The Best Maternity Dresses That Are Both Stylish And Comfortable

Shopping for maternity clothes isn't necessarily the most exciting prospect, but before you Google stretch jeans and dungarees, dresses are the answer to all your questions. The ideal 'dress up - dress down' piece your wardrobe has been looking for is to simply pick a flowy, oversized frock that will make you feel comfy and chic. Maternity dresses are in, obviously.

Changing your style to accommodate your ever-growing bump doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to nine months of leisurewear when a simple dress can change it up. And no, you definitely don't have to invest in a bodycon dress - but there are some maternity dresses out there if that's your style. It's true, you can feel dressed up and glowing even if you are feeling a little, well, uncomfortable. Sometimes you can go as far as even feeling sexy - and yes, we know it's hard.

You only need to look to the A-listers to see that you don't need to be drowning yourself in tracksuit bottoms and stretchy fabrics. Take it from Rihanna (who always seems to be glowing), expecting her second child as she took to the streets of Paris Fashion Week adorned in a very racy lace maxi dress, with her entire bump on show. Now, of course, we may not all be comfortable with that level of skin-baring, but it's definitely more encouraging than squeezing into another pair of maternity jeans.

Lindsay Lohan, who is now expecting her own child, is another great inspiration for maternity dresses, as it was simply impossible to peel our eyes away from her recent Christian Siriano RTW Fall fashion show, in her bronze satin frock.

Midi dress or maxi dress, patterned or plain, a light, breathable dress is the easiest thing to layer up when it's cold, strip down when it's hot, and give you plenty of room to get comfortable for everything in between. There are even plus-sized maternity dresses out there if you'd prefer that.

'Traditional' maternity clothes get a bad rep for being a little dowdy, but dressing your baby bump doesn't have to mean compromising on your own style. So, to help you narrow down the search, we found the best affordable summer dresses to see you through date nights to nights in, picnics to parties, and from pregnancy to postpartum. These are the maternity dresses that will live in your wardrobe for the long term.

SHOP: The Best Maternity Dresses For Every Occasion

The Wrap Dress

Wrap dress champion Diane Von Furstenburg puts it best, 'The wrap dress is the most traditional form of dressing: It's like a robe, it's like a kimono, it's like a toga. It doesn't have to have buttons or zippers', meaning maximum comfort is a given.

Flattering in every shape and size, the wrap dress can be loosened to fit with your growing bump, but is also handy for on-the-go breastfeeding. It can also make for a great maternity occasion dress if you're going to a wedding or other event.

The Milkmaid Smock Dress

After the almost cult-like success of Sleeper's Atlanta Dresses with shirred bodice and exaggerated sleeves, the romantic shape of A-line skirted dresses dominated last summer and shows no signs of slowing down. Some might say it's the perfect summer dress.

Big puffball sleeves will balance out proportions and dresses that are ruched around the tummy are elasticated and will expand to fit, while cotton smock dresses will skim your body rather than cling, making them more comfortable.

The Maxi Dress

Quite possibly the easiest dress in any woman's wardrobe, whether fine knit, cotton, satin or linen, the timeless maxitakes the hassle out of maternity dresses.

You can wear them tight, flowy or anything in between, but the maxi dress will make it look like you've put a tonne of effort in (wen you probably haven't at all). The floor-skimming length creates an elongated silhouette and is still impossibly chic with comfortable flats or dressed up with a blazer and statement jewellery.

The Shirt Dress

A crisp Oxford shirtis the most versatile piece in your arsenal, transforming from business tailoring to weekend casual with a simple pair of jeans, and the shirt dress has the same polished effect.

Wear with sandals, sneakers, espadrilles – in fact, almost any shoe works – and is just as good over slouchy trousers as it is bare-legged.