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Congratulations to all of you who are reading this article!
Having worked in fashion magazines for some time, I was excited at the
prospect of getting a whole new wardrobe when I found out I was
pregnant. Unfortunately, finding maternity fashion I liked wasn't easy
at all. Put together with the challenge of finding affordable maternity clothes,
I thought I'd either have to wear a dress that looked like a big tent
or resort to wearing tops halfway up my big belly! Australian women are
just as stylish as the women in Europe but our options here seem so much
more limited. So, here's a few style tips that will keep you looking
and feeling cool in summer and where to shop for stylish maternity
clothing that doesn't cost a year's worth of nappies!
Hiding your belly when you're not yet ready to tell the world
I found that this was a major issue, especially at work as there was this fear that soon everyone would notice that either I'd been enjoying my food too much recently or that I'd indeed started growing a bump. And, you don't want your employer to start making plans for the future that don't include you. I also found that I wasn't keen to let everyone know that I was pregnant until I'd had the BIG 12 week scan as I'd made the mistake of telling a couple of people early last time and then miscarried.
So, at this stage, I'd definitely recommend dresses with empire lines in floaty, cotton fabrics which don't cling to your shape so jersey fabrics are definitely out at this point in time. Tunic-style or A-line style dresses are also good although if this isn't normally your style, you'll probably have friends/colleagues wondering "Is she or isn't she...?". As for tops, I found I had a few non-fitted shirts which were perfect for this period - shirts with a print are even better as they tend to distract the eye. Bottoms are the difficult bit, especially for second pregnancies onwards as you tend to show much earlier. However, you can get away with starting to wear maternity jeans or pants if you wear longer tops that cover up the belly band. Similarly, with maternity skirts.
Its time to celebrate and show off your bump!
There still seems to be so much maternity clothing out there which does pregnant women a disservice. After approximately 3-4 months, you'll want to show off your voluptuous curves, not to hide under a big sack. Maternity T-shirt dresses and empire line dresses especially, hug your bust area to give you shape. Empire line dresses are so fashionable at the moment, that you can wear them even when you're no longer pregnant, stretching your dollars even further.
Summer maternity clothes
Australian summers are really hot and buying maternity clothes online from the northern hemisphere just doesn't work as their seasons are the opposite of ours. Despite the heat, wearing strapless maternity dresses with ruching down the sides or T-shirt dresses. There are some great maternity dress styles out there at the moment for pregnant women such as a halter neck maxi dress which wouldn't look out place on the catwalk. Also, don't be afraid to show off your legs - you can still wear mini skirts and shorts to keep cool. And when it got too hot, I'd pop on my maternity swimmers and head to the pool or beach for a swim. I'd definitely recommend buying some maternity swimwear, as some of the stares can make you feel a bit uncomfortable if you wear your usual bikini. Maternity swimwear which has ruching down the sides allow you to move easily and not feel constricted across the belly as you get larger. Plus, a holiday during summer in Australia wouldn't be the same without spending lazy days at the pool.
Breathable fabrics such as cotton, bamboo and viscose/rayon are the best for maternity wear, especially in summer. Your body temperature will already be higher while you're pregnant, so these fabrics will help keep you cool. They're all from natural sources plus bamboo has the added benefit of being "eco-friendly maternity wear". Jersey fabrics allow you to move and grow in comfort and are great for the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
Maternity wear that doesn't break the bank: bargain maternity clothes
Finding cheap maternity clothes in Australia was near impossible when I started looking. After all, I was only going to wear this clothing for at most 9 months, or possibly longer if I was to have another child (at the same time of year again). I also wasn't a pregnant celebrity for whom price was no object. I think this is how most women feel, yet we still want to feel gorgeous at this point in our lives as we indeed should. So, I looked around for maternity sales in the shops but found it was for the wrong season - the season just gone! This wasn't going to help at all. I also looked for second-hand maternity clothes on eBay but found there was little choice there and was back to square one.
My best tip for finding affordable maternity wear in Australia is to look for maternity clothes online and do a local Google search for the words "maternity sale" so that the clothes match our summer season. Maternity wear shops tend to be scattered all over the place and you'll be getting hot and bothered going from shop to shop, trying on clothes. Shop from the comfort of your own home or an internet cafe with a lovely cool drink by your side. You'll find some great options come up.
Hiding your belly when you're not yet ready to tell the world
I found that this was a major issue, especially at work as there was this fear that soon everyone would notice that either I'd been enjoying my food too much recently or that I'd indeed started growing a bump. And, you don't want your employer to start making plans for the future that don't include you. I also found that I wasn't keen to let everyone know that I was pregnant until I'd had the BIG 12 week scan as I'd made the mistake of telling a couple of people early last time and then miscarried.
So, at this stage, I'd definitely recommend dresses with empire lines in floaty, cotton fabrics which don't cling to your shape so jersey fabrics are definitely out at this point in time. Tunic-style or A-line style dresses are also good although if this isn't normally your style, you'll probably have friends/colleagues wondering "Is she or isn't she...?". As for tops, I found I had a few non-fitted shirts which were perfect for this period - shirts with a print are even better as they tend to distract the eye. Bottoms are the difficult bit, especially for second pregnancies onwards as you tend to show much earlier. However, you can get away with starting to wear maternity jeans or pants if you wear longer tops that cover up the belly band. Similarly, with maternity skirts.
Its time to celebrate and show off your bump!
There still seems to be so much maternity clothing out there which does pregnant women a disservice. After approximately 3-4 months, you'll want to show off your voluptuous curves, not to hide under a big sack. Maternity T-shirt dresses and empire line dresses especially, hug your bust area to give you shape. Empire line dresses are so fashionable at the moment, that you can wear them even when you're no longer pregnant, stretching your dollars even further.
Summer maternity clothes
Australian summers are really hot and buying maternity clothes online from the northern hemisphere just doesn't work as their seasons are the opposite of ours. Despite the heat, wearing strapless maternity dresses with ruching down the sides or T-shirt dresses. There are some great maternity dress styles out there at the moment for pregnant women such as a halter neck maxi dress which wouldn't look out place on the catwalk. Also, don't be afraid to show off your legs - you can still wear mini skirts and shorts to keep cool. And when it got too hot, I'd pop on my maternity swimmers and head to the pool or beach for a swim. I'd definitely recommend buying some maternity swimwear, as some of the stares can make you feel a bit uncomfortable if you wear your usual bikini. Maternity swimwear which has ruching down the sides allow you to move easily and not feel constricted across the belly as you get larger. Plus, a holiday during summer in Australia wouldn't be the same without spending lazy days at the pool.
Breathable fabrics such as cotton, bamboo and viscose/rayon are the best for maternity wear, especially in summer. Your body temperature will already be higher while you're pregnant, so these fabrics will help keep you cool. They're all from natural sources plus bamboo has the added benefit of being "eco-friendly maternity wear". Jersey fabrics allow you to move and grow in comfort and are great for the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
Maternity wear that doesn't break the bank: bargain maternity clothes
Finding cheap maternity clothes in Australia was near impossible when I started looking. After all, I was only going to wear this clothing for at most 9 months, or possibly longer if I was to have another child (at the same time of year again). I also wasn't a pregnant celebrity for whom price was no object. I think this is how most women feel, yet we still want to feel gorgeous at this point in our lives as we indeed should. So, I looked around for maternity sales in the shops but found it was for the wrong season - the season just gone! This wasn't going to help at all. I also looked for second-hand maternity clothes on eBay but found there was little choice there and was back to square one.
My best tip for finding affordable maternity wear in Australia is to look for maternity clothes online and do a local Google search for the words "maternity sale" so that the clothes match our summer season. Maternity wear shops tend to be scattered all over the place and you'll be getting hot and bothered going from shop to shop, trying on clothes. Shop from the comfort of your own home or an internet cafe with a lovely cool drink by your side. You'll find some great options come up.
Tania Tan is a mum, maternity stylist and owner of a new online maternity shop called MaternitySale.
It stocks the brand Eve of Eden Maternity at discount prices and is a
great place to find affordable, stylish maternity wear. Her Blog features more maternity style tips and her experiences of being pregnant and mum to a naughty but adorable toddler.
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