PREGO STYLING TIPS

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017

maternity and non maternity during pregnancy, prego dressing tips
mat. dress/jeans & non-mat. shirt/jeans

Hey mamas,
here's the next maternity post in my preggo series.
It was originally one LONG post, covering lots of prego related topics,
but I should have known, NO ONE has time for that lol

So, I've broken them down into what I hope will be helpful nuggets.
Today I share a few tips on how to dress your changing body.

Check it out below




<<MATERNITY OR NON-MATERNITY?>>

BOTH!
There's no need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe,
at least not yet; using your own non-mat. clothes will still work.
As you near the end of your 1st trimester, 
you can start incorporating some maternity items, based on your needs.
Wearing maternity too soon will make you look larger and ill-proportioned.

For practicality, frugality, and ease, 
I prefer double duty/multi-use items.

I  did *buy a few non-maternity and maternity items which I share here because I wanted something different to work with this time around.
*mostly clearance, sale and thrifted items*
You'll find tips on how to style your non-maternity below.


<<STYLING NON-MATERNITY FOR PREGNANCY>>
non maternity for pregnancy, prego dresessing tips, maternity outfit, 2nd trimester
2.26.17 (21 weeks)
The above photo is a perfect example of maximizing
 my pre-prego clothes during pregnancy.
Nothing I am wearing is maternity.
-The tank underneath is standard sizing
-The gingham button-up is old/thrifted and tied under my belly to give me a waist
-The pants were clearance at Old Navy a few years back,
have elastic and a drawstring to accommodate my belly. 

---------

Dressing Tips
*SUPER important- make sure maternity items have a proportionate fit
to your body.
 Cute but ill-fitting clothes will make you look frumpy no matter what!
That applies to prego's or non-prego's.
*Layer button-ups, cardigans, vests, shawls, kimonos, scarves 
over maternity shirts or longer non-maternity ones (as above). 
If you can still button up great if you can't leave open.
Sometimes just a button or two under your bust is enough.
*Borrow shirts/sweaters from hubby.
To create a visible waist use belts, ribbons, or sashes.
*Non-maternity shirts which cover belly nicely- Walmart(herehere), Target (hereherehere), Old Navy (herehere)     

non maternity and maternity for pregnancy, prego dressing tips, layering blouses/shirts over dresses, maternity, 3rd trimester
4.1.17 (25 weeks+5d)
This dress was originally too wide at the legs,
 I'll share how I fixed it soon!
*Maxi dresses/skirts are great. The skirts can be worn low under your belly
or higher at the small of your waist, then layer shirt/blouse.
<<Tie shirts/t-shirts in a side or center knot and wear over dresses>>
<<Blouses that fit your chest but not your belly can be tucked under bust
and worn over dresses too.>>
*Short stretchy dresses/skirts can be worn with leggings or tights to extend their
use when your belly grows.
*Low waisted pants or elastic ones can still work with your belly bump.
*For pants that still fit everywhere but the belly, use the rubber band trick. Insert rubber band through the buttonhole, feed it into itself, pull to tighten, and then loop the opposite side over the button. Lower zipper a bit if needed.
Or use an elastic belt to keep lowered zipper & open sides covered.



<<TANKS or BELLY BANDS?>>
non maternity, pregnancy tips, long tanks instead of belly bands, prego dressing tips, 1st trimester,
This is a complete preference thing
but I have always chosen LONG TANKS!
I used/use affordable, long, tank tops under everything!
You'll see them peeking through v-necks or under other shirts. 
You can layer a longer tank over a shorter one 
and still, get tummy coverage.
Walmart (herehereTarget (herehere)  
and Old Navy (hereherehereare all great for these. 

You can opt for maternity tanks or go up 1-2 sizes in non-maternity sizing. 
 Old Navy offers "tall" versions and Target does the Long and Lean tanks.
 They cover beautifully and will still be useful long after baby. 


<<MINIMIZING A LARGE CHEST 
or MAXIMIZING A SMALL ONE>>

Maybe that isn't a concern for you
or it's not at the top of your list
but, it can make a HUGE difference when dressing.
WHY?
Just like poor fitting clothes or ill-proportioned styling,
your chest can appear much larger, making your silhouette larger as well.
Certain styles can also minimize an area that needs balance.
So this is definitely about balance.
I'm not normally a large chested woman in my opinion
but pregnancy changes that!
FULL cup change 😩
WANT to minimize what's going on up there lol
Some women desire the opposite, 
they want volume where it might be lacking.
These tips will help you too!

-----Large chested?-----
(small chest? check below)
1. Darker colors on top work best.
 You CAN still wear light colors
if you can balance them with some of the tips below.
2. Bigger prints/stripes minimize your chest 
because there's less pattern per inch.
minimizing large chest, how collar & pockets affect chest size, lower neckline, bigger chest pockets,
3. Deeper v-necks & deeper round cut-outs help to draw the eye down.
With less material, it detracts from the appearance of a large chest.

It also exposes a little more skin which balances the skin/chest ratio.

*Depending on if you like showing cleavage or not (I do NOT)
you could layer a tank under your deep v-neck or round cut-out shirt.
*Square openings could work but they spread the eye horizontally,
making your chest appear wider

4. Along with deeper neck openings, placement of pocket, size of the pocket
or placement/size of a design can also make a difference.
* If choosing pocketed shirts, opt for a larger pocket 
and preferably centered on either breast.
The same goes for a pocket placed design.

If it's a centered logo/design: larger is better
and centered over your breasts, not above.


-----Small chested?-----
1. Lighter colors on top work best.
 You CAN still wear dark colors
if you can balance them with some of the tips below.
2. Smaller prints/stripes maximize your chest because there is
visually more per inch.

3. Smaller/higher v-necks & round cut-outs help to draw the eye up.
With more material and less skin visible, 
it makes the area appear fuller.
 (top, left & center photos      for you)

4. Along with smaller/higher neck openings, placement of pocket, size of the pocket
or placement/size of a design can also make a difference.
(top, right photo      for you)
* If choosing pocketed shirts, opt for a smaller pocket 
and preferably above the breast.
The same goes for a pocket placed design.

If it's a centered logo/design: smaller is better
and above your breasts.


OK, on to the next post!
Sharing that soon.


Have you checked out my "Dressing the Bump"
by trimester? 1  2

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