No matter if you are a maternity maximalist or minimalist, there are some staples that every pregnant woman ultimately needs throughout her pregnancy. Here’s the thing, not all maternity clothes are created. Some are lumpy and frumpy and fit in all the wrong places. Some just overdo the “mommy” to-be style and leave women not feeling at home in their own bodies or style. Let’s be clear, if you wouldn’t wear it style-wise when you weren’t pregnant, you shouldn’t be forced to wear it when you are. Maternity style should reflect your personal style that you already had going before. This time is weird enough on a woman’s hormones and ever-changing body. The last thing they need is to feel like an alien in their own closet too. This is why prioritizing quality, stylish maternity clothes that fit your aesthetic is one of the most important things you can do for yourself as an act of self-love throughout pregnancy. You deserve to feel good in your clothes and like your outfits. If a maternity piece isn’t cute or doesn’t match your style, don’t invest in it! Spend time instead building a clothing capsule of pieces that feel good to you.
Some women are maximalists when it comes to maternity clothes, and choose to buy a large handful of new pieces to fit their changing bodies. Others take a more minimalistic approach and prefer to only invest in a few high-quality pieces and make the rest of what already exists in their wardrobe work for the time being. There is no right or wrong way to approach the pregnancy wardrobe. Every pregnant woman’s body is different. Every pregnant woman has different emotions toward their pregnancy. Every pregnant woman has different clothing tastes. Every pregnant woman finds confidence in different pieces. Regardless of who you are and where you fall, we’ve consulted the pregnant women in our lives, both the minimalists and the maximalists, and asked them what their non-negotiables are when it comes to clothing staples. And though, we relish in diversity, we found that even though every woman is different, there are a few areas in which all camps can fully agree. There is always unity to be found within diversity. So with that being said, here are the maternity must-haves of every type of pregnant woman alike.
1. Maxi dresses for days
You seriously can’t go wrong with a maxi dress. The beauty of long maternity dresses is that they grow with you, and give you an outfit that still lets you feel dressed up for any occasion. There are so many maxi dresses out there that are bump-friendly due to the cut. Long maternity dresses can help you feel your best whether it’s at a wedding, a function, or simply grabbing dinner with the girls.
2. A good pair of maternity jeans
We can not stress enough how crucial quality maternity jeans are. Maternity jeans are not created equal. There are so many out there that are horribly uncomfortable. First, you must figure out if you like the type of jeans that hug under the bumper over the bump. Once you’ve established this, you can pick a cut of jeans that you are already comfortable with. If you like skinny jeans, wear skinny jeans. If you like the baggier dad jeans, find a baggier pair. Like we’ve said, it’s important to still feel like yourself
3. Staple t-shirts
A few shirts that have the capability to cover over the bump are crucial to building the perfect maternity wardrobe. Grab a beige, grey, and black tshirt collection, and be set with the staples to set up any outfit. You can truly build all of your non maternity accessories around an outfit, as long as you have a few basic pieces that fit your bump as the base.
4. Leggings, always and forever
The more stretch, the better, when it comes to dressing the bump. This is why having a a quality pair of maternity leggings makes all the difference in the world when it comes to comfort and reliability. Because so many leggings are made to work out in, many of them typically have a compression waist band which is great for working out, but not for the baby. Finding a pair of leggings that has a buttery soft wasit band will make all the difference in the world.
5. Oversized button-down shirts
A breezy and carefree look that allows you to be dressed up and chic, but still comfortable is the flowy button down shirt. These tops are great to add some texture and character to an outfit, all while being bump friendly. There are ways to dress them up and down that makes them the perfect pregnancy staple.