Advice will stretch maternity-wear budgets

Women can be comfortable and still dress in style during pregnancy.

WASHINGTON POST

Long ago, designers realized that there was a big business in chic maternity wear. Now you can get designer J Brand jeans and Velvet dresses. At the other end of the price spectrum, there are Liz Lange’s sleek, stretchy styles for Target. But how do you decide what’s right for you?

“The most important thing is you want to be comfortable and maintain your style,” says Elleni Vorvis, co-owner of the Apple Seed boutiques in the Washington area. “If you never wore wrap dresses in big prints before, you might not feel comfortable doing that now. We always ask people, ‘What was your style before pregnancy?’ ”

Several experts offered their advice for dressing the bump in style.

Kelli Richardson Lawson, 40, owner of 9 Maternity in Rockville, Md. (www.9maternity.com) says if you buy one thing, make it a pair of perfect pants.

Smooth line

Like other maternity fashion experts, Lawson suggests a brand called Noppies; the slacks are made of a lightweight Lycra that comes up on the belly without an added strip of stretchy fabric. They may look odd on the hanger but they offer a smooth line over the stomach and grow with you from the first trimester on. She also says:

UShow off your shape without baring all. Lawson’s store is filled with bright print blouses by Japanese Weekend and ruched tops by Ripe that are form-fitting without revealing too much. She also sells maternity henleys and tanks by celeb favorite Michael Stars.

UFor getting out of a wardrobe rut, buy designer jeans or a few fun, frilly tops to boost your confidence in your appearance as your body makes dramatic changes. “Some people say, ‘I just feel so miserable. I just want to look great,’” she says. “Splurge on some fun tops to go out in with your partner.”

Julia Beck, 40, founder of Forty Weeks, a New York- and Potomac, Md.-based marketing company focused on expectant and new parents (www.fortyweeks.com), says if you buy one thing, make it a high-quality basic, such as a top you can dress up or down, or slacks that go from work to weekend with ease. “Every piece you buy, it must multitask,” Beck says. It pays to spend more on these items rather than blow your budget on a new wardrobe full of cheap mistakes.

Show stopper

Elleni Vorvis, 28, and Dina Igoe, 29, owners of Apple Seed (www.appleseedboutique.com) says if you buy one thing make it a show-stopping accessory.

Many pregnant women focus on buying basic pieces, such as pants and skirts in solid, plain colors for maximum versatility. That’s fine, Igoe says. Just add bright earrings or a chunky cuff bracelet to jazz up your look. “You can wear the same top and put a different necklace with it — it can really change an outfit,” she says. Mix it up. Just because your nonmaternity wardrobe was all suits doesn’t mean you need to invest in five new ones now that you’re pregnant. Apple Seed carries more clothes for working moms than the average maternity store, Vorvis says, including a handful of suits, but they aren’t necessarily the store’s biggest sellers.