To dress or not to dress… the bump.
Welcome to the chapter in my life where denim has left the group chat and zippers are losing the plot. I’ve got tailored trousers on for the first time since our pregnancy announcement and a strapless black top covering the reverse triangle that is now my make-do waistband. Times have changed, my friends… Oh, how times have changed.
My social media is filled with bump-friendly influencers and I just… dare I say… accepted my first maternitywear hand-me-downs. I really thought I would avert that crisis when the time came, but behold… the bump always wins.
I would be lying if I told you I have mastered maternity fashion… In fact, most days I still have pajamas on repeat. The same Aerie and Amazon Basics sets on rotation for the last two trimesters. But having reached the halfway mark of the pregnancy and with SS26 taking place as we speak, there’s just no way I forfeit fashion in favor of this fetal hostile takeover.
So, let’s take a practical approach to pregnancy fashion. Hot-girl pregnancy isn’t just a mindset, it’s the state of your closet too. And if you’ve been reluctant to part ways with your pre-pregnancy wardrobe, do what we all do, and store ‘em in a bin until you’re brave enough to reopen Pandora’s postpartum box.
Perhaps, like me, you’ll postpone your cart until you’ve entered absurdity. Maybe you’ll keep buying non-maternity clothes (like we all have) to challenge the status quo (EDIT: the forces of nature). But sooner or later, you’ll meet the inevitable. I just hope you get more than one wear out of that fit before you uncontrollably Hulk out of it.
Little story time: We attended a wedding two weeks ago. I indulged a little and bought a gorgeous little candy-colored slip dress with a lace sweetheart neckline. I wanted my pregnancy debut to be fabulous as we reconnected with my husband’s Italian relatives. And yet, to no one’s surprise but my own, my Pucci-coded midi dress doesn’t fit me now. And probably won’t until further notice.
So, by all means, ladies… Be as delusional as I am. Get that unforgiving but totally fabulous statement piece. Spend an unwell amount of money on fits you won’t squeeze into in 3–5 business days. We’ve all done it, and we will all probably continue to.
But, take my word for it, you can bite the fruit-of-the-week-sized bullet now and embrace your maternity-fashion era. Fortunately, it’s more stable than the latest trends. And yes, you can probably still pull off the polka dots and color palette of the season.
So, here’s to it, ladies:
REALISTIC STYLE TIPS FOR RAPIDLY EXPANDING PREGNANT WOMEN
The good news is that dressing the bump is actually way less complicated than social media makes it seem. Somewhere between sponsored maternity hauls and beige linen sets, pregnancy fashion has become its own subculture. But in reality, most women rotate through the same silhouettes… just with different levels of ludicrousy and Lycra.
The formula is simple once you stop trying to dress like a non-pregnant woman with a bloat problem.
FIRST TRIMESTER: OVERSIZED on OVERSIZED
The trimester is pure survival, and you’re probably not thinking of style until you’ve shared the news to your family and co-workers. So, unless you have a job or somewhere important to be, there is absolutely no reason to pressure yourself into structured pleats at the moment.
Frankly, if you’re anything like the vast majority of women, cute cotton pajamas and oversized Alo sets will take you through the worst of it. This is your era of H&M loungewear and Victoria’s Secret sleepwear collections. The bump isn’t bumping yet anyway, so aim for loose and comfortable—even if it’s an XL Oxford shirt and wide-leg trousers.
SECOND TRIMESTER: BIG TOP/SMALL BOTTOM or SMALL TOP/BIG BOTTOM
Oh goodie, the trimester where you finally start looking pregnant instead of desperately ill (Read my honest column from the trenches of early pregnancy). This is also the season of chronic body dysmorphia, so take it from me, commit to proportion play.
Pregnancy starts looking elevated the second you stop fighting your body and start dressing like the bump pays rent. Admittedly, I still struggle here. I write to you from the banana stage, where my fruit-of-the-week is no longer giving ‘bloat’ but not quite ‘pregnant’ yet either.
That’s why this formula matters—arguably more than all other trimesters. Because it’s all business in back and party at the front… Or should I say top and bottom.
Pick yours, whether you decide to go for a tank and linen pants look, or a cropped pant and open poplin top. There’s such a variety of combos you can go with—one of my favorites this season being wide-leg linens and a bikini top. But I love a good racer tank and maxi skirt moment, as well as an open button-up that just shows off the bump enough to say ‘this isn’t a beer gut.’ Oh, and don’t sleep on a tent dress (especially in the early second trimester).
I was lucky enough to have effortlessly timed our pregnancy for a full-bloom summer. So yes, I will be shamelessly rockin’ bikini sets and bento boxes on the bump.
THIRD TRIMESTER: FULLY FITTED (or BACK TO SECOND-TRIMESTER BASICS)
Alas, the third trimester. Where you’re either treading on Bae The Label model or blueberry girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
By the third trimester, you have two choices. You either fully commit to the bump or return to the second trimester basics (on crack). There is no in-between.
This is where bodycon dresses and fitted maxis look better than they did before. Ironically, the larger the bump gets, the more flattering fitted silhouettes become. And the more you eat without guilt… Is it bloat or bump? We’ll never know.
One caveat: don’t try to hide it under oversize. That can quickly veer into Oompa Loompa territory. That said, if fitted dresses make you feel like a sausage casing by 4 p.m., return to the second-trimester formula and let proportions do the heavy lifting.
POSTPARTUM: ABANDON ALL STYLE ADVICE AND JUST SURVIVE
Safe to say, the only advice I can give you from where I’m currently writing is to ‘slay the puke and make chronic fatigue look Vogue.’ I know for a fact that you will be living in pajamas and diapers. So, no style formulas here—just brace yourself… This is not the time to prioritize your career as a fashion influencer.
On a side note, as heroin-chic as it may get, just remember to take a few photos of yourself every once in a while. My mom’s mid-90s postpartum look may have been miserable in the moment, but it’s giving retro icon nearly thirty years later. Bask in the beautiful and bloody glory of newborn life, and just hold on for dear life, mama.
And now that we’ve discussed the psychological warfare that is dressing a pregnant body, let’s talk about the brands currently carrying me through this deeply humbling yet somehow Devil Wears Prada 2-coded chapter of my life.
Because yes, maternity fashion can absolutely drift into ‘Live Laugh Love’ if you’re not careful. But thankfully, a few brands still understand that some of us would rather perish than wear something from the ‘Swag' era.
Brands I absolutely am buying this pregnancy
Momanda
If I’m surrendering to maternity bras, they better emotionally support me too.
Bumpsuit
If you want to look like a Boca mom with an Erewhon smoothie and a private Pilates instructor.
Ingrid & Isabel
For basics that don’t abandon the plot.
Bae The Label
Because pregnancy may have taken my waistline, but it will not take my aesthetic.
Légoe Heritage
Dangerously close to taking all my money.
Ripe Maternity
Dare I say, they have a 4th Trimester Collection.
And even though these last two aren’t technically maternity brands, they deserve an honorary mention for stretchy fabrics and Kardashian-level audacity.
Skims
Because if anyone understands shapewear, body fluctuations, and the female delusion complex, it’s Kim.
Good American x Always Fits Collection
For denim that still believes in me when the zipper does not.
And there you have it, ladies. The Prose unofficial style guide to dressing the most challenging proportions of your life.
Will you still try to squeeze into non-maternity denim in three weeks? Absolutely.
Will you purchase at least one outfit while your body outgrows it in transit? Without question.
Will your algorithm slowly morph into bumpdates, ‘what’s in my hospital bag’ reels, and baby shower outfit hauls? Unfortunately, yes.
But somewhere between the oversized pajamas and the torment of waistbands, you’ll probably find your version of pregnancy style too.
I guess that’s all there really is to it. Accepting that motherhood is not always stylish. And understanding that you will not look like an influencer every moment of your pregnancy.
So wear the bikini top. Buy the satin slip dress (and store it for later). Let your bump show and eat off it too. And romanticize the fruit-of-the-week update even when it looks like this:
Because when all else fails, you will realize that no woman has ever looked back at a pregnancy photo and thought, ‘thank God I spent those nine months sucking in.’
And when you’re covered in puke and that baby is sleeping in your arms, I promise you won’t be thinking about denim.
Sincerely,
A sister in style x
Sarah Elle
The bump wins. Thankfully, so does women’s wisdom. Subscribe below—it’s free… Just like maternity hand-me-downs.
