When you first find out the wonderful news of your pregnancy, you might not want to tell your friends, family and work colleagues straight away. As the weeks pass, and your belly starts to grow, we know that it can get harder to conceal your bump, so we have put together an easy guide of what to wear in your first trimester.

When to start wearing maternity clothes

When to start buying maternity clothes is completely up to you. The size of your baby bump and how fast it grows differs from woman to woman, so you might find your bump starting to show earlier or later than others. As soon as your bump starts to appear, and your regular clothing is no longer fitting as well, this is the time to start investing in some staple maternity clothing. For a lot of women, this is at the start of their second trimester. When shopping for early maternity clothes, it is important to find pieces that will grow with your bump and flatter your body throughout every stage of pregnancy.

How to hide your pregnancy belly

During the early stages of pregnancy, you may want to hide your bump. We’ve put together some simple tips to help you find the right clothes to hide your pregnancy:
• Prints. Choosing eye catching, colourful prints will help to divert attention from your growing belly as people will focus on the patterns of your clothing rather than your body shape.
• Loose-fitting clothes. An easy way to hide your pregnancy is choosing clothing that doesn’t enhance your growing silhouette. Luckily, flowing midi and maxi dresses are very on trend right now so there are lots of options and your family and friends will think you are very fashionable!
• Choose darker colours. Dark colours like navy and black will not accentuate your body shape as they do not reflect light, so they can have quite a slimming effect and should draw any attention away from your baby bump.

What should you wear in early pregnancy?

When you find out that you are pregnant there is no need to suddenly change your style, there are plenty of fashionable maternity clothes out there so that you can still look and feel yourself. When shopping for early maternity clothing, start by investing in essential pieces that you can mix and match with your pre-existing wardrobe. One of the first things you will probably notice no longer fits you will be trousers, so it’s a good idea to buy some maternity leggings that will keep you comfy, and also grow with your bump, as well as a smarter maternity trouser that you can wear to work. As things start to feel tighter, and not fit as well as they used to, that is a good time to start buying some replacements and gradually building a capsule maternity wardrobe that will see you through the nine months and beyond. Don’t buy early maternity clothing that you won’t be able to wear for the rest of your pregnancy. Buying tops, blouses and dresses that button up or have a wrap style are a great option because you will be able to where them whilst breastfeeding, if you choose to.

Can I wear jeans in early pregnancy?

Your belly may be starting to grow, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t wear jeans during your early pregnancy. If you find the right maternity denim, you can wear jeans throughout the whole nine months without compromising on your comfort or style. Choose a pair of over the bump jeans with a stretchy waistband that will fit and flatter your growing bump. The over the bump waistband is also great to help hide your pregnancy if you are trying to conceal your bump during the early stages.

First trimester clothing essentials

Finding fashionable maternity clothing can be hard, which is why at Isabella Oliver we focus on high quality basics that will mix and match with your existing wardrobe so that you never have to compromise on your own unique style. When you start shopping for first trimester clothes, start with the essentials so that you have a solid foundation of clothing that you can build on. Don’t buy early maternity clothing that you are going to grow out of quickly. Instead choose pieces that have stretchy waistbands and ruching that will grow with your bump and flatter you at every stage.

First trimester clothing checklist:

• Trousers. Choose a versatile pair of trousers for work that you can mix and match with your blouses and tops, then invest in some maternity jeans that will see you through your pregnancy in style.
• Leggings to live in. Comfort should be your priority when building your pregnancy wardrobe and a pair of super soft leggings will be your best friend throughout every stage of pregnancy.
• Tops. When purchasing maternity tops in your first trimester, try to find ones that have side ruching and are made from stretchy jersey fabric that will allow for growth. Also looks for tops with a wrap design or that button up so that you can wear them into your fourth trimester and beyond, should you wish to breastfeed.

The key to finding first trimester clothes is looking for high quality basics that are versatile and can be mix and matched with your wardrobe, so you never have to compromise on your own personal style. Remember to look for fabrics and fits that will grow with you so that you don’t have to buy anything again as your body changes.