To Wear Or Not To Wear Maternity Clothing

While maternity clothes have come a long way over the past 10+ years, I still feel like there is a stigma surrounding them. There obviously is the idea of not wanting to invest in clothing that only can be worn for a short period of time, but I am always more in favor of wearing whatever is most flattering and fits. I never really thought about this until I became pregnant and have had a few friends and readers ask me my thoughts or if I plan to purchase maternity clothing. To be honest, I am fine either way. Purchasing them or not purchasing them – it’s more important to me to feel comfortable and feel that I look my best rather than worry if something is maternity or not. I was getting way too uncomfortable in my regular jeans so I picked up 2 different pairs of maternity jeans recently (will be sharing them in an upcoming post) and already feel better when wearing them. They seemed like the most logical item to pick up first, and though I still haven’t found any shorts that look great, I am still on the hunt.

As far as dresses, tops, shirts, etc I will buy things as I need them. Since this is my first pregnancy and I’m still carrying quite small, I want to wait until I am a bit further along to see how big my stomach will get rather than guessing now and getting it wrong. I’ve always been someone that believes in buying clothing for how you look in the present day rather than how you hope/plan/anticipate looking. That could be because of pregnancy, weight loss, weight gain, etc – it’s always nice to have a few pieces that you can reach for in your closet that fit comfortably now and make you feel good. Nothing replaces the confidence that comes from feeling good in what you are wearing even if you don’t feel that great in your body size at the moment.

Before I finish this post, I have to talk about my love for body con dresses at the moment. They really have become something I enjoy wearing now and the ruching on this particular maxi was absolutely perfect! Perfect for pregnancy but also perfect for those not pregnant because it draws the eyes to the waist and gives a great slimming shape. I’ve been on a roll lately with finding maxi dresses that aren’t too long and it makes me so happy! I loved being able to pair this dress with flat sandals and not worry about it dragging on the ground. Especially since these Madewell sandals are one of my favorite pairs to wear in the summer. I purchased them last year, but they are still a staple in the Madewell collection. They are the perfect casual sandal to wear with almost anything in my summer wardrobe. And of course, I love a giant hat so this one I recently picked up from Janessa Leone has been a great addition. While I enjoy finding a great bargain buy here and there, I notice a huge difference in how much more well made and flattering hats are that run a bit pricier. Since I wear one almost every single day in the summer, it has been a worthwhile splurge for me.

Dress – Bailey 44 (also available here and it’s cheaper!) | Bag – Kayu (also love this combo ) | Sandals – Madewell (on major sale! also available in this color) | Hat – Janessa Leone | Necklace – Made Community