Let’s A(DRESS) the Bump: The Tunic Dress

Pregnancy is a very special and unique experience for those who are fortunate to go through it. I say unique because growing a human being comes with its highs and lows. Your body goes through some pretty drastic changes over the course of 9 months. The obvious change is a growing tummy. We shall refer to this as the “bump.” As your baby, or babies (!), grow, so does the bump. Having gone through one pregnancy and currently pregnant now I can tell you that the relationship with my bump has been quite complicated! My first pregnancy was with a singleton who was born just shy of 38 weeks. He was a little guy weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces! As you can imagine, my bump was pretty small. I didn’t get that cute belly bump until late in my pregnancy. I was always self-conscious that I looked like I was gaining a belly from eating too many sweets rather than look pregnant. Now fast forward to the present, I am carrying 2 babies! My bump had made it’s debut a lot earlier in my pregnancy and has already surpassed my first bump in size!

It’s inevitable that at some point your bump will become too large for the clothes that you currently have. When this happens it can feel pretty discouraging. It’s especially hard to feel attractive when nothing fits or you resort to wearing your husband’s t-shirts and sweatpants. I will confess that I struggled with this tremendously! I would stand in front of my closet not wanting to get dressed because my options were either sweats or pants that had become too restricting and therefore uncomfortable. Yes, my maternity jeans and leggings eventually became too uncomfortable! But, I wholeheartedly believe that it’s important to not just give up. Get up and make yourself feel good. Make an effort to dress up!

Maternity clothes are an easy option to turn to. You can find really cute and trendy items in brands like Hatch, Ingrid & Isabel, and even H&M. I love the idea of having clothes tailored specifically for the bump but in reality you’re only wearing these clothes for a few months out of your pregnancy since most bumps start showing after the 20 week mark. Plus, maternity clothes do come with a hefty price tag. So splurging on something you’ll only wear for a short period of time may not be feasible for everyone, especially when you have baby gear to buy as well! I’ll maybe splurge on a few items because after all, it’s hard work and us mamas deserve it!

Throughout both pregnancies I took on the challenge of finding non-maternity clothes that I could wear during pregnancy and also post partum. It was a bonus if I could find things in my normal size without sizing up! I did this for 2 reasons. The first one being to get the most wear out of my clothes. It felt like such a waste to wear something a couple of times, especially if I did splurge on it. Secondly, it was a confidence boost to be able to wear my pre-pregnancy size. No matter how much weight I had gained or how big I felt, I could still hold on to that.

Here and in the next few blog posts I want to share some of the things I’ve found that worked for me during pregnancy that I also plan to wear after I deliver. Most, if not all, are my regular size too!

Up first is the tunic dress. Tunics work well in pregnancy because of their longer length. The silhouette of a tunic is very flattering for all shapes because they’re not too form fitting or neither too loose. With a growing bump it’s essential to have some room to accommodate it but you also want to have some shape. This mock-neck tunic midi dress is no doubt stylish but also very comfortable.

• 

The Rx

I love the versatility of this tunic midi dress. It’s a piece that looks good whether dressed up or down. Being sleeveless it can be worn pretty much all year round. Just add a base layer in the winter or a wool coat like I did. Another amazing feature of this dress is that it has pockets! I like pockets just for the simple fact that I have a place to put my hands, not necessarily to hold my belongings. The orange color will definitely stand out in a crowd therefore I chose to add texture and neutral colors in my accessories. I’m really into anything croc-embossed at the moment. It’s a nice alternative to all the snakeskin!

Shop the look here

Dress: Anthropologie // Coat: Aritzia // Booties: Just Fab // Bag: Kate Spade

Photos by Miguel Cornelio

Have a bumpin’ day!

xo, Jenn