Capsule wardrobes are all the rage. What exactly are they, you ask? And what the heck to they have to do with maternity style??
Well, a capsule wardrobe is a minimalist approach to your closet (take a deep breath and stay with me, ok?) that MAXIMIZES the pieces you have so you get the best bang for your buck.
Basically: a capsule wardrobe is a wardrobe that you can mix and match for all occasions so you get the most wear out of it possible.
Think of a capsule wardrobe as a few pieces that you can turn into 20+ outfit combinations without having a personal stylist.
A capsule wardrobe is full of building block-type pieces that you can use to build your own trendy maternity collection for your adorable growing bump.
We’re going to use our favorite pregnancy fashion brands to help you build your own personal, inexpensive capsule wardrobe. Come on, it’ll be fun!
Maternity Style: Nursing Undergarments
So let’s start closest to the body, shall we? You’re going to need some good maternity underwear and nursing bras for your pregnancy wardrobe, and Kindred Bravely is our go-to for underwear.
Here are our top picks:
- As we mentioned earlier, the Kindred Bravely Sleep Bra is a lifesaver. At $29.99, it’ll be one of your favorite pieces of clothing for both maternity and postpartum nursing.
- This T-shirt maternity and nursing bra does double duty and will be the bra you end up wearing out of the house for the next year or so. It’s a little more pricey at $49.99, but it’s worth every single penny if you have a chest that allows for a plunging neckline.
- Need something for a larger chest? Cake Maternity has you covered with this baby, which Katy basically lived in. (Plunge necklines just don’t work for everyone. Damn it.)
- Do yourself a favor and nab these under the bump seamless maternity panties. When your bump starts to grow, you’re really going to need to focus on maternity brands for underwear. They’ll stay put, and at $32.99 for a pack of five, they won’t break the bank.
Maternity/Nursing PJS
Again, we’re going with Kindred Bravely first because their pajamas are DIVINE, and they double really nicely as nursing pjs.
Plus, they aren’t dowdy, which means they won’t mess with your maternity style. Seriously, you can’t go wrong.
The Jane maternity & nursing pajamas are glorious. So soft and SO comfortable. Who says that only baby needs soft things? Maternity fashion should include soft things for you, too!
These come in pretty, jewel-tone colors and cost $49.99. Add them to your baby registry must haves!
If you like nightgowns, the Eleanora bamboo nursing and maternity gown is great! It also doubles as a dress, so wear it out of the house and don’t think twice!
Want more recommendations? Check out the best maternity pajamas, our favorite postpartum pajamas, and the very best nursing pajamas! Yes, we have A LOT of opinions about pajamas.
Maternity Daily Wear
Okay, now that we have the comfy/cozy stuff out of the way (the most important part in my humble opinion), let’s talk about what you’re going to wear on the daily.
As you pick your daily wear, remember that you’ll want to mix and match things because this is a capsule wardrobe, and we are picking out building blocks.
Pregnancy style isn’t necessarily about buying a ton of things; it’s about buying cute and practical items to cover your baby bump and keep you from going crazy trying to find things to wear.
This is where Target comes in really handy. (Click this link to get FREE SHIPPING when you spend more than $35)
T-Shirts and Blouses for Daily Wear
We love these pieces from Target for their versatility. I’m a huge sucker for a maternity t-shirt or tank top because they work year-round, and in terms of maternity style, what’s more classic than jeans and tees?
Cardigans and button-downs don’t have to grow to cover a growing belly, so toss one you already have over any of these, and you have a great piece for any time of year!
These are some of our current favorite stylish maternity tanks and tees:
- Taupe maternity tank top
- Isabel maternity tee (buy in different colors to round out your wardrobe)
- Long-sleeved maternity tee (great for cooler seasons)
For other daily basics, we recommend trying Amazon. You can find some great deals on things like:
- Ruched T-shirts that will grow with you (LOVE these!)
- Sleeveless tank dresses (in tons of great colors and patterns!)
- And highly rated maternity support bands. (Hands down, no questions asked, the VERY BEST maternity support bands come from Belly Bandit. I have to tell you this, even if they aren’t so budget friendly.)
Jeans, Shorts, Pants, and Leggings for Daily Maternity Style
As we stressed earlier in this article, we’re a huge fan of leggings to wear on the regular, but you might not feel like you can wear leggings everywhere. Ok, fineeeeeeee!
You do you.
This is why we recommend:
- 2-3 pairs of leggings
- One pair of shorts
- 1-2 pairs of jeans
- Pants if you need something to wear to the office
These items are all you need for your maternity capsule wardrobe.
We love the following options for leggings, shorts, pants, and jeans for your capsule wardrobe:
- Blanqi Maternity Leggings (these come in a ton of fun colors, but for a true capsule wardrobe, i.e. the BASICS, you’ll want a couple of pairs that match the tops you choose. Black and grey are probably your best bet in terms of easy matchability.)
- Beta Brand Maternity Dress Pant Yoga Pants (again, we recommend stalking this website FREQUENTLY to find out when these come back in stock).
- For shorts and jeans, you can’t go wrong with options like these maternity shorts options from Target, and Old Navy has a large selection of cute maternity jeans.
- If you need to add pants to your capsule wardrobe, we recommend these Wide Leg Maternity pants from PinkBlush, or these tapered trousers, also from PinkBlush. You can dress up both these pants for a night out with your girlfriends or for work.
Professional Maternity Clothes
If your capsule wardrobe needs dressy/professional maternity clothes, we hear you, and this could be its own entire post!
Until we write that post, however, we recommend Rent the Runway or Le Tote’s maternity rental memberships.
Why? Well, professional and dressier clothing can cost you more, and it’s more likely than basic pieces to go out of style by the time you have another baby (if that’s something you’re considering).
You can save a lot of money with a rental membership. And if you love the clothes so much that you’re unwilling to relinquish them when your time is up, then both of these companies offer options for buying your rental maternity wear.
Plus, you get to break out of the restrictiveness of a capsule wardrobe and order rental clothes that are colorful, fun, and don’t necessarily have to go with everything. Yay!
A Few Fun Pieces for Your Maternity Wardrobe Capsule
Let’s say you don’t want to use a membership subscription, but you do want a few dresses and various fun pieces for your capsule. You’ve got a bump, and you want to show it off at things like your baby shower and dinner with your partner.
We get ya.
The great thing about today’s maternity fashion is that it’s no longer about the empire waist dresses and muumuus our mothers wore. There’s a ton of cute stuff out there!
Here are some cute styles from our recommended list of brands to help bring a pop of color and fun to your maternity style:
- We love this gorgeous maternity blouse from PinkBlush that comes in all different beautiful colors!
- Want to feel pretty in a fun dress? This side bow dress from Amazon is adorable.
- Date night dress alert! This off-the-shoulder maxi dress is long, flowy, and gorgeous.
- Polka dot dresses are always a favorite. This one from Patpat is also very inexpensive!
This site contains affiliate links, meaning that we earn a small commission for purchases made through our site. We only recommend products we personally use, love, or have thoroughly vetted.
Why Build A Maternity Capsule Wardrobe?
You know that feeling when you open your closet door and get immediately overwhelmed because you don’t know what fits anymore, what’s in season, or what will best suit an occasion?
Yeah, we definitely know that feeling!
And it’s even harder when you’re pregnant because there’s a good chance that all your regular clothes are hanging up with your maternity clothes, and it’s just…too much.
The great thing about a maternity capsule wardrobe is that it provides you with everything you need to mix and match for any occasion.
You can scoot your maternity capsule to one side of your closet, and everything will always be right where you need it!
Tell us all about your maternity style! What are some of your must-have capsule pieces?
More Pregnancy Clothing and Loungewear
- Cute maternity clothes
- Best maternity bras
- Hospital gowns for labor
- Best maternity underwear
- Best maternity leggings
- Where to buy maternity clothes
- Maternity pajamas for hospital
