Maternity Monday: What to Wear On a Date

You might have just read that title and said, "Date? What's that?" I know what you mean ... these days, dates might be few and far between for you and your man. Your body aches, you're dealing with heartburn and nausea, and you're tiiiiiiired. And if you've got other little ones running around, you have to line up a sitter. Pain in the butt, I know. But trust me -- if anything will improve your sad, pregnant mood, it's a cute outfit and a night on the town with your hunk-of-a-man.

So, let's get to it! Here are some basics for a put-together, casual date night outfit:

1) Dressy pair of jeans

This is a date night basic that applies to everyone, preggers or not. You'll probably want to go with something a little darker because dark-wash jeans tend to look a little more polished.

7 For All Mankind Secret Fit Belly jeans

Now, I realize that these fabulous 7 For All Mankind jeans are probably way out of most people's price ranges. Hello, $210! That's easily 3-4 months worth of diapers there. But the idea here is the look of the jeans. They are meant to give you a good idea about what to search for when you're hunting for maternity jeans. They're ...

... tight in the butt (YES!)
... the perfect wash color
... wider in the leg to prevent unsightly hip/thigh hugging, making you look long and lean

Here's a less-expensive alternative from Gap. They'll only cost you about a month and a half of diapers. ;)

Full-panel Long and Lean jeans

A word about maternity jeans: I've found that the oh-so-cute low- or no-panel jeans are really impractical. They just do NOT stay up on my body, and I spend a lot of time either hiking them up, or walking around with a saggy butt (real sexy, right?). So, full-panel is the way to go, in my opinion. Especially now that they have the comfy yet discreet Secret Fit belly panels! You will never have to do the "pants dance" again (you know what I'm talking about). The crotch will stay snug and the butt won't sag.

2) Knit top

Maybe you noticed last week that I love Forever 21. Reasons: great prices, versatile, feminine, and did I mention GREAT PRICES? Plus, Forever 21 has a lot of tunic-style tops that work with pregnant bellies! Yay.

Here are a few examples:

L to R: Trapeze tunic top, Lace trim chiffon top

Satin flower trim top

Again -- these are just good examples of what to look for out there when you're shopping for the perfect date night top. All of these are feminine and have special details (lace, embroidery, satin flowers) that make them a little dressier. If Forever 21's not your thing, no biggie. You'll be able to find similar styles elsewhere.

3. Shoes

Shoes for date night can be tricky when you're pregnant, because while you know some heels would be totally bangin', your feet might feel like falling off at the end of the night if you wear them. If you can still wear heels and survive, then by all means, do it! Otherwise, you can always fall back on a metallic flat or a pointy kitten heel:

Glee, Chinese Laundry

Koin Kitten Heel, American Eagle

4. Accessories (of course!)

The nice thing about wearing a "special" top is you don't have to go crazy with the jewelry to dress it up. Large, dangly earrings are always sexy:

L to R: Rhinestone circle earrings, Ridged circle earrings

Or, go for a snazzy bracelet:

L to R: Pearl filigree bracelet, Rhinestone hinge bracelet

Finish off the look with a clutch or dainty purse (remember, you don't have to lug the diaper bag around tonight!):

L to R: daisy fuentes A-line clutch, apt. 9 Harbor clutch

And you're good to go. Your man won't be able to take his eyes off you! And you'll feel like the sexy momma you are.