7 Maternity Styling Tips, Straight From a Stylist Who's Expecting

As a celebrity stylist, one of the first thoughts I had after finding out I was pregnant was, "What am I going to wear?" I had absolutely no idea what to expect. What changes were my body and wardrobe about to go through? The thought of buying maternity clothes didn't sit well with me. I hated the idea of spending money on pieces I was only going to wear for a few months. There had to be a way to avoid buying maternity clothes while still looking chic and saving money.

Here are my top tips on how to not buy maternity clothes while pregnant.

When your belly starts to grow, seams can hit your waist awkwardly. To avoid buying items throughout your pregnancy, get something that doesn't have a seam; this way your belly can grow into it.

When it comes to your wardrobe during pregnancy, the simpler, the better. This dress wasn't initially my most exciting purchase, but because it was so simple, it ended up being the one I wore the most. The perfect summer go-to!

When you start to go through your second trimester and your belly is in that in-between stage, a cardigan will be your new best friend! Layering it over tops and dresses is an easy way to hide what you want and accentuate your cute baby bump.

Wearing darker colors will help you not only appear smaller, it will also hide any problem areas. Plus, it's just a lot easier to mix and match.

The trick to this is not to get things that are too billowy and could make you look larger. Find a good in-between option. Get something loose that still hugs in all the right places.

Buy your dresses one size up and you'll be able to use them before and after your pregnancy. I bought a dress like this one size up and took the belt off. Later I can just get it taken in and add the belt back on.

Avoid stripes and loud patterns that make you appear bigger. Small, subtle prints won't draw too much attention to your growing belly. Plus they add fun detail to a basic dress or top.

What wardrobe challenges did you encounter while pregnant and how did you work around them? Let us know in the comments!

This post was published at an earlier date and has been updated by Anna LaPlaca.