By Julie Weingarden
http://www.clubmom.com
Pregnancy doesn't have to mean hiding under shapeless
shirts and leggings or tent dresses; the trick is to
find a look that spells confidence and comfort. Here,
women share their favorite apparel picks.
Name: Jill Holder
Age: 33
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
How far along: 36 weeks
Favorite look: Power suit
I'm very short, so I'm conscious about looking round and stocky.
I like to wear clothes that give me a shape. Most maternity clothes
are "tenty," like smocks and baby doll dresses. I just can't
do the look where clothes balloon out over the belly.
So my best find has been the business suit I bought for less
than $50. It's charcoal gray and has pants, a skirt, and a jacket
with a zipper down the front and two pockets on each breast.
The jacket also has a clip so I can taper it in the back. I like
that I can switch off between the skirt and the pants. Everything
is made out of cotton jersey, so it's comfortable and machine
washable.
I spice up the suit with a pair of black leather mules. It's
easy to forget I'm pregnant because I look so chic in the outfit.
I can walk into a meeting and be taken seriously. One guy at
work didn't even know I was pregnant. When I wear bulky maternity
clothes, people just look at my belly. When I wear my suit, people
look at my face.
Name: Angie Tucker
Age: 29
Hometown: Garden Grove, California
How far along: 26 weeks
Favorite look: Stretchy separates
It's difficult to find stylish clothes that I'd wear if I weren't
pregnant. It's bad enough that you gain weight, yet don't look
pregnant until the fifth or sixth month—the last thing you want
to do is wear dorky clothes.
I'm normally thin and big-busted with an hourglass shape. I
like to dress sexy and wear fitted fashions, and pregnancy is
no exception. My favorite look is a long, black stretch polyester-blend
skirt with a black short-sleeve top. The top was $14 and the
skirt was $20. The shirt is stretchy and snug. It shows off my
belly and has a scoop neck that looks great, especially when
I wear a little choker necklace. The skirt has a drawstring waist
so I can roll over the top to make it shorter if I want. I wear
black slides to show my toes. I get a lot of compliments when
I wear my sexy outfit. It's nice to know I can be pregnant and
keep my personal style
Name: Jadie Gamble
Age: 38
Hometown: Atlanta
How far along: 31 weeks
Favorite look: Bathing suit
I'm kind of chubby, and I got bigger sooner than other women.
When I was six months pregnant, I probably looked like I was
at eight months. I'm really big now and people ask me if I'm
having twins. But I'm not worried about the weight gain—I think
I look pretty good all around. In fact, I like showing off my
pregnancy.
I bought a great black one-piece swimsuit with spaghetti straps
for $35. It has a skirt that makes my thighs look nice, and its
scoop neck shows off my cleavage. The other day I felt so good
in it, I pranced around the pool.
I actually feel more confident in a bathing suit when I'm pregnant
than I do when I'm not expecting. In a bathing suit, people definitely
can see that I'm pregnant. My husband likes when I show some
skin, too. He says I look like a really cute pregnant chick.
Julie Weingarden is a writer based in Royal
Oak, Michigan.
