Maternity dresses are a multi-seasonal pregnancy staple, so one GLAMOUR mum road-tested hundreds in the name of this comprehensive shopping guide.
Women’s bodies are really damn amazing and they certainly prove that during pregnancy. Over the nine months you’re carrying your offspring, your body can change in ways you may never have thought possible and it’s incredible, really. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll feel incredible for the entire pregnancy; tiredness, nausea, and pesky pelvic floor exercises aside, dressing a growing bump can be challenging for even the most style savvy.
Thankfully, more and more brands are jumping on the maternity clothes bandwagon to offer some incredible dresses to make you look and feel amazing throughout each trimester.
As someone who recently welcomed my first child, I can confidently say that throughout the nine months (and let’s be honest, for quite a while afterwards too) maternity dresses were my go-to garment. Yes, maternity leggings were a staple, and I stocked up on some maternity jeans (and let’s not forget the countless days I spent in my maternity nightwear or just my maternity knickers because, #comfort), but I found the best way to feel put together with minimal effort, was with a dress. And even better when it was one *actually* cut to accommodate – and highlight – my bump.
Some of our favourite e-tailers (hey, ASOS, New Look and River Island) have caught on to the need for stylish maternity clothes and their selections are growing daily – you can now find anything from casual day dresses, to office appropriate pieces, and even a dress for a night out (tee-totalling and tearing up the dance floor until 2AM aren’t mutually exclusive, after all), in their specific ‘maternity’ section. It will save you filtering through thousands of dresses trying to figurebroderie anglaise out which one will accommodate a burgeoning bump to see you through all 40 weeks.
In fact, the number of bump-friendly dresses out there is rather overwhelming. So, I’ve trawled through high street and specialist brands to find the most stylish maternity dresses at every price point. From rib-knits jumper dresses like this one from New Look for casual days to satin midis for nights out (because, yes, you can hit the town with bump in tow) and broderie anglaise mini dresses to pack for your babymoon, we’ve trawled the internet to bring you the best selection of maternity dresses brands have to offer.