Vintage, Maternity Style

I recently had a reader (let’s call her Jane) email me and ask, “Do you think I can pull off vintage when pregnant? What do I wear?” My answer was yes and yes even though I have no idea what kind of vintage pieces Jane has in her closet. I pulled off some killer maternity looks with my vintage pieces and felt that I explored more options while pregnant.  That was my recommendation to Jane.  Plus, I put together a quick rundown of the types of vintage pieces to incorporate into her wardrobe and recommended that Jane take a few fashion “risks”.  When I say “risk” that means trying something she never considered before and even trying something that probably and should work (read: wearing a leather pencil skirt which I pulled off 4.5 months pregnant).

Here are some of my recommendations for vintage pieces to incorporate into your wardrobe for a killer pregnancy look:

Shift Dress – shift dresses lack detailed shaping so they are perfect for a growing belly. I find shift dresses work best up until late second trimester and help show off your growing bump.  Here’s my vintage eyelet shift with the bump (and before the bump).

Knit Dress – This is a given since a knit or crochet fabric will stretch and give you a beautiful shape.  Opt for a knit dress in a shorter or midi length, which you can wear throughout the entire pregnancy.

Empire Waist Dress – By no means is this the 1990s empire top that looks like an awful mumu (you know I love a good mumu, but the empire waist for a preggo lady is a no-go in my book).  A patterned maxi dress with an empire waist is not only comfortable, but can be dressed up or down and is perfect for that last trimester.  I swore I would NEVER wear empire waist when pregnant, but this patterned dress made me think twice.

Separates – This is another given since you can mix and match tops, vests, sweaters, and skirts with non-maternity to get a complete look.  I lived in my vintage Levi’s shorts and crops so I wore the belly band to accommodate my belly throughout the pregnancy. I brought back my 90s knit skirt to pair with a sweater and paired my silk blouses with a vintage fringe vest for a fun update to a simple look.