6 Wardrobe Pieces For Early Pregnancy

Yay! I’m pregnant! And now I’m trying to figure out how to deal with my closet for the next nine months. That’s of course not the only thought on my mind – but definitely one I had to deal with quite early.

If you’re anything like me and love (read: live in your) high-waisted jeans the majority of time, you’ll quickly notice that you feel uncomfortable in them the minute you find out you’re pregnant. At least that was the case for me. Although I did not have any sign of a bump until around week 12, I just didn’t want to wear anything that was pressing against my belly anymore – especially because I felt sick most of the time. So my jeans were out of question quite early.

However, I did not want to go crazy on shopping for maternity clothes right away. First of all, it felt very weird in the beginning to shop for maternity clothes without even looking pregnant, and secondly, I also didn’t want to spend a fortune on clothes I would only wear for a couple of months.

So I simply “went shopping” in my own closet and tried on all my other pants, dresses, skirts and tops to see which pieces would accompany my growing bump the next few months. Up until now – 5th month of pregnancy – I only bought three maternity related clothing items and was able to wear a lot of the things I already had in my wardrobe.

Of course, maternity style is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. There are plenty of ways to approach it and it also highly depends on each woman, and also on the season. I assume dressing a growing bump in summer is a lot easier than in winter, but ask me again once summer comes around the corner when I’ll be VERY pregnant…

Of course every body and every pregnancy is different, but here are the hero products that work for me:

• Leather Leggings: My Artizia leather leggings have been my number 1 choice of pants during my first 4 months of pregnancy. Their high waist fit felt smooth over my belly and they were elastic enough to make me feel very comfortable.
• Palazzo Pants: Or basically any loose fitting pants that do not necessarily look like PJs have been my best friend the past couple of weeks. Luckily, I already had a few of them in my closet already because I always wear them for traveling. Definitely a staple item if you’re pregnant!
• Long Cardigan: My favorite way to “hide” the little bumpie were long cardigans. I am basically living in the Viktoria Louise Vienna cardigan since I received it for Christmas. A cardigan like this one is also a great piece to invest in, because it will bring you joy way past your pregnancy.
• Rib Knit Dresses: Another piece of clothing I would not have wanted to miss the past couple of months are rib knit dresses. Three reasons why: It only takes one piece and you’re dressed. They are super comfortable. You can dress them up or down, just as you like. I especially love this black version!
• Slip Skirts: Another lifesaver for me during pregnancy so far are slip skirts, like my Anine Bing silk slip skirt. It fits over the bump without any problems and always makes me feel put together.
• Long Shirts & Jackets: Another great trick to hide your bump is by wearing long shirts and jackets. Up until week 14 no one would have thought there might be a little bump underneath at all. On days when I want to feel as comfortable as possible, but still add a little bit of style, I always reach for my tweed shirts or denim jackets. Make sure you buy them a little bigger, so they have that extra cool look to it.

The only maternity related clothes I bought so far are a couple of maternity tights, simply because I could not stand my shaping tights anymore that just felt way too tight on all ends, two new bras (hello boobs, what’s happening!?) and one pair of maternity jeans that’s still a bit too big though.

As I’m getting closer to the end of the 5th month of my pregnancy, I feel like I’m growing every day now and it will soon be time to think about new options to dress the bump. I’m really looking forward for spring to arrive because I think dressing will get a lot easier once I can wear dresses and skirts without tights.

Until then, I’m still looking for a good pair of maternity jeans. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to share them in the comments! I’m sure there are a lot of mamas-to-be out there who would be grateful for any tips, too.