Maternity Wear Guide

Key Maternity Wear Essentials

We are constantly asked in our shop what are the essential items a pregnant women needs for her maternity wardrobe, so we thought we would put down a list of 5 key items you should invest in to see you through your pregnancy in style. We understand that the cost of maternity clothing can quickly add up, so these are our 'must haves':

Maternity Jeans - if you relied on your jeans before your pregnancy, this will not change. We don't need to tell you that you can dress your jeans up for nights out or dress them down for weekends. Maternity Jeans have various waistbands to accommodate your bump, and don't be fooled into thinking you can just super-size on normal jeans - they will just look saggy around your bottom and legs.

Black Maternity Trousers - again these work well in many situations, used for work, dressed up for a night out or just a change from your jeans. As with the jeans there are a variety of different waistbands. For more information on waistband styles read the Maternity Wear Tips section.

Maternity Wrap Dress - this dress suits most shapes and bumps, and can be very comfortable. Avoid non-maternity ones otherwise you could have an uneven look with more material at the back and the front sitting 4 inches above your knees. Your wrap dress will also fit your post-birth and can be used if you are breast-feeding, so it is really worth the investment.

Fitted Maternity T-Shirt - again opt for a maternity one, that will stretch and grow with you. Choose one in a neck-line that suit your shape and if you want to play it safe go for black and jazz it up with necklaces, brooches or scarves. Your boobs and back will grow, but your shoulders are unlikely to change, so buying larger regular clothes will make you look over-sized across your shoulders.

White Maternity Shirt - every season, without fail, the white shirt makes an appearance in the fashion pages. We've had pussy-bow, oriental collar, wrap around.....so with a white maternity shirt in your wardrobe you can always pull a smart outfit together either with your jeans or your black trousers. You can get away with a man's shirt here, and no doubt your partner will find it a sexy look, but for a more together look, opt for a stretch maternity version.

So if you only buy 5 things items of maternity clothing this pregnancy, we suggest you consider these!

If all of that sounds expensive then take a look at a recent addition to the Everyday Maternity collection, a wonderful capsule wardrobe for the pregnant woman. This 'bump box' style collection from Arabella B covers all your needs in one beautiful liberty print bag.

Your Yummy Mummy Capsule Collection includes:

1 x black wrap dress
1 x white cross over top
1 x soft black trousers
1 x white seamless vest
1 x black seamless vest
1 x liberty print cotton bag