This post was last updated in August 2023, except where otherwise noted.
Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. (It’s even harder if you’re seeking maternity workwear essentials!) In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
It’s been a while since we featured a roundup of must-have maternity dresses for the office, so today we’re recommending eight options at various price points, and with sleeve lengths and necklines that will work for all seasons.
(Hey, that would be a fun topic for a future post: Which seasons are the best to be pregnant or give birth? Stay tuned…)
Readers, which brands and styles did you find to be the best maternity dresses for work?
If you’re a mom-to-be, you’ll also want to check out our maternity wardrobe checklist, and if you need extended sizes in maternity wear, click on over to the best plus-size maternity clothes for work. If you’re working from home right now and not planning to buy a lot of maternity workwear until you return to the office, see our posts on four companies that rent maternity workwear and where to get used maternity clothes.
{related: check out our roundup of maternity workwear essentials!} (recently updated!)
What are/were your favorite maternity dresses for work? What were the most comfortable and versatile, and what were your favorite styles — wrap dresses, sheath dresses, or others? How far into your pregnancy were you able to wear your non-maternity clothing?
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Must-Have Maternity Dresses for the Office
Must-Have Plus-Size Maternity Dresses for the Office
It’s incredibly difficult to find plus-size maternity dresses! Some of our latest favorites include these brands:
Some of the Best Maternity Dresses for the Office
If you need an extremely affordable maternity dress — one that’s appropriate for a lot of offices and also casual enough for weekends — LaClef is a great brand to know about. I first heard of LaClef when I was looking for nursing-friendly clothes, but they have a bunch of maternity dresses proper, and they’re all incredibly well priced.
This chic knee-length midi dress comes in seven colors (and in a sleeveless version) for $29-$35.
Brand Kimi and Kai has been around for a few years now, and in addition to fancier gowns, they also make a handful of work-friendly maternity dresses.
This faux wrap dress has been in their stable for a few years, and it comes out in new colorblocked combos and pretty prints every year. It’s $78-$98, but goes even lower when it’s on sale.
Seraphine is a very popular maternity brand (for good reason), and, as you may know, was a frequent choice of Kate Middleton and others in the royal family. (Kate even wore this particular knot-front dress.)
Available at Seraphine.com, this looks really comfortable yet stylish. It’s machine washable, too. The dress is $75 and available in sizes 2–14, and Seraphine’s website offers free returns.
Stowaway Collection is a new-to-me brand, but I think the name is so cute. It’s also nice that all the clothing is sewn in the U.S.A. (Long Island City) and that the brand uses U.S.A.-made fabric “whenever they can.”
This dress comes in black and purple (in both short sleeves and long sleeves) and is getting really high praise from the reviewers. “Obsessed” and “my favorite maternity dress” are two sample comments, yet a third reviewer noted “Material is breathable and quality. Design is very flattering.”
Nice. The dresses are $85-$89 at Nordstrom.
Maternal America is another really nice, reliable brand for maternity dresses for the office, and you can find them at lots of spots, such as Nordstrom and Amazon.
I love the bodice details on this dress, especially the shape (it’s nursing-friendly, too), and I’m always a fan of elbow-length sleeves. The swingy skirt portion looks pretty and comfortable, the dress is machine washable (dry flat), and it’s made in the U.S.A.
Isabella Oliver is another popular brand that’s a reader favorite for maternity dresses for the office, and I really like this black jersey style.
There aren’t a ton of reviews yet, but almost all are very positive, noting that the dress is flattering and comfortable. It’s $135 and available in sizes 0–5 (U.S. sizes 2–12/14). Note that Isabella Oliver has (for several years now) focused on sustainability and using eco-friendly fabrics — their sustainability impact is 82%! Nice.
Psst: This $65 dress looks like an Isabella Oliver dupe for Isabella Oliver’s former bestseller, the IvyBridge.
Reader fave M.M.LaFleur doesn’t make dresses that are explicitly “maternity,” but they do have styles that are marked “maternity-friendly,” like this pictured one, The Emily Dress. In fact, it’s also labeled full hips-friendly, bust-friendly (definitely nice for a maternity dress!), middle-friendly, and petite-friendly — and sizing goes up to +3. (See their size chart for measurements.)
The fabric, “WonderTex,” is machine washable, wrinkle-resistant, stretchy, and treated with an anti-odor finish (apparently “so you can wear your piece multiple times before tossing it in the washing machine” — hmm…). Plus, the dress has POCKETS! It’s $165 and available in five colors.
Along similar lines, we were surprised to see that direct-to-consumer brand Quince is now making maternity dresses for the office as well! This maternity wrap dress looks like a great basic, and is only $44.
Readers, do tell: What do you think are the best maternity dresses for the office? What are the brands that you think best combine comfort and style?
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments here and at Corporette!
Social media images (seated woman wearing maternity dress, in chair at office desk) via 123rf.com/yacobchuk.
anon says
If you’re tall, realized that the Seraphine knot dress runs short. I was able to wear it comfortably during second tri, but by third tri my bump was big enough you could see my underwear in the front. I’m 5’8″ for the record.
Anon says
I’m 5’11 and wore it to 41 weeks. I think it depends on how you carry and how your height is distributed. But it didn’t seem super short to me – it was the longest of the three maternity dresses I owned.
Anonanonanon says
I splurged on two maternity dresses for work: an Isabella Oliver and a Seraphine and they could not have been more worth it. It was so nice to be able to put a pre-maternity blazer over nice dresses for big meetings and presentations. Definitely made me feel more on top of my game. I ended up with a job offer that doubled my salary toward the end of my pregnancy, basically because this organization had witnessed me “on it” in multiple meetings/presentations, and I’m sure it didn’t hurt that I also LOOKED “on it”
Anon says
I have a soft knit long sleeve isabella olivier dress (no buttons) and wore it at least 2X a week when I was pregnant with a pre pregnancy blazer. If you work in a more formal office, this is the way to go. I also HIGHLY recommend the spanx maternity tights.
Anokha says
I wore the Seraphine dress to work and ALWAYS got compliments.
anonchicago says
I had a sleeveless version of the LaClef dress and it was the MVP from second trimester to 40 weeks. Super comfortable and really accentuated the bump.
I have the Seraphine dress mentioned as well as another Seraphine dress. They’re higher quality than other maternity clothes for sure, but I thought the cut made me look fat. Reminded me of the circus tent maternity wear from the 50s.
I also had good luck with some of the Ingrid & Isabel wear from Target including a t-shirt dress.