Maternity Monday - Cardigans

Last week, I talked about showing off the baby bump. This week, I'm going to totally contradict myself. Yes, sometimes you feel cute and want to show off the basketball you're hiding under your shirt, but other times, not so much. You feel like a big swollen blob and just want to throw on a muumuu or giant shapeless t-shirt and crawl into bed with an entire box of Girl Scout Cookies.

The best thing to do when you're having a fat day is to still try to look cute! Just because you want to hide under your clothes doesn't mean you have to look like a fashion train wreck. There are perfectly acceptable ways to hide your body without compromising on cuteness.

Enter the cascading cardigan. Last winter I bought a bunch of cascading cardigans in different colors. And for way cheap because that's how I roll. They're non-maternity, but work great while pregnant. The cardigans in the picture below are from a maternity store, but there is absolutely no need to spend money on a maternity cardigan when you can just buy a regluar one pretty much anywhere. (Seriously, mine are all from good old Ross.) These things provide plenty of room.

Motherhood Maternity

The key to pulling off this look is to make sure the rest of your outfit is somewhat form fitting. Don't pair a cascading cardigan with baggy jeans or a loose fitting skirt. If you're going to have volume on your top half, you need something tight on your lower half. This look works with skinny jeans, boot cut jeans, or even a pencil skirt.

Remember the cinchy belts we talked about last week? Well, one day, I walked by a store that had a mannequin in the window that was wearing a cascading/drape cardigan with a cinchy belt over it. I thought...hmmm, I'll try it. I wish I could have found a picture to show you, but I couldn't, so you'll just have to use your imagination. Mmkay?

Start with a drapy cardigan like this one. Make sure it doesn't have a ton of extra volume. Then pair it with a belt like this, right under the bustline. I know, it's kind of hard to imagine. Just trust me.

Another way to semi-hide your baby bump is with a scarf. Obviously, it won't really hide it. BUT, what it will do is draw attention elsewhere. Throw on a plain white tee, preferably one that fits snuggly, and accessorize with a cute scarf.

Forever 21

Voila! People will be admiring your cute scarf instead of your expanding waistline. Just make sure you read Jae's post about scarves before you go for this look. Otherwise you might end up looking like a lost cowgirl like I once did.