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Particularly at the start of your pregnancy, it's easy to make use of your normal wardrobe in creative ways instead of buying maternity clothes - here are our favourite 5 hacks!
1. Look for anything without a fixed waistline
Go through your wardrobe and look for anything that is either really stretchy, like a bodycon dress, or that is loose and floaty such as a maxi dress, or lastly that has a waistline that is quite high so that it isn't sitting uncomfortably across your bump. These last two are great options if you're in the early stages of pregnancy and want to hide your bump too. This dress from Mutha Hood (shown below) is one of my favourite non-maternity dresses that you can wear at least in the early stages of pregnancy, and I always receive compliments on it!
2. Pull stretchy skirts up over your bump
I loved wearing this (non-maternity) skirt when I was pregnant as it really shows off your bump and looks great with either a crop top or any top which still fits and you can either tie in a knot (or use a scrunchie!) or tuck up into your bra. A skirt like this also looks really cute with a jumper folded up as well.
3. Raid your partner's wardrobe
The black tee above is actually my husband's, because most of my tops wouldn't be stretchy enough, and you don't want to ruin your clothes by stretching them too much! If your partner has any shirts these are also great to use for layering either for warmth or to add interest to a basic outfit.
4. Use the hairband trick
To be able to wear your normal jeans for a bit longer, put a
hairband through the button hole and then through itself, and use this loop to attach to the button instead. You can then hide this with either a bump/belly band, or a long top or dress like the one below - I lived in this non-maternity bodycon dress when I was pregnant!
5. Rent for special occasions or staples
When your bump is bigger, or you need something a bit more special that you might only wear once or twice, it's much harder to utilise your non-maternity wardrobe, and this is why B&B offers maternity clothes to rent, so that you can choose a few staple items that work alongside your existing wardrobe to keep you comfortable throughout all stages of your pregnancy.
It's more affordable and sustainable than buying new, more convenient than buying second-hand, and you get to just send it back when you're done! Plus you can access beautiful quality maternity clothes from great brands. These Mamalicious dresses below (you can find them here and here) are perfect for a special occasion such as a wedding or a maternity photoshoot.
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Are you new here? Read on to find out a little bit more about us...
Belles and Babes is a UK-based rental business specialising in sustainable maternity, baby, and nursing clothes. Founded by Emma Gillespie in 2017, the company is driven by her corporate sustainability background and has a mission to provide a more sustainable alternative for parents seeking to move away from fast fashion and reduce clothing waste.
B&B offers maternity and nursing clothes to rent as part of its capsule wardrobe service for £5 per item each month, with the option to swap items and add on extras such as a maternity coat, and also has styles available to buy new or pre-loved. Baby capsule wardrobes start from £25 a month for a personalised bundle of 18 items of sustainable organic clothing which are replaced as your baby grows.
If you are a parent seeking a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, you can find out more about our rental options by clicking the links in the menu above.
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