• Invest in four pieces of must-have clothing: a tunic top, a slim pant, a skirt and a dress — all in black, cotton-Lycra, very stretchy and very easy to wear.
  
• Once you have your essentials, give them some dash with colorful scarves and accessories. Wear bold jewelry.
  
• Show off your belly and show off the parts of your body that aren't expanding.
  
• A blazer is the one item of clothing you need not buy in a maternity store. It can come right out of your closet because you don't normally button it.
  
• If you want to keep wearing your favorite jeans, especially in the first few months, wrap a rubber band around the button of your jeans and loop it through the button hole on the other side and loop it back over the metal button. It gives you a teeny bit of extra room to bridge the time until you're ready for maternity jeans.
  
• Going to the beach? Buy one maternity swimsuit and change the look with colorful sarongs.
  
• Heading to a fancy event? Glam it up with sexy separates. Knee-length is a great look for evening. Wear low V-necks and plunging necklines.
  
• Expect your feet to grow during pregnancy. For some women it's almost one shoe size!
  
• Try the shoes in your house before you go out to the street — pregnant women can have difficulty with balance.

Belly Basics
New York City
Belly Basics pregnancy survival kit, $152, includes dress, skirt, tunic and slim pant
877-ESTYLES (378-9537)
www.bellybasics.com

Special thanks:
Leah Flanagin, Photographer
Leah Flanagin Photography
New York, NY
212.727.2060
leah@leahflanagin.com