Right now I’m probably melting in the heat on the Mediterranean coast, eating lots of great food and having a great time away.  A couple of days before packing my suitcase I tried on some of the shorts and swimwear that I took on my honeymoon last November and identified a major problem: they didn’t fit!  As much as I tried to wriggle the buttons on the shorts together and squeeze my boobs into my swimwear, it was an epic fail.  The perfect excuse to go last-minute holiday shopping!  

In essence, if it wasn’t for my baby bump I wouldn’t have needed to go shopping as there was still lots left in my holiday wardrobe that still fits, such as loose vest tops and summer dresses. However,  I thought that it wouldn’t do any harm to add a few capsule pieces to my suitcase. Here’s what I managed to pick up after a very exhausting shopping trip:

1.  Blooming Marvellous maternity navy anchor print tankini, Mothercare

2. Natural striped brimmed hat, Debenhams

3. Nautical stripe cover up, Monsoon

4.  Chino shorts, H&M

5. Spotted hipster bikini bottoms, Marks and Spencer

6. Bandeau spotted tankini top, Marks and Spencer

7. Top with lace trims, H&M

8. Twill Shorts, H&M

In terms of colour I kept it simple so that the items would blend in easily with my existing wardrobe.  I had so much trouble with the shorts.  The maternity shorts in H&M have a really weird fit, so I decided to pick up a couple of regular pairs but go up a few sizes. Surprisingly, the swimsuits were the easiest to find and I decided on tankinis rather than a costume or bikini for my bump.  The Marks and Spencer one is actually from their non-maternity range and fits really well.

I’ve always wanted a big straw hat for my holidays and couldn’t resist this one from Debenhams. The striped band around the top is very me and goes well with the other items I picked up. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the striped kaftan that I picked up from H&M on their website so found a similar version from Monsoon, love it! Also the vest top that I picked up from H&M is from their organic range and has anchors on it instead of polka dots as shown above. 

Do you have a capsule holiday wardrobe?  What does it include?

If you’re pregnant or have been did you find it hard dressing your bump for a holiday?