complete inappropriate maternity wear question

[wouldbemedic]

I feel a bit of a fraud to ask for your help when so many on this board have lots to think about already.

I need to know wear to shop for stylish maternity clothes.

As the result of damage sustained during pregnancy, I know look about five months pregnant. So I'm on the look out for pregnancy gear that is stylish (because I can't bear to be frumpy) and HIDES pregnancy, as opposed to clothes that beautifully showcase a growing bump.

I'm 5 foot 5 brunette, with a big bust and too much on the hips now, not picky about what I wear as long as it works. In a different life I inhabited skinny jeans with uggs and tunic most of the time. I wore short and long dresses during the summer. And cotton flares. I've been trying to cover the bump with an empire tunic but that just seems to make it more obvious than it was before! PLEASE HELP! I can't bear to feel this frumpy forever and I don't have time to hunt through 10 000 cryptically described items on ebay.

Asos has a pretty good range of maternity clothes. H&M, mothercare and New look have some in their stores if you prefer to browse - but much more online. Next have quite a bit but only online and a really annoying account you have to sign up to to buy online - hence I have not gone there.
I'm 21 weeks and have been trying to hide my bump at work until now. I bought some non-maternity clothes a size bigger that were very good at hiding the bump - lots of longer baggy tank style tops like this style:
www.oasis-stores.com/border-bird-print-shell-top/tops/oasis/fcp-product/3190403861 (got from oasis and next), dresses (smart but loose from wallis and smart fitted from oasis). These clothes are no longer hiding the bump, but they still fit and hide it better than most other clothes would and they are smart for work. I am wearing some maternity tops and dresses from asos and H&M now along with the above. I have amazingly comfortable below the bump black trousers from new look (quality of material not great - gone bit bobbly between the legs but they are smart enough for work and I wear them nearly every day they are sooooo comfy):
www.newlook.com/shop/maternity/shop-department/maternity-30in-black-underbump-tailored-trousers-_282329001

I also got over the bump black trousers from mothercare which are smarter but the material is not so breathable and I'd always choose to wear the new look ones over these if they are clean enough.

I get separated tummy muscles each time after pregnancy so I look the same afterwards for a good few months. I found that maternity clothes are quite often shaped in such a way that they accentuate the bump which is not what you want.

What has helped in the past is:
Decent bra, get boobs and tummy as far apart as possible.
Spanx.
Look for brands that seem to cater for a larger waist, I usually end up in leggings, just not black or navy.
Fat Face are good, so are Nomads and Braintree. It's all a bit more of a hippy look than I used to wear but especially when it's layered up it looks ok.

Buy tops a size bigger, dark colours or small prints are good at hiding bump, wear unbuttoned fitted jackets and long scarves.

Can you wear a belly wrap too? I found that really helped my tummy (and my knackered back) immediately post delivery. When hiding my ridiculous first trimester bloat this time, I wore long line t shirts from H&M a lot, with normal low rise relaxed skinny jeans from Next. I find that their maternity jeans (buy a size smaller than normal size) don't look like maternity jeans and are great for working around a bump. They're under bump, so not obvious. I also layered waterfall cardigans (from H&M) a lot, as the wafty sides hide the bump. Nobody guessed and I looked enormous undressed. Long chiffon scarves, wrapped once round the neck and hanging eithe side over boobs/bump seems to be the thing at the moment, and I think would do a great job of hiding bumpage. Also they look totally awesome. I covet the zebra one owned by the girl in the office next door. I may mug her for it. Or just ask her where she got it I suppose.

Purpless (online) has this dress, I bought it in a size up from usual, it really hides my bump:
www.purpless.co.uk/dresses/30-formal-dress-4400-violet.html

Big range of basics.

I've found loose A line shorter dresses hide it completely. Kind of that 90s look - even in non-maternity shops.

This kind of dress: www.urbanoutfitters.com/uk/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=5416465080166&parentid=WOMENS-DRESSES-EU&awc=2077_1399624507_45ca9082f219eb8940dbbb8ee0d2ea5f&cm_mmc=AffWin--Winter09--ShopStyleUK-_-null layer it over a t-shirt with no belt and leggings or tights.

Tops or dresses where the gathering/pleats are at the neckline rather than at the empire line.

Look at the white company

At the moment I'm living in non maternity leggings, cheap long vest tops from primark and nice printed kimonos from boohoo.com, asos and topshop. I am 29 weeks and do not want to spend a fortune on maternity clothes ! Everything I've brought can and will be worn after my dd is born!

Before I conceived ds I had some amazingly flattering jersey dresses from French connection. They really disguised any tummy/love handles I had and made my enormous knockers look nicely proportioned. They were £50 each which seemed crazy expensive but the cost per wear was almost nothing cos they were so fricking useful (smart enough, but somehow casual enough, for any occasion). I then got pregnant with ds and wore them almost up to due date, stretching them as I went :-) lent them to my sister as maternity clothes and she's just given them back, am about to let them do a bit of bump-disguising on burgeoning dc2 :-) if they still do them I recommend. They are kind of draped and gathered under the bust with cap sleeves and a jersey tie under the boobs/around the waist.

And yes buy loads of maternity and bigger size leggings! They are the answer to almost every clothing dilemma!

Think this is the basic style

www.frenchconnection.com/product/Woman+Collections+Dresses+Day/71ATH/Moonlight+Spot+Dress.htm

But mine have lovely quirky prints.

It looks like nothing much on the model because she's skinny (this dress is perfect for curves and boobs) but is really great irl. May be have a look on ebay for older ranges with patterns and different colours!

I have a couple long loose tops from Roman (not maternity) that if I wear people don't realise I'm 5 months pregnant, may be work a look?

Thank you everyone. Deeply appreciate the help! And thanks for not pointing out the dreadful post-painkillers spelling also :)