Monday, 25 April 2016

Second Trimester Pregnancy Outfit Inspiration: 38 Outfit Ideas

I've been blogging for over 4 years and through two pregnancies, so I thought a wrap up of my favourite maternity outfits would be a great resource for anyone looking for pregnancy outfit inspiration!

As well as sharing my second trimester travel essentials I previously did a series about my wardrobe changes in each trimester you might find helpful too. I spoke about what worked and what didn't in my second trimester.

This will be a very photo-heavy post as I share a few of my favourite second trimester outfits. 38 different pregnancy outfit ideas! There are links below all the photos if you want more details.


Office Wear:


I bought two ASOS maternity pencil skirts and they got a lot of wear in the office.

My single maternity wrap dress was a real wardrobe workhorse, being worn almost weekly, although I continued to wear my regular non-maternity dresses in the second trimester as well. Fit and flare or empire waist dresses were perfect for this.

AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester OfficeWear Asos tartan maternity pencil skirt




AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester OfficeWear Asos printed maternity pencil skirt



AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester OfficeWear non-maternity printed dresses





























AwayFromBlue | Second Trimester Office Outfit Ideas Wrap Dresses


Maxi Dresses:


I only needed one maternity maxi dress for both pregnancies, the majority of my existing maxi dresses were stretchy enough to work through all three trimesters. There were a few I outgrew in the second trimester though.

AwayFromTheBlue | Maxi Dresses in the Second Trimester Outfit Inspiration






Maternity Denim - Jeans and Shorts:


I added a second pair of maternity denim shorts to my wardrobe for my most recent pregnancy as I was heavily pregnant over summer and it was too hot for jeans. Previously I was doing a full work week and with the cooler temperatures and dressing for casual Friday, my maternity jeans were worn a lot more.

AwayFromBlue | 6 ways to wear Jeanswest maternity skinny jeans second trimester





























Friday, 15 April 2016

How to Hide a Baby Bump In Photos: A Guide For Bloggers

One of the best things about being pregnant is watching a tiny baby bump grow day by day. For any number of reasons though, you might want to hide that little baby bump for a while, especially if you're a blogger. I thought I'd put this guide together to show you how to hide a baby bump.


Tips for hiding a baby bump in blog photos | Away From Blue blog



When I was pregnant with toddler T, I was keeping the baby bump hidden until after 20 weeks, once we had shared with our families and friends over Christmas and I had returned to the office from extended leave and told my boss. With my most recent pregnancy, I wanted to participate in the Frocktober fundraising challenge which meant I couldn't hide the bump for quite as long. My limited wardrobe (a different dress every day for 31 days) wasn't most conductive to hiding a bump, unlike when I was pregnant with toddler T and could select from my entire wardrobe.


Top three tips for hiding a baby bump:

  • Continue to wear your regular pants/skirts for as long as possible. Use the hair tie trick, or invest in a belly band for clothes without elastic waists. Some skirts with elastic waists can be worn a little higher over the baby belly if it doesn't make them too short.
  • Favour clothes that skim over any emerging baby bump. Think empire waists, trapeze tops, skater skirts and fit and flare dresses. Anything that flows rather than clings.
  • Accessorise! Use scarves to hide bumps, and prints and layers to distract attention from your belly.

Dressing to hide a baby bump | Away From Blue



As well as following the pointers above, there are a few things you can do if you're a personal style/fashion blogger and you just want to hide the bump in photos. Be aware that while these tricks do work well in photos, they won't always hide the baby belly in person.

Hiding a baby bump in photos:


  • Pick your angle. Facing straight on to the camera is the best way to reduce or disguise the size of a baby bump.
  • Take photos as early in the day as possible. The more you eat, the bigger your belly gets, especially in the early stages.
  • Accessorise. Same as above, you can hide a bump with clever layering, a scarf, or even just hiding behind a handbag!
  • Never tuck any tops in. A half tuck hides a little bump quite well, but firmly tucking a top into a skirt or pair of pants just highlights a baby belly.
  • Avoid clingy fabrics. You want things that skim over your bump.
  • If you have a photographer, get their feedback. If you have a professional photographer, or just someone helping you with photos, ask them for the best angles / views to disguise a baby belly as they are shooting.
  • Change your pose. It feels extremely silly, but I found this works well if you're standing straight on to the camera. Not so much if you're standing at an angle! Stand up straight, and push your butt back a bit, letting anything you're wearing fall in a straighter line over the baby belly. Perfect if you're wearing looser clothing, it will skim rather than hug your frame.
  • Sit down. It's much easier to hide a bump when you're sitting instead of standing.
  • Practice. Take a few more photos than you usually would to make sure you're getting the photos you want, showcasing your great outfit and not the baby belly you aren't ready to spill the beans about yet!

How to Hide a Baby Bump in Photos | Away From The Blue blog


Hiding a Baby Bump in the office:


I shot this video in the second trimester that might be helpful for anyone wanting to keep a pregnancy secret for a little while longer in the office. 8 different outfits you can wear at work to hide an early bump.





I hope you found this guide helpful! Feel free to pin or share. You can check out more pregnancy outfit inspiration here too.


Linking up with Shoe & Tell, Let It Shine, Hello Monday, Turning Heads, On Trend, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Weekend Linkup.


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