Generally the environment I work in is business casual, but casual on fridays. Is it acceptable to wear maternity leggings?
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Probably for bus casual with a tunic or long top...I think pregnant people can pull off things that non-pregnant people can't because everyone accepts that it's harder to get dressed as a pregnant person and you need to be comfortable.
I have to dress up a little more in my job, and when I was pregnant I would wear a pretty tunic, thick leggings with knee Fryes in the winter or TB flats and it always looked nice. A happy median I found so that I didn't feel too casual was the JCrew maternity pixie pant...They were as skinny and fitted as leggings but much nicer and dressier.
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I usually look around to see what other people are wearing. Do any women wear leggings under dresses or tunics? Leggings as pants are a shade of gray.
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I voted any day! As soon as I announce to work, I don't plan on wearing real pants for the rest of my pregnancy!
ETA: With a long/tunic top or short dress! Butt coverage is key.
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Maybe thick ponte leggings? Probably not the thin cottony types that go a bit see through.
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There is such a spectrum of leggings these days.
The thin ones that aren't flattering and almost see through - no
Nice thick ones with a longer top - sure if it's a casual environment.
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I don't think leggings ever fit into business casual. If things are more casual on Fridays, you might be able to get away with thick leggings if you wear a shirt/tunic/dress that covers your butt. I agree with PP - take a look around - are other women wearing leggings? If so, go for it. If not, I'd probably not.
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It depends more on the top to me. Like a top that is pretty much a dress but a little short, with leggings that are functioning as thick tights, ok. With a casual top that barely covers your butt, it's iffy.
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I felt comfortable that my work place was somewhere I could get away with wearing leggings while pregnant and just after returning from maternity leave. I do think pregnant women get a little more leeway since it's harder to get dressed and you're more uncomfortable in general. While I was pregnant during the summer, I really enjoyed wearing dresses most of the time. The end of my pregnancy was hardest, it was cold and nothing fit except those maternity leggings!
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I agree butt coverage is important so if you have a long tunic then that's fine, otherwise, in a business casual environment, maybe not.
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Like pps said, as long as they aren't see through and you pair them with a long enough and dressy enough top, any day is ok!
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As long as they aren't see-through and you wear a long-enough top, I think you'll be fine. To be honest, once I got to a certain size, leggings were a must because my belly made my dresses shorter.
ETA: Accessories can totally dress up the outfit too. Scarves, statement necklaces, shoes, and other jewelry can take a borderline casual outfit into dressy territory.
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I'm interested in the responses as well. I'm the only women in a business casual environment (8 people total) and the range for guys here is pretty extreme. I don't meet with clients regularly (it's always scheduled) and was hoping to wear "nicer" maternity leggings, so I'm happy to hear it isn't completely out of the question.
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I gave myself a pregnancy pass all the time and wore leggings and even yoga pants at the end. I didn't care and no one said a word. It was a casual environment (jeans everyday) unless had client meetings. I probably wouldn't do it at my new job which is more formal. Just make a judgement call based on what there wear. It's unlikely anyone will say anything or notice if it's a more laid back environment.
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100%! Although I never have to dress up for work, I can totally see so many ways to make mat. leggings dressy! And honestly, when I'm pregnant, I take comfort over anything else!
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@TemperanceBrennan: Do any of the dudes wear polo shirts or sneakers? I feel like nice leggings are not any "less professional" than polo shirts, and certainly not sneakers.
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I wore them last time is a business casual/casual work environment. I only wore them with dresses that were a little too short or long tunics so my butt was covered.
My current office is a little dressier, so it will depend on whether I get moved off the executive floor and whether my other clothes fit towards the end of this pregnancy.
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I only wore them with dresses (especially before I switched over to maternity dresses). We're business casual but actually have a statement in our dress code policy that specifies no leggings (unless under a dress... i.e., for warmth not coverage).
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@ms.line: Not really sneakers (except Friday) but Polos are very common. I'm comfortable with the "dressiness" of cropped skinny dress pants normally, so I'm not even sure if the guys would notice a difference. I'm completely fine with leggings and dresses, but since I'm due in February I'm wondering what I'm going to wear in the winter. Hopefully big sweaters, thick leggings, and boots will be good enough.
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@MOMTOLITTLEB: I don't think it's harder to get dressed when you're pregnant...I think people don't want to spend the money on clothes that they only will wear for a short period of time. That's why I don't think leggings are the "only" answer.
There are so many options out there for maternity clothes these days. It's been 5 years since I was pregnant and I feel like there is so much more out there in that short period of time.
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@TemperanceBrennan: Actually that's a good point, I doubt men would even notice! I'm planning on sweaters/legging/boots, too!
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It was totally fine for me, but I always made a point of wearing nice leather boots with my leggings and dresses, so I wasn't overly casual
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I wore maternity leggings all fall/winter/spring of my pregnancy, pretty much every day in a business casual environment. They helped extend the life of dresses that were more summery and less warm during fall/winter.
I never wore them as real pants, always under a long tunic top or a dress, and paired with riding boots or heels (very occasionally with dressier ballet flats).
I don’t think leggings + a nice tunic is any less dressy than khakis and a top like a polo shirt; and it can easily be much more dressy with the right accessories. -
Leggings as pants, no. Leggings under a dress, sure.
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I'm all 'bout dem J.Crew Pixie Pants, which are ponte fabric & worth every penny. Totally fine for even a strict business casual environment, and I hardly ever have to wash them. They're stretchy, which I loved before getting KU, but there is also a maternity version that is positively dreamy. AND they have a super flattering seam up the back of each leg that makes everything look longer, leaner, slimmer. Fabulous & comfy!
Any other legging at work? Eh. I tend to think they aren't appropriate for biz cas.
(I promise I don't work for J Crew. I'm just a Pixie Pant devotee, clearly.)
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I work in a really casual environment (jeans most days--we can even wear shorts!) but I LIVED in maternity leggings when I was pregnant. DD was born in January, so it was cold, but I wore leggings and tunics/long tops with boots a ton.
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I have the same dress policy at work and never felt comfortable to wear leggings as pants even under a tunic. Maybe under a dress. I do work at the global how office though. I just wore maternity skinny jeans on Fridays and jeans days, other days were always maternity dress pants!
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I worked in a business casual office where I often wore leggings with a long blouse like top. Or a longer short with a cardigan. It's also easy to "dress it up" by adding a nice necklace (pearls maybe), and some dressy flats or nice boots.
It also depends on the office. At my old office a lot of is wore leggings consistently and it was way more casual side of business casual. The only things that weren't allowed were jeans, sweatshirts, and strappy tanks
(My outfits looked kind of similar to this) -
@smith: Ann Taylor has a very similar pant- it's a ponte pant! I worked there several years ago and it's soooo comfortable, I wear them all the time and get a new pair each year during Black Friday when they're 50% off. I even wore them during pregnancy and they were incredible. I think they're very similar to the j crew pant!
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Totally fine if you dress it up and your top is without a doubt long enough. Being comfy is important! I'm with the rest--pregnant women can definitely get away with a bit of casualty.
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@Mrs. Pen: That's fancier than I've *ever* looked at work!
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@ms.line: haha mine never looked that classy, but at least that's what I was aiming for
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I guess it depends on the office. We are on the dressier side of business casual, and leggings are definitely frowned upon where I work. I wouldn't risk it.
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Thanks for all of the responses! It's been really interesting to read them all!
I will probably wear them on a Friday to begin with, but start wearing them on other days by dressing them up. I'm so glad I have quite a few scarves and jewelery pieces to mix and match with maternity outfits. Hopefully it won't look like I m always wearing the same thing!
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No leggings here - I have to be honest - I see some people wearing them and think it looks inappropriate in my work place. However, I work in a large headquarters of a fortune 500 company - in a male dominant industry.
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The only way I would say leggings are ever appropriate in a work environment is if they are worn under a dress that you would be willing to wear nothing underneath in warmer months. So basically, leggings can replace tights, but not pants. Leggings + shirt or tunic is a no go for me in a professional environment, no matter how casual.
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