MY SUMMER MATERNITY WARDROBE STAPLES

I can’t believe I’m in the final week of my second trimester! The past three months have truly flown by and it’s crazy to think we’re nearing the home stretch toward meeting our baby boy. He currently weighs around two pounds and it’s hard to imagine what this bump will look like once he’s up to seven or eight! I wanted to share a few of the summer maternity wardrobe staples that have been in heavy rotation around here lately. Many of them are non-maternity favorites that I ordered a size or two up from my usual — it’s so hard to find maternity clothes that feel true to my preppy personal style and I’ve found ordering my usual wardrobe staples in larger sizes to be a better solution than starting to wear ruched t-shirts and potato sack dresses. 🙂 I’ll share sizing info for each below!

summer maternity wardrobe staples on design darling

one  //  two  //  three  //  four  //  five  //  six

seven  //  eight  //  nine  //  ten  //  eleven

1. Ralph Lauren cable-knit cashmere sweaters. You may recall that many of my Ralph Lauren sweaters are actually boys’ size L and I’m thrilled that this same size has continued to work through my second trimester thanks to the boxier fit. You can read my sizing conversion recs between women’s and boys’ sizes in this post!

2. Rachel Pally jumpsuit. This crinkled gauze fabric is a dream and I was pleasantly surprised by how flattering it is over a pregnant belly. I ordered the size small. So many of Rachel Pally’s styles are perfect for pregnancy — I also love this and this.

3. Saint James striped shirts. I usually wear an XS in this unisex style and sized up to a S while pregnant. They’re pretty fitted over my bump (you can see them in action in this post) and then I scrunch the sleeves since they’re a little loose.

4. Old Navy maternity shorts. I decided I couldn’t go through another full-blown maternity jeans search for a pair of denim shorts, so I went with this under $30 pair and called it a day. I wound up exchanging the size 2 for a size 4 because I hate when denim shorts are tight around the leg — I think a slightly baggier fit is more flattering and the nude belly band is still snug (but not tight) in the bigger size.

5. DL1961 cropped maternity jeans. You already know from my extensive maternity jeans review that these were my #1 find. I ordered them in my pre-pregnancy size 25 and they’re the perfect fit!

6. J.Crew tiered popover dress. It’s been hard to find summer dresses that don’t have a fitted waist so I was happy to find this tiered style that works well with a growing bump. I went up two sizes to a size medium so I’d be able to wear it into my third trimester!

7. Polo Ralph Lauren t-shirt dress. There’s nothing better than a soft stretchy t-shirt dress and the length on this one ensures it won’t get too short as my bump gets bigger. I ordered my usual size XS as it runs a little large and it still fits nicely at 27 weeks. You can see it on in this post!

8. Eberjey Gisele pajama set. My favorite pre-pregnancy pajamas and the pair I’ve been stocking up on for maternity and postpartum as well. I usually wear a size XS but the size S has been extra comfy during pregnancy.

9. David Lerner maternity leggings. On days when I just can’t deal with jeans, I’m happy to have these super comfy over-the-bump maternity leggings that my friend Jen recommended.

10. Tuckernuck shift dress. Another non-fitted waist dress find and one that works for a variety of occasions depending on what you wear it with. I ordered the size S instead of the XS and it’s great for a growing bump.

11. Hatch maternity striped shirt. One of my few maternity purchases outside of jeans (which have been absolutely necessary week ~19/20 and beyond). This slouchy striped shirt is one of the softest things I own and I know I’ll be wearing it with regular jeans post-bébé.

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