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How to Make the Most of Your Maternity Wardrobe: Part I

Written by sarah pollak

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Posted on October 12 2017

You're wardrobe should grow as the belly does, not get smaller!

At somewhere between 8 and 18 weeks your closet shrinks. "What fit last week doesn't fit this week!" or "I don't look pregnant, but nothing fits!"

How to Stretch a Shrinking Wardrobe

The more that you can do with each piece that you add to your maternity wardrobe the better. The best way to stretch a shrinking wardrobe is to start with, and stock up on, what we refer to as "blank slate" pieces.

Blank Slate Pieces will take you anywhere and everywhere because you may be pregnant, but you still get to go out and about, look fab and have fun. Gone are the days when being pregnant was considered an illness. Gone are the days when a maternity dress had a prerequisite white collar and bow on it. Looking for some gratitude today? There it is! Dressing pregnant is just an opportunity to learn how to dress a new body, celebrate pregnancy and get cute new clothes-not weep.

We find that when your body is, as one client put it, "a moving target" it helps enormously to dress in a way that feels good and empowering. You are making a human being after all-top that for power!

Start with a Solid Foundation

Start primarily with solids. That's how you build things right? If you love prints, great! Get some prints that you love-those are the furnishings or maybe even the window dressings. If they make you happy you should get them. However, most folks can't wear the same print dress every other day and feel very good. Solids should be your base.

One Little Black Dress can take you a thousand places.

And look for a piece that will take you from the beginning of the pregnancy to way beyond, It's a little black dress right?  You could even grab a few in different shapes.  Go for it.

Go Fitted

A good fitted one, with cinching, is a good place to start.  Not cinched is fine too, but a little gathering is great over a 12 week bump, whereas a flat out fitted piece can make you feel just fat.  You are not fat.  You are pregnant. 

Julianne loved this look from 3 months on and it loved her back. And it bumps all the way to 40 weeks brilliantly.  (Also, never a bad idea to add a Little Navy Dress into the mix, and this dress rules in Midnight Navy, so, go ahead, break the rules-go with basic navy or grey.

penelope dress

Just how many places has our Penelope Dress been? From Kelly Rowland on her honeymoon to Susan Wojcicki on the front of in the New York Times Business Section...

to maybe our fave...throw on a red shoe and become a citizen!

(This particular piece gets extra bonus points for easy nursing access.)

If you really, really, really can't stand to play with the ruching, but want something flattering from 9 weeks to forever, try a little texture, it can work wonders.

Feel like going outside the black? If it's textured and fitted, then do it!

Go Maxi

A good Maxi makes a moms life easy and elegant. (and you don't have to worry about shaving your legs, cause who can do that with a bump??!)

Fitted or flared, a Little Black Maxi Dress is essential.

Madison Maxi Maternity Dress

Add another color? Black is basic, people do this flowy in more than one color all the time.

Again, how many places can a good maxi take you? 

The red carpet and any other function, absolutely. Don't worry that its stretchy, so is your body.  These maxis have done many a black tie function-it's all about hair, make-up and jewelry. Bling it on and you're good to wow.

Just a run around kind of day.  Yes! Add a cardi and a scarf and go.

Two years beyond?  It's still a go to.  Think beyond the bump, throw any sweater over the Madison and it has got you covered.

If it can do multiple things, like different necklines?  Yep, that's a thing. Bumped or not.

Go Flared

Sometimes you just want a little flare. Do it!

If that little black dress is reversible, then you've just doubled the places it can take you, eh? The Rachel Reversible. One dress that, without doing a darn thing besides turning it inside out, is two dresses. Woohoo.

And, yes, not feeling the black thing, Steel Grey to Midnight Blue Works too. Keepin' it neutral.

Stock up on a variety of Little Black/Grey/Navy dresses; break out the blazers, cardigans, bling, boots, heels and belts. You will be amazed at how much one dress can do!  Not quite as amazing as turning two cells into a human.  But, if you can do that, you can do anything, mom!

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