Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

I work for an ultra conservative Life Ins company - so, I'm in a suit and pantyhose and heels every day (except the summer when we remove the poles from our tushes for a few months and go to 'business casual')

So, after labor day I'm back to my suits - which are fine for now. - But I'll finish my 1st trimester the end of Sept and although I'm being careful about my diet, I can't avoid gaining altogether ........

How long do you think I can get away w/ my normal work clothes if I buy a bella band thing and just wear my suit jackets open? - And when am I going to have to spring for Maternity clothes?

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

I did not gain any weight until I was 16 weeks, but I needed a bella band or looser clothes at 12 weeks or so.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

First off, I didn't know you were pregnant! Congratulations! (I get very excited when I actually recognize a name on here, lol)

Secondly, I hated the bella band because I have too much tush. It was a PITA for me because every time I sat it would roll up in the back so I was constantly adjusting it. If you're very curvy it may not work for you.

Some people can make it halfway through their pregnancies in regular clothes. I started wearing maternity clothes by the time I was 11 weeks. I didn't really look pregnant yet but my regular clothes were getting very uncomfortable and I didn't want to buy a larger size. By the time I was 16 weeks I was only wearing maternity.

In retrospect, maybe I should have bought some regular things in a larger size because it would have helped me out this summer since I'm still 8lbs and 2 pant-sizes above my pre-preggo weight. When I went back to work I had to buy a whole new work wardrobe.

Message edited 8/25/2008 10:41:57 AM.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

I think everyone is different with when they are showing. I am 17.5 weeks and I am just starting to really have a belly-- even though it still just looks like bloat to me. Although, I have gained in other parts of my body (thighs and tush).

I am have no clue how the bella band works on dress pants/skirts-- I am actually going to buy one tomorrow. I don't have any maternity clothes and don't think I will need them for another month probably-- depending on what happens with my belly-- and rest of my body.

But, I think skirts are a little more forgiving than pants-- I also love to wear light weight scarves-- which you can do with an open blazer. This can also conceal the waistline of whatever you are wearing if it's not laying right.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

Thanks ladies.
I'm not a tiny girl to begin with (well, I'm 5'2", but I'm a size 12) so I doubt I'll be one to go 1/2 my pregnancy in my normal clothes .......

I guess this is just one of those things I can't plan ahead for (which is SO annoying! ) I just have to wait and see !!

The scarves are a good idea. Hopefully I don't gain a ton all over and I can still wear my jackets and just have to buy pants and shirts ..........We'll see.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

Posted by MarisaK

Thanks ladies.
I'm not a tiny girl to begin with (well, I'm 5'2", but I'm a size 12) so I doubt I'll be one to go 1/2 my pregnancy in my normal clothes .......

I guess this is just one of those things I can't plan ahead for (which is SO annoying! ) I just have to wait and see !!

The scarves are a good idea. Hopefully I don't gain a ton all over and I can still wear my jackets and just have to buy pants and shirts ..........We'll see.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

you must wear a 2 piece suit? you can't wear a skirt and a dressy sweater and blouse? ugh....

the maternity suit thing will work, but it will be I work in a lab, so I can shuffle in wearing whatever (jeans, tees....). I'm not a good resource for dressy maternity outfits, but my guess would be mimi or ann taylor try to hold off a month if you can, so the temps are going down and you can invest in only fall/winter clothes. try to get full-panel, so you don't have to rebuy expensive suits in your 3rd trimester (when the other maternity bottoms sometimes don't fit properly anymore)

I wore maternity pants exclusively from about 11 weeks onwards. until 20 weeks, they would slide down a bit, but at least they looked good and were comfy. motherhood maternity has maternity nylons and tights, so you can go there for that part.

you'll also eventually need very comfy stretchy shoes in your 3rd trimester. I suggest not irritating your feet with heels. be gentle (wear comfy flats and drink a lot of water), and maybe you'll avoid the swelling until the last month or 2. right now, I only can wear flip flops but you'll have time to deal with that issue.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

Hi there. I don't have much to offer since I am only 16 weeks myself, but I am 5'4" and a size 12, and so far I haven't gained anything......just trying to help with the sizing thing for you. (I know that everyone is different).

I have been wearing a few maternity pants for the last few weeks, for comfort more than anything else) well I didn't do laundry this weekend, and my old pants fit just fine this morning....I was actually really surprised by this.

Good luck, but I think it is possible for you to get away with the cothes you have for a whole longer!!

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

I'm wearing a Bella Band right now at work. I'm 15 weeks tomorrow and although I'm still too small for maternity pants, my regular pants officially do not button anymore. Most of them I get away with pulling a hair elastic around the button and through the loop on the other side back around the button, but the pants I have on today are the hook kind so that won't work. I don't love the bella band, as a matter of fact I don't like it at all, but today it was my only option. It will def work under your pant and skirt suits though, even if your jacket stays open. You don't see it at all.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

Even though I only gained maybe a pound or two I was in maternity clothes by 11 weeks. It really just depends on your body.

I found some suiting at Motherhood and at Babystyle.com

Message edited 8/25/2008 11:18:12 AM.

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

The company is very formal and I'm often in meetings with executive level officers, so I do have to wear a suit. - I can wear dresses as well, but they have to be professional and farily conservative. - (I have big ta tas to begin with though, so, that's sometimes an issue !!) I guess I will invest in a bella band, even though I can see they are not a fan favorite, if I can get away with my current wardrobe for as long as possible, Hopefully I won't have to spend a fortune !!


Thanks ladies !!

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

1st of all - Congratulations!!! I didn't know you were pregnant!

I am a little over 13 weeks, and my pants don't really fit right now. Much of that is due to the 10lbs I gained last winter though and not really from the Preggo bloat I am sporting.

I too, have to get dressed up for work. I recently ordered a bunch of things from gap.com, and I am waiting for them to arrive.

Gap had a lot of basic black and khaki dress pants so maybe if you bought a few of those and mixed and matched with different blazers (I saw a bunch of the cute shorter blazers in the Motherhood Outlet this past weekend) you would be okay.

I have been wearing a lot of wrap dresses in my normal size. Are you allowed to do those?

Re: Help w/ my wardrobe please !!!!

Luckily my office is casual enough that I only have to wear suits when I meet with clients (on average, 2-3 times per week). I was very bloated at the beginning and was wearing a bella band with suits by 9-10 weeks. I started buying maternity clothes around 14 weeks, but didn't really wear them for another week or two.

I'm 22.5 weeks now. I could probably still wear the bella band with some regular suits, but maternity bottoms are so much more comfortable and fit better. I bought three full panel suits from Mimi and Motherhood, a pencil skirt and a plain black blazer.

Definitely try the bella band, but if you're going to have to buy suits, you might as well buy them fairly early on so you get as much use out of them as possible.