Women feel excited about a wardrobe makeover after knowing about their pregnancy. The truth is—your body will undergo changes throughout pregnancy. So, the clothes you buy during the first trimester will no longer fit you by the third trimester. If nothing else, the prices of maternity clothes will definitely make you flinch. Here are top 7 hacks, which can save you the time and the cost of buying new clothes.
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1. Modify Your Denims
It is a painful process to rob your own wardrobe off your favorite jeans and dungarees once the baby bump starts showing. But, you can still wear them with a slight makeover! Add elastic bands to either side of your jeans—going to a tailor can be helpful. The elastic adds an extra room for your increasing waistline and also allows restoring your denims back to the original size later.
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2. Broaden Your Bras
Your breast size will dramatically change during and after pregnancy, so much so that you would prefer to be sans bra instead of buying one every two months. Grab a bra-extender—they are cheap and offer a few extra inches of the bra-band. You can even make one at home. Avoid underwire bras. Buy a good-quality maternity bra when you feel your breasts are outgrowing the cup-size making you uncomfortable.
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3. Try Bella Bands
Eventually, your pair of jeans would succumb to your big round baby belly and you won’t be able to button-up. Bella band is a stretchable fabric that holds on to your denims preventing it from gradually slipping down. It is more like a tube-top, worn over an unbuttoned waistband. It makes you comfortable in an unzipped pair of jeans without revealing its secret.
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4. Wear Waistband Cheaters
Yet another cheat-code to fit into your old jeans is to use a simple rubber band or elastic hair band. Loop the elastic band through the button hole. Pull and wrap it around the button. Voila! You are ready to rock-and-roll in your jeans. A waistband extender specifically made for this purpose, is easily available online or in fabric stores.
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5. Elasticize Your Shirts And Tops
Do you have that one favorite top, which has become impossible to fit into? Elastic can come to your rescue. Replace the sides stitches with thin elastic bands. Gently remove the already-present stitch with a needle, and sew a thin elastic to the side seam joining the two sides. Here is a DIY to make your own maternity shirt.
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6. Borrow From The Boys
Why spend so much on maternity clothes when you can borrow some menswear from your own partner? Pair those checked shirts with a comfy tank top. Keep the shirt buttons open, pull up the sleeves, and flaunt your baby bump in style. Show your swag in an over-sized shirt by wearing a comfortable pair of leggings below. Pull a scarf around your neck to add some femininity to your whole look.
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7. Accessorize With A Jacket And Belt
Jackets can add to the style factor. Don’t worry if the coat or jacket doesn’t button up—you can flaunt your baby bump by buckling it up with a high or low belt. If you are carrying heavily, belt over your bump, just under your bust. Otherwise, carry your belt low to enhance your hips, and slightly support your bump.
After some point, you will have to shop for maternity clothes. Choose comfort over trend. Don’t suffocate yourself in body-sticking clothes. Avoid heels as this can put extra strain on your feet and spine. Opt for flats and shoes instead. Use draped clothes, jackets, and cardigans in the last trimester if you feel uneasy showing your baby bump. Always buy what suits your comfort more than your looks.
