Baby Shower Maternity Dress: Choosing the Right Dress for You

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Baby showers are the bachelorette parties of pregnancy. It only happens once (at least, per baby) and is remembered by everyone you love dearly. It can either be a memory fondly reminisced or a seeming nightmare that plays back over and over again in your head.

Because the day is so important to you as a mom celebrating the day your baby is to arrive in this world, you want to look as though you feel good and confident about yourself even though you might not feel the greatest.

Most baby showers happen during the last trimester where your bump is at its bumpiest. This period of your pregnancy is the hardest to dress most of the time. Here, you will see the changes in your belly more than ever but also in your arms, ankles, hips and breasts. These developments are usually, if not always, not very flattering. It is no wonder so many women feel the least bit attractive during this time.

Hope is not lost though. Because despite the body you’re in, there are so many ways to look good during your special day. A baby shower maternity dress can solve your problem easily and you would not have to worry about looking sluggish or bloated and you need not fear going through your baby shower photos years later and feel embarrassed or sad.

Maternity dresses: your life savior

There are so many maternity dresses baby shower style in the market that you can choose from long maternity dresses for baby shower, white maternity dress for baby shower, plus size maternity dress for baby shower.

Cute maternity clothing are everywhere and the perfect maternity dress is no longer just something you hope for but a reality you totally can sport on your big day.

There are a lot of things that maternity dresses can offer you that other regular dresses cannot. While the latter has way more designs and styles to choose from, not all of it provide function and the right fit as well as comfort that is required while pregnant.

The debate on whether to buy maternity clothes or not is as old as maternity clothing itself and women from both sides of the argument are passionately advocating for or against the need to purchase pregnancy outfits. For some, it is simply vanity but for others, it is a necessity.

Whatever your preference is, pregnancy dresses is out there as an option.

Fortunately, gone are the days of terrible-looking pregnancy clothing. Maternity outfits these days are just as fashionable as regular clothing. There are many styles from cute maternity dresses to sexier pieces. Textures, fabrics, cuts, colors and patterns are also available in such a wide variety it can actually overwhelm you.

Pregnancy dresses versus regular clothes

The major difference between maternity dresses and regular dresses is how it fits you.

“The key difference between maternity dresses and non-maternity clothing is the fitting. While wearing loose shirts or wider dresses does cover up the bump, maternity clothes does give off better definition. It tapers where it needs to and shapes the clothes to best capture a woman’s figure so that you don’t look bigger than you have to and to emphasize your bump so that it does not look too boxy.”

This difference is very important for special occasions like baby showers simply because you get photographed a lot and you want to be wearing something that actually complements and even shows off your pregnancy figure.

Here, see the difference:

Maternity wear fitting and sizes

As a general rule of thumb, “Maternity clothing sizes generally correspond to regular non-pregnant clothing sizes. If you are used to buying a size 8 before pregnancy, typically the same size applies when you shop at specialty maternity clothing stores. If you were “medium” size before pregnancy, look for the same size label at pregnancy stores. When your body changes through pregnancy, the belly and the chest may grow quite a bit but the rest of your body and their proportions such as length of torso, legs, and shoulder widths remain as they are. With maternity clothing, you will see adjustments to measurement only where you expect growth, while keeping specifications remain true to your original size.”

International Size Guide

Further, “Australia and New Zealand also uses the UK size chart. The French sizes are also used in Belgium, Spain and Portugal. Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway also uses German sizes.”

Cute baby shower maternity dresses

Different themes, different styles

Baby showers are so much fun and so many women go crazy with the themes, games and gimmicks. Either your best pals organized your baby shower for you or you did it yourself. Some even hire party planners or specialized baby shower planners. The craze is real and mommies to be (especially but not limited to first time moms) take planning the big day and usually the big gender reveal, some start preparations on their first trimester or even after they learned of the pregnancy.

The baby shower madness does not only happen with regular folks, even celebrities go all out organizing baby showers.

There are tons of themes for this welcome celebration-- some more conservative while others go all out and extreme. Anything can be a theme for the party: whatever you can think of under the sun (or even out in the universe).

Baby shower dresses tips

Deciding what to wear for this special gathering depends on a few things: budget, the theme and what complements your current body.

Because there are so many different themes and way too much options for special occasion maternity dresses, the best way you can find the perfect baby shower dress is by being strategic.

Show off your bump

The reason you are celebrating this special day is because of that bump of yours who will soon be a living, breathing person! Be proud of it and show it off. With the right fitting, you’ll be able to accentuate the curves of your body while emphasizing your bump.

According to Motherhood Closet, “Choose a light dress that flows over your curves and gently highlights your bump, such as a maternity maxi dress. To make it more figure-flattering, choose a maternity dress that is ruched which will cinches your waist above your bump, but again avoid anything too tight.”

Choose the right accessories

Pregnant or not, the rules for accessorizing remain the same.

According to Chelsea Jackson, fashion stylist and buyer, one way of accessorizing is to mix different metal pieces. “Pick your favorite metal, make that your base, and introduce a few contrasting pieces to master mixing in an effortless way.”

Contrary to common belief, Courtney Hammonds, a fashion stylist, author, and the program coordinator for The Art Institute of Atlanta's Fashion Marketing & Management & Fashion Design programs says that matching bags and shoes are actually no longer the trend now, so get a little experimental with matching shoes and bags together.

O’s Creative Director, Adam Glassman also advices to wear longer necklace when you are unsure what to accessorize with. “Your necklace should be working for you—a long strand that hits just below the bust makes you look taller and leaner.”

Prioritize comfort

While looking great on your baby shower is important, it is far more essential that you give special consideration to being comfortable. This does not mean though the you’ll opt for leggings and oversized tees instead. There are many comfortable options like a flowy maxi dress or a maternity wrap dress that accentuates your curves and bump but does not create a rigid environment for movement.

This exact advice also applies to wearing heels. If you can skip it and feel that you look good enough, skip heels. The weight of your body makes you more prone to become imbalanced which might lead to accidents that can cause unfortunate consequences.

Choose clothes that are comfortable enough for you to move around and can keep you either warm or cool enough depending on the location and season.

Know your style

Only you can know what you want to look like or how you want your style to be like. Always bring your personality to your outfit even if it just a piece of accessory or a color you’re most comfortable in.

Pregnancy is not a time to feel bothered too much about the things going on in your body-- it is best enjoyed by looking forward to what those nine difficult, weird and exciting months will give you: a precious human being.

You can make those three trimesters special and memorable by adjusting to all the changes and getting the help of things like maternity dresses. These small things make such a huge difference in the months to come. Small comforts add up to a happy pregnancy!