Dressing the Bump.

“Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse.” – Francis Bacon

As someone who is dress obsessed, I’m lucky that my pregnancy fell within the warmer months. This made it much easier to find clothing that both suited my personality and my expanding bump!

During the first trimester, changes to my body came quickly. These changes were most likely not noticeable to anyone else but myself. For example, my boobs got bigger, but not humungous. Bras were the first item of clothing that started to become uncomfortable. In the summer I rarely wear bras, but at this time in my pregnancy it was around February, and for me, bras were needed. I opted for more of a bralette style that was more comfortable to move in, yet still provided support. This one here still remains my favourite. My tummy was changing too, but not into the typical round bump one thinks of. Instead, I felt I was getting a bit of a pouch below my belly button. Anything remotely fitted was off limits. Leggings and tunic tops became my best friends, as well as swing dresses. These felt much more comfortable on my body as they accommodated any changes I was feeling insecure about. Out of caution, I didn’t tell many people I was pregnant during the first trimester, so I didn’t want to dress in a way that I was hiding something, nor did I want to feel awkward in the clothes I already had.

My bump continued to grow, but really “popped” into a hard ball at around 20 weeks, which means I was well into my second trimester. For clothing, my main goal was to find dresses that could fit me throughout the pregnancy, and afterwards as well. I don’t like the idea of spending a lot of money on maternity clothes that would eventually become useless, so I searched the internet for dresses that were maternity friendly rather than actual maternity wear. Since we were (and still are) in a pandemic, I couldn’t go into stores to try clothes on, so I had to pay extra attention to details in order to evaluate if a particular dress would work or not. Here are my tips for finding well suited non maternity dresses:

Babydoll style or empire waist. This is when the skirt of the dress flares out from right under the bust. Thankfully, this is a trend right now. It provides a lot of fabric for your expanding bump.
Avoid zippers and buttons. My chest and waist have obviously expanded, so I avoided anything with zippers or buttons because they would render some dresses useless as I continued to grow. Instead, look for stretchy material and smocking for a more comfortable and longer lasting fit, or even adjustable ties.
Go midi or maxi. Though a mini dress would be cooler during the hot summer days, they don’t work as well if you have a larger bump because the skirt ends up sticking out too far and riding up. Being only 5’1″, midi dresses basically work as maxi dresses for me; they provide just the right amount of coverage. I’ve been fortunate that I can still shave my legs, but for those who have more difficultly, midi and maxi dresses also help with that!
Be aware of lining. Some dresses that worked for me in the second trimester, did not in the third. The main reason was that they had lining that was restrictive and did not fit the bump. If possible, look for dresses without lining to get the maximum amount of use out of them.
Look in your closest. I didn’t have to buy an entirely new wardrobe. Some dresses I wore last summer still fit for pregnancy. My only concern is whether on not I have been stretching them out!
Check out your favourite stores. Most of my dresses were purchased from stores I already shopped at! Here are some of my favourites, especially when finding maternity friendly dresses that fit my criteria: Free People, Urban Outfitters, Zara, American Eagle, Aritzia, Old Navy, Red Dress Boutique.

In terms of sizing, I honestly purchased all my new dresses in my regular, pre pregnancy size. I think this worked because of the tips I mentioned, especially in regards to finding garments that stretch or have smocking. I did buy a couple maternity dresses, but they are actually my least favourite to wear. I think maternity dresses almost make you look more pregnant! That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I just don’t feel as comfortable in them, and really, comfort is the most important thing. You do what’s best for you. That’s the best advice for anything in regards to pregnancy. What works for one woman, might not for another. Every experience is different. Some feel more confident with the bump than others and wear bodycon/fitted dresses, while others are a little more self conscious. Whatever the case, just know that as a pregnant woman, you are seriously rocking it no matter what!