The Now & Next Style Guide
Will this work for me now, and will I still wear it next?
Your body changes quickly through pregnancy, postpartum and nursing, and getting dressed can change right along with it. Just when you figure out what works, your needs shift again. It can feel like you need a different wardrobe for every stage. You don’t.
pregnancy
Dress the body you have now.
There comes a point when your clothes technically still fit but don't feel right. Waistbands pinch. Shirts sit differently. Sizing up solves one problem and creates another. You don't need an entirely new wardrobe.
Start with what isn't working.
If it's your jeans, buy maternity jeans. If it's your bra, start there. If every top suddenly feels too short, add a few pieces designed for a growing bump.
Buy slowly. Your wardrobe can change as you do.
Some things are worth buying for pregnancy.
Not everything needs to last forever. Great maternity denim and trousers are designed to fit your bump and the rest of your body- something sizing up rarely achieves.
The same is true of fitted tops and dresses.
If you wear those maternity jeans three times a week for six months, they've earned their place.
Useful now is valuable, too.
THE PREGNANCY CAPSULE
Fewer pieces. More possibilities.
1 great maternity jean
1 polished or wide-leg pant
2–3 tees and layering tops
1–2 elevated knits or tops
1 relaxed shirt
1 cardigan
1 dress
1 Outerwear Piece
Then add what already belongs to you: your favourite coat, sneakers, boots, jewellery and bags.
Pregnancy doesn't require a new personal style.
Now & Next
Look for the pieces that can come with you.
Some clothes do more.
A wrap knit accommodates a bump now and nursing later. A button-down works open over a pregnant belly, makes feeding easier postpartum and eventually becomes simply a great shirt again.
Before buying, ask:
Does it work now?
Could it work next?
Will I still want to wear it?
Three yeses? You've probably found a keeper.
POSTPARTUM
Don't pack everything away just yet.
Your baby arrives. Your body changes again.
Your maternity jeans may still be your favourite jeans. Your pregnancy leggings may become your everyday uniform. The dress that skimmed your bump may be exactly what feels good now.
Let your wardrobe transition with you. Look for soft waistbands, easy layers, breathable fabrics and silhouettes that move.
Comfort matters. Feeling like yourself does too.
soft waistbands
Layerable
Comfortable + Accessible
silhouettes that move
NURSING
Access changes everything.
Nursing-friendly doesn't have to mean nursing wear.
Some pieces are designed specifically for feeding: concealed openings, wrap fronts and nursing bras. Others just happen to work beautifully.
Easy Access. Wrap tops. Cardigans. Relaxed knits.
The best question to ask? Would I still wear this if I weren't nursing? If yes, even better.
easy access
Wrap Tops
Cardigans
Relaxed knits
BEYOND
The pieces that stay.
Eventually the maternity jeans get packed away. Nursing access stops mattering.
But some pieces remain.
The wrap knit. The oversized shirt. The cape you threw over everything. The sweater you wore at six months pregnant, six weeks postpartum and long after.
They aren't maternity clothes anymore. They're just your clothes.
A NOTE FROM HAUTEMAMA
For more than twenty years, we've dressed women through every stage of this journey. We've learned there isn't one perfect maternity wardrobe. Some pieces only need to carry you through pregnancy. Others will surprise you by staying much longer. Our job is to help you know the difference.
Buy for now. Choose thoughtfully for next. And never stop dressing like yourself.