I have to wear suits for work at least once a week. I took out my maternity clothes from my first kiddo (for my second, I wasn't working) and I'm not sure how I got by....maybe I mixed and matched regular suit jackets with work pants. But, I don't have much. And there doesn't seem to be much in the way of maternity formal workwear online.
If you have to wear suits for work, what did you wear while pregnant? Dresses with regular suit jackets?
pear / 1718 posts
I love to wear shirred/ruched tank style maternity dresses with my regular suit jackets (or cardis on more casual days) . . . I cannot tell you how many compliments I get about looking pulled together "even though" I'm pregnant. My favorite dresses (so far) have been Ingrid and Isabel and Isabella Oliver dresses.
clementine / 777 posts
Following! I'm an attorney and I have to dress up 4-5 days a week and I'm struggling so hard. I'm almost 19 weeks but can't seem to find decent maternity work pants or skirts so I'm making my regular clothes work for now.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I had my maternity slacks, wore a maternity blouse, and just a regular suit jacket that I couldn't button. My jacket is black, so it went with all my slacks.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@mrsjd: @pwnstar: we've got the attorney contingency here!
@pwnstar: Good tip on the dresses. I only have a few b/c with my first I was due in May....but this one in October. I HATE spending more money on maternity clothes for a third pregnancy but probably need a few dresses.
I feel like my normal suit jackets don't match the coloring of the maternity pants I have. Oh well, I guess you get a pass while pregnant!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@winniebee: I think that is the classic problem of differing fabrics! I swear, my black pants do not go with my black jackets, it's because of the weave, the fabrics, etc. And forget about navy!
Can you wear a blazer in a different color?
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@looch: That's what I'm thinking. For summer I have a white jacket and khaki and then a teal that all might go well with dresses this summer. I also can mix and match gray and black.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
I had two dresses that were my "formal" attire staples. They were both investment pieces from Isabelle Oliver.
I did mostly mix n match blazers.
Towards the end I wore black pants and my nice maternity white button up....not a true "suit" but looked like one with the jacket taken off. I didnt catch and heat for it!
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@Mrs D: When I'm massively pregnant I think I can even forego the suit jacket in court if necessary!
pear / 1718 posts
@pregnantbee: You are too kind!
@winniebee: I definitely think people are inclined to cut you slack! I also have worn more of my jackets because I am not wearing a complete suit and am not trying to be matchy-matchy (if that makes sense).
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@pwnstar: I am just looking at my stuff from my first pregnancy (which is mostly winter, drab pieces) thinking...what the heck did I wear?! I think I need to just get a few staple dresses that I can throw on a blazer with when necessary.
pear / 1718 posts
@winniebee: Toward the end of my first pregnancy, I wore a really nice wrap dress--without a jacket-- to the court of appeals. It wasn't for a formal hearing/appearance, and I never would have considered it pre-pg, but I was swollen and had limited options. Everyone there told me I looked so professional/great (eta: there's the diminished expectations in action for ya)!
pear / 1718 posts
@winniebee: That's also why I like the tank dresses . . . because I can dress them up or down, like with a jacket and heels for work, or sleeveless with flats on the weekend. It's really nice that they're not just *work only* pieces.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
@winniebee: I am not in the legal field but DH is an attorney, as is my FIL (he's as conservative as they get and only practices in federal courts) and I made a comment about "just trying to look 'ok'" and he said how I was dressing was perfectly acceptable for him...
I work in Finance for an automotive company - aka all boys club - whenever I am in a meeting with the CFO or CEO (both very east coast conservative) I consider a suit to be necessary...I never felt I got odd looks.
nectarine / 2433 posts
@winniebee: Not an attorney but in finance/consulting and business professional is still the expectation. When I was pregnant with my DD finding appropriate work clothes was a huge PITA because maternity clothes are hard to get in Canada to begin with but professional maternity wear is unicorn level! As you mentioned I mostly relied on wearing a variety of dresses with blazers
pear / 1767 posts
I'm an attorney as well but I practice transactional law so I don't need suits all that often. There are some cute work dress options at: http://www.seraphine.com/us/maternity-clothes/maternity-work-wear/show/all.html. If I need a suit, I'd probably just throw on a black non-maternity suit jacket over a black dress.
grapefruit / 4418 posts
I found a pair of gray maternity pants at motherhood that nearly match my gray suit, so I just wear that jacket unbuttoned. I only have to wear suits a few times a month so I don't feel weird wearing the same thing over and over lol. Plus, pregnancy card applies here!
grapefruit / 4045 posts
My work suits, especially the pants, are the only thing starting to give me trouble now at 21 weeks pregnant.
I'm going to get these pants from Pea in the Pod.
http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=134010270&MasterCategory_Id=MC5
(They were out of the size I need yesterday when I went to the store.)
I did purchase these pants yesterday, but they might be a little too sassy if you work in a conservative place. But I can imagine wearing them after pregnancy, too.
http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=134180480&MasterCategory_Id=MC5
This jacket went with the pants I bought. I considered buying it because it was cute but wasn't sure if it was good for the office, either. Also something that would be fine for after pregnancy.
http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=61847010071&MasterCategory_Id=MC8
And then here is the suit jacket I will bite the bullet and buy if I think I need one. My current suit jackets already don't button because I, umm... gained some weight since I first bought them. Oops.
http://www.apeainthepod.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=61812Z10071&MasterCategory_Id=MC8
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@Shantuck: This are really cute dresses! Maybe I'll get one from here and an Ingrid & Isabel and just throw a jacket on them when needed.
kiwi / 706 posts
@winniebee: another attorney here. When I was 9 months pregnant with my DD I wore a regular suit jacket with maternity pants arguing my first motion to dismiss. I felt like nobody cared what I was wearing though, they were all just staring at my enormous bump thinking that I was going to pass out or something (it was mid-summer).
Just got my bfp this morning and I'm already bloated and dreaming of maternity pants.
pomelo / 5220 posts
Another lawyer bee here. I bought 2 pairs of black maternity suit pants and wore my normal suit jackets for the most part. I also bought a lot of tank sheath dresses and just mixed and matched. No one ever said anything. Certainly none of my coats matched or buttoned.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@marley: congrats!
@psw27: I'm more worried whether they are going to fit across my eventual back fat!!
pomelo / 5220 posts
@winniebee: Are you in court a lot? or mostly in the office? In the office I wore a lot of cardigans! Or just went sleeveless cause I was hot.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@psw27: Mostly just depositions and in office (I WAH about 50% of the time and wear whatever for that). For office and depositions I can probably wear whatever (even depositions seem to be getting less formal these days). Court usually only a few times a month EXCEPT I have a few scheduled jury trials over the summer. Who knows if they will go forward!
pomelo / 5220 posts
@winniebee: hmm if you think the trials will go forward you could probably buy a maternity suit jacket or two. I honestly don't think anyone will say anything or bat an eye! In the office, I wouldn't even worry about it.
persimmon / 1363 posts
@winniebee: also an attorney. I bought plain cut staple dresses and used my regular blazers and suit jackets. For trial we have to wear robes and a vest and special shirt, and I just wore my non maternity ones and didn't do up all the buttons and looked totally ridiculous.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@Rockies11: do you live in Europe? I've never heard of robes and vests for court!!!
persimmon / 1363 posts
@winniebee: Canada, but they're the same as the UK ones because of the same legal system thing. Justice is blind and all that. The real problem is the vest, which is a special vest with sleeves. It's fitted and doesn't exist in maternity. It is also crazy expensive so it's not like it's feasible to just keep buying bigger ones. So I just kept leaving more and more buttons undone. I had an appeal with one of my kids when I was around 8 months pregnant, and I was robed up and in the elevator on the way to the courthouse and another lawyer walked in, saw me, burst out laughing, and gave me a high 5.
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