maternity fashion tips

Here are a few of my best maternity/postpartum fashion tips. Even if you aren't pregnant- pay attention! These apply to you too.

1. Wear proper undergarments. I swear, every single day I see ladies who have ill fitting bras that can be seen through their tops. If you have weird cup lines you should probably go up a cup size and down a band size. Also, regardless of your size, get a bra with light padding- this will prevent too much of you from showing. Buy your expensive bras in black and nude (don't even bother with white- it shows through white tops, nude does not). My favorite bras are by Wacoal- they can be pricey, but I've had luck finding great deals at TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. Wow... that turned into quite the rant, but a good foundation is the most important part of any outfit.

2. Open cardigans are your friend. They create nice vertical lines and are visually slimming. Colorblocking by wearing a solid color cardigan and printed top is particularly effective- your eye is drawn to the pattern and you get to look inches smaller. Open cardigans also do a great job at hiding any unfortunate muffin top or side chunk. When you select your cardigan make sure it ends either above or below your widest part- i.e. don't have the cardigan stop at the widest part of your hips. 

13 weeks

14 weeks

22 Weeks

3. Stock up on sexy stretch bra camis from Express. I am not exaggerating when I say that I've been wearing one of these almost every day since 2003. They smooth everything out and prevent weird bra lines from showing through. These days, they also do a fine job of concealing the pregnancy belly button that desperately tries to become an outie. I love how the camis are nice and long and able to cover the bump. 

4. Aside from the be band and Express camis, don't buy maternity clothes right away. I really didn't need maternity pants until I was around 20 weeks (at which my point my bump was comparable to a 26-27 week singleton). I was able to get away with my regular tops through 3/4 of my pregnancy. When shopping only buy clothes that you absolutely love (this applies with regular clothes too)... a limited wardrobe is much more appealing when it consists of clothes that you love and feel good in.

5. You only need 2 pairs of jeans. Seriously. And this is coming from a denim addict.

When I looked through the tub of clothes I borrowed from my friend, I was shocked that she only had two pairs of maternity jeans (she loves clothes just as much, if not more than I do). I thought I would need to invest in a few more pairs of jeans, but honestly I feel perfectly content with two pairs. Make sure you have a pair to wear with flats and a pair to wear with heels- I have gotten the most wear out of skinny jeans that I pair with knee high boots (and trust me... you need more than two pairs of knee high boots).

6. Always make sure that at least one article of clothing is fitted. This is one of the rules that applies to non-pregnant folks too... clothes that are loose all over add pounds. Pre-pregnancy, I loved trouser style pants, but I found that as my belly grew, that style of pant no longer worked for me... they only made me look frumpy. During pregnancy I have found that skinny jeans and leggings are the most flattering pant choice for me. So, always make sure that you wear something fitted, and use the fitted piece to highlight your best feature.