There’s a certain clothing dilemma that comes with being pregnant. On the one hand, it’s a fun time to experiment with your new shape and splurge on maternity clothes. But then you consider that you won’t wear them long, and is it really worth the money to buy all new clothes that you’ll only keep for a season? So if your closet is full of the tried and true clothes that you own and love, why not keep wearing your favorites all through your pregnancy? And if you’re saying, “well how in the heck am I supposed to do that?” we’ve got you covered (literally)! Here are 5 pregnancy clothing hacks you need right now.
Maxi dresses are a girl’s best friend
The number one versatile item of clothing that can be worn during all trimesters and beyond is the maxi dress. They come in a wide variety of style and colors and are flowy enough to cover everything you’d love to hide during pregnancy. Want to show that baby bump off? They work for that too! You can dress them up or dress them down, and they’ll still be your BFF once you’re postpartum. Plus, there’s no reason you need to fork over extra dollars for a “maternity” style maxi dress because regular ones serve the exact same purpose. We have yet to find a maxi dress that didn’t work for literally everyone, pregnancy or not.
GRECERELLE Women’s Casual Maxi Dress
Leggings, tights and yoga pants, oh my!
Behold the glory of a good pair of leggings. In a nutshell, you can build your entire pregnancy wardrobe around any form of these. They’re stretchy, comfortable and go with anything. You won’t fully appreciate the comfort factor until you hit your third trimester, but trust us you’ll want comfort over ANYTHING else. If you need to dress them up for a work event or holiday, throw on a sparkly top, cardigan or blazer and you’re good to go. The best part? It’s likely that you already own a pair or two and, therefore, no investment necessary. They also make excellent gifts for the pregnant mama.
SPANX Women’s Seamless Leggings
Extend your favorite jeans
Much like you would your favorite vacation, extend your favorite jeans with a couple of these pregnancy clothing hacks. If you’re not interested in paying for an actual belly band, try looping an elastic hair tie as a way to “close” your jeans without buttoning them all the way. Throw an oversized shirt on and you’re set. If you want an extra layer, make your own belly band from an old shirt that has become too snug for your bump. Cut off the top half so that you’re left with a loop of fabric. Put that on over your head and situate it so that it covers the top portion of your jeans and acts as an undershirt when you throw on your top. If all else fails (and eventually the elastic hair tie WILL fail) you can invest in an official belly band for less than $30 that will help you through the rest of pregnancy.
Maeband Maternity Belly Band
Breathing room on top
Bras are expensive, and since you’ll most likely need to buy nursing bras when the time comes, make due with the current bras you own. You might be wondering how in the world you’d do that considering the girls just keep on growing, and it’s another pregnancy clothing hack. Use a handy dandy bra extender to keep your boobs holstered in the bras you already love. There are some bras that are good in-between options, ranging in price from $25-30, if you decide to go that route.
Petutu Bra Strap Extensions
Honorable mention pregnancy clothing hacks
Other ways to make good use of the clothes you have include, adding a belt to a cardigan for an over-the-bump fashion statement, dressing up tunics for a fun (and functional) outfit and taking advantage of the menswear trend by layering with chambray or flannel shirts over a t-shirt, tank or dress.
Maternity clothes don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. And they don’t even need to be official maternity clothing to work well during your pregnancy. With just a couple of tricks here and there, you can utilize your current wardrobe with these pregnancy clothing hacks that you can’t live without.
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