The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dressing for two
With your body rapidly changing, it’s all about smart buys that’ll go the distance. Prudence Wade talks to stylist Joy Gregory
If ever there’s a time to put comfort front and centre when it comes to what to wear, it’s during pregnancy – but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy fashion and have fun with your pregnancy style. However, having to navigate the tricky issue of what to wear with a constantly changing body can also be a bit of a challenge.
“Pregnancy can be such a beautiful, happy and exciting time for most women, but it can also leave some feeling out of sorts with their style due to dressing a whole new body shape,” says stylist Joy Gregory (pictured above), founder of The Style Guide.
As your belly grows, you have enough on your plate – you don’t want to be worrying about what to pull out of the wardrobe in the morning, or spending unnecessary amounts of money on new clothes you won’t fit into in a month or so.
That’s why it’s worth focusing on the staples, which will get you through pregnancy while still fitting with your sense of style. Here are Gregory’s top tips for pregnancy dressing...
MAKE WRAP TOPS AND PEPLUM FITS YOUR FRIEND
Losing your waist is one of the most obvious changes that comes with pregnancy. This particularly comes as a shock to “women who are used to being slim, staying in shape and dressing to show off their midriff”, says Gregory.
Your bump means you might not be able to wear the belted styles you’re used to, but think of it as an opportunity to explore new cuts. “Try an empire waistband, where the seam sits just under your bust,” Gregory recommends. “Peplum and wrap tops work a treat to accommodate a bump.”
– Blume Maternity Exclusive Wrap Top with Peplum Detail in Navy, £17.50 (was £22); ASOS DESIGN Maternity Ridley High Waisted Skinny Jeans in Optic White with Under the Bump Waistband, £25, ASOS
– New Look Maternity Black Ditsy Floral Peplum Top, £14.99
– Dorothy Perkins Maternity Gold Foil Tie Top, £7 (was £28)
INVEST IN THE BASICS
With so much to buy for when the baby arrives, many expectant mothers are loathe to purchase new clothes for themselves – particularly as “you are growing out of things at a rate of knots”, says Gregory. “You can’t keep up with buying clothes to fit your bump.” This means you need to be smart with your purchases – so they’ll go the maximum distance.
New clothes will be necessary at some point – after all, there will
come a point where very little in your wardrobe fits you – but the stylist says: “Plan to replace only the basics.” For Gregory, this means buying “one or two decent, more expensive pairs of jeans or trousers at the three-month mark to last you throughout your pregnancy, and then between five to seven simple vests, tops or T-shirts from a slightly more budget brand”.
She also recommends nailing one key dress – “like a navy wrap dress or stretchy elasticated shirt dress, and style it in multiple ways to get that costper-wear down and avoid that ‘wasted money’ feeling”.
Of course, you can always do some swap-and-borrow among friends who’ve recently been pregnant too, to keep costs down and avoid waste.
– H&M MAMA Lyocell shirt dress, £29.99
– New Look Maternity Blue ‘Lift & Shape’ Jeggings, £17.99
– Blue Ripped Molly Overbump Maternity Jeggings, £45; Blue Oversized Denim Jacket, £42; White Pleated Short – Sleeve T-shirt, £14 (shoes out of stock), River Island
– Topshop Maternity Mid Stone Over The Bump Straight Jeans, £42
LEARN TO ADAPT
One of the hard truths about pregnancy fashion? “Your normal styles don’t feel comfortable any more,” says Gregory. This often particularly becomes the case during the mid and final months, when “you may find things like your usual skinny jeans, shirts or tailored workwear start to feel restrictive”, Gregory adds.
Don’t despair too much though – this is when “it’s time to adapt”. This means embracing aspects of pregnancy styling that are purely there to make you feel more comfortable – even if you wouldn’t normally wear them.
Gregory recommends “the elasticated waistband, over-the-bump maternity jeans, or bump-flattering wrap dresses” as great options. After all, the more comfortable you are, the better you’ll feel overall.
– Dorothy Perkins Maternity Grey Check Print Treggings, £7 (was £22)
– Dorothy Perkins Maternity Charcoal Brushed Wrap Dress, £15 (was £26)
– H&M MAMA Wrap Dress in Black, £24.99
YOU SHOULD STILL DRESS AND FEEL LIKE YOU
Even if you lean fully into maternity dressing, this doesn’t mean you have to lose yourself and your personal style entirely. “Find those comfort pieces that feel great on, reflect your usual style personality and still feel like you. It’s so important not to lose your identity,” Gregory says.
Although you might have to put some of your favourite items of clothing into storage for a while, she adds: “You don’t have to feel frumpy. Vamp up your outfits with accessories, handbags, jewellery and prints. Add some of your favourite colours to your wardrobe or invest in some new trainers or loafers to keep you looking stylish and chic during your pregnancy.”
Accessories and shoes will last forever – long beyond the bump – and are a great way of still feeling like yourself. Don’t forget you might still be able to wear some clothes you already own – Gregory recommends putting maternity-friendly T-shirts underneath a longline cardigan, jacket or blazer, saying: “You don’t grow out of a longline cardigan!”
If you do want to spend money on clothes, “buy investment pieces”, she suggests, like coats, accessories, handbags and jewellery – things which will last long after the baby is born.
– ASOS DESIGN Maternity Ultimate Organic Cotton Crew Neck T-shirt in White, £6; ASOS DESIGN Maternity Tall Ridley High Waisted Skinny Jeans in Clean Black with Under the Bump Waistband, £25
– Tu Cream Longline Button Cardigan, £20