How to Choose a Maternity Wardrobe

Choose the Right Maternity Clothing for your Growing Figure

Oct 14, 2009

It can be confusing to find maternity clothes when you just start showing. Here is a guide to help find the best fit for growth.

When someone is expecting and is not fitting into her regular clothes anymore, she needs to start shopping for a maternity wardrobe. But will those jeans fit in another six months? Here are some professional tips for choosing the right maternity clothes to ease the expectant mother through her full pregnancy.

At the very beginning, most maternity clothing will be too big. If one can't fit into her regular size and she needs some new clothes, she should consider going a size or two up. Although she won't end up wearing these pieces for too long, there are several advantages to this method.

First of all, she may be able to find better deals on non-maternity clothing, since the options are much more open. She can then spend less money when it's time for real maternity.

Also, she will find these clothes very handy after her baby is born. Although no one wants to think about it, one will most likely not fit into her pre-pregnancy wardrobe for a while after giving birth. For some women this can mean a couple of weeks, for others it could be several months or even years. So there will be other opportunities to wear these clothes again.

...Or Choose a Transitional Maternity Accessory

There are many new and innovative products on the market today that can help stretch a wardrobe. There is the ever-popular belly band which is manufactured by several, different companies. The band is sort of like a tube top that is worn over the belly. One can wear it over jeans, pants or skirts with open zippers, but the zippers are hidden beneath the band, allowing the wearer to get more use out of her clothing. The wearer layers regular shirts on top of the band, and it looks like an undershirt peaking out.

There are also cute buckles that one can attach to open zippers in pants, hiding the opening and appearing as an accessory. The theory is basically the same, allowing more time before having to discard regular clothing.

Choose Maternity Styles that Will Grow With You

When none of these solutions continues to fit, it's time for the plunge into maternity land. Try to choose pieces that will grow with your figure. A pregnant body will look quite different at nine months than at five. Don't splurge on an expensive pair of jeans that is slightly large at the waist, even if it looks great now; get a pair with a back elastic panel or side panels, or with a foldover wasitband.

Choose tops that are very stretchy or have ruching details. These shirts will usually look good when one is smaller and they stretch to accommodate a larger figure.

Another idea to consider is before and after clothes for maternity as well as nursing. There are many styles available from different lines that work for pregnancy, and have special openings for nursing after the baby is born.

The copyright of the article How to Choose a Maternity Wardrobe in Women’s Fashion is owned by Jennifer Saibil. Permission to republish How to Choose a Maternity Wardrobe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.