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Maternity muses: Four women show us how they style their baby bump

image via @karao/INSTAGRAM

words by Daisy Henry

“My overall mindset was to embrace the bump, celebrate it and let my clothes adapt around it.”

While pregnancy can be a beautiful thing, it’s not often seen as a prime time to have fun with your wardrobe. If anything, romcoms and most maternity wear collections would have us believe that your personal style all but vanishes by the third trimester.

Traditionally, maternity dressing has been focused on hiding your baby bump, or at the very least, drawing people’s attention away from it. But being pregnant doesn’t necessarily mean you need to revamp your entire wardrobe or cover yourself in oversized, drapey materials (unless that’s what you want).


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Although comfort is important, traditional rules surrounding styling your baby bump no longer apply. Rather than feeling like you need to take up less space, its an opportunity to embrace your changing body. And whether you’re expecting or not, it offers a valuable lesson in wearing what makes you feel good, rather than dressing within the parameters of what you think you’re allowed to wear.

Our style icons and creative muses Jameen Zalfen, Grace Corby, Kara Otter and Liv Brown have each approached maternity dressing in a similar way. While their tastes naturally differ, they’ve all tried to work with their existing wardrobe, maximising their use of accessories and showing off their growing bump.

Jameen Zalfen, co-founder and creative director of Dyspnea

From the very beginning of my pregnancy, I was determined to avoid maternity clothes. Instead, I focused on maximising my existing wardrobe and investing in versatile pieces that would remain stylish post-pregnancy. This approach did become trickier as my baby bump grew. There were a few meltdowns, however, I only ended up purchasing one pair of maternity jeans, so I felt I managed quite well.

Silk pants with an elastic waistband were my lifesaver for date nights and evening events – they instantly looked chic when paired with a blazer. I gravitated towards tops with button closures or ties to accommodate my bump comfortably. My overall mindset was to embrace the bump, celebrate it and let my clothes adapt around it. I refused to let my style shift simply because of my growing belly. Buttons, tie-up waistbands and tops, and stretchy materials are your recipe for success!

@jamjii_dyspnea

Grace Corby, vintage collector and founder of Art Garments

I would say the main way my style has evolved during pregnancy is that I’ve wanted to show my body off more, rather than obscure it. Being a vintage fanatic and seller, I wear exclusively secondhand and a lot of drapery and textures, avoiding anything tight across my belly. But now all I want to wear is stretchy things that show my shape. You get your bump for such a limited window of time and it’s such a special and interesting experience, I guess I’ve just wanted to take advantage of the novelty.

It’s also a fun challenge because my textural, breezier pieces have tended to look frightful and I’ve had to stop wearing heels which I’m usually never without, so I’ve really had to shift my style mindset. I’ve also tried to be resourceful and repurpose pieces I already had. During pregnancy, I’ve been going with a tight dress and overshirt with silk scarves and trinkety belts. Or a tighter top and stretch-waist breezy pants or skirt that can be worn below the bump.

@gracecorby

Kara Otter, founder and designer of Karameleon

Since being pregnant, I’ve been adamant about not changing my style or my wardrobe at all! Maternity clothing or oversized linen shirting has never been my vibe. Luckily for me, most of my wardrobe consists of stretchy vintage pieces already. And I can add to that every time I’m in the So Familia store.

Similar to my last pregnancy, I’ve embraced the bump and really let it be out for the world to see (which has had a lot of mixed reactions, especially on socials). Printed dresses have become tops in my later stages, and short shorts with stretchy waistbands I fold over and very comfortable shoes are a must! The Karameleon Ra Ra Ruffle Shorts, my New York top (with built-in bra) and crop tops have all been key players.

@karao

Liv Brown, founder of Rattle Style

During my first pregnancy, I felt like I struggled to dress to my new body. I didn’t find any maternity clothes or brands that I loved and basically just lived in gym clothes with oversized jackets. Summer was hard because I was always covering my bump. When I fell pregnant the second time, I was excited to experiment with different outfits and free the bump. It’s so much more comfortable to have the bump out, meaning I could stick to clothes I already had in my wardrobe.

I lived in wide elastic-waist pants under the bump with singlets. My favourite thing to do was accessorise the bump, too. I would wear cute necklaces over my belly and have fun with different outfit formulas like tight maxi skirts with a bralette and oversized open shirt. I miss dressing in pregnancy, it’s such a beautiful time to love and appreciate your body.

@rattle_style

For more maternity fashion inspiration, try this.

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