This blog post is somewhat of a departure from what I typically blog about (crochet, baking, travel), but I thought it might be helpful to write about how I’ve been styling my outfits with my ever-growing baby bump. Besides being an avid crafter, I also love reading style and fashion blogs, and it’s been a fun challenge figuring out how to look stylish while being pregnant!
I have been trying to work with pieces already in my wardrobe and buy pieces that I can continue to wear even when I am not pregnant, thus minimizing the amount of clothing I’ve needed to buy specifically labeled as “maternity-wear” since they tend to be expensive. This has actually been quite easy as many styles nowadays are loose and flowy. I do not generally like to wear pieces of clothing that fit snugly around my belly. I will go through some of my favourite outfits and pieces and explain why I love them so much!
All of the following photos were taken within the same week, between my 27th and 28th week of pregancy (just on the verge of the third trimester!). Even though my belly appears smaller or larger (or non-existent) in some photos, I assure you that it is the way the clothing is cut. My obstetrician says my weight gain is right on track and my belly is the perfect size for my gestational week!
Ever since we found out I was pregnant, I stopped wearing my normal jeans because I found them too uncomfortable as I sometimes felt bloated. I pretty much lived in leggings. I later decided to pick up these maternity jeans here from Old Navy, and I absolutely love them! They are skinny jeans with a dark wash, and the elastic waistband panel is so comfortable, providing a lot of coverage (you can see the expanding panel in the bottom right photo with my protruding belly). No more restrictive buttons or zippers! These jeans are very affordable, particularly since Old Navy frequently has 30% off coupons. It will definitely be tempting to continue wearing these jeans even when I’m not pregnant, particularly during large meals 😛 I also love wearing this ruffle tiered tank because of the volume and texture it provides- it reminds me of a cupcake!
[Maternity jeans: Old Navy, Ruffle tiered tank: Aritzia]
While I was at it, I picked up these cuffed denim maternity capris here from Old Navy as well. They also have the expanding panel, and they are very comfortable! Another option is to purchase a bellaband, which is an elastic band you can wear over unbuttoned waistbands (so you can keep wearing your regular pants and jeans) that help provide coverage as regular tops may become too short. You can also try and make your own with this great DIY here. I wasn’t sure how comfortable it would be wearing unbuttoned pants and whether I would have to keep adjusting the band if it kept riding up, particularly if my belly got really big. I’m very happy with these two maternity bottoms I got from Old Navy as they’re very secure! I also love wearing loose, drapey tops that hang nicely so they don’t cling to my belly.
[Cuffed maternity denim capris: Old Navy, Drapey top: Uniqlo]
I purchased these next two outfits in Tokyo. Crochet tops were very popular over there, and they look so ladylike and pretty! They also expand with my belly and drape very nicely. These polkadot shorts are very comfortable as well since they have an elastic waistband. I can wear them lower so the elastic band hits below my belly or pull them up higher as well. Of course, I will definitely be able to wear these outfits again when I am not pregnant!
[LEFT: Crochet top with tank: Boutique in Laforet, Polkadot shorts: Gu; RIGHT: Crochet top: Momo, Polkadot shorts: Gu]
With the summer heat, I’ve loved wearing these loose tank tops with a wider cut at the bottom since they do not cling to my belly. I like to wear sports bras under my tanks since they help wick away sweat, they’re comfortable, and it looks alright when the straps are visible. When I wore this black and white striped tank, some people did not even realize I was pregnant! I think the horizontal stripes gives the illusion of a wider body, so people don’t see the belly protruding forward. I’ve had these black linen shorts for a while, and they were always a tad loose for me. Now they sit comfortably on my hips below my belly!
[LEFT: Pink tank top: Garage Clothing, Shorts: Forever XXI; RIGHT: Striped tank top: H&M, Shorts: Forever XXI]
Below is one of my favourite outfits and pieces! Even though it looks like I am wearing a tank top with a skirt, the black piece underneath is actually a cotton maxi dress. It is extremely comfortable and versatile, and I’ve loved layering different tops over the dress. This delicate crochet tank is one of my favourite tops.
As you can see here, the cotton dress expands comfortably with my belly. I like layering loose blazers ontop as it gives a very polished, refined look. I love this peach blazer I picked up in Tokyo since it adds some colour to this outfit!
[Black cotton maxi dress: Aritzia, Crochet tank: American Eagle, Peach Blazer: Pour La Frime]
Here is the same black cotton maxi dress now with the pink tank top from above layered ontop of it! You can get a lot of different looks just by layering different tops, and it is extremely comfortable 🙂
[Black cotton maxi dress: Aritzia, Pink tank top: Garage Clothing]
These loose flowy tank tops will help carry me far into my third trimester. When traveling on planes, I love wearing long loose tank tops with leggings. This tank in particular could double as a summer dress! For more definition and shape, you could try cinching the tank with a skinny belt underneath the belly!
[White and pink tanks: H&M, Brown skinny belt: Aldo]
I think this next outfit is really cute! I belted a little summer dress I’ve had in my closet for a while and paired it with a chambray shirt I picked up in Tokyo. The cut of this dress accentuates my belly with its empire waist. I love my baby bump 😀
[Tank floral dress: Wet Seal, Chambray shirt: Gu, Brown belt: Gu]
This next dress is actually a maternity dress, also with an empire waist (can be found here). With the empire waist, I will be able to continue wearing this dress as my belly gets bigger and bigger, but I can also wear this dress when I am not pregnant. Once again, I’ve added a brown skinny belt above my belly to add some definition and to give this outfit a more polished look. You can check out this helpful video here by Chriselle Lim, showing different ways to wear a skinny belt!
Next, I’ve layered a crochet shawl over this maternity dress for a very romantic look as it hangs beautifully. Loose, flowy tops (such as this crochet shawl and chambray top from above) look great layered over outfits as you do not want to layer pieces that are too tight.
[Black maternity dress: Old Navy, Crochet shawl: Boutique in MyLord, Brown belt: Costa Blanca, Purse: Coach Willis]
This next maternity dress is one of my favourites (found here)! I love the length of this dress and the diagonal grey and white stripes. It is extremely comfortable, and the ruched sides will accommodate my expanding belly in the third trimester. It can definitely be dressed up or down!
Here, I paired this maxi dress with my cropped jean jacket (found here)! Jean jackets are very popular right now, and I think they look super stylish layered over maxi dresses!
[Striped maxi dress: Old Navy, Jean Jacket: American Eagle]
With wedding season in full swing, I scoured through my closet to see which dresses would still fit me. Dresses made of stiff material with zippers were completely out of the question, but I did have a handful of dresses that still fit me, including the one pictured below. I picked up this silk handkerchief maxi dress last summer at a random stall when the exhibition came to our city (similar here). It was one size fits all, and I loved the beautiful pattern and colours of the dress. As you can imagine, it is extremely comfortable since it cinches above my belly, and I can definitely continue wearing this dress as the third trimester progresses on! I am wearing a bandeau with this dress, and I wear mine very frequently with tops that are too low-cut or where the back is exposed (you can find them here). Isn’t the back of this dress pretty?
[Silk handkerchief maxi dress: random stall at Exhibition, similar here, Bandeau: Aritzia]
Here is a picture of Ryan and I at the wedding we attended when I wore this dress! You can see my bump clearly here 🙂 It’s so nice being able to still wear dresses that I previously owned that are not specifically maternity dresses!
And there you have it: some of my favourite maternity looks from my second trimester! I should note that I love accessorizing as I feel it really helps pull an outfit together (I have pictures from when I was a little girl with hair clips, chunky beaded necklaces and bracelets piled on!). I usually like to wear a necklace and layer on bracelets. I should also note that I am without footwear in all of these photos, but I have only been wearing flats and flip flops in case I were to take a tumble when wearing heels and to minimize back pain!
Thanks for sticking with me through this long blog post, and I hope you gained some styling ideas whether you are pregnant or not! Which outfit is your favourite outfit? Feel free to forward this blog post to friends or family who are pregnant as well! I love seeing how other ladies are styling their baby bumps 🙂 No doubt I will be unable to wear some of my outfits as my belly rapidly expands in the upcoming weeks and months (I do not want to stretch out my clothes), but I know I can continue wearing some of them! It’s definitely possible to be pregnant AND stylish at the same time! Thanks for reading, and you can follow me on facebook, twitter, and instagram (allaboutami) for more updates and photos!
