Glam Slam: Pregnancy Style Diary

“We’ve been talking about you,” the guy eating lunch at the next table turned to me and said. “You look so chic and my friend says if she could look as cute as you, she would be pregnant in a heartbeat.”

Bless his little heart. That friendly stranger sure did make a pregnant lady feel good. Being chic while pregnant may look effortless for some (I’m talking about you Kate Middleton!), but for me, it’s not so easy.

I am lucky that I work in a creative atmosphere where I don’t have to go by a strict business attire code, so I have more leeway, which is nice. I also don’t want to waste money, so I have tried to keep maternity clothes purchases to a minimum and find regular clothes that fit now and that I can wear later. Here are the things helping me survive pregnancy with a little bit of style.

1. JEANS
Jeans have changed A LOT since the last time I was pregnant. (There was no such thing as “jeggings” when I was pregnant with my first child). Now they are so stretchy, they feel as comfy as leggings. I’m 8 months pregnant and I am still able to wear several pairs of my “regular” jeans because they have so much stretch in them, so these are a good investment because I will wear them after having the baby too.

2. LONG TEES
Fluxus, my favorite tee shirt store closed in January. I got several tees at 60 percent off, which is awesome. But I could have used more because I have been wearing these non-stop all year long. The tees are longer and roomy, which makes them perfect for pregnancy and I will continue to wear them afterwards too. I also bought a couple of Rag and Bone tees (on sale) in larger sizes than I normal and they are working out well too. I’ve found that the regular chain store brands I normally wear, are cut too slim and are not long enough to wear while pregnant, even in bigger sizes. Part of it is that the cropped look is really big right now.

3. JACKETS
I wear a jacket almost every day whether it be a blazer or a jean jacket. Great for cold air conditioning, but also they dress up just about any look, including elevating jeans and tees.

4. MAXI DRESSES
I confess. I am not a maxi dress kind of girl. Until now. I bought two regular sized dresses that have worked throughout my pregnancy so far and I must admit they are really, really comfortable and I can see why so many women wear them.

5. SANDALS
Many women complain about being pregnant in the summer when it’s so hot and I’m starting to see what they mean. The one good thing is being able to wear sandals every day, which are the only shoes that fit my swollen feet right now!

— Ryan Patterson