5 Maternity Style Secrets That Shouldn’t Work But Totally DO (As Told By Blake Lively)

So whenever I happen to be pregnant alas I look NOTHING like Blake Lively and for some reason, I always completely lose the run of not only what clothes suit me but also what clothes I even like. I find myself floundering around in borrowed floral maternity dresses feeling very uncomfortable – nothing against florals, I'm just not really a floral girl (though I'd happily make an exception for an Erdem dress should I win the lotto). The involuntary body overhaul that we all experience in pregnancy can leave us feeling quite unlike ourselves which is why I think it's important (for me at least) psychologically to still make an effort in the clothes department. As much as I sometimes just want to swathe my ginormous body in jersey and be done with it, I do find getting dressed up can generally make me feel better about myself. Celebs like Blake Lively, with their entourage of stylists and designers and people to put their shoes on for them (seriously getting down there is becoming a major challenge) definitely have the advantage on looking good while pregnant, but we can still steal some of their sartorial secrets without the designer labels. 5 Maternity Style Secrets That Shouldn't Work But Totally DO (As Told By Blake Lively's Maternity Wardrobe) Super Tight Dresses Super tight dresses shouldn't work but in my experience are the MOST flattering thing on a pregnant body. Sure stuffing my 29 weeks pregnant ass into a stretchy size 10 dress requires a shoehorn and lubricant but once I'm in, I'm in, and the overall effect is surprisingly slimming. Okay sometimes I look like a zeppelin in a condom but when it's working the entire dress acts as a girdle. I opt for long sleeves as I appear to be carrying most of the baby weight in my bingo wings, but sleeveless can be lovely also. The best bit is that you don't need to shell out for a maternity gúna any old stretchy number does the job. Á la Blake: Á la H&M: Dress, €19.99 at H&M Super Giant Dresses Super giant dresses should, in theory, make you look more giant but when you choose wisely (a dress with fitted arms or sleeveless will keep you from looking tent-like), they can be great for the earlier is-she-fat-or-pregnant months. Ironically the more pregnant you get, the better more fitted things look as once the bump is hitting gargantuan proportions, the giant dresses have a habit of making you look giant. An oversized coat or cape can be a really cute option also. Á la Blake: Á la H&M: Poncho, €29.99 at H&M Super Short Dresses Get the legs out. It's a no-brainer really. Currently the legs are probably the most normal looking part of your body so show them off. Á la New Look: Dress, €24.99 at New Look Patterns Style Nazis often claim that patterns are not the friend of the larger fashionistas, but I definitely say flout this 'rule.' With so many sartorial options off the menu (seriously I miss having a waist – and my 'waist' wasn't even that good) pattern is one of the pregnant style maven's best ways of getting to be creative with our clothes. Aim for vertical patterns rather than horizontal for clothes that will elongate your figure and not make you look wider than you are. Plain tops and dresses with panels of colour or pattern at the sides also create a slimming optical illusion. Á la New Look: Dress, €24.99 at New Look Leather pants (seriously) I NEVER would've thought I'd be wearing leather pants at seven months pregnant but what the hell, I'm living dangerously. At this point, I have completely had it with leggings and maternity jeans and so am now rocking some leather trousers under long shirts, tunics, and dresses. Maybe it screams "Mama's still got it" a shade too loudly and desperately but what the hell, I think they make a welcome change from the leggings that were all but grafted to my body at this stage in pregnancy. Á la Blake: Á La Mango: Leggings, €17.95 at Mango Images via Instagram