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20th Feb 2015

Pregnancy wardrobe malfunction? You need these maternity wardrobe hacks

Style saviours for the 'glowing but not showing' to the 'egg with legs' phases of pregnancy

Sophie White

For expanding expectant mothers who don’t want to expand their wardrobes with limiting maternity clothes there are loads of great options this season. Investing in some good basics like maternity tights, leggings and a selection of long tops will allow you to customise your look with a few clever pieces.

Whether you opt for the ‘hide the bump’ approach with clever trapeze shapes from COS, the unofficial maternity-wear mecca for those in-the-know, to adorning the bump with attention-grabbing costume jewellery from Stella & Dot these are maternity-appropriate buys that will continue to be wardrobe staples long after the baby is born.

Heels while pregnant are an ambitious move usually best left to the pros, we like these slightly more manageable block-heel peep-toe Carvela boots that still give a bit of height but with the all-essential ankle support. We’re also liking the inbuilt aeration system the peep-toe provides as during pregnancy the general vibe is hot and sweaty with feet liable to swell at a moment’s notice.

Carvela boots, €125 at Brown Thomas

The Kimono is a great way to dispel any confusion during those early ‘is she isn’t she’ days of pregnancy. A belt or cotton tie above the burgeoning bump gives a cute shape, and this baby will fit all the way to baby-day.

Kimono, €129 at H&M

COS is like an unofficial maternity-wear shop for fashion-lovers. The Scandi label does a lot of gorgeous trapeze shapes that work perfectly as seriously chic pregnancy clothes.

Dress, €79 at COS

Drawing the eye away from almost every part of the body may become necessary as the pregnancy progresses. We recommend the statement necklace like this beauty from Stella & Dot to provide distraction from the bulging bump and other attendant side-effects of pregnancy like loss of bladder control!

Birdie Necklace, €118 at stelladot.com

A wrap dress with a drawstring waist – it’s not rocket science, anything with a draw-string or elasticated waistband is friend to the gestating woman, it helps if it’s pretty too like this J by Jasper Conran number that will comfortably accommodate the bump and flatter the burgeoning cleavage – we say make hay while the sun shines those boobies won’t be around forever!

Dress, J by Jasper Conran, €118.50 at Debenhams