Clothes to Hide Pregnancy – Styling to Make Your Baby Bump Invisible

By Maria Wilcox •  Updated: 08/04/22 •  17 min read
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If you need clothes to hide pregnancy, then this is the post for you. We’ve got tons of tips on how to hide the belly bump, and also, clothing item recommendations that can help you stay undercover for longer. Ideas include a variety of styles, so hopefully, you don’t find yourself needing to reach for clothing items that are too far out of your comfort zone. Whether you’re in your first, second, or even third trimester, concealing baby belly is (usually) doable. Read on to find out how.

clothes to hide pregnancy

Why Hide a Pregnant Belly?

There are many reasons a woman might decide to hide a pregnant belly.

When I first became pregnant, I decided to wait to tell my coworkers I was pregnant. I didn’t want all of the questions. And quite honestly, I was dreading the “all-eyes-on-you” work baby shower that usually takes place. I worked as a teacher and it was almost summer. I wanted to hang on to my precious little secret for as long as I could! 

Another reason I, and many other women, chose not to tell anyone about my pregnancy was that I wanted to make it out of the first trimester before doing so.

It is a known fact that the first trimester can be especially risky in terms of miscarriage. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 80% of all miscarriages happen in the first trimester. So, announcing a pregnancy too early may mean you also have to share heartbreaking news with anyone you told. 

Rather than risk it, it is often simply best to wait. Most sources recommend you wait until you are into your second trimester before you make the big announcement. Of course, you can announce when you want to–just saying this is another reason women wish to conceal their tummies until then!

Note: Remember your pregnancy is all about you in terms of when you should share the news. You shouldn’t feel pressured to let everyone know right away, but you also shouldn’t be pressured to keep everything a secret. I recommend just doing what feels best to you!

pregnant woman in white long sleeve shirt

How to Hide Pregnancy Belly?

If you are wondering how should I dress to hide early pregnancy, stick around. We are about to get into our top tips for keeping your bundle of joy under wraps until you are officially ready to spill the beans. 

The following suggestions include styling details, but also, may involve buying new articles of clothing. We’ll also be recommending specific items that you can buy online. If that sounds of interest, then keep reading.

We’re getting started now!

How Should I Dress to Hide Early Pregnancy? Our Best Tips

How to hide pregnancy with clothes isn’t as hard as you might think!

Check out the following tips:

Wear a Flowy Top

Wearing a top that is form-fitting in any way can accentuate the shape of your body. Even a normal everyday t-shirt can have you screaming the good news! Thus, it is best to stick with shirts that billow out a bit to keep attention away from your newly forming shape. 

Women's Casual Floral Blouse Batwing Sleeve Loose Fitting Shirts Boho Knot Front Tops Yellow L
Buy on Amazon

Choose Patterns Over Solid Colors

If you’ve got a lot of patterned blouses in your closet, you’re in luck. Patterns draw attention away from your shape and place emphasis on the fabric itself. It tricks the eye by giving it more to look at, while a solid color may highlight the shape of your body. If you don’t have a ton of patterned tops available, it may be time to invest in a few!

Allegra K Women's Long Sleeve Button Down Ditsy Floral Shirt Small Pink
Buy on Amazon

Tuck in Tops

If you’ve taken our advice thus far, you probably plan to add a few flowy tops to your wardrobe. When you do, pair these tops with low-rise jeans. This will help your tops fluff out more in the front where your belly rests. This trick works great to disguise early pregnancy belly bloat. You can even pair looser solid or graphic tees with low-rise jeans to pull this off– especially if you’re a t-shirt kind of girl that doesn’t own a lot of dainty blouses.

Aoang Womens Funny Cute Graphic T Shirt Short Sleeve Summer Shirts
Buy on Amazon

Avoid High-Waisted Jeans

Though high-waisted jeans are a great grab for ladies with curves, you won’t want to wear these when trying to hide a pregnancy. High-rise jeans can call attention to belly pooch, especially if your bump sits lower. It is for this reason we recommend you purchase jeans that sit under the belly, rather than over. Jeans that go over a large tummy scream, “I’m pregnant!”

Layer It Up

Another way to hide a pregnancy belly with clothes? Add layers! By layering a cardigan, scarf, vest, or other articles of clothing, you can effectively conceal your baby bump until you are ready to make the big announcement. You can always add a vintage blouse for some light vibes.

Amazon Essentials Women's Lightweight Open-Front Cardigan Sweater, Oatmeal Heather, X-Large
Buy on Amazon

Use Accessories:

Sometimes a wide belt can be your best friend! If you’ve got a lot of boxy and loose-fitting blouses and dresses, you may wish to try placing a wide belt a little below your breast area to draw attention up and away from your belly. This subtle trick also works to help slim you out and is particularly useful for those who are pear-shaped

Women Skinny Dress Belt, Fashion Straw Woven Elastic Stretch Waist Band Belt Square Wood Buckle
Buy on Amazon

Wear a Frilly Shirt

Frilly shirts work to distract from a baby bump because the frills on them naturally stick out which can guide the eye away from a bump or bloat. These types of shirts also tend to be looser, which really helps when it comes to hiding. A bonus is that you can use these tops to wear at your baby shower. They tend to be fun, flirty, and feminine which is the perfect look for a mom-to-be.

Verdusa Women's Elegant Ruffle Trim Long Sleeve Buttoned Front Jacquard Blouse White M
Buy on Amazon

Wear Overalls

This one may seem odd, but if your style tends towards casual then this might be right up your alley! Overalls usually feature heavy denim and are designed to fit looser at the tummy. They also have a portion that covers up the majority of your belly so this is a great “overall” pick (no pun intended) for those wishing to hide their pregnancy!

Levi's Women's Vintage Shortalls, Indigo Minute - Medium Indigo, X-Small
Buy on Amazon

Wear a Peplum Shirt

A peplum shirt is a blouse that flares out at the bottom. It is usually used to distract from a large or bloated tummy anyway, so it’s perfect for pairing with form-fitting jeans to create an attractive, but still hidden, silhouette. 

Womens Cute Pleated Casual Peplum Hem T Shirt Cotton Short Sleeve Flare Loose Summer Tunic Top Grey M
Buy on Amazon

Wear Plaid

If you love plaid shirts, then you are in luck. Drape a plaid shirt over some of your tighter tees and blouses and button it up. Roll up the cuffs, pair them with skinny jeans, and you’ve got an insanely cute outfit that hides your pregnant tummy!

Blooming Jelly Women's Button Down Shirts Plaid Long Sleeve Collared Business Casual Tops Work Blouses Flannel Shirts for Women (X-Large, Plaid)
Buy on Amazon

Wear Black

Our final tip is easy enough to do…and that is to simply wear black! Though we still don’t recommend you wear a form-fitting black shirt, a loose black shirt should really work to conceal your tummy, as black is already known to be slimming and flattering

Romwe Women's Elegant Short Sleeve Mock Neck Workwear Blouse Top Shirts Black Solid M
Buy on Amazon

Best Clothes to Hide a Pregnancy

Want more specifics on what clothes to wear to hide pregnancy? Keep reading for even more tips and tricks to hide that belly!

Best Clothes to Hide Early Pregnancy

Early pregnancy bellies aren’t typically difficult to hide. You may even still be able to suck in your stomach! Still, you may want to use some of the tips we mentioned above to help you conceal. Believe it or not, you may see a baby bump forming quite early on. This may leave you scrambling to find a way to hide it. 

One of the best ways to conceal your tummy in the early pregnancy stage is to simply use a loose, frilly, or patterned blouse. You may already have a few of these options in your closet. Just pair these with solid jeans, a cardigan, and some accessories if you can to keep everything under wraps.

Maternity Clothes to Hide Pregnancy

Looking for maternity leggings and nursing tanks already? It’s not a bad idea to seek out maternity clothes even early on. Bloat and indigestion have a way of making you feel super uncomfortable in regular wear!

When looking for maternity clothes that can hide your pregnancy, seek out maternity jeans that fit under the belly rather than over. An “empire” blouse may also work, although these can sometimes draw more attention to your tummy depending on how far along you are.

IECCP Women's Peplum Tops Henley V Neck Button Up Tunic Blouse Ruffle Flowy Short Sleeve T-Shirts,Short Sleeve-Blue,L
Buy on Amazon

Remember that maternity clothes tend to highlight your bump rather than conceal it. That’s why, even if you are further along, we recommend following the tips mentioned above. These will keep your belly from being noticed whether you wearing maternity clothes or not.

Clothes to Hide Pregnancy in Summer

It may be a bit harder to camouflage pregnancy in summer, but you can give it a shot! Reach for billowy tanks, flowy dresses, and larger tops. You can also look for shorts with an elastic waistband. Whatever you do, steer clear of any shorts that claim they are “tummy-control”. This will push on your tummy and make you more uncomfortable than you likely already are! 

Fall Clothes to Hide Pregnancy

Chillier months lend themselves to more layering. So if you happen to fall pregnant in the fall, consider yourself lucky! It is easy to apply our aforementioned layering technique with scarves, cardigans, jackets, and loose shirts to draw attention away from your midsection. You can also pair a wide belt with boots in a matching color to further distract from your belly. 

Clothes to Wear to Work to Hide a Pregnancy

Because of the professional nature of a work environment, it can be much easier to hide a pregnancy at work. Whether you need interview clothes to hide pregnancy or business clothes to hide pregnancy, you can totally pull off both!

To start, consider investing in a few dressy button-down blouses. These can be purchased in solid colors as long as you purchase them loose. Still, purchasing one of these blouses in a patterned print is probably your safest option.

Once you’ve done that, purchase a few black trousers that have stretchy waistbands. Many of your “pull-on” options have these nowadays. And if you purchase your trousers in a style that is designed to sit below the belly, you can tuck in your button-down blouse. This will make it harder for others to detect your pregnancy.

Other options for work? Shirts with sequins or bold designs on them are a good idea. Boxy dresses that cinch at the waist or even an A-line dress could also work wonders! Just be sure not to grab a boxy dress without adding any accessories. Though baggy clothes to hide pregnancy are often sought after, some baggy dresses cling to your belly in certain areas. This may highlight your pregnancy rather than detract from it.

Amazon Essentials Women's Surplice Dress (Available in Plus Size), Burgundy, Large
Buy on Amazon

Clothes to Hide Pregnancy Third Trimester

How to hide pregnancy for 9 months clothes? There are plenty of gorgeous clothes to hide pregnancy for a long time, but you’ll have to be strategic. In some cases, it may not be possible to hide a pregnancy for that long. Your best bet is to layer and use loose blouses along with the tuck-in method. However, even this isn’t likely to disguise a very large belly much.

At nine months in, we say you should sport your belly proudly. There isn’t much you can do to conceal a belly at this point anyway. Might as well show it with confidence!

Clothes to Hide Post Pregnancy Tummy

If you just had a baby it is undecidable that you’d want to conceal the pooch you’ll have left over. Thankfully, ALL of the aforementioned tips work wonders for concealing a post-partum tummy too! 

How to Wear Clothes to Hide Pregnancy? It Isn’t Difficult!

Finding clothes to hide a pregnancy isn’t difficult. In fact, it is often more about styling techniques than it is specific items of clothing. This means it is possible for you to use the clothes you already have to disguise your pregnancy until you are ready to share the big news. 

Still, it may be helpful to purchase a few pieces if most shirts and blouses you own are small and form-fitting. We hope this helps! 

Until next time!

FAQs

How many months can you hide being pregnant?

How many months you can conceal pregnancy will depend on how big your bump is. Some women never grow large tummies. Some women develop large tummies within only a few months. How long you can pull it off will differ from woman to woman. 

How can I hide my pregnant belly with clothes?

Try wearing slightly oversized or flowy clothing that will take away the attention from your belly. But surprisingly, wearing accessories like belts help too!

Maria Wilcox

Former instructor with an M.A. in Education turned grateful stay-at-home mama to one, I look to share helpful insights related to babies, toddlers, kids, and families for the benefit of real people just like you.

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