Never is it more important to be comfortable in your daily life than it is when you’re pregnant. This is especially true—and tricky—for your lower half. Since the waistline is the first thing to change, it didn’t take long for me to shelve the stiff, high-waisted cotton Levi’s I’d worn all year long. Some days now, when I’m especially tired, the feel of most fabrics on my legs is more than I can take. The best maternity clothes are so soft that you bear them even on those days. They’re like not wearing pants but better.
This doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a whole new pregnancy wardrobe. Thanks to the boom in the market for leggings and athleisure, there’s a good chance you have plenty of pieces that fit the bill and will get you through—or at least very near to—the ninth month mark and beyond.
For the best pregnancy clothes, think comfortable yoga leggings, casual jeans with stretchy panels and loose dresses. Here, eight essential pieces to keep you looking stylish, including some that you’ll keep in your closet long after your pregnancy.
Shop The Best Maternity Clothes
- Best Luxury Maternity Leggings: Lululemon Align Collection Leggings
- Best Bargain Maternity Leggings: Pea in the Pod Brrr Triple Chill Cooling Seamless Maternity Leggings
- Best Luxury Maternity Jeans: DL1961 Patti Straight Maternity Jeans
- Best Bargain Maternity Jeans: GapMaternity Maternity Inset Panel Girlfriend Jeans
- Best Luxury Maternity Dress: Doên Lisette Mini Dress
- Best Bargain Maternity Dress: Everlane The Field Dress
- Best Luxury Maternity Pants: Hatch The Stiletto Pant
- Best Bargain Maternity Pants: Target x The Nines by Hatch Maternity Skinny Ponte Pull-On Pants
Best Luxury Maternity Leggings
Lululemon Align Leggings
Velvety soft, ultra stretchy and thin yet fully opaque: There hasn’t been a day yet when I don’t want to reach for these nylon-and-lycra leggings, which you can wear with tops or layer under a sweater dress for work. While some reviewers complain about pilling, I haven’t experienced that issue (I air-dry or tumble dry them on low). Mine are still as buttery-smooth as the day I begrudgingly handed over my credit card to buy them. Yes, these leggings are expensive but they’re worth it since you’ll wear them a lot—and after your pregnancy is over, too.
Best Bargain Maternity Leggings
Pea in the Pod Brr Triple Chill Cooling Seamless Maternity Leggings
My group of mom friends all rave about these leggings. Many said they’re the only maternity-specific items they bothered buying. They’re super affordable and the material’s designed to be sweat wicking and quick drying. Also great: You get specially designed over-the-belly support (in a non-scratchy material) and compression legs—a subtler alternative to the doctor-recommended compression socks that’ll help keep calf and foot swelling down later in your pregnancy.
Best Luxury Maternity Jeans
DL1961 Patti Straight Maternity Jeans
I inherited a gray pair of DL1961 jeans and I love them. The stretch panels at the pockets never annoy me, the material is so soft and they’re skinny but loose so they don’t constrict my legs. The Seaborn Raw is a medium-blue wash and has a cropped length and raw hem. Throw on a blazer and flats and you’re ready to go anywhere.
Best Bargain Maternity Jeans
GapMaternity Maternity Inset Panel Girlfriend Jeans
Gap has well-fitting, trendy maternity jeans—including this perfectly slouchy, relaxed girlfriend style—for under $80. Gap is also one of the few lower-priced retailers to offer the inset panel style rather than the full or low panel. On me, those two options always feel super itchy and then eventually sag and fall down. Gap’s pairs look more like real jeans—and you can still tuck a shirt or sweater into the front.
Best Luxury Maternity Dress
Doên Lisette Mini Dress
I bought a Doên dress early in my pregnancy and I’ve worn it for all special occasions ever since. Doên’s pieces are expensive but you can keep them forever and the empire waists and fullness is more comfortable than anything tube-y and body-con. The brand’s prints and styles are also limited-edition and have great consignment value—they often resell for even more than the original retail price.
Best Bargain Maternity Dress
Everlane The Field Dress
This swingy, loose-fitting dress is pregnancy perfection, even though it’s not explicitly designed to a maternity dress. It has an ultra-generous waist and pockets, is made out of soft, smooth 100 percent cotton, washes well (i.e., you don’t have to iron it), and looks equally chic with flats or sneakers. It also buttons down, so it’ll be great for breastfeeding later on.
Best Luxury Maternity Pants
Hatch The Stiletto Pants
These pants are refined and polished for work, thanks to the viscose in their fabrication, and comfy enough for weekend brunch. The back zip and smooth waistline give them a clean front, and the ankle length looks chic with your favorite loafers or sneakers. Add a button-down or long tee and sweater, and you’ve got an outfit. FYI: Many reviewers recommend sizing up for third trimester wear.
Best Bargain Maternity Pants
The Nines by Hatch Maternity Skinny Ponte Pull-On Pants in Black
This is Hatch’s more affordable version of their Stiletto Pants, only available at Target. The differences: There’s no back zip, the front edge of the pant leg is seamed and they’re stretchier, made of rayon, nylon, and spandex as opposed to polyester, viscose, and elastane. However, they still meet that happy medium of comfort and professional, office-appropriate style. Shoppers rave that they’re chic and somehow accommodate a third trimester belly without having an annoying full or low panel to contend with—and many report wearing them long after the baby’s arrived.
