5 Flattering Maternity Looks for the Petite Mommy-to-Be

As I’ve entered my 30’s, I’m constantly finding myself surrounded by Mommy-to-Be’s, whether they be friends, cousins, or even co-workers. As I’ve been side-by-side with so many of them during their mommy journeys, I’ve also found that I pay attention to their maternity outfits! We shorties are often trying to lengthen our bodies and with a new body taking shape, it might feel a little harder to do that during this time in your life. Let’s talk about how you can style your looks in ways that both embrace your baby bump while creating the illusion of a taller frame at the same time!

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Casual

This first maternity style tip is probably one of my favorites—layering a tee over a fitted midi or maxi dress! The key to lengthening your petite frame? Bringing the hem of the tee above your baby bump, easiest done by tying it in the right place. Not only does this show off and emphasize your growing bump, but it tricks the eye into seeing a longer bottom half since your proportions are cut right below the bustline.

You can even accomplish this look by wearing a skirt above your baby bump to meet the hem of your shirt! Just remember that the longer the skirt or dress, the taller you’ll look, so skip the mini skirts and opt for midi and maxi lengths.

Brunch

Aside from being surrounded by soon-to-be mommies, I’ve also styled many women during their pregnancy journey as well. One of the most common requests I see with these clients is that they’d love pieces they can wear post-pregnancy too, when they no longer have their baby bumps and their bodies begin to change yet again. Dresses in general are usually your best bet if you want styles that can work for you both during and after pregnancy, but a smocked dress with an empire waistline is probably one of the best!

The smoking around your bust highlights and flatters your shape, cinching you at the top and allowing the flowy bottom half of the dress to accommodate your growing baby bump. Into the romantic look? Try a style that has tie-straps! Not only does this add some fun feminine flair to your look, but it also makes it nursing-friendly when your new little bff is here with you.

Dinner

When you’re growing a baby and preparing for motherhood, effortless styling can make such a big difference day-to-day. You’ve got tons of things on your mind and probably what feels like a never-ending to-do list, so dressing up for dinner might feel like a huge task in itself. You want to be comfy, but you also want to look good!

We shorties already know that exposing more skin helps to make us look taller, so off-the-shoulder styles are perfect for dressing up for dinner with minimal styling effort. There’s just something about exposing your neck and collarbone that glam up any look, even when the styles have more casual fabrication.

Date Night

Aside from balancing comfort and finding ways to lengthen your petite baby bump body, it’s also important to stay true to your own personal style. At a time when your body is changing, you still want to feel like YOU, so remember that you don’t have to skip on styles you’d normally go for when not expecting. Date night is a chance to steal some quality time with your significant other and bring yourself back to a feeling of pre-pregnancy life, whether that’s out to dinner, catching a movie, or even happy hour—with virgin cocktails for you, of course!

Going more laidback, a shift or t-shirt dress with some stretch keeps you comfy while the shorter length adds some inches to your stems, even without heels. Try a fun print or play around with layering to give your outfits some texture.

Special Occasions

When you're expecting, it’s no surprise that you tend to become the star of the show when entering just about any room! So when it comes to special occasions, you’re bound to really stand out since this usually means you’re surrounded by tons of friends and family you maybe haven’t seen in a while. This truly is a time to celebrate your body as the people around you celebrate YOU!

Going for sleek and fitted styles really embrace a changing body that you should be absolutely proud of, so don’t feel like you need to cover your bump with looser silhouettes. To still lengthen your shorter frame, go for solid colors that lead the eye up and down your body without interruption. Whether styling your look with flats or heels, go for skin-tone and/or pointed-toe styles to give your look that extra boost in height.

While we don't offer a large variety of maternity wear, we've still got tons of styling tips for non-maternity wear during and post-pregnancy!

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*cover photo credit: Coffee With Summer