Upcoming Maternity Outfit Guide: What to Wear When Your Body Starts Changing
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There’s a stage of pregnancy that fashion advice often overlooks.
Your body has started to change, your usual outfits may no longer sit quite the way they used to, but you might not be ready—or need—to completely rethink your wardrobe.
Welcome to upcoming maternity: that in-between stage when comfort starts to matter differently, proportions begin to shift, and getting dressed can suddenly require a little more thought.
The good news? You don’t need an entirely new wardrobe. A few thoughtful choices in fit, proportion and styling can help you feel comfortable while still dressing like yourself.
1. Start With Comfort—But Don’t Forget Shape
When your body begins changing, the instinct can be to simply size up.
Sometimes that works. But a larger size doesn’t always create a better fit. It can add unnecessary volume around the shoulders, sleeves and upper body while still feeling uncomfortable around your growing belly.
Instead, look for pieces that offer room where you need it without overwhelming your overall shape.
Soft T-shirts, relaxed tops, open layers and garments with a little natural ease can work particularly well during this transitional stage.
The goal isn’t to hide your changing body. It’s to give it room.
2. Use Proportion to Create Balance
Pregnancy changes the visual proportions of an outfit—and that means some combinations that previously felt effortless may suddenly look or feel different.
One useful principle is simple:
When one part of your outfit gains volume, keep another part visually quieter.
For example, a relaxed graphic T-shirt can work beautifully with streamlined trousers, leggings or a simple skirt.
If your bottoms are wider or more voluminous, keeping the upper half relatively clean can restore visual balance.
It isn’t about making yourself look smaller. It’s about creating a silhouette that feels intentional.
3. Let the T-Shirt Become the Focal Point
A graphic T-shirt is particularly useful during this stage because it can do more than provide comfort.
It can become the visual centre of the outfit.
A strong illustration or meaningful message naturally draws the eye toward the artwork rather than making the changing silhouette itself the only focal point.
And pregnancy gives graphic fashion an entirely new opportunity: the clothing can become part of the story.
Our Upcoming Maternity designs celebrate this period through artistic pregnancy illustrations and messages created around anticipation, motherhood and the little person already on the way.
Explore the Upcoming Maternity Collection
4. Try the Open-Layer Formula
One of the easiest transitional outfit formulas is:
T-shirt + open layer + simple bottoms
Think of an open cardigan, lightweight jacket, blazer or overshirt worn over your T-shirt.
Why does it work?
The open layer creates two vertical lines through the outfit. Visually, those lines help frame the centre of the body while giving the outfit more structure.
It also gives you flexibility. You can remove the outer layer when you want something casual and add it again when you want the outfit to feel more finished.
For autumn especially, this becomes an easy way to adapt your existing wardrobe as temperatures begin to change.
5. Build Outfits Around Pieces You Already Own
Before buying an entirely new maternity wardrobe, look at what you already have.
Some pieces are surprisingly adaptable:
- open cardigans and jackets
- oversized or relaxed shirts
- stretchy skirts
- leggings
- elasticated trousers
- longline blazers
- comfortable sneakers and ankle boots
Combine them with one or two pieces specifically chosen for your changing body.
This keeps your wardrobe familiar while giving you the additional comfort you need.
6. Use Colour to Connect the Outfit
As silhouettes become simpler, colour becomes an easy styling tool.
Instead of trying to match everything exactly, choose one colour from your graphic or T-shirt and repeat it somewhere else in the outfit.
For example, a burgundy detail in your graphic could connect with a cardigan, bag or shoe. Gold artwork can be echoed subtly through jewellery.
These small repetitions make an outfit feel coordinated without looking overly styled.
7. Dress for the Moment You're In
One of the biggest mistakes with transitional maternity dressing is thinking too far ahead.
You don’t necessarily need to dress for the body you'll have several months from now.
Dress for the body you have today.
Some days that might mean your favourite jeans still work perfectly. On another day, leggings and a relaxed T-shirt may feel infinitely better.
Pregnancy changes gradually, and your wardrobe can evolve gradually too.
8. Make Your Pregnancy Announcement Part of Your Outfit
For some women, clothing also becomes part of the pregnancy announcement itself.
Instead of holding a sign or using a separate prop, an artistic graphic T-shirt can tell the story naturally.
A phrase such as “Our Next Chapter Is Already Written,” “Tiny Miracle on the Way,” or “Baby Loading…” can turn an ordinary outfit into part of the memory—and later, part of the photographs you keep from this period.
Style it simply and allow the artwork to take centre stage.
Discover pregnancy announcement designs
9. Three Easy Upcoming Maternity Outfit Formulas
You don’t need complicated styling rules. Start with combinations that are easy to repeat.
Casual everyday
Graphic T-shirt + comfortable straight-leg trousers or leggings + sneakers + lightweight open cardigan.
Polished casual
Graphic T-shirt + relaxed blazer + comfortable trousers + loafers or clean sneakers + simple jewellery.
Weekend autumn
Graphic T-shirt + long cardigan or open overshirt + leggings + ankle boots + crossbody bag.
The individual pieces can change. The underlying proportions remain simple.
Your Style Doesn't Disappear During Pregnancy
Pregnancy may change your proportions, but it doesn’t require you to abandon your personal style.
The transitional months can actually be an opportunity to simplify your wardrobe, understand which silhouettes make you feel best and choose pieces that mean something to you.
Comfort matters. So does feeling like yourself.
And sometimes the best outfit is simply one that celebrates the chapter you're already living.