My Second Trimester: Maternity Style

I’ve already mentioned that a number of emotions were felt when I learned that I was pregnant at around 5 weeks. As a content creator that blogs about shopping and my style, I became slightly concerned about how it would have to change. I even considered being silent and invisible on all my digital channels the next 9 months. I’ve had issues with accepting my weight, anxiety of the scale increasing, and loving the body reflecting through the mirror in the past; yes I know this is different but the same emotions and fear arose.

I searched for style inspiration from other bloggers, Pinterest and fashion websites. I was happy to see there were chic and stylish pregnant mommas out, but I realized a lack of African American women represented. This was frustrating to me and I took this as a challenge to help fill that void in my small space in the online world. As I reach the final stretch of my pregnancy, I wanted to share how my fashion journey has evolved the last few months.

Early in the process I knew a few things:

I didn’t want to buy a lot of maternity specific clothing that would be locked away after 9 months. Lesson learned: you need at least one pair of maternity jeans; where have they been all my life???
I did not want to buy any of those black/white striped or ruching around the belly dresses I see so many pregnant women falling trap to. Lesson learned: I did give in to a few basic solid body-con dresses, because they looked great with a kimono.
Not to invest into many major shoe purchases because my feet would eventually get swollen and change sizes. Lesson learned: I needed more practical and flat shoes in my life, especially for the third trimester.
Have fun with my style! I was pregnant not dead. I could still attend fashion events and be stylish.
I was prepared for more days that I really wouldn’t care what I had on. Lesson learned: I enjoyed styling my bump and will actually miss it.

Tulle Everywhere!

I really wanted my whimsical and girly personality to shine during this time. Even more so, after I found out I was having a girl. I was inspired by the designs of Molly Goddard I saw on the runway. Unfortunately, the price point of her pieces were too high. I found some great pieces by a Irish designer,Simone Rocha with a similar esthetic on sale. Tulle pieces are normally oversized by design so I didn’t have to alter my sizing and have been able to wear it as my belly expands. ASOS also had some great gems to replicate this look. I paired dresses with white t-shirts and/or denim to alternate looks.

Ruffles + Stripes

I swore off those horizontal basic stripes and went for fun, big, bold and colorful versions. The vertical stripes made me feel less wide as my belly expanded. Ruffles help to accentuate other areas of my body such as the neckline and my legs. Pink Blush has been my go-to for this. They make great items that can transition from maternity to mommyhood. DVF is the queen of wrap dress and you can find them for less at off-price retail stores such as Nordstrom Rack. Style Tip: I added a white or graphic T-shirt under a wrap dress for a causal weekend look.

Jumpsuits

These were great when the constant peeing of the first trimester ended and up until it began again in the third! Jumpsuits or overalls became a weekend staple for me as I ran errands or went shopping. I recommend cotton or linen fabrics, as those worked best for me in terms of comfort. Also, as my belly got bigger it became a great way to show it off. You can tell I enjoy pairing them with large tote bags and funky/bright shoes.

There are definitely a few other popular trending aesthetics seen during my pregnancy; mixing prints, kimonos, and novelty accessories. You can see this in my previous style posts here or visiting my Instagram highlights labeled STYLE.