Being pretty, put together and pregnant aren’t mutually exclusive, but being fashionable for festivities can be challenging.

“The holidays can always be daunting. You’ll be seeing family and co-workers,
and you’ll want to look your best,” says Joshua Thomas, spokesman for Target in
Minneapolis.

Moms typically want reasonable prices, easy care and versatile and comfortable clothes when they’re pregnant, says Linda Hagedorn, events coordinator at Younkers Department Store. Establishing a maternity wardrobe on a budget is another consideration.

Consider what colors are flattering to you and what type of clothes you’ll need through the holidays. If your family is casual, or you don’t go to many parties, a dressy outfit might not be useful.

A black skirt with a handkerchief hemline paired with a variety of tops or sweaters can take you to work and beyond, Hagedorn says. Change your jewelry, throw on a colorful scarf, switch shoes for boots, and the look is completely different. A gray suit with a jacket, skirt and sleeveless top is multipurpose; just add different tops and jewelry for various looks.

If you are traveling for the holidays, a little black dress can multitask.

“You can have fun with it and re-purpose it. The simple black dress serves as a backdrop” for accessories, Thomas says.

Change your look easily with a sweater, scarf, pashima or jewelry. Seasonal colors enhance the dress. “You can go traditional with red or go green, gold, silver, pink or teal,” he says.

An empire-waisted dress can grow with your shape, and a knee-length skirt is flattering on everyone, Thomas says. “It’s all about how you feel, especially at the holiday season.” And you should look as good as you feel.

If you’re more of a pants woman, consider investing in a stirrup pant, skinny jean or basic black pants, suggests Judie Ashworth, publicity manager for Motherhood Maternity. The type of fabric can dress up an outfit. Velvet, brocades and silks all are fashionable and luxurious. Layering one or two tank tops or wearing a pretty cami with a chunky sweater looks trendy. Pairing your favorite maternity pants with a blouse and sweater looks ready for the office, then change into a cami top with a pre-pregnancy jacket left open for a dressier version.

Pair a metallic top with jeans, accessorize with boots and jewelry and you’re ready for dinner with the parents. Draped and wrapped necklines emphasize slim necks and draw the eye upward. Ruching adds interest. Cropped fitted jackets or trapeze jackets cut wide with big buttons look pretty over trousers or pencil skirts.

Plenty of tops accent cleavage, which might be the first time the pregnant mom has breasts to show off, Ashworth says.

Leggings, pencil skirts, sashes and belts still can be a part of the pregnant woman’s wardrobe; it just depends on how comfortable you feel showing off your bump.

Boots and flats are hip and comfortable for the mother-to-be, but heels can be the final sexy touch to a glamourous outfit. Just be careful that they’re not too high, because a pregnant woman’s balance in the later months can be off, and a high heel could lead to a fall.

“It’s a fun time to be pregnant, from a fashion standpoint,” Ashworth says.

Sometimes, a woman might decide not to buy maternity clothes and will buy a larger size of nonpregnant clothes to get through a pregnancy. But buying a larger size of regular clothes does not make you look smaller, Ashworth says. Neither does wearing your partner’s clothes. “Too much fabric will overwhelm you.”

You want to look chic, not sloppy, during your pregnancy.

Fitted clothes make it easier to move around in and make you look smaller, Thomas says. Maternity clothes are cut for a woman’s shape and made to accommodate the figure during pregnancy. “They complement the female form.”

Source: Argus Leader

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