Maternity clothes offer a great excuse for expectant women to take part in the female gender’s number one pastime: shopping. Frumpy and unfashionable maternity clothes are relics of days-gone-by. Today’s mommy fashions are attractive, stylish and even trendy. Spring 2008 designers have introduced an appealing array of sleeveless dresses with pretty necklines and decorative hems, along with flowy tops. The challenge you’ll encounter when building this special wardrobe is maximizing style while minimizing expenses. Since you’re only able to wear maternity clothes for about six months, overspending is unjustifiable.



If you’re on a budget, here are a few tips:

• Think about accessories. Splurge on a new purse or a fun pair of earrings.

• Work with bright colors to form the basis of your maternity wardrobe. For example, orange is a hot color this spring. Pair an orange ruched tank top with maternity jeans.

• Don’t limit yourself to the maternity section. If you’re fairly petite, you might be able to get away with purchasing a non-maternity top in a size that’s larger than what you normally wear.

• Buy a few trendy pieces that you absolutely love and build several outfits around these key items. Mix and match to get the most mileage out of your fashion dollars.