Pregnancy Wardrobe: Top 5

I knew that pregnancy would change my wardrobe and my sewing practice. Initially, I told myself this would be an occasion to sew a whole new set of clothes for my changing body and that in the process, I would learn a bunch of new fitting skills. 

However, after giving it a bit more thought (and letting the first trimester struggles pass), I experienced some maker’s guilt about producing items that I would only wear temporarily. I therefore contemplated what I could make that would work for my body and my mind now and after I was no longer pregnant. I realize there’s no guarantee that something still gets worn in a few months just like I can’t predict how pregnancy, postpartum and life in general will affect my body and how I want to dress it.

In the end, this sewing dilemma resulted in me making less than I anticipated. Instead, I mainly worked with what I already had. This meant the fit was not always great, and I probably looked a bit awkward at times (I certainly felt a bit awkward!). But as my belly grew and my wardrobe options shrank, a few pleasant surprises arose. 

Now at the end of my pregnancy, I can look back and see which ‘pregnancy’ and ‘pre-pregnancy’ makes I wore the most over the past 9 months.

Here’s my top 5:

5/ Nikko Midi Dress

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A pre-pregnancy make which I have continued to wear throughout my pregnancy. Now that I’m reaching the end of month 9, the front is pulling up and it’s honestly starting to look a bit weird. However, I did get a good run out of it and I still wear it on a weekly basis because this bamboo rib knit is so comfy! 

4/ Erin Maternity Pencil Skirt

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I made a couple of them early in my pregnancy and they have been working with my changing body up until the end. The blue and white stripe one has so much stretch that I sometimes wear it as a strapless dress 🙂

3/ Wilder Gown

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Cuteness and loose fit are the perfect combo. I wore the little tencel dress all summer long. Now that the weather’s cooler and the belly’s fuller, I still wear it with leggings and a cardigan. 

2/ Zero Waste Robe

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I wore this one as a beach robe, dressing gown and house duster throughout my pregnancy. I absolutely love it. If you’re not familiar with this zero waste pattern, the pieces all fit together in one big rectangle so no fabric is wasted during the cutting phase which is pretty amazing. I made this one using one of my own fabric designs on Spoonflower’s organic double gauze. 

1/ Givre Dress

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I made this one more than 2 years ago so this is not the maternity version of the pattern. Early in my pregnancy, I thought of making a maternity version but told myself I’d wait until I could no longer fit into the pre-pregnancy one. The pleasant surprise is that it still fits and is my most worn make in the last 9 months! When I want to show off my bump and still be comfy, this simple bodycon dress checks both boxes. My skin became super sensitive during the pregnancy, and while most fabrics at the moment feel unpleasant, this jersey knit (with amazing stretch recovery) is one of the few textiles I can still wear without immediately feeling itchiness all over my belly.

That’s it! I might follow up on this little experiment in a few months. I’m excited to see how postpartum life will affect my personal sewing and wardrobe choices!

Thanks for reading!

-Emmanuelle