WHAT TO WEAR THIS WEEKEND

EASY DRESS

DRESSING A BUMP

I’m on maternity leave, so I’ll be taking a break from this column. But in my last for the next few months, I want to share my thoughts on the thorny issue of dressing a bump.

This is my second child — my daughter Lyra is now two years old — and given fashion’s terrible ecological footprint, I’m more determined than ever not to buy clothes I’ll only wear a handful of times.

BANISH BODYCON

LeT’s be honest, maternity wear options are limited. There seems to be either dresses that would be suitable accommodation for my entire family or a skintight stretch jersey — and no middle ground

Hats off to those of you who can wear body-contouring, but for me it’s not realistic or flattering. And I don’t want to wear a yurt.

INVEST IN GOOD JEANS

THIs pregnancy I wanted to dress and feel like my old self for long as I could, so I worked out how to do ‘non-maternity maternity’. I’ve managed to get by with only one pair of maternity jeans (Isabella oliver, by far the best, £ 75,

uk.isabellaoliver.com). I’ve worn them most days for the past few months, and the comfort factor means I’ll have to be prized out of them when maternity leave is over.

DRESS WITH STRETCH

THen, to go with them, the High street is full of swing/trapeze-style tops, especially Cos where everything is oversized. There are also plenty of dresses that stretch in just the right place to accommodate a bump, like the one I’m wearing here (right) from Zara.

What you can invest in and enjoy are accessories. shoes, bags and jewellery can make you feel human, stylish even, and best of all you can still wear them on the other side of pregnancy. see you there!

Dress, £59.99, zara.com; loafers, £245, russelland bromley.co.uk This versatile dress will work for a variety of occasions, whether you’re pregnant or not Make sure anything you buy has room to grow with you If you want to wear clothes post-pregnancy, stick with your pre-pregnancy style Invest in accessories you’ll be wearing for years to come