If you thought being with child for nine months means your destined to a closet of oversized sweats and sneakers, you are WRONG! Maternity clothing has certainly come a long way as brands are now putting together more stylish looks. Check out my picks:

Wearing the wrong bra size can make even the most fabulous outfit look like a flop. To be sure you’re wearing the right size, check out this guide from barenecessities.com

Are you wearing the right size?
Almost 8 in 10 women are wearing the wrong size- you may be one of them. Why? Your body changes over time, and your fit will change year to year as you lose or gain weight, exercise more or less, and so on. If you are experiencing discomfort, spillage over your cups or back strap, tight straps, or a gap between your cups, you are most likely wearing the wrong size.

Measuring yourself for a bra is an art, not a science
Our fit guide can provide you with a good starting point. If you’re not sure what size you wear, or fall between two sizes, you may want to try several sizes and styles as a starting point.

Getting Started
It’s best to measure when you are wearing your most comfortable bra – one that has no padding and is not a minimizer.

STEP 1: BAND SIZE

Measure under your arms, high on your back, across the top of your chest. If this measurement is an even number, this is your band size. If an odd number, add 1″ to determine your band size.

STEP 2: CUP SIZE

Measure loosely around the fullest part of your bust. Next, subtract your band measurement from your bust measurement; each inch represents a cup size. For example: if your band measurement is 34″ and your bust measurement is 36″, the difference between these measurements is two inches, and you’d wear a B-cup.

For more info on undergarments you need for all your outfits, check out What Lies Beneath.

Just as foundation is the err—foundation of your makeup look, your undergarments are the foundation to your outfit. Wear the wrong undergarments (i.e. granny panties can cause an ill effect I call “soggy bottom”) and you can take the hottest of outfits down into a cold, blizzard-like spiral.

1. White Blouse. Please get the idea that wearing a white bra under a white blouse is the right idea. Same thing goes with a white thong under white pants. Here’s a little secret about that….YOUR UNDERWEAR IS STILL SHOWING!!! What you want to do is wear something nude, and by ‘nude’ I mean something close to your skin tone. Thank goodness My Skins Lingerie comes in 20 different skin-matching shades! And for a limited time, save 20% on your order with promo code SPRING.

2. Tank or Tight Top. Muffin top was not the jelly that Destiny’s Child was referring to in their hit song (because I don’t think ANYBODY is ready for that kind of jelly). So while you should continue to do your cardio and crunches, you can also get a sleek, pulled together look with the help of Yummie Tummie. Yummie Tummie is a modern body contouring shaper. Your Yummie Tummie is meant to be seen while secretly slimming your mid-section and camouflaging visible lumps and bumps! Unlike most shapewear that compress your bust and roll up, the Yummie Tummies’ cotton bust and hip panels appear to the outsider as a normal tank top; meanwhile the secret midsection panel is smoothing and shaping your middle, eliminating approximately five pounds off your appearance.

Also check out Shapeez’ The Ultimate. This innovative Undergarment is more than a bra, it’s a solution! This amazingly comfortable, all in one garment supports and shapes your breasts, slims the torso, and seamlessly removes all visible bra lines and back bulges with their patent pending “SMOOTH BACK” design.

3. Plunging Neckline. Because not everyone can channel Carrie Bradshaw and have their bra play peek-a-boo, you’ll need Victoria’s Secret U-Plunge bra for those plunging necklines.

4. Asymmetrical, Halter, Low-Back, etc. With all the different silhouettes that are hot right now, you’ll need a bra that can handle all these looks. Check out Victoria’s Secret 100-Way Bra.

If you’re a DD cup, check out Victoria’s Secret BioFit 7-Way Bra.

5. Cup Sizes from 38D-44DDD. If you’re heavily stacked, you don’t want your cup to runneth over nor do you want your shoulders to suffer. What you want to do is try the Butterfly Bra from Ashley Stewart.

6. Dresses, Pencil Skirts, and more. If you want to look trim in your favorite pencil skirt or dress, grab the tried and true favorite Spanx!

Slim Cognito Seamless Mid-Thigh Shaper; Hide & Sleek Lace-Trim Half Slip; Hide & Sleek Slip-Suit.

During my quest to find an undergarment that could smooth my lovely lady lumps, I stumbled upon Flexees® “Instant Slimmer” Body Briefer while perusing macys.com and decided to try out the suit in black. After a few clicks and a few days, it arrived at my office. I liked it so much that I went to an actual Macy’s store and bought 2 more!

So if you’re looking for the answer to keeping your womanly parts more compact, try out this suit!