By continuing to browse, you agree to our use of cookies.
Privacy Policy
Log in
How to Build a Comfortable, Functional Maternity Wardrobe
How to Build a Comfortable, Functional Maternity Wardrobe

How to Build a Comfortable, Functional Maternity Wardrobe

If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of building an entirely new wardrobe, start here.

author-Latifah Miles
By Latifah Miles
Updated On
Updated On
Our editors independently test and curate products. If you make a purchase via our links we may earn a commission.

In This Article

Maternity Clothes Basics (Before Buying)
Consider Your Lifestyle
Set a Budget
How to Build Your Maternity Wardrobe
Start with the basics
Consider Intimates, Pajamas And Loungewear
Add in Your Personal Style
Don’t Forget About Postpartum

Whether it’s during the first few months of pregnancy or just after the halfway point, you’ll likely reach a time when their pre-baby clothes simply aren’t comfortable anymore. When that time comes, it’ll be time to build out your maternity wardrobe. 

If this is your first time building a pregnancy-focused wardrobe, there are a few things to consider before you start filling up your cart. Along with giving you a few pointers like where to shop and what to look for, we’ve broken down the details on how to pick the clothes that you’ll actually look forward to wearing and will fit seamlessly (or mostly) into your pre-pregnancy wardrobe. We also polled real expectant Babylist parents to ask them about their maternity wear MVPs to help give you top-notch maternity wear advice.

Maternity Clothes Basics (Before Buying)

Consider Your Lifestyle

Do you work in an office with a strict corporate dress code or from home, where sweatpants are totally acceptable workwear? Or maybe you work in a relaxed office environment a few days a week, so you only need a few semi-corporate pieces? How often do you work out, and what types of exercise do you usually do? 

Doing a quick audit of your lifestyle and your current wardrobe is a good place to start when you’re thinking ahead to what types of maternity clothes you’ll want to focus on buying. Figure out what you wear now and how that’s going to translate over the next few months so you’ll know what to target when you start shopping. And if you want lots of options but don't want to hang on to it all, you can also consider a maternity clothing rental or subscription service.

Set a Budget

Many maternity brands are on the pricier end, but, there are affordable and stylish options available. Wherever you choose to shop, setting a budget is a good place to start. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Do you plan on having more than one baby, or will this be your only pregnancy? This may determine whether you want to invest in some higher-end maternity wardrobe staples that will last you through several pregnancies or if you’d rather go for trendier, more affordable pieces that won’t need to last you past nine months.

  • What’s the climate like where you live? If you’re somewhere that’s colder, or you know you’ll be pregnant over the winter, you’ll need to set aside some of your budget for more expensive winter items like a maternity coat, sweaters and some extra layers (heads up, there are plenty of cold-weather maternity clothes and holiday maternity clothes on Amazon). If you’re in a warmer climate, though, you’ll be able to skip these items (but we do recommend a comfortable maternity swimsuit).

  • Do you plan on doing any travel or attending any special events like a wedding or other type of celebration during your pregnancy? You may want to earmark some cash for a few special occasions or travel-specific maternity items if you know you’ll need them.

To help you get a feel for price ranges, here’s a pricing breakdown of popular maternity clothing brands and retailers:

How to Build Your Maternity Wardrobe

Start with the basics

There are a few pieces that belong in every maternity wardrobe. These pieces will be easy to just grab and throw on when you need to get dressed without too much coordinating. We recommend starting here when you begin your shopping.

  • Layering tanks. A fitted layering tank top is a maternity must-have. These tops can be worn alone or under another shirt to help smooth out your bump from the early days right through to the end of your pregnancy. Layering tanks are great for postpartum, too.

  • Leggings. When we polled pregnant Babylist users about their favorite maternity wear, almost all of the responses pointed to maternity and non-maternity leggings. Invest in a pair or two that you can wear alone or under a dress. If you plan on working out throughout your pregnancy, you may want to snag an extra pair for exercise as well.

  • A pair of jeans (or two). Look for a pair of well-fitting jeans that you can dress up or dress down. Depending on what you find more comfortable, you can opt for jeans with full panel coverage (where the stretchy fabric band covers your entire stomach) or an under-the-belly fit. We’ve even seen people opt for non-maternity drawstring jeans that are adjustable and sit under the belly. 

  • A pair of black pants. Black pants work for almost any occasion and can easily be dressed up for work or dressed down for a more casual day. They also provide a good neutral base for almost any top.

  • Optional: a jumpsuit and a basic dress. These items will depend on your lifestyle and where you live, but we think you can’t go wrong with a one-piece jumpsuit and a basic black dress. Both pieces can work in about a zillion different ways and will get a ton of wear.

Consider Intimates, Pajamas And Loungewear

When we polled expectant Babylist parents about their maternity wear MVPs, many of them pointed to well-fitting underwear, stretchy bras and pajamas. Here are our tips for picking out comfy underclothes and PJs:

  • Consider getting fitted for a maternity bra before choosing one (or at least refer to the brand's sizing guide for reference). During pregnancy, not only does your breast size increase but your rib cage expands to make room for the baby, all likely leading to a larger bra size. 

  • While you don’t need to ditch all of your pre-pregnancy underwear, maternity-specific undies are typically designed to make room for your bump. Even if you just add a few pairs into your arsenal, that’ll get you through pregnancy and postpartum. 

  • Towards the third trimester, all you’ll be yearning for is comfort, especially when you sleep. Maternity PJs get the job done, but even if you just size up in standard pajamas, that’ll work too. One Babylist parent said by 38 weeks, she was basically living in an oversized nightshirt.

Add in Your Personal Style

Modern maternity clothes can mimic the stylish clothes you’d typically wear, so you don’t have to deviate too much from your personal style. Like the way you look in barrel jeans? Buy them in maternity. Have been loving a matching 2-piece set? Perfect for a bump. Or maybe you love crop tops? Cool, let your bump be the star of the outfit. There are dozens of ways to infuse your personal style into your maternity wear. And here’s another tip: if the piece you’re looking for isn’t available from a maternity brand, sizing up in standard clothes could work just as well.

Don’t Forget About Postpartum

Clothes that can take you through the first three months of postpartum are just as important as the clothes you wear during pregnancy. 

Your body will be going through a lot of changes postpartum and while some of your maternity clothes will still work, at some point you’ll reach a stage that’s somewhere in between your pregnancy body and your pre-baby size, and you'll likely have to do a little more shopping.

Be gentle with yourself and remember that there’s no race to ‘bounce back’—your body deserves time, care and clothes that feel good as it adjusts, regardless of your recovery journey. Pieces that offer a bit of comforting compression, easy access for nursing, and still make you feel put together (even if you’re a tad sleep deprived) are the kind of everyday MVPs you’ll reach for on repeat—at home, running errands, and everywhere in between.

Stay Up-to-Date with Babylist