Shirt: Free People // Pants: H&M // Shoes: Matt Bernson // Handbag: Joy Gryson // Bracelets: Alex & Ani

I really like fashion and have liked it for as long as I can remember.  I enjoy being able to express myself through my clothing and I find putting together outfits to be fun.  Although they are continuously getting better, maternity clothes often leave much to be desired.  During my first two pregnancies, I struggled to still feel like myself and like I was reflecting my personal style.  However, I have learned more with each pregnancy and now that it is my third one, I feel like I have gotten a better grasp on what works for me stylistically and for my body type.

I remember when I first got pregnant with Oliver I was really excited to get to wear maternity clothes.  I know, I know….I am chuckling as I type this because the now me could not be more different than the then me.  The excitement of maternity clothes wore off pretty quickly and now I do what I can to avoid maternity clothes, except when it comes to bottoms.  I will embrace the full belly panel pants with stretch material until my days of childbearing are over.  The reason I really like them is because I don’t stay my normal size while pregnant.  I am not one of those girls who can just pop open the button on her jeans and call it a day.  I find pants that sit under my belly uncomfortable, and when I am pregnant I ache for comfort.

I enjoy being pregnant during the fall and winter the most because it allows me to wear non-maternity layers that I already have and to add in accessories like hats and scarves.  These extra elements give me more chances to feel like me.  My style is always evolving and changing as I age, but becoming a mom should not feel like a sentence to looking like someone I am not.

So, where do I shop?

Here are my favorite places to buy maternity clothes.

H&M.  The majority of my maternity clothes that I am currently wearing are from here.  I live near a store and now they are finally offering online shopping through their website.  Everything they carry is under their own label, H&M MAMA.  I like the leggings with the full belly panel because of the fit and the price.  I also love their jeggings (and their shorts in the summer months) with the full belly panel because they fit well, offer washes that look cool and current, and they are inexpensive.  I have a few basic shirts from here as well, which are pieces that I use for layering.  They also offer tops and dresses that are not a far departure from what they carry in their normal clothing section and I like some of them, but as I mentioned I just prefer non-maternity pieces in most cases if I can get away with it.

Favorites Items: leggings, jeggings, shorts, basic tops

ASOS.  This retailer has a large selection of affordable, on-trend maternity clothes.  You can find a variety of price points and styles on their website because they carry their own labels as well as some higher-end maternity pieces from brands like Isabella Oliver, French Connection and J Brand.  ASOS is a website based in London (with US distribution), so unfortunately you can’t head to a store to try things on.  However, the shipping and returns are free and it is easy to return something if it doesn’t work.  My favorite things to buy from ASOS are shirts and blouses, because they are stand alone maternity pieces that are the closest things I can find to my style in my price range.  Additionaly, I have a nice maternity swimsuit from here that I really like.

Favorites: shirts, blouses, swimsuits

Target.  I love Target.  Who doesn’t love Target?  It can be such a dangerous place because I walk in to get one thing and walk out with multiple things- they get me every time.  I only purchased a couple of pieces from here during my first couple pregnancies, but this time I have four tops.  There is one shirt in particular that is my go-to shirt.  I love it so much that I bought it in multiple colors.  It is the perfect mix of basic but with a twist, a bit of color but not overwhelming, and a great fit. (Long enough sleeves, and a long scooped bottom hemline – tall girls rejoice!)  And best of all, it was only $19.99.  Most everything they carry in their maternity section is Liz Lange for Target.  This store is on my list because I think that they always have at least a handful of cute items and this season they sold me a couple of my favorites.  Since they have stores all over, Target is really accessible option for most everyone.  You can find a variety of styles of maternity swimsuits here that are affordable.

Favorites: basic tops, basic dresses, swimsuits

A Pea in the Pod.  This retailer is pricey for me and my budget, but I do really like the clothes they carry and there is a store that I can go to here in Nashville.  They carry contemporary brands like Vince, Equipment, Ella Moss and Splendid.  They also carry a lot of designer maternity denim in brands like Hudson, Citizens of Humanity, J Brand, and Paige.  I am a sucker for designer denim and am always hunting to catch some for a good deal.  I used some birthday money I had during this pregnancy to buy some Hudson jeans that I found on sale at A Pea in the Pod, and I like them very much.  The reason I got them is because the fit is awesome and I have trouble finding a good medium wash that I like in maternity denim.  Also, the full belly panel on these jeans is a nude color, (so wearing lighter-colored shirts isn’t a problem) it is thin and comfortable and stays up super well.  They are by far my best fitting maternity jeans.  I really like the maternity undergarments that they sell and I try to get them on sale.

Favorites Items: designer denim, undergarments

Here are my favorite places to buy non-maternity clothing that still works for me while I am pregnant.

Free People.  Right now this is my favorite place to get tops that work for me all the way through my pregnancy.  Free people always carries multiple styles of oversized tops and flowly dresses, so there are a lot of items to choose from.  There is a small Free People store in Nashville and Nordstrom carries this brand as well.  The prices are moderate and for me it is worth it because everything I have gotten is so comfortable, and I can still wear all the pieces that I have after I am pregnant.

Vinnie Louise.  This is a local gem in East Nashville.  You can find really great, flowy tops here that are affordable.  The shirts I have from here are really comparable to my free people tops.  The tops I have from here worked even until the end of my pregnancy.  They constantly get new styles in.  You don’t have to live in Nashville to shop here, you can shop on their website!

Anthropologie.  After my last pregnancy I found a lot of good, flowy tops here that worked well for that period when I was not back down to my normal size yet.  These same tops have worked while I am pregnant and have lasted through my first two trimesters.  There are some that as I am headed into my third trimester have gotten too short and no longer work for me, but there are a couple of tops that still fit.  I am taller than average and I have a long torso, so a more average to small-sized woman might be able to wear tops from Anthropologie throughout the entire pregnancy.

UAL.  This retailer has five stores in the south and an online ebay store.  They liquidate high-end department stores and boutiques, allowing them to sell amazing pieces at 70-90% off the original retail prices.  They carry some really incredible brands like rag & bone, Isabel Marant, Enza Costa and one of my favorites to wear during pregnancy, Mark & Estel.  My favorite dress and my favorite shirt are both Mark & Estel, and they came from UAL.  The styles are flowy and easy to wear and they hold up really well.  UAL also carries Free People and so many other things that can work during pregnancy.  Sometimes they carry designer maternity jeans, and at way lower prices than I have seen anywhere else.  They are constantly getting new things.  This place is a true gem and hands down one of my favorite places to shop whether I am pregnant or not.

Urban Outfitters.  I do not get much from here while I am pregnant, but the reason I am adding this store is because over the past couple of years I have gotten some good sweaters here that I can wear as a top layer while pregnant.  They do carry some longer, flowy knit pieces, but nothing that I have found that I like as much as what I can get from the three stores listed above.

Zara.  This is a place that I like to shop at all the time.  We don’t have one in Nashville, so I shop online or when I travel to other cities.  They have great sweaters, blazers and jackets that all still work for me while I am pregnant.

Madewell.  We recently got this store in Nashville and I love almost everything they carry.  Most of it I can’t wear while pregnant because it is structured or not long enough to cover my bump, but I wanted to mention it because of the top layers that I have gotten that work and because I love their accessories.  They have great scarves, jewelry, hats and shoes.  The accessories I have from this store definitely make me feel more like me and obviously work during pregnancy and after.

Thus far, these have been the most successful options for me.  I hope that this helps other mamas find what works for them in their wardrobes.  I would love to hear what has worked for you!

Photos by: Shaun Tomczak