After my second child was born, I gladly I threw away all of my maternity clothes. I was finished having kids, finished being pregnant. I never wanted to see those clothes again. Both pregnancies I had such a hard time shopping in Abu Dhabi for maternity clothes, that I ended up just buying what fit -regardless of style. Most of the clothes had been purchased at H& M on a trip back to UK.
Now pregnant with my 3rd child I didn’t want to go through this pregnancy wearing clothes that I hate. Nor do I want to spend a fortune on clothes that I will only be wearing for the next 3 -6 months.
After going through various style blogs, Pinterest, and other social media looking for helpful pregnancy style hints, I decided to look right here in Abu Dhabi. I didn’t know where to start, but several friends had recommended House of Colour.
Kirsty Volpe, a Color and Personal Stylist from House of Color has given me some very useful style tips when it comes to pregnancy style. She was able to give me a list of what I needed to look stylish but also without breaking the bank.
You will not need to invest in a maternity wardrobe until or after week 12.
Invest in breastfeed tops while pregnant so you get more wear out of them.
Tunic style tops are very flattering as your bump gets bigger.
- 1 pair of dark maternity jeans
- 1 pair of dark maternity trousers
- 1 maternity stretch skirt
- 1 pair of lounge paints or palazzo pants
- 1 pair of maternity leggings
- 1 maternity dress that can be dressed up or down
- 1 wrap dress that can expand with your bump
- 1 wrap top (a camisole that can be worn underneath when your tummy starts to expand)
- A couple of stretchy long tank tops
- 1 merino wrap or poncho to add a stylish twist and that will come in handy for covering up when breastfeeding later
You can wear some of your pre-pregnancy clothing too, such as cardigans, wraps, jackets, and they can be worn unbuttoned over a dress or top.
Buy items that you can mix, match, layer, dress up, or dress down. Have fun with color when choosing your tops, dresses, scarves and accessories.
Have fun and always express your personality with accessories such as scarves, bags, jewellery, shoes. Just because you are pregnant does not mean you need to dismiss your own personal style.
In my own experience this 3rd time around it has been a lot easier to shop for maternity clothing than it was 4 years ago. I have found that the best place to shop for stylish maternity clothes is Destination Maternity in Al Wadha mall. This shop carries various brands from Peas in a Pod, Motherhood to Jessica Simpson (who by the way has some stylish maternity tops).
The best place for maternity bras is Marks and Spencer (Dalma Mall and Marina Mall). The bras at the other shops are mediocre to say the least.
If you feel you want to freshen up your current look, it is worth speaking with Kirsty and her team at House of Color. They offer color analyze , makeup and personal style classes. You’ll learn the color that is right for you and how to dress to impress.
