The third trimester is definitely the time to repeat outfits that make you look and feel good, and to do so unashamedly! Find things that work for you and wear them as many times as you like. I've included 55 outfit ideas for the third trimester below, from both of my pregnancies. You can click on the links under the images to view more info about them.
Office Outfits:
In the third trimester, I still wore my ASOS maternity pencil skirts often, but the standout pieces were my wrap dresses. They were such an easy outfit that always fit the growing bump and never failed to look good. I wore wrap dresses a lot! I was able to find some regular non-maternity dresses in my wardrobe that still accommodated the baby bump too.
Dressing in pregnancy is a fun challenge as the baby bump grows and changes every day! In order to simplify things this time around, I implemented a third trimester capsule wardrobe.
Why I Made a Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:
I've never tried a capsule wardrobe before (unless you count living out a suitcase for travel).
The baby bump was outgrowing my current wardrobe faster than I anticipated this time around.
I didn't have the luxury of time that I had in my first pregnancy to try on lots of outfit options each night and find things that still fit. (Or I didn't have the energy to do so after spending time with my toddler!)
The summer heat and humidity (that continued well into autumn in Brisbane) left me less inspired to try new things.
I had lots of great maternity pieces I wanted to wear as much as possible to make sure I got my money's worth.
Third Trimester Capsule Wardrobe in Video Form:
Below is a video covering the pieces in my capsule wardrobe, how I wore them, and my general thoughts about the experience.
I didn't include accessories (scarves or bags or shoes) in this count. I also didn't include 'completer' pieces like my printed kimonos or blazers. I freely grabbed these from my wardrobe as and when I wanted them.
The pieces included were suitable for my part time office job, as well as being perfect for a stay at home mum the rest of the week.
Not everything was a maternity piece, I used pieces from my regular non-maternity wardrobe too.
There were a few times at the start of the third trimester where I wore pieces that weren't included in the capsule, but after realising they were getting uncomfortable I stuck to my capsule wardrobe for the majority of the time.
The 22 items I had were great over summer (and multiple heatwaves!), but would need to be changed for cooler weather. Simple things like swapping the maternity denim shorts for jeans instead, and some long sleeved tops and fewer tanks.
Outfit Combinations from a Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:
Some photos of my favourite third trimester outfits from my capsule wardrobe to give you an idea of how I wore all the pieces in the third trimester. Not an exhaustive list, as 3 months worth of daily outfit photos would be a pretty big post! You can see all the outfits I wore in the third trimester here.
For my first capsule wardrobe experience, it was pretty fun, and I hope that it gives you some ideas or inspiration to try your own capsule wardrobe if you've often thought about it too.
Maternity tanks and denim shorts have become my go-to for the hot Queensland summer. I'm trying to vary the outfits a little by wearing different accessories, and sometimes adding a kimono, but as I mentioned before I'm seeing out the last trimester of my pregnancy mainly wearing the few maternity pieces I have. I've essentially ended up with a capsule wardrobe, so there are frequent repeats. When the clothes are so comfortable though, I don't mind repeating them often!
I appreciated the simplicity of the tank and denim shorts combo on this day, it was really busy! I didn't even get time to share this outfit on instagram like usual. Had a lot of running around to do. After playgroup in the morning, toddler T had a different gymboree class in the afternoon. It was really fun! He's so used to the same room and teacher each week, so experiencing a different class meant he was even more excited than usual.
I was glad I'd worn denim shorts - unlike skirts they are much more practical for running around with a toddler at gymboree.
While I do have a good collection of maternity tops in this pregnancy thanks to the Jeanswest sales, I still want to try wear some regular non-maternity tops as long as possible. I figured I'd best squeeze myself into them before the third trimester baby bump grows too large!
I wore the striped version of this tee at 40+ weeks pregnant last time around, so I was confident I'd be able to fit into this black one for a little while. I did forget that I had covered up the neckline with a scarf last time though. I didn't feel very comfortable with this and kept grabbing and pulling at the neckline through the day. If I wear this tee (or any of the other colours I have it in...) again in pregnancy I'll definitely be layering it with something.
Trying to find the last time I wore this black tee, it's been over a year and a half! I'm sure I've worn it more recently, maybe I just can't find the post. Or maybe I just have too many clothes if a great basic like this is hardly worn!
Added the pink bag and necklace for a bit of colour, just a quiet day taking toddler T to his gymboree lesson.
When my sale parcel arrived, I tried this top on and was pleased to find it easily accommodated the baby bump. I put it away in my wardrobe to wear later and so when I finally got around to wearing it, the bump was much bigger. I was tugging at this top all day also, just trying to pull it down! Definitely won't get worn again until after baby arrives.
My ninja baby tee was a firm favourite last pregnancy, and I'm enjoying wearing it this time around too. There are a lot of fun novelty pregnancy tees around so I thought I'd do a post featuring them.
Also wanted to give away an extra copy of the #Struggles book I received. I wrote about it last year, in my favourite post I've ever written. I pre-ordered a copy and received an advance e-copy to read. Since I ended up with one more copy than I needed when the one I bought arrived, it made sense to do a little giveaway.
Everyone loves a good ninja baby tee! I wore this to work from home, run some errands in the afternoon and attend my OB appointment. It's fun seeing everyone's reactions to this tee - at the very least it raises a smile. Comfy and casual outfit for a hot day.
This isn't designed to be a maternity tee, but when I saw it I knew it would be a fun slogan tee to wear in pregnancy. I was contacted by SheIn and asked to pick another item to feature on my blog after previously featuring this cute lace kimono. I picked this tee right away. Of course as everyone who orders from SheIn knows, shipping is slow, (around 3 weeks) and with Christmas delays, it took quite a while to arrive.
I don't think I'll be able to enjoy it while I'm pregnant as much as I thought due to it's late arrival, as it doesn't have enough stretch in it for me to wear it again as the baby bump grows. I did size up, but the third trimester baby bump is pretty big. It's a tee that's easy to wear outside of pregnancy too, it just makes the text even better when you're growing a baby!
The Struggles book really made me think and change my behaviour so I'm excited to be able to share it with you! I completed a technology fast, cut down my data allowance on my phone, removed a bunch of apps, unfollowed some accounts, and set myself specific times each day to use social media.
The book is about something that is all too common to bloggers - social media burnout, and how social media takes up so much of our lives, time and worry. One of my favourite quotes:
We want to believe we’re more than the total number of clicks on our last post, but we still check to see how many we have #strugglesBook
While the book is written from a Christian viewpoint and references bible values frequently, I think the advice contained in it is worthwhile reading even if you aren't a Christian. Of course feel free to read the reviews first if you're unsure. If you've ever felt overwhelmed with 'keeping up' with social media, or browsing your feed has made you feel like everyone has the perfect life, this book is for you!
"The more you compare, the less satisfied you are. The more we interact online, the more we crave face to face intimacy, but the harder it is to find. The more filtered our lives become, the more challenging it is to be authentic. The more information about the pain in the world we’re exposed to the more difficult it is to care."
This competition is open internationally, I will ship the book worldwide. In order to win a copy of "#Struggles: Following Jesus in a Selfie-Centered World", you have to come up with the most creative answer to the question "What advice would you give to someone feeling overwhelmed with social media, or what is the best advice someone has given you?". You can enter this game of skill competition via the rafflecopter form below, and remember to include your answer in a blog comment.
The return of the ninja baby tee! Definitely the most fun piece to wear in pregnancy, I enjoyed wearing my ninja baby tee last time and it's good getting to wear it again in this pregnancy. It just sets your day up right when you end up making a random couple of little old ladies giggle before you even get to the office.
Wore this out to a Christmas picnic party with my colleagues. The dress code for the day was casual as we all had been given the afternoon off for the party, and our kids were invited along too. Toddler T had a blast chasing the ibis and ignoring all the entertainment that had been put together, ha!
I picked the navy striped maxi skirt to wear with the tee, and some blue accessories, as the style challenge for the day was 'in the navy'. I was glad I picked the skirt and not jeans as it really warmed up through the day.
I had to do the dreaded pregnancy glucose test on this day and the lovely lady had advised me when I booked in to bring a cardigan along as the aircon in the waiting room was quite cold. I figured the kimono would keep the chill off me enough.
After the unpleasant morning drinking glucose and having multiple samples of blood taken, we had a restful afternoon and then we went out that evening to see the local Christmas lights displays. We tried a new street that we hadn't visited before and it was wonderful, they had even set up a snow machine so toddler T got to experience 'snow'.
I shared on twitter recently that I was kind enough to receive a pair of Sundried 'Aire Blue' sunglasses. They are great sunglasses, sturdy plastic and the lenses offer good sun protection, but since I almost always wear my polarised Raybans, thought I'd run a little giveaway for these.
Giveaway is open internationally and will run for one week! You can enter via the rafflecopter form above. This is a game of skill. Winner will be selected for having commented with the most creative answer to the question 'what outfit would you wear these sunglasses with?' judged by my hubby. Good luck! Linking up with Flashback Fashion, Fab Favourites, Passion for Fashion, Fabulous Friday, Colour and Grace, Shoe and Tell, Modest Monday.
Strange to see this maxi dress without the baby bump! I bought it in my third trimester when I felt I was running out of pretty dresses to wear, knowing I'd be able to wear it post-pregnancy as well. It's got gorgeous lace detail on the back, but as it's winter I covered it up with a cardi and added some boots to keep warm.
I first tried the belted jacket and maxi dress combo during my pregnancy, and I really liked it. Thought it would be a good way to keep cosy and look nice for spending the day with the in-laws. We had lunch and Baby T got the chance to meet some more of his relatives from out of state, it was a lovely day. Picked this cardigan to wear over my other ones as I really like purple and blue together, and the way the little waterfall drape looks with the maxi dress.
I'm glad I can still wear this maternity maxi dress post-baby! It was one of my favourite maternity pieces, and is a nursing dress too, really practical. I did worry that it might be a little too long on my petite frame without the belly holding it up a bit, but belted it's still a nice floor-skimming length.
I've been wanting to wear the dress and denim jacket together for a while. It's also the perfect piece for the last day of the Style and Shenanigans texture challenge. Minus the snood, this was the outfit I had planned out to wear the evening before I unexpectedly went into labour. I woke up early in the morning, feeling funny. When DH got up I was sitting on the end of the bed breathing through a contraction and as soon as I could I said "I think I'm in labour!". Instead of the pretty dress I'd laid out, I put on my ninja baby tee (for its last wear!) and some trackie dacks to wait it out at home a bit longer until it was time to head to the hospital. Changed into a hospital gown soon after arriving there, and baby was born shortly after! It was so wonderful to meet him, he was so tiny and perfect!
This is the second wear of the snood since I bought it, so as I've done with all my July purchases, the final verdict:
I like it! I've never really liked the idea of a snood before, it seems less versatile than a scarf and I was always worried the style would overwhelm me, being short. Trying it on in store helped to make sure it was a purchase that looked good on me and one that I'd wear. An impulse buy I didn't need to make (I have a LOT of scarves) but one I'll get lots of use from. Especially now as I'm favouring soft scarves instead of necklaces baby could get tangled in.
While I'm in the hospital with baby, I've set up a few scheduled posts.
As soon as I can I will be back to posting my usual daily outfits. I'll be sharing bits and pieces on my instagram (@awayfromblue) about life with baby until I'm back to blogging. Until then I hope you enjoy the little break and slight change of format.
Today I wanted to share some of my favourite outfits and clothes I wore during my pregnancy, across all three trimesters. Bit of a picture heavy post!
You can click on each image to go to the original post and view the outfit details.
Want more outfit inspiration and advice on how to come up with a wardrobe plan for your pregnancy? The ultimate guide, How to Have a Stylish Pregnancy On a Budget is available now!
