my actual slow fashion maternity wardrobe

Now that I’m officially in my ninth month of pregnancy (!!!) I thought I would put together a post of my *actual* maternity wardrobe and what has worked for me.

When I announced my pregnancy, I shared a post all about my wardrobe plans. I wanted to ensure my maternity wardrobe still followed the same principles and values of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe; ultimately, I wanted to still follow an intentional, slow fashion mindset.

Here’s a breakdown of my *actual* slow fashion maternity wardrobe, and how I’ve done with my wardrobe goals over the last few months.

maternity-specific purchases

I had planned on buying about five maternity-specific pieces, and I ended up only buying three:

1. a pair of casual joggers
2. a pair of white linen pants (that I’ll likely wear next year as they don’t have the fully belly panel)
3. a bathing suit (I had quite a few pool + lake days this summer!)

I was also gifted three maternity items of clothing from CARRY Maternity. What’s great about these pieces is that they’re meant to be transitional and don’t look like traditional maternity items; I’ll absolutely continue wearing them postpartum and beyond!

In terms of wearability, I got TONS of wear out of the joggers and CARRY pieces. I haven’t worn the linen pants as much, but they’ve been great for working from home, walks, and just having a nicer option when going out, so I’m happy I purchased them.

wearing pre-pregnancy pieces 

Up until my seventh month of pregnancy, I was able to continue wearing a few dresses I already owned. After month seven, they were a bit too tight, but I was thankfully still able to lean on some of my tried and true closet staples, including:

1. oversized denim jackets
2. breezy button-up shirts
3. these Encircled t-shirts that are super stretchy and a great length for my growing bump
4. a stretchy midi skirt

borrowed items

I mentioned in my original post that my mother-in-law had lent me a few pairs of stretchy pants, which I got a lot of wear out of in the spring. Once summer rolled around, she lent me a number of loose cotton and linen dresses which have been key through the summer! I am so hot all the time lol so I’m really thankful I could borrow these pieces from her.

secondhand maternity items

I was very fortunate that a couple friends had babies before or while I was pregnant, and they passed on a number of maternity items to me. I’m happy to have extended the life of these maternity pieces and ended up wearing them frequently. I especially got great wear out of a number of bodycon dresses, which have been versatile and super comfy!

prioritizing items for post-pregnancy

Throughout my pregnancy, I bought a few non-maternity items that I knew would fit me throughout and that I would love and continue wearing long after pregnancy. These pieces included:

1. three flowy midi dresses (one that I was even able to wear to a wedding!)
2. a pair of Lululemon align leggings
3. a pair of Lululemon align bike shorts (these have been key for workouts!)

I’m proud of how I’ve been able to stick to my wardrobe goals during my pregnancy, and that I’ve been able to continue being intentional with my clothing. Of course I am super lucky to have borrowed or been handed-down pieces, but if this was not an option, I absolutely would have looked secondhand for most of these items! There are tons of maternity pieces on secondhand sites like Facebook Marketplace and Poshmark.

Do you have any tips for dressing for pregnancy and maintaining an intentional wardrobe? Or do you have any questions about the pieces I wore? Drop them in the comments below!