Maternity Dresses for Hot Mamas-to-Be

It's the Murphy's Law of pregnancy: Just when you can't imagine wearing anything but the grungiest of sweats and most comfy of slippers, a special event calls for getting all maternity-dressed up. Over the course of nine months, it's hard to avoid donning a maternity dress for one party or another. Take inspiration from the celebs proudly sporting their bumps red-carpet-side: There's no need to go the hausfrau muumuu route. If recent award seasons have shown anything, it's the glamour of the empire-waist maternity dress.

Since all eyes will be on your belly (and away from other trouble spots), you can be a bit more daring in your style choices ‑- and in showing off some of your other pregnancy, um, assets. We've rounded up some stylish maternity dresses to wear on any occasion when you need to dazzle ‑- weddings, work events, whatever.

The shelf life of these formal maternity dresses is pretty short, though, so shop smartly. For onetime events such as weddings, look for pieces that make you feel like the elegant expecting mom that you are. For less-formal occasions, choose dresses that you'll want to wear more than once and that you can mix and match with your shoes, blazers, jewelry and other accessories for a variety of looks.

Liz Lange on Easy Pregnancy Style

Feeling good and looking good go hand in hand, so you've got to love the wardrobe wisdom that comes from a mom who's been there, done that ‑- and built a company around it. We asked maternity-wear designer Liz Lange, a woman who certainly puts the "style" in stylish pregnancy, for some tips on pregnancy wear that works.

We all want to be fashionable and comfortable ‑- without spending a ton of money. What are your maternity wardrobe must-haves?

These days, every woman needs denim. It's perfect. It comes in so many washes and can be worn in so many ways. Get a great-fitting pair of jeans in a cut that you like. Darker jeans are the most versatile, as you can dress them up more. The same thing goes for T-shirts. They're a staple. Get one with short or long sleeves, in a neckline that you like to wear. Wear it alone or under a shirt. Try a button-front shirt in a stretch cotton, cut like ones in your husband's closet. Get a tunic ‑- they've moved from trend item to maternity basic. You can find cute ones that are embellished or plain. A great-fitting pair of black pants is a must, because you can dress them up or dress them down. Get a little ‑- or not so little ‑- black dress. It's all about versatility. And when it comes to seasonal stuff, you can't go without some kind of sweater. I like a black turtleneck. And a twin set is an incredible item. You can wear it as an underpinning with suits or with the cardigan. And you can wear the cardigan with sleeveless items or with nothing on under it. And of course, in the summer, a bathing suit and sundress.

Any suggestions for the early stages of pregnancy, when you're starting to show but not quite ready to discard your "regular" wardrobe for maternity wear?

It's all about wearing jackets and blazers and cardigans ‑- and not feeling like you need to button them. As your middle expands, look in your closet for those longer tops you already own. Pick out the items that have some stretch in them ‑- they can take you further than you thought. If you're wearing a longer top, go ahead and leave the first button of your skirt or pants undone. Or, if you want some closure, try the trick of placing a rubber band around the top button to fasten your pants. If you're wearing low-rise pants, you can continue to do that, and they'll fit under that growing bump!

Let's move beyond the clothes closet. Got any de-cluttering tips for the mom-to-be who's prepping her home for a new arrival?

It's so hard to say what someone should keep or throw out. You really need to look at your possessions with a cold objective eye. Decide if there's anywhere else to put it, or box it up, or think about who might get pleasure from it if you're not using it. When you're cleaning out the room that will eventually be a nursery and you come across an item that you think is serving a purpose, ask yourself these questions: If I haven't been looking at it or using it, and I barely knew that I had it, do I really need it? If you discover things you didn't know you had, you know you don't need 'em!

Shopping While Pregnant

Nobody prepares you for the emotions you experience when you first become pregnant. I knew that. What took me by surprise were the emotions I experienced the first time I went shopping for maternity clothes.

I had accepted the fact that I was going to wear pants with paneling, skirts with elastic waistbands and some "tunic style" tops. But when I walked into my first maternity store, it was as if I had stepped onto another planet, a planet where none of the clothes seemed anything like me. Planet Pregnancy.

I left the planet immediately. But when I was about four months pregnant, the selection of my jeans and skirts I could squeeze into was becoming quite limited. My T-shirts were becoming "Britney Spears" tight, and my jeans were
cutting off my circulation.

So I took a deep breath, ate a cookie, ate another cookie and then braced myself for feeling lost in space. The store was huge and there were not just clothes. There was a maternity spa. There was a maternity accessories shop. (And by accessories, I don't mean cute shoes and handbags. I mean baby carriers and "boppies." If you don't know what a boppy is, don't worry about it ‑- I still don't.)

There were an abundance of loud flower prints and baggy T-shirts. Now, I don't wear loud flower prints on a normal day, and I don't think many women do. Who is the genius who thought we would want to wear them when we were double our size? And what's with the tiny bows at the collar? Do we have to dress like babies when we're having babies? And these clothes are really expensive too. Don't get me wrong ‑- expensive clothes that are fashionable, no problem. Dopey and expensive: problem.

I couldn't ask my friends with children. I was one of the last of my close friends to get pregnant, and they had already imparted their words of wisdom to me about everything from baby nurses to diaper purses. They had all told me how comfortable maternity clothing is. But I'm not exactly a freak about comfort. I like things that are pretty... and sexy... and cute. Comfort doesn't need to be there. I mean, I've bought shoes that were two sizes too small because they were cute and on sale.

As I stood in the store, the reality of being forced to dress in a way that didn't feel like me swept over me. Evidently I was not the only woman to have walked into the store with a look of dismay on her face, because before I had the chance to ask for help, help came to me. A very sweet saleswoman rescued me and walked me through the store. She helped guide me through the tents and pastels and large floral prints. In short order I found a pretty wrap sweater, cool jeans, a peasant top and halter tops that were actually sexy and wearable for my new-and-improved larger bustline.

In fact, I hesitate to confess, it turned out to be a pleasurable experience. When I tried on my first pair of maternity jeans, I couldn't believe how comfortable they were. No longer would I constantly need to tug at low-slung pants to prevent my butt from hanging out. In these I could eat a meal without unbuttoning afterward.

The saleswoman who helped me find clothes I could relate to also inadvertently helped me understand that things are not just about me anymore. There is someone else to consider. Life is different now. So what if my feet will be too swollen to squeeze into my stilettos? So what if my pants have a pouch? If I'm lucky, pretty soon my silly stilettos will have spit-up on them, and my skinny, costly pre-pregnancy pants will be accessorized with mashed peas. Everything shifts on Planet Pregnancy. I'm having a baby and I'm thrilled about it. And I'm... comfortable.