Ladies, what would be on your maternity work wardrobe checklist (for those of you already back in the office)? What were your best purchases for your maternity work wardrobe, and what were your worst? (What additional notes would you have for pregnant moms working at home right now?)
Maternity clothes are not cheap — even the items on this pretty bare-bones list will set you back around $1,000. You can of course rent maternity workwear, buy maternity lots on eBay or otherwise buy used maternity clothes, or borrow maternity clothes from friends and family to extend your wardrobe… but if you want to buy new, this is the main list to work from.
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Maternity Work Wardrobe Checklist: What to Wear Everywhere
3–5 casual t-shirts and/or tanks
2 camisoles (demi-camisoles may also work well during this period)
2–4 dresses (work and weekend!)
1–2 pairs of jeans (more if you can wear jeans to work)
Pictured above, some of the best maternity jeans as of 2021… 1) Madewell 2) Paige 3) Isabella Oliver 4) J.Brand
Wear to Work
2–4 pairs of pants
1 pencil skirt
1 blazer (But only really late in your pregnancy if you need one! I wore my regular blazers until week 38.)
1 “tailored”/nice dress; can be worn with a blazer
(Only if in court, or if you work in a Very Conservative office: look for 1–2 maternity suits.)
Special Occasions
1 special dress (baby showers, date nights)
1 going-out top (If your style is pretty minimal you may want to splurge for a great statement necklace here instead.)
Accessories
1–2 non-minimal necklaces — don’t have to be statement necklaces, but color/size help draw the eye up.
1-2 scarves (You can use it to hide pregnancy cleavage or as a nursing cover later.)
comfortable shoes for pregnancy feet (particularly to support your arches!)
Pregnant in Winter
(This only really applies if lots of winter months fall in the 25–42 week timeline.)
1–3 pairs of maternity tights
1 maternity coat
1–2 cardigans or sweaters
1–2 sweater dresses
Lounging
1–3 maternity leggings, yoga pants, joggers
nice slippers or slipper socks for all those late-night trips to the baby’s room
Undergarments
1–3 new bras (Wait until you need them, but budget for them.)
1–2 Bella Bands (especially for earlier in your pregnancy when your regular pants might fit… with just a little help)
Maternity Leave Clothes
In truth, you’ll mostly be wearing some of your maternity clothes, or maybe your old lounge clothes — but you’ll need a few more things:
1–5 nursing bras
1–2 nursing camisoles (easy access while providing fuller coverage for your chest and belly with a variety of tops) — this one was my favorite
(Possibly a postpartum girdle — see my post on postpartum corsets and my Bellefit corset review.)
1–3 nursing nightgowns (Try one and see if you like it better than your regular tanks.)
{related: what to wear to work after maternity leave}
Tips for Working From Home While Pregnant
My one big note here is advice from my podiatrist: WEAR SHOES, particularly if you’re on wood floors while pregnant — your arches are going to fall. My podiatrist suggested Crocs (sexxy!) or a clean pair of Birks or other house shoes.
Readers, what would your maternity work wardrobe checklist look like? What would you advise your best friend to get — and what should she not buy until she needs it, or not buy at all?
Stock illustration via Shutterstock/alphabe.
Anonymous says
Best maternity purchase for me was a nice dress from Nordstrom that I could wear for both work and events (although, I was pregnant in 2013 and 2016, so maybe “events” aren’t something you need to dress for anymore). Worst maternity purchase was everything that realistically I could keep wearing my normal clothes for – sweaters, etc. Also this terrible white dress from Old Navy that I bought for a “white party” – I looked like Moby Dick.
Anonymous says
I bought a lot of maternity clothes secondhand, which saved a lot of money. I focused on stuff in good condition and most of it made it through two pregnancies. I also borrowed a lot from a friend who was in-between pregnancies.
layered bob says
“your arches are going to fall” lolololol my feet are not London Bridge
pregnancy hormones can make women’s feet slightly bigger or wider, but shoes are not going to prevent that, nor should they.
Anon says
I have mentioned my third trimester wardrobe before:
1 pair nice slacks
2 maternity sweaters
5 maternity dresses (appropriate for work, church, events out)
1 pair fleece lined maternity tights
1 jacket from Costco, one size up from normal
1 lightweight maternity sweatshirt
3 sweat-wicking tech shirts, a few sizes up
2 pair maternity workout capris
1 maternity athletic jacket
1 maternity/nursing nightgown
My sweatpants fit until I delivered; the waistband went under my bump. Most of my pajamas fit until the very end.
I guess I didn’t care that I did a lot of laundry; it was more important to me to get things I really liked. Was not worried that people at work were going to complain about the very pregnant chick who kept wearing the same 6 (all extremely work appropriate) outfits.