One morning as I was getting dressed to take my kids to preschool, it occurred to me how my style has ebbed and flowed over the past few years, changing slightly with each life transition. As a Pharmacist working in a conservative corporate environment, I reached for tailored basics – black pants, slim blazers, and soft tank tops. As a stay-at-home mother/freelancer – black skinny jeans, white t-shirt, and boots when venturing outside to get coffee. Now, as a thrice pregnant woman, knit midi dresses, tank dresses, and yoga pants are my jam. With all these style adaptations, one thing has remained constant, my quest for stylish and quality clothing that lasts. Regardless of the role I was inhabiting, I gravitated towards elevated and chic maternity pieces in neutral colors (black, beige, grey) that fit well in all the right places.
So much of what you wear is a reflection of who you are and your sense of self. So much of parenthood requires changing your lifestyle and adapting to a new way of life. Every aspect of your life changes – what you wear, how you spend your time, who you are. Staying true to my style is one of the ways I have retained parts of my identity before becoming a mother.
While pregnant, I rely on a few brands that help me maintain my sense of style while still adapting to my changing body. I should note that I turned to my own wardrobe for as long as I could as you can see with these posts. Nevertheless, I reached a point when I didn’t fit into my regular clothes. With the options below, I was able to stay true to my fashion identity and look like me, just rounder. 🙂
Chic Maternity Clothes
Storq
I bought the best tank dress from Storq in the beginning of my pregnancy and still wear it now at 35 weeks pregnant. Storq has been my go-to retailer for pregnancy and nursing clothes since I was pregnant with Dylan. They are known for their neutral basics and attention to detail. These are clothes that you actually want to wear while pregnant and long after. They also tie in nicely with my existing wardrobe so I was able to create maternity versions of some of my favorite looks. I bought a few pieces from them years ago and mixed and matched for both casual and work-appropriate outfits (back when I worked in an office setting).
Hatch
I would wear Hatch whether or not I was pregnant. Hatch has chic maternity pieces you can wear before, during or after pregnancy. I have the Ricky slip dress, worn here, in plaid and love it. Their clothes are more expensive so I saved my shopping for special pieces I knew I would wear often throughout the pregnancy. Here are a few of my favorites:
Isabella Oliver
This brand was my go-to for t-shirt and ruched dresses when I was pregnant with my daughter circa 2015. I wore them often to work with a blazer or long cardigan when I was pregnant with Dylan. With this pregnancy, I pulled out my bag of dresses and was happy to slip back into one of my favorites, the t-shirt dress.
Madewell Jeans
Some of my favorite jeans are from Madewell so I turned to the brand for maternity denim as well. I have a dark blue and a black pair that I wore starting when I was about six months pregnant. They carry both side-panel and over-the-belly maternity denim, which I really appreciated. I personally find the side-panel more comfortable.
Gap
I turned to Gap for maternity shirts, specifically ones that were long-sleeve. There comes a time when all of your regular shirts only cover a portion of your body and the second half of your belly is left exposed. It’s not a good look but great motivation for running to the store and buying well-fitted clothing. I also like the workout clothing at Gap, which let’s face it, turned into my everyday clothing around 34 weeks.
Honorable mentions: H&M, Zara and Mango
I bought many of my non-maternity pieces here that worked for the majority of my pregnancy. I loved the knit midi dresses at Mango and they were all reasonably priced. Zara is another retailer with beautiful trendy pieces at an affordable price. I found some great dresses that I plan on wearing postpartum.
Outfit details: Shirt: Anine Bing // Denim: Madewell // Blazer: Everlane // Heels: Sarah Flint
Photos by Sarah Jessica Hall.