I don’t know whether it’s the pregnancy hormones but I’ve recently been looking at pretty dresses and more feminine pieces online way more than I usually would. I normally prefer sharp tailoring or relaxed yet sartorial looks but with an ever growing bump (it’s going to be a big baby!) I’m definitely finding dresses easier to style. Particularly when it comes to upsizing non-maternity pieces like this gorgeous blue leopard dress from New Look (now sold out).

As much as I love wearing trousers and jumpsuits, sometimes a pretty dress can be an instant mood changer. In this dress I feel more elegant, more feminine and can appreciate the prettiness of the dress as much as I would the cut of a sharp shoulder on a blazer.

You don’t have to spend a lot on a pretty dress and with so much on the high street to chose from, we really are spoiled for choice. I would normally go for a v neck or something that is lower cut but I felt like changing it up a little with this high neck. I’m wearing the tie around ribbon above my bump for comfort mostly but I’m rather enjoying the bow detail with the print.

I wanted to style this outfit up a bit for lunch with a friend (pre lockdown) so I chose my favourite Kurt Geiger heels, a Valentino by Mario Valentino bag and a light duster coat. Dusters are great for throwing onto a more fancy outfit – 9 times out of 10 it’ll work. I’ve put together an edit of my favourite pretty dresses to buy today – suitable for both mamma’s to be and non maternity.