When to wear maternity clothing? Help!

[HarrietCole]

Could someone kindly advise me on maternity clothing please?
I have a wedding coming up and I'm unsure whether my bump is big enough to wear a maternity dress? I'm 17weeks and I am showing but I think I look more fat than pregnant right now as I always previously carried my weight round my mid section. I'm a size 10/12 and I've never had a super flat tummy so my bump doesn't really look rounded to me it just looks like excess weight low down.
I am unsure whether I'm "bumpy" enough to fill out the bump bit on a fitted maternity dress? Would it also just be possible to buy a bigger size regular dress? I haven't gained hardly any weight yet and I'm not bigger anywhere else as I'm still going to the gym regularly.
I was thinking if I were to get a regular dress perhaps I could try a wrap style? Any help would be much appreciated!

I think a wrap style dress!

I got through most of my pregnancy without maternity clothes- just look for the right cut (nothing nipped in at the waist) and size up. I was a size 8 pre-pregnancy and bought a lot of shift dresses in a size 10 or 12. I did have some under bump Topshop maternity jeans though!

Try some on and see what you think. You should be able to get free delivery/returns from the likes of H&M/ASOS etc.

It depends on the cut I think.

Embrace the maternity wear early! Get as much wear as possible from it!

I wore a maternity dress to a wedding at 16 weeks. It was still mostly fat at that point but I was comfortable and felt nice in it, whereas I’ve found oversized regular clothes just make me look like I’ve eaten too much cake!

Just wear it when you feel like it.

I started wearing maternity jeans at 12-13 weeks - I found my normal jeans really uncomfortable, even though they did fit.
I'm now 30 weeks and wearing a mix of maternity wear and normal clothes in my normal size.

I think maternity wear tends to fit better than oversized clothes as maternity clothes is cut to fit "normally" over shoulders and so on, but is made to suit a bump, whereas clothes in a too large size tends to be too large all over (over the shoulders, legs and so on), which IME tends to not look as nice on.
I've found maternity clothes to be much more comfortable - jeans, for example, are just more comfortable because of the over/under bump band or elasticated sides.

I think maternity clothes will be too big for you at this point, I’d go either for something really loose around the midriff (like a 20s style) or the total opposite something really fitted so you can see the small outline... if you just go in the middle it might make you feel a bit frumpy. I’ve got a big bump at 28 weeks and loads of my stretch wrap style dresses still fit so you should be okay with one that’s a jersey material. New look and ASOS have lots of reasonably priced dresses and you can always dress it up with lovely jewellery, hair and make up

It really depends how you carry and what sort of clothes you normally wear. I carry my weight on my thighs/hips and usually have a small waist and quite a flat stomach. So I was showing within about 10 weeks and couldn’t wear any of my normal clothes from about 13-14 weeks! I’m now 28 weeks and constantly amazed when people say that they managed to get through pregnancy with their normal wardrobe and just a couple of maternity bits. My bump is massive and all out the front though. If you think you will carry like this then at 16 weeks you could wear a maternity dress which has a bit of room in it to grow? Or just go for a floaty style dress to skim the bump.

I gave into maternity wear at 8 weeks because of the bloating and I've never looked back!! So comfortable and pretty stylish and only needed extra room at the belly. However, wrap dresses are pretty!

Just try out what you think looks nice and go with what's right for you. There's no right or wrong re maternity wear!!

I found maternity wear too big for much of my last pregnancy and just sized up in tops and dresses. Although I'm bigger this time at 19 weeks I still amn't filling maternity clothes. I wore a normal sized floaty dress to a wedding at 28 weeks last time. I am short though. Go for whatever's most comfy.

I started wearing maternity clothes around 14 weeks. I found it made me look more pregnant than fat as it's made to fit a bump

A lot of maternity clothes are designed to emphasize your bump, so you will look more pregnant in them. Something to think about if you're not telling people yet.

I couldn't put my clothes on and be comfortable when I was 13 weeks even though I wasn't showing, I had a hard belly and I started wearing maternity leggings then

With my first I could get away with my normal wrap dresses around that time. This time round I’m 21 weeks but as big as was at 30 and I don’t think my maternity clothes will last all the way through.

Thank you so much for all the replies ladies and all the helpful advice.
I've ordered two options, one is a maternity dress and the other is a non maternity wrap dress.
I've added pics. The maternity one was an absolute bargain on ASOS and I love it so I'm really hoping it fits nicely!

Wear whatever you like. Maternity clothes often emphasise bump and will be really comfortable. Nice stretchy maternity dresses in your usual size will mostly fit nicely everywhere, I wore them from quite early on. But there are lots of comfortable non maternity clothes which will fit too.
However ’I haven't gained hardly any weight yet and I'm not bigger anywhere else as I'm still going to the gym regularly.‘ and you’re just lucky. It’s not just that you go to the gym. It’s that cake isn’t the only thing that doesn’t make you nauseous 24/7, etc etc. Some women gain twice as much as others, some hardly any. You’re only 17 weeks , most of my weight gain is the last two months of pregnancy. I would try and remember its not entirely something you can influence and above all try not to come across as smug.