Maternity Clothing Must Haves

My office allows for business casual attire.  We don't have to wear suits but certainly can't wear jeans and sweatshirts.  The second trimester of my pregnancy was during the summer time which was highly convenient.  The vast majority of my dresses have a waist line that allowed me to continue wearing my normal clothing without constricting my growing belly. 

I did purchase jeans in June and you can read about my various reasons for what I purchased and why here.  I also purchased one pair of shorts.  Depending on the seasons in which you are pregnant and showing, here's what I recommend having on hand:

Tank tops & shirts :: I have a black and a white tank top which allowed me to wear some regular shirts longer than I would have otherwise.  I also purchased 4 cotton shirts that worked perfectly with shorts during the summer time and work well now with leggings and jeans.  Three of the four shirts were purchased at A Pea in the Pod and the quality has been very nice.  Plus, they truly have grown with me.  They were a little too long in the beginning but they fit very nicely now.  You can see me in one of them at 18 weeks.    

Bras & nursing tank tops :: You will likely need to size up during your pregnancy but then will probably have to size up again when the baby arrives (even if you aren't breast feeding, your body will prepare for it by growing even more).  At the rate I've been going, I'm surprised Hooters hasn't called me.  I have already purchased 2 nursing tank tops - one white and one black.  I plan on using the nursing tank tops exclusively for the first couple of weeks.  There are two reasons for this - sizing and comfort.  I know to expect an increase in size but that might fluctuate.  The nursing tank tops fit a range which is perfect for me.  The second reason for the nursing tank tops is comfort.  In the hospital and the first few days at home, I'd prefer to be comfortable while learning to breast feed and I think the tank tops will lend themselves to this goal.  I purchased both at Target.  Another plus for the tank tops: they will work nicely under sweaters and long sleeve shirts.      
 

Leggings :: I have a pair in grey and black.  Both are maternity leggings and have become more comfortable to use than my "regular" leggings.  These also allow you to mix in some non-maternity dresses (if they fit) which usually become too short as you grow outward. 

Fun maternity tops and dresses :: I love color and pattern so for me, I choose maternity clothing that reflected my same pre-pregnancy style.  Here are some of my favorite shirts and dresses.  In total, I have 3 dress shirts and 7 dresses.      

It might seem like a sparce wardrobe but I have received hand-me-downs that have helped me as well.  My sister-in-law has to wear pants because of her job - although her pants are too long for me (girl has got some serious legs!) her shirts fit nicely.  That one from 33 weeks is courtesy of Jessica (and the Gap).  Whatever hand-me-downs you can get, use!  And honestly, the more you can stretch your "normal" wardrobe, the better.  It will allow you to spend less on clothing that is temporary.  And even if you don't shed all the baby weight, are you truly going to want to wear a maternity dress to work?