I put on the average weight for a pregnant woman, so I wasn't one of those teeny bump ladies! What I didn't want to do was buy a ton of maternity clothes that I wouldn't be able to wear post-pregnancy. I also didn't have money to buy a whole new wardrobe. I was gifted a few maternity shirts, but other than that, I only bought 1 pair of Target maternity leggings, 1 belly band, and was handed down a pair of maternity dress pants. Being a teacher at the time, I had to get creative with my wardrobe to make it stay relevant and adapt to my changing body.
Other than one pair of maternity leggings, none of the articles of clothing in these pictures are maternity clothes and were all items that I previously had in my wardrobe.
1. Go for floral prints or vertical stripes rather than solids or horizontal stripes.
The florals and vertical stripes will make you look smaller and won't show as much if the dress is tighter than normal.
Maxis that don't have much give or sway will get tight around your thighs and become hard to move in. The empire waist line will accentuate your bump.
3. Buy workout clothes one size larger.
I found some non-maternity tank tops that stretched right over the bump. I can still use them now that I'm not pregnant.
4. Turn short dresses into long shirts with leggings or pants underneath.
When your pregnancy progresses, your dresses may become too short with your add the bump. Doesn't mean you can't still wear them. Just turn them into shirts.
I wore these coral jeans, unbuttoned with a belly band from Target, right up until I gave birth!
6. Add a belt
A belt will make a shirt or dress fit perfectly around your bump.