13 Maternity Outfit Ideas That Are Fashion-Forward and Still Comfortable

It's not just empire waist dresses anymore.

In this day and age, maternity outfits don't have to be cliché or boring. While clothes for pregnant people used to be confined to empire-waist dresses and stretch pants, nowadays there are plenty of opportunities to be fashion-forward, including several new maternity brands. "I believe there’s never been a more exciting time to be pregnant and dress stylishly," says Ariel Taub, head designer of Ariel Taub Luxury Accessories.

Today, maternity pieces are really just regular clothes, which pregnant people are opting for to best express their personality and taste throughout their pregnancy. "Maternity clothes are almost obsolete, I would say, with the exception of jeans if one wants to wear those during pregnancy," says Anna Hafen, senior buyer at Zappos, adding that if you're trying to cultivate a pregnancy capsule wardrobe, you should aim to feel like yourself. "Try to maintain your usual style as much as you can."

Stitch Fix M.O.M. (Milestones of Motherhood) stylist Christa Purdy says, "I love to provide help to expecting mothers who are looking to hone their personal style and discover stylish and comfortable pieces." She focuses on helping pregnant people build confidence. "This can involve styling them [clothes] in non-traditional maternity wear or suggesting an unexpected silhouette they hadn’t previously tried, allowing them to maintain their personal style while accommodating their changing bodies," she explains.

While your own pregnancy capsule wardrobe can vary according to your needs and tastes, you can absolutely bring your inherent style to your maternity clothes. Keep reading for all the tips and tricks the experts recommend, as well as everyday inspiration for your next pregnancy or postpartum outfit.

Form-Fitting Clothes

One of the more popular fallacies pregnant people face is that you have to wear loose, flowy garments while you're pregnant. Instead, Taub explains that it's actually the moment to go for fitted clothing: "Start with chic, fitted pieces that highlight your bump, such as stylish dresses or tailored jumpsuits. Enhance these outfits with creative accessories like bold earrings, sleek necklaces, and trendy purses to elevate the look."

Purdy adds that you can pair a denim jacket and white sneakers, for example, in a casual look, or even dress it up with a blazer and ankle boots. In this case, this white jumpsuit is extremely sleek—it's almost an après-ski style—and the chunky ankle boots and gold earrings give it some fashion flair.

Comfortable, Textured Knits

Veve Holmes, designer at Petal & Pup, notes that pregnant people should prioritize "anything knitted," especially a maxi or midi dress. "A long sleeve knitted dress is perfect for winter pregnancy dressing, while crochet sleeveless or strapless dresses are great for summer pregnancy dressing," she says. Well-made knits will grow with you and—in the case of the black dress pictured above—come with some subtle slits for even better breathability.

Crop Tops

As Holmes explains, another common fallacy for dressing during pregnancy is that you have to keep everything covered. "Thanks to Rihanna for revolutionizing pregnancy dressing. Confidently embrace the bump and get it out," she says. For Hafen, that means you should lean into crop tops. "It's already having a trend moment: utilize this and show off that belly," she says.

Alternatively, as we see here, you can go for a cropped jacket, or, as Holmes notes, do a button-up top or vest with the bottom buttons undone. If you want more modesty, Purdy suggests "a high-waisted, A-line skirt that sits above the bump, paired with a fitted crop top that just meets the skirt's waistband."

Low-Rise Bottoms

If you choose a crop top or bra on top, the intuitive choice is to go with a lower-rise, under-the-belly bottom. For Hafen, that means a skirt, while for Holmes it's low-rise wide-leg jeans. This is about as belly-baring as possible, so if you want to bring back a little structure (and not feel like you're headed to the beach) throw a denim jacket on top.

If you're not familiar, under-the-belly pant styles are great for outfits where you want to show off the bump, but they slide down your hips more easily. Over-the-belly styles fit more securely and are often more comfortable but, depending on the garment, they might not fit as well in the later stages of pregnancy.

Stripes

Going with a pattern that only accentuates your shape might sound counter-intuitive, but go with us on this one. "Modern maternity fashion encourages women to experiment with form-fitting styles, bold patterns, and bright colors," says Purdy. This is actually the right moment to show off your new shape and define the contours of your body (as opposed to wearing something loose and billowy). Even if you don't love color, give it a whirl — this is the time to experiment, after all.

Lots of Layers

This is particularly relevant in transitional weather, but layering while pregnant is a really fun way to style your bump. "Wear a cute jacket or vest over a dress or try a great white button-down as your layer," Hafen says. In the look pictured above, the outfit is monochrome, wit more fitted pieces on top and baggier in the pants. There's also variety in the tones, as well as the texture of her pieces, making for a balanced and comfortable outfit.

Cool Shoes

Another common cliché is that you have to wear boring flats in pregnancy. While it is important to emphasize comfort, especially since your feet might be swelling, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice fashion entirely. "Opt for amazing footwear to elevate your look," says Hafen. Note that these gold heels are strappy and loose; you don't want to wear something that digs into your skin and cuts off circulation.

Thoughtfully Oversized Pieces

Even though body-con styles are great in pregnancy, you can still opt for something oversized. In this case, a big and bulky jacket can work in fall and winter over something more fitted. Hafen explains that you don't even have to stick to maternity clothes here. "You could also opt for brands that run a little oversized, that way the clothes can expand with the belly," she says.

Silky Slip Dresses

As Purdy explains, "A silky slip dress is a great choice for the early months of pregnancy, and is the perfect piece to invest in because it can also be incorporated into your postpartum wardrobe." Holmes adds that a bias-cut silk or satin dress is also ideal. "When the fabric is cut on the bias the dress has a nice amount of stretch, helping it to hug the body and accentuate new curves," she says.

In this case, the ruching helps the dress expand to fit a growing belly, while the single strap keeps it from falling down. You can throw a jacket on top, put a turtleneck on underneath, or wear it solo with layered necklaces and strappy sandals in warmer weather, as Purdy suggests.

Cool Accessories

Even if your regular clothes don't fit, chances are you can still wear at least some of your old jewelry (watch out for rings, though, as your hands might be swollen). Taub notes that bold, playful earrings, a simple necklace, and a fashion-forward purse can bring a look together. "The great thing about accessories is that they can be worn throughout your entire pregnancy and beyond," she says. "You can mix accessories from your pre-pregnancy collection with new ones that reflect your evolving style."

Purdy also explains that accessories can help clients maintain their signature style. "Perhaps adding a belt above the bump to define the waist or adding a fabulous pair of stylish-yet-comfortable flats," she suggests. In the outfit pictured above, the delicate necklaces and rings, cool sunglasses, and trendy bag all make the look feel elevated.

Button-Downs

If you're planning on nursing, grab some pregnancy tops with buttons or clasps (a button-down shirt, for example, or this thin knit cardigan), which will allow you to breastfeed or pump more easily once the baby comes. Nursing-friendly items are key to building your maternity wardrobe. "Essential clothing items that can be mixed and matched for different occasions, for building a capsule wardrobe for pregnancy and beyond," says Purdy.

Comfortable Pants

Unlike some of your other pregnancy pieces, you will probably need some dedicated maternity pants. "A well-curated pregnancy and postpartum capsule wardrobe should include items like high-quality, stretchy leggings and a pair of well-fitted maternity jeans in your preferred silhouette and denim wash," explains Purdy. Anticipate that your bump will continue to expand in the third trimester, so choose pants with stretchy material and an over-the-bump style.

You can still focus on style, as with this matching leopard sweater and pant set. Holmes notes that, in summer, you could also opt for bike shorts or leggings with oversized T-shirts on top.

Your Regular Clothes

The modern pregnancy wardrobe is a casual, bump-baring, fun aesthetic. So, in its most extreme iteration, that means throwing on regular clothes like these non-maternity jeans and wearing them as-is. Should you want something a tiny bit more covered, up, Hafen suggests looking for "non-maternity pieces that can work during and after pregnancy, and try to see if you can make the same brands you loved before pregnancy work."

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