by the way-too-tight waist band all day! 

Bottom line? In my opinion, you've got to invest in a few items to get you through your pregnancy. Sure, I could wear Joey's sweats and shirts (which I do, when I'm going to be staying home all day) but that doesn't exactly help you feel your best. My philosophy with pregnancy is this: flaunt it! If I'm pregnant, I want to LOOK pregnant and look cute in the process! Otherwise, I want to be wearing my beloved "old" dresses and jeans that I currently can't even fit half my body into.

So here it is, a brief outline of what I've invested in that I wear literally every. single. day. Notice the lack of jeans- I have yet to find a pair of maternity jeans that don't threaten to fall completely off when I move even the slightest. Do you want to make a lot of money? Invent maternity jeans that stay on. You will quickly become a wealthy man/woman.

Row 1, from left:

White maternity shirt from Old Navy. Basic & gets a lot of wear.

Black floor length skirt from Old Navy Maternity. Feminine and comfortable! 

Asymmetrical stripe black/tan dress from Target Maternity. At first it looked terrible- once my stomach got big enough to fill it out, I began to love it.

Row 2, from left:

Floral print, VERY stretchy dress by Vera Wang for Kohl's... purchased for $5.99 at Salvation Army. Score!

Pink striped shirt from Gap. The ONLY thing (seriously) from "pre-baby days" that fits now.

Black cover with tie from Old Navy Maternity. Best purchase yet!

Row 3, from left:

Black yoga pants with folded waistband from Aerie. These stay on SO much better than maternity pants!

White maternity tank from Old Navy. Probably second best purchase- I wear it under everything.

Striped maternity shirt from Old Navy. The only thing I don't adore about this shirt? It's hand wash only! Lame.

Are YOU expecting? My advice? Invest a few classic pieces that can be switched up and worn with different outfits. You can always save these clothes for future pregnancies, and not feeling like a slob your whole pregnancy will make it so much more enjoyable. You also don't have to spend a lot of money. Everything you see above cost less than/around $125, and they get constant use. And I'm not meaning to news-flash this, but be prepared to invest in new bras with both a bigger waist band & cup size. I bought new ones only as I needed as the pregnancy progressed, and it made a world of a difference. And never be afraid to check local thrift shops for steals on maternity clothes & even "normal" clothes that work with your new body. I NEVER would have been able to pull off the floral Vera Wang dress before, but I love the way it looks now! And not only it was $5.99, but it was "recycled" in a way, so you're doing something good for the earth! 

Do you have any tips on buying clothes wisely during pregnancy? Share them!