Prep-for-Baby Building Blocks

If you have followed this blog for the past couple of months, then you know that I was expecting a baby soon. Baby Charlie finally arrived in March and he is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. Looking back, I can’t believe how fast the past nine months went! Then, I started to think back to when I found out that I was pregnant in June 2018. I was overwhelmed with happiness, but one of my first thoughts was, “How am I going to dress a growing bump and still keep my personal style?” I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I was determined to be successful. As it turned out, it was much easier than I thought it would be! 

Now that I have nine months of maternity dressing under my belt and our beautiful baby is finally here, I thought I would share the five key pieces I wore throughout my pregnancy that made me feel stylish and confident the whole time. I wore each of these pieces multiple times every week. And because of their versatility, I could mix and match them together with pieces I already owned to create lots of different looks. And if you are wondering, no, I didn’t spend an arm and a leg on maternity clothes. In fact, only a few of the items I purchased were actually labeled “maternity.” By the end of the nine months, I realized I had created my own maternity capsule wardrobe that expressed my exact personal style. 

If you are a mom with a growing bump, make sure to take note of some or all of these pieces. They are basic building blocks for creating a simple and sophisticated wardrobe for those nine months you have ahead of you. Paired with many of the third pieces you already own, the following pieces will have you and your cute bump looking great! 

1. Lululemon Align Leggings in Black
I owned a pair of these leggings before pregnancy and I always loved them for traveling and everyday leisure. Soft as butter, a high waist and a knack for always staying put, these leggings came highly recommended to me by lots of pregnant mamas out there. I took their advice and what I found was that they offered a four-way stretch with great “bounce back” that grew with my baby bump and I never felt constricted. The best part, as soon as I had the baby, they were comfortable enough to wear almost right after too. At $98, these are an investment legging for sure, but I was willing to invest if I could wear them during and after. 

2. Articles of Society Maternity Jeans
Not knowing what style of maternity jeans I would prefer, I went on a quest for trying them ALL on. After trying what seemed like 20 pairs, I found that the full-panel maternity jeans were most comfortable for me. I had worn Articles of Society jeans before pregnancy so I knew that they would be soft and stretchy, and the maternity version did not disappoint. I purchased blue denim with a gold stitch and an opaque black pair as well. These jeans were almost as comfortable as wearing a pair of leggings but gave me a more polished look for when I was working. At $68, I thought these jeans were decently priced and they also held up perfectly after multiple washes. 

3. Spanx Coated Mama legging
I own the non-maternity version of these leggings and have worn then for years. They are one of my go-to athleisure pants to wear and I knew that I would be sad without them. Luckily, Spanx created a full-panel maternity version of my favorite leggings and I purchased them right away. They were fitted in the places that needed to be and comfortable around the bump. I paired them with sweaters and tops throughout the nine months to capture my edgy but classic style. Knowing I would only wear them during pregnancy, these $98 leggings were the one item that I really splurged on. However, I ended up wearing them two to three times a week, so it was absolutely worth it. 

4. Tees by Tina Tanks
Luckily, I already owned these black tank tops, but if not, I would have purchased them. They are not maternity tops but made of a spandex micro-fiber material that gives and then bounces back. These tops are longer in the torso, which was perfect for pulling over the bump and covered the maternity panels on all of my pants and leggings. I rotated three styles: a spaghetti-strap style with a square neck, a scoop-neck style, and a high-neck style. Each tank retails for about $38. They wash well with no pilling and are still in great shape to wear as underpinnings for after pregnancy. Almost every day, I paired one of these tanks with one of the bottom options listed above and a third piece that I already owned. 

5. Miscellaneous Accessories
Since my style is simple and fairly neutral, I decided to add a few accessories to my wardrobe to enhance my basic pieces. I purchased a new pair of fun sneakers, Western-inspired booties and a few pieces of jewelry that I could layer. I rotated these in with the shoes and accessories I already owned to create fun new maternity looks. ■

Written by: Abby Wood

Abby Wood is a wardrobe stylist and style blogger in Kansas City, and her education in design plus retail experience make her an expert in fit, fabric, style and trends. Her professional experience in fashion began with an apprenticeship with a bridal designer, shifted to creating and showing her own line, moving up to management and training at a retail level and now professional styling as an independent consultant. Abby loves to help individuals develop and evolve their own sense of style. 

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