A Guide To Maternity Wear In The Workplace

If you’re pregnant, it’s an exciting time, but it can also be a worrying time when it comes to thinking about what you’re going to wear to work. Nobody wants to spend a fortune on maternity wear, but it’s also important to look professional in the workplace. So, how do you stay looking good for nine months until your little one makes an appearance? 

For the first 3 months, or even longer, you’ll almost certainly be able to fit into your standard working wardrobe. While you might have to undo the top button of your pants and skirts, you can easily hide this by keeping your shirts or tops untucked. One clever trick is to put a rubber band through the buttonhole of your pants or skirt and wrap the band around the button. This gives you a couple of extra inches that allow you to wear your regular clothes for much longer.

The Middle Ground

Around 16 weeks, you’ll start to enter an awkward zone when it comes to finding suitable workwear. While you may not look obviously pregnant, you’re going to have become too big to wear your regular clothes. Most maternity clothing, however, will still be oversized. One way of getting through this stage is to buy a few pairs of pants or skirts with stretch or drawstring waistbands in one size bigger than your usual size. Linen clothing, being loose and soft, can be a fitting choice (pun not intended) for this stage, And there’s even dedicated linen maternity clothing, too. You can pair these with long jackets or cardigans, sweaters, loose shirts and tunic tops which conceal your enlarging belly without making it look too obvious. Jersey, cotton, viscose and knit fabrics all have stretch and are perfect for this time in your pregnancy.

The Later Stages

When you reach the third trimester, you will be obviously pregnant and you’ll be able to fit into true maternity wear. Once you reach this stage, you’ll find plenty of clothing options in your local mother and baby store. However, you might not want to spend too much money, especially if you aren’t planning a subsequent pregnancy. A couple of pairs of maternity pants with three or four shirts or tops will probably get you through a regular working week, although a couple of more formal options may be necessary depending on the nature of your employment.

Wearing A Uniform

If you work for a company that has a uniform, you may find going to work a little more complicated. Some workplaces have already thought this through and have maternity versions of their standard uniform. Others require pregnant employees to be a little more creative. One option is to choose baggier versions of your regular uniform. For example, if you work in a commercial kitchen, you can opt for a pair of drawstring chef’s pants instead of fitted ones. Visit
www.chefworks.com/chef-pants and you’ll find that there are plenty of baggy options that will work perfectly to cover your expanding stomach without looking unprofessional. They’ll also be comfortable to wear and won’t look out of place in your workplace.

Whatever the nature of your employment, the good news is that there are plenty of maternity-friendly clothing options out there that will keep you looking your best while also feeling comfortable and looking appropriate in the workplace.