In today’s post I wanted to present to you my top 10 summer capsule staples, more specifically: maternity friendly summer staples. Most of these items can be worn during pregnancy and beyond which makes them smarter, long-term wardrobe investments rather than being something you can only wear right now and so I hope those of you who aren’t pregnant will also get lots of inspiration from this list. Any items you find too pregnancy specific (like elastic waist jeans) can always be stored away for possible future pregnancies afterwards, or simply be passed on to someone else who might be expecting.

There is so much good maternity wear available on the preloved market just waiting for a new, loving home, most of which has only be worn for such a short amount of time – in fact, most of the new additions I’ve made to my wardrobe this time around has been found on Vinted (my new obsession for secondhand shopping btw!). These are some of the things I’ve been slowly collecting over the past month or so now that the weather is both getting warmer, but also with the fact that I’ll soon be halfway through my pregnancy and a lot of my usual wardrobe faves don’t fit me right now. I haven’t changed my entire wardrobe at all, so these are kind of just some core pieces that I’ll be styling my usual stuff with (the stuff I haven’t outgrown – that’s been put to rest in storage for now).

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1) Rib dresses

I’ve always struggled a bit with dresses despite always getting tons of compliments when wearing them; I just never really feel like myself when I’m wearing a dress. However, I’ve noticed that when I go for simple cuts and longer lengths rather tha minis, I can actually get onboard with it. Both these rib dresses were found on Vinted, the light grey is from H&M and the dark blue is from COS and they are just delightful. So easy to throw on, so comfy and stretchy. I wear mine with a pair of shaping maternity shorts underneath to well, give a little shape and support, but also to avoid thigh chafing which is a real struggle especially when you’re pregnant.

2) Elastic waist pants

A pair of breezy pants with an elasticated waist is a winner for any summer, but especially comfortable when you’re expecting. A pair of textured linen pants would have been awesome too, however I stumbled upon these silky numbers on Vinted and I love the elegance and slightly more dressy vibe of them. They can be dressed up and down for day and night plus they’d be awesome with chunky knitwear to contrast with the shiny fabric during the autumn season as well, so truly something you can get tons of wear out of.

3) Elastic waist shorts

In keeping with the elasticated waistlines we have a pair of drawstring waist linen shorts. Now I learned last summer that I’m not super into showing too much leg, which is also why I’m not a huge fan of mini-dresses (on me, at least – I love how they look on others). I just generally tend to feel more comfortable in longer silhouettes. For some reason though, I don’t have the entire same struggle with shorts. Perhaps because they are just a bit more practical for biking or going to the playground, because I don’t have to worry I’ll flash anyone. So I do prefer when my shorts have a bit more of a A-line fit, just because I think it suits my body type a little more; I have short legs with a long torso and quite wide hips as well, so the slightly looser fit makes my legs look a little more slender and also a little longer. 

4) Oversized shirts

I’m a huge fan of an oversized men’s shirt and I have been for as long as I can remember. So for this pregnancy I’ve simply stored away the few shirts I had that were too tight fitting for now, and then kept out my selection of thrifted men’s shirts that I love and wear all the time. I’ve focused on the slightly more breezy ones too like the ones made in a breezy, thin cotton. They can both be worn on their own but also function as brilliant layering pieces over dresses or tank tops, to add a level of interest to your summer looks. Perfect, breezy substitute to a blazer when it’s really warm, but you want to add that classic twist!

5) Shirt dress

My khaki coloured shirt dress was bought preloved 5 years ago on Vestiaire, and I bring it out every summer. It was inspired by one of my all time style icons Anine Bing, and I especially love styling it with my western boots for a bit of laid back, edgy summer look. Similar to the oversized shirts there’s lots of room in there for my growing belly and it can even be worn as a beach cover-up over a swimsuit. During my pregnancy I might wear it more with some cute sandals though, not because they’re super high and uncomfortable, but my feet do tend to get more warm and achy so comfort is key. 

6) Loose fit jeans

I do swear by elastic waist jeans or the more traditional maternity specific, belly cover-up jeans – but I have also come to love the look of a simple pair of loose fit jeans during pregnancy. In fact, I do like going for items that don’t necessarily look like the stereotypical maternity wear. I found these jeans on Vinted and they are from Weekday in the fit “Arrow” which is essentially a low waist baggy fit. I bought them 3-4 sizes bigger than my usual jeans size which means I can wear them just below my bump and there’s still lots of room left for my growing belly. Hopefully I can wear these far into autumn and winter as well, and I’m sure they’ll come in handy the first few months post-partum too. I tend to wear them with a sleeker shoe and slightly more tight fitting top, just to balance out the bagginess and I love the look of them.

7) Racerback tank tops

You might be able to wear some of your basic racerback tanks before your belly pops, but when it does you’ll quickly notice you need a little more length to keep your belly covered. I do have an array of oversized t-shirts already that I know I can wear through most of my pregnancy, but it’s nice to have a selection of tighter fitting ones there too, so I can balance out proportions a little more, especially if I’m wearing a baggier bottom. So I’ve bought myself some maternity specific racerback tanks and skinny fit t-shirts as well, to keep me covered throughout the rest of my pregnancy.

8) Cute flats

Now I just mentioned earlier that I probably won’t be wearing heels all that much for the rest of my pregnancy, although come autumn and winter I probably will wear my block heel ankle boots a little more – but other than that, cute flat shoes are key. Whether it’s a pair of ballerina flats, classic sandals or better yet slides because they don’t involve any bending over to get on, dressy summer shoes like these are such a nice way to elevate your summer looks and ensure comfort at the same time.

9) Sleek trainers

Moving on from cute flats a pair of simple, sleek trainers are such a wardrobe staple for me as well and have been for years. They are super versatile because they go with any bottom or dress pretty much no matter what shape or fit. These are a pair of Veja Campo sneakers which I bought earlier this year to replace my worn-out Veja Esplar. These have a slightly higher sole on them but without them looking bulky, they just give you a bit of extra height which I quite like for a subtle change.

10) Textured bag

Finally this is not something I’ve bought yet, rather something I have on my summer wishlist: a dark brown, weaved summer bag. I find the texture of these kind of bags brilliant for summer, and the darker colour makes it look a little more subtle, more wearable and also you could totally wear it during other seasons too whereas the traditional beige coloured wicker bags are very “summer” and feel a little restrictive almost, to summer only. I currently have my eyes on the ones from Dragon Diffusion, however I do find them a little pricey so I’m scouting Vestiaire Collective almost daily to see if something peloved comes up instead.