Staying stylish when pregnant

1. Don't buy too soon When you're excited about your pregnancy it can be hard to resisit the temptation to immediately start kitting yourself out ready for a bump, but you can actually waste time and money this way by buying things that you won't later need or that you won't feel like wearing by the time your bump actually gets big enough to require maternity clothing. The size of maternity clothes that will fit you early in pregnancy, certainly in the first trimester, are quite unlikely to see you through to the birth of your baby and will probably also swamp you a little at first, making you look bigger than you actually are. Remember also that if you fall pregnant in the summer it may be full on winter weather before you get into your maternity wear, and vice-versa.

2. Dress from your existing wardrobe as long as you can Obviously, if you're not dashing straight off to buy maternity wear at the first sign of a straining button, then you'll need to wear your existing clothes for longer. You may find that you don't fit into some of your clothes any more before the end of the first trimester, especially if this isn't your first child. Sort through your clothes and put away the smaller sizes that you won't be fitting into again for a while and leave the more generous-fitting clothes to see what you've got to work with. You'll find that you can adapt some of your clothing to fit in the early stages of your bump, whether by wearing it in a different way or by adapting it to fit your new shape. There are several products on the market that add a few centimetres to clothes' fastenings, like the Belly Belt Slide kit, and also very handy are inexpensive stretchy cloth bands that wrap around your bump to cover up unfastened, or imaginatively fastened, clothing, prevent flashes of bare tummy and keep your bump nice and cosy, like Crave's Maternity Belly Band. In the early days you may be able to improvise by using an elastic band looped through a button hole and around the button for extra stretch.

3. Borrow from friends & buy second-hand Your mummy friends can be a great source of maternity clothing, particularly for staples like t-shirts, jumpers, jeans and cardis. With all the high-end maternity ranges now available you're more likely to see women selling their maternity wear after a pregnancy to re-coop a bit of cash, so you may be able to pick up a well-cut bargain or two at charity shops or online at sites like ebay or the Maternity Exchange.

4. Keep up your own style There's no need to change your style significantly when you're pregnant and if you keep more or less to maternity versions of the styles and colours you usually wear, you'll probably find you can dress with more confidence and work with your existing accessories and wider wardrobe more successfully and so need to spend less overall. If you don't do florals and bows when not pregnant, you won' be comfortable wearing them when you are pregnant.

While you want to stick to your own style it's generally not a good iea to buy regular clothing in bigger sizes, they won't be cut for a bump and so won't be flattering.

5. Use your new curves As you get bigger you'll find that it's not just your tummy that gets rounder, your whole body will change shape at least a little and particularly noticeable are usually fuller breasts. This is a cause to celebrate for most women, although some bigger-chested women are probably less enthralled. If you're not used to having bigger breasts then it's definitely time to make the most of it. Use the opportunity to wear flattering v-neck lines and shirts with a hint of your new cleavage. Empire lines are also very flattering to many pregnant women. Of course you'll need to match the extent of cleavage to the situation with only the merest hint suitable for the office. The same goes for your belly too, rather than draping it in yards and yards of loose fabric, look for styles that show off your bump (as long as you're comfortable with it). Soft materials with stretch are great for this and a bit of lycra in the mix with natural fabrics can really help flatter your growing figure. Tops that ruche around the belly are wonderful for stretching with you as you grow and are really flattering to your bump while helping to hide any wobbly bits.

6. Invest in your underwear You will need new underwear during your pregnancy: breasts often go up a size as early as the first trimester and sometime in the second trimester you'll be wanting more accommodating knickers. While it's not clothing that's usually on show, this isn't an area to scrimp on as comfortable, supportive and flattering underwear is the foundation for every outfit, whether you're pregnant or not. During pregnancy your skin will also probably become more sensitive as it stretches so you're probably better off avoiding cheaper synthetics and sticking to natural fabrics for your undies. Don't go overboard on lots of new underwear in the early stages though, as you don't know how much bigger you're going to get yet.

If you want something really quite special then it's worth taking a look at Elle Macpherson's maternity lingerie range. When it comes time to look for a maternity bra for breastfeeding, you might want to read our buyer's guide to maternity bras before you head out to the shops.

7. Try monochrome Wearing a single colour top to toe helps give a more sleek and svelte appearance, and darker colours such as dark brown, black and navy are particularly slimming. This also gives you the added advantage of being able to mix and match your clothes more effectively and so making your limited maternity wardrobe work harder for you. Buying your office jackets, skirts and trousers in just one shade makes particularly good sense. You can brighten things up with an accent of colour detail in a top or with accessories.

8. Choose your materials wisely Synthetics are cheap, but they can be rough on your sensitive pregnancy skin, so natural fabrics or mixes with a high proportion of natural fabric are a good idea, especially for any clothes worn next to the skin. Stretchy materials, knits, jersey and lycra-mix cottons are all flattering and look good even as your bump gets big. Silk is also very comfortable and luxurious.

9. Shoe comfort Your feet and ankles are another part of the body that change shape during pregnancy, and you can expect at least a little swelling as you carry around the weight of your bigger bump. If you're usually firmly wed to your heels then this can be tough to accept, but you may well find you simply don't fit into them as your pregnancy progresses. What's more, as you grow your centre of balance changes and your feet will hurt more than usual from the strain of weight bearing, so heels really aren't the best choice of footwear. What eight-month pregnant woman wants to take a tumble from her heels? Almost flat shoes will be most comfortable, particularly if you have much walking to do. Thankfully there are plenty of chic flat styles around to choose from these days. If you want a heel for work or going out then you're best opting for a low heel that isn't too narrow at the front.

10. Some top buys

• Big wool or knit wraps are great to see you through winter over your regular coat if you don't want to have to buy a maternity winter coat
• Long, woollen, regular cardis work well with a bump and you can wear them later when you're not pregnant
• A dress that you can dress up or down with the right accessories is a good idea to take you through from the office to going out or to smart functions etc.
• A belly belt keeps your bump warm and can be used with some of your regular clothing to cover up make-shift fastenings and prevent unwanted flashes of bare bump