Today’s post is all about how you can hide a baby bump. Okay, you’re probably thinking, “why on earth would you want to hide a baby bump?!”. But the truth is that for many women they want to be able to keep their secret a little longer, or perhaps they don’t feel 100% comfortable with how their body is looking as their bump grows. While I’m a little bit past the “hiding the bump” stage now, there are some days where I do feel a bit self-conscious about how I’m looking and I feel like none of my clothes look or feel flattering anymore.
I sort of imagined that when I was pregnant I’d feel fabulous and I’d look like one of those gorgeous Pinterest-worthy mums with their cute baby bump. And while some days I do feel fab, there are some days I feel a little more like I’m smuggling a bowling ball around under my top, and while other people seem to think my bump is cute, some days I’m still struggling to get my head around it.
Of course I love my baby to bits. It’s funny how you can love something so much when you’ve never ever met it, but I love him and care for him more than words can say and I can’t wait to meet him very very soon. I love feeling him wriggle around, and that’s something I’m really going to miss once he’s born. But truthfully while I might love what’s causing the bump, I don’t always love how it makes me feel and look. It’s amazing the number of outfits I’ve thought up that look amazing in my head, but some days when I get them on I just feel oversized and not at all cute and I often end up reverting back to my “safe” outfits that I know look okay. And I’m sure I’m not the only pregnant person to feel the same.
As part of today’s post, I wanted to share a couple of ways that I’ve been “styling the bump” on these more self-conscious days that I have. These styling tricks have made me feel better about how I look and feel, and they also work if you are wanting to hide a mum-tum or draw attention away from the tummy area.
Vests or Blazers
I’ve found wearing an open vest, blazer, or jacket helps to create layers and add more dimension to my outfit, therefore minimising the bump. Since they sit out from the body a little, they also help to hide anything while standing side on. I’m living in vests at the moment, and they are great for adding a bit of extra warmth this time of year. If you are in need of a more formal outfit, open blazers work really well too. Of course since most of my jackets and coats don’t do up now, I’ve discovered this more out of necessity than style, but it’s still something I find works to create a distraction! 😂
Scarves
Wearing an oversized scarf is also a great way to distract from the tum. I love long full scarves that I can loop around my neck and tuck the end pieces through the loop so that they hang down and partially cover my belly. Look for bright colours or patterns as these really help to take the focus off the belly area and up towards the face.
Wear all Black
You probably wouldn’t know it, but this top I’m wearing in these pictures is a fitted top. Black is a very forgiving colour, and since I’ve paired this top with black pants, it helps to disguise the roundness through my midsection by creating an illusion of there being just one depth. Pairing this tip with either a scarf or vest really takes the focus off the midsection area.
Drapey Tops
Of course drapey and flowy tops and dresses work beautifully to disguise a baby bump, and they also help to minimise the size of the bump once baby gets bigger. I’ve always been a fan of the flowy top and fitted pants combo, and you can dress this look up or down. Look for tops that are either flowy all over, or are fitted around the bust and then flowy under the bust. Both of these styles are super flattering when pregnant!
Bold Prints
Weirdly enough, bold prints really help to camouflage bumps and lumps, so opting for a top or dress in a bold pattern or print can often minimise the bump. Personally, I’m not one for bold prints (as you’ve probably noticed if you are a long time reader, in fact this scarf is pretty “out there” for me!), but this one is a great tip if you enjoy this look, or perhaps aren’t quite as much of a fan of black as me!
Vest – Jeans West (similar here)
Turtleneck Jumper – ASOS (very similar here)
Jeans – Jean West Maternity (buy here)
Scarf – Karen Walker (old)
Boots – Number One Shoes (similar here)
FIT TIPS: For fit tips on the Jeans West Maternity jeans, click here!
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