What To Wear When You’re Pregnant If You Don’t Want To Buy Maternity Clothes

Even if you're not nauseous or suffering from swollen ankles, shopping for maternity clothes, for many women, isn't an exciting part of pregnancy. Rather, as your stomach starts to balloon and you finally have to surrender your non-stretch jeans, the prospect of waking up each day and thinking, 'I can't wear leggings again!', can be boring at best and anxiety-inducing at worst.

And that's why a lot of expectant mums choose to largely side-step the minefield that is maternity-wear altogether. Because while you might have to succumb to pregnancy jeans and leggings as your third trimester approaches (try H&M, and maternity-wear brand Isabella Oliver), you can probably survive the majority of those first six months by tweaking your wardrobe ever-so-slightly.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who announced her second pregnancy over the weekend via Instagram, posted a picture of a white ribbed knit dress (from non-maternity brand Bazilika) that had just enough give to accommodate her growing bump.

Laura Whitmore was another master of how to make your everyday wardrobe work during pregnancy. Dressing up in the checkered frock from Simone Rocha x H&M, she posted about this very subject a few months ago. 'I like fashion and being pregnant doesn’t change that. Anything I’ve added to my wardrobe have been pieces I hope to wear long term not just for a few months and then waste (and maternity-wear tends to be boring) It’s just about finding the right shapes.'

This is the first golden role. Look for dresses that either have a babydoll silhouette - where its tightest part is just underneath the chest, allowing it to flutter over the tummy - or no discernible waistline. Meghan Markle's pregnancy wardrobe included a smocked dress from La Ligne that ticks both boxes, and Ganni's seersucker styles will do a similar job. If you're not fond of tent-shaped dresses, you can mimic their shape with chemise-style blouses that billow over the belly, or with an oversized button-down while you're still squeezing into jeans.

Once the famous hairband trick no longer works, you can replace your jeans with a roomy pair of dungarees. Fashion editors like the velvet and cotton-twill styles from Clary & Peg, which is actually a vintage-inspired maternity-wear brand, but LF Markey's Danny Boilersuit can be worn on the oversized side and has an elasticated waist so would work well during the first and possibly even second trimesters.

The most important thing to not forget is that being pregnant doesn't for a minute mean you have to sacrifice your style. Jodie Turner-Smith is a testament to still wearing things like jewel-bright colours, ankle-tie pumps and crop tops with a burgeoning bump, while Emily Ratajkowski dressed up her leggings with an oversized jumper, calf-length tweed coat and spike-heeled snake-print boot when she was expecting.

Of course, Chloë Sevigny's pregnancy wardrobe was a masterclass in dressing a bump. At last year's Writers Guild Awards, the actor dressed hers up in a body-hugging black polo neck dress, accessorising with gold chains and giant hoop earrings, in what must be the best way to approach maternity style if you don't like babydolls or tents. Arket has several styles that would work, but its strappy turquoise style gets our vote for how closely it would hug your bundle of joy.

And finally, before shopping, don’t forget to ask friends for their hand-me-downs. One woman’s maternity jeans hell, after all, might be another’s heaven - and you can spend all the money you might have wasted on pregnancy massages.