My Maternity Capsule Wardrobe

 

Cute as a button striped dress (in the sale here).

Dressing a bump is hard but 5 months in and I think I’ve just about covered the basics! Trust me when I say, maternity shopping can be overwhelming, frustrating and downright expensive. I wanted to share with you the pieces I’ve been wearing on repeat to help anyone out there who might be struggling to adjust to maternity dressing. Finding basics that you feel comfortable in that make you feel nice is key and can make a huge difference when running errands, going out for dinner with friends or even going on holiday.

Five months pregnant! (It’s amazing how some outfits make me look like I’m not pregnant and others emphasise my bump).

Let’s start with jeans. You can buy maternity jeans in millions of places from New Look to Serephine and most places stock under and over the bump styles. It really is a personal preference, but I love the fit of the over the bump jeans. You can pay anywhere between £10 to £60! I’ve tried on my fair share of maternity jeans and the absolute best ones I’ve found were from H & M. Once you find a brand and a style you like, invest in a few colours.

3 months pregnant wearing my fave black maternity jeans…

I started my capsule wardrobe with a pair of classic black stretch jeans which are ideal for nights out, a pair of distressed blue jeans which are my favourite for the day with a floaty top and a pair of ripped white jeans (in the sale here) when I get bored of my other two pairs.

My friend swears by the Topshop Joni jeans but I found them a bit bulky. I also did a bit of hunting around in the Asos maternity section and bought a pair of their own brand maternity jeans that were under £30. Finding maternity versions of jeans you would usually wear is one way to keep a sense of self even when your whole body is changing and these jeans made me feel somewhat stylish and they are oh so comfortable. I’m obsessed with the super skinny range.

Day tops: My daytime tops range from long sleeved fitted tops to floaty camis. My go-to tops for summer days are these V-neck camisoles that are an absolute bargain at £7. George has them in so many colours and they are oh so easy to throw on. I bought one in navy and a black and white polka dot one. Mamalicious is another one of my fave brands for basic tops and this slogan one is now in the sale. I got it in both black and white. Again, impossibly comfy and easy to wear. The only top I splashed out on was this one from Seraphine as I knew it would accommodate my bump as I grew and it was a floaty, flattering cut. You can find it in the sale here.

Night tops: This type of essential hasn’t been as easy to find but Asos has been my saviour. I’ve worn this white lace maternity cami none stop since I’ve been pregnant. I already had this top in a non-maternity version so I loved that there was a style to accommodate my ever-growing bump. Yes, you guessed it, I got it in black too.

Maxi and Midi dresses: It doesn’t get much easier than throwing on a maxi but my advice would be, find one that brings you in under the boobs to create a waist so that you don’t feel too tenty. My absolute favourite maternity maxi dress is this one from ASOS and I can’t tell you how many compliments I’ve had on it. It’s not the most exciting piece in my wardrobe but the scoop neckline is so flattering and it’s quite low at the back which is nice. Don’t disregard non-maternity styles, I bought this gorgeous green and white stripe dress that I wore non stop on holiday. I also managed to buy a ton of floaty dresses and basic maxis from TKMAXX.

Long Cardigans: Layering pieces come in handy when you want to cover up and I bought 3 long lightweight cardigans in beige, cream and grey to layer over vest tops and floaty dresses.

Leggings: Great for wandering around the house, doing errands and throwing on for dog walks, I’ve only bought one pair from H & M and they’re OK. All of the maternity leggings I’ve tried on are waaaaay to long but these ones are not too bad fit wise and they are not at all see-through which helps! Over the bump is the comfiest in my opinion.

Sleep Bras: Underwear wise not much has changed apart my from bra selection. These 2 pack of maternity sleep bras are essential to life.

Gym gear – I haven’t managed to come across any suitable maternity gym pants. I saw a couple of nice tops in Gap but I’m making do with my leggings at the moment as I can’t bring myself to shell out for new gym kit when let’s face it, I haven’t stepped foot in the gym in months.

Occasionwear: I will pop back and update my progress on occasionwear as I’m looking for the perfect party dress for an event in 3 weeks time. If you have seen any suitable dresses (I’m looking for something super fancy) let me know in the comments!

I hope this has helped anyone who is finding maternity dressing difficult and please link me to your posts if you’ve written your own guides.