One of the most common refrain from style-conscious pregnant ladies is that they don’t want to look “dumpy”. The pregnancy frump is something that is hard to avoid when you are suddenly 15kgs over your normal weight. Your silhouette changes, your clothes don’t fall the same way, you’re walking differently. Coupled with the discomfort from the extra load, many pregnant women fall into the temptation of wearing whatever’s comfortable or fits!
However, once you slip on those stretchy leggings or oversized tee, it may be a slow and slippery descent into pregnancy dowdiness. Yes, Lycra accommodates your growing bump easily but too much jersey fabric has the danger of accentuating all your lumps too. An all over jersey look may be cute when your bump is beginning to show and you want to show off your newly acquired curves but less so when you begin to waddle.
Looking chic has a lot to do with keeping an elegant “line”. It’s about looking things from an architectural point of view – straight lines, neat corners, tidy shapes. Think of Chanel’s classic tweed jacket or even Diane Keaton’s Annie Hall ensembles. It’s clean, elegant but still has lot of quirky femininity.
The trick is to mix some of your stretch separates with more tailored pieces for a more pulled-together look. Pair your comfy leggings with your husband’s work shirt, cinched in with a skinny belt, just above your bump. A flowy jersey tunic top looks more balanced with a slim pair of maternity jeans than the leggings. On days where you want to just throw a maxi dress on, give it a sharper edge with a sleeveless longline waistcoat. Cute, pointy flats or a funky pair if  brogues will square off your chic, frump-free look.
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Azura Rahman is a radio presenter and producer at BFM 89.9, and a mummy to a very cheeky toddler named Inayah. She hasn’t had a full night’s sleep for two years and is still on the hunt for the holy grail of eye creams.
