Maternity Style Guide: Making It Work With Mostly Pre-Pregnancy Clothes + a Few Maternity Must-Haves

I am ~24 weeks along today and thought I’d share how I’ve hacked my maternity style so far with mostly pre-pregnancy/non-maternity clothes and a few must-have maternity items. This being my first pregnancy, I had no idea how much of my closet I would still be able to wear, and friends and family varied widely in how much they spent and which maternity pieces they deemed necessary. This is the guide I wish I had as a first-time preggo, and I hope it will inspire you to maximize your pre-pregnancy wardrobe or purchase pieces that you can continue wearing postpartum.

I will say one common denominator among the friends and family who spent the least on maternity clothes was that they were in their second/third trimester during the summer, so they could get by without wearing pants and mostly non-maternity dresses and skirts with elastic bands. My due date is in April, so the weather has been chilly most of my second trimester, and winter will span the entirety of my third trimester, so I didn’t have the luxury of cancelling pants for the rest of my pregnancy (as much as I would have liked).

My Maternity Must-Haves

MATERNITY BAND

I started out with a maternity band, which is a stretchy piece of nylon/spandex that you wear over pre-pregnancy pants unzipped and unbuttoned. The band is supposed to smooth over and cover the unzipped portion and also provide some coverage for your belly since your pants will sit lower. The band worked well up until maybe my sixteenth week of pregnancy, and I definitely recommend getting one to try out. You may be able to use it even longer than I did if you own low-waisted bottoms. All of my bottoms are high-waisted/meant to sit higher on the waist, so there’s more fabric above the waist to begin with. As my belly grew, the pants began sagging more and more, so at sixteen weeks I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a pair of maternity jeans.

MATERNITY STRAIGHT LEG JEANS

It was difficult to find a pair of maternity jeans that weren’t jeggings (no shade on jeggings—they’re just not my style!), but I was able to find these affordable black straight leg jeans after a bit of searching. I took my pre-pregnancy size (26). The ones I got are sold out currently, so I’ve linked a few similar straight leg options below, organized by price tiers.

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I only bought three other maternity pieces, and they were all bottoms, a pair of leggings, stockings, and sweatpants. Yes the non-maternity versions of these pieces are already stretchy and have elastic waists, so one would think they would accommodate a growing bump…but I found this to be patently false at around the 17 week mark (I can’t emphasize enough that every body is different, so YMMV!). I wore the leggings almost every single day, and they provided just the right balance of stretch and compression/support.

I’ve linked the pair I own as well as a few other maternity leggings that were highly recommended by friends and family.

MATERNITY LEGGINGS

I chose to go with more of a sweat-wicking, performance fabric, so I could wear them for workouts too.

Fun fact this shacket was stolen from my husband’s closet :P

MATERNITY STOCKINGS & SWEATPANTS

Another maternity piece you probably won’t need if you’re pregnant during the warmer months, but these maternity tights allowed me to wear my pre-pregnancy skirts and dresses throughout this winter without freezing my buns off. The maternity sweatpants I received as a hand-me-down from my sister also came in clutch. The exact sweats I have aren’t available anymore, so I’ve linked similar ones below.

PAJAMAS/ROBE SET

I love everything from this brand because they’re designed to be worn pre and post-partum, and I have been living in this three-piece lounge set. I feel put together lounging around the house in these (and we did a ton of lounging in 2020), and the tank and robe are nursing-friendly. I tried on both the XS and S and decided to keep the S because the pants have an elastic waist band, and I wanted to be able to wear them comfortably over and below my third trimester bump. The fabric is a buttery soft thick cotton with the perfect amount of stretch.

Pre-Pregnancy/Non-Maternity Pieces I Hacked

Now onto pre-pregnancy/non-maternity pieces I was able to hack! This wasn’t so hard because I already had a ton of oversized/boxier silhouettes in my wardrobe to work with. I’ve been wearing all of my oversized sweaters, cardigans, and shackets (shirt jackets). If wearing pants, you just want the sweaters to be long enough to cover your growing belly. Cropped tops are a little tricker, so I pair those with leggings or stretchy skirts that I pull over my bump. If you have a longer top that you want cropped without actually cutting it, just knot the extra fabric with a hair tie and tuck it under!

OVERSIZED SWEATERS, CARDIGANS, & SHACKETS (SHIRT JACKETS)

The gray sweater and white cardigan I’m wearing are out of stock, so I’ve linked similar styles below.

FORM-FITTING TURTLENECKS

I don’t know if I’ll be able to pull these pre-pregnancy turtlenecks over my bump in the third trimester, but I’ve been able to so far and have also loved layering them under stretchy skirts and jumpsuits.

JUMPSUITS

I’ve been able to comfortably wear this jumpsuit (without the optional belt) all throughout first and second trimester, and I love the flexibility of being able to wear it alone with an oversized cardigan/sweater over it or with a turtleneck layered underneath. There’s a cashmere version if you are looking for extra warmth, and I’ve linked a few others too below.

SKIRTS

Midi skirts with an elastic waist are your best friend! I’ve loved wearing mine over my bump and styling them with a sweater or cropped tee.

DRESSES

My shift dresses and stretchy, form-fitting dresses have been getting great wear throughout this pregnancy. Some of the dresses I’m wearing in the photos are out of stock, so I’ve linked similar styles.

I hope this little guide was helpful and gave you some ideas on how to hack your existing wardrobe!

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