When you’re pregnant, like I am, and your body begins to grow, one of the first challenges you face in a day—besides having to roll instead of step out of bed—is getting dressed. The go-to items in your closet stare back at you unworn and neglected while leggings and oversized sweaters bag to be plucked out for the fourth time in a week. Even though those comfy pieces have a time and place, does being pregnant and wearing maternity clothes have to mean sacrificing all sense of your fashionable self? I think not. With a few wardrobe additions and adjustments, I have found that dressing the bumps can be fun, freeing and full of style. Even when I attended New York Fashion Week last month.

As you can imagine, the pressure to look and dress well for NYFW is immense—add a bump into the equation and it can feel impossible. At seven months pregnant, concealing the bump wasn’t an option for me; all I could do was embrace it and curate the looks that highlight my changing figure. I knew I would be on my feet a lot, traveling to and from shows and heading to meetings, so I had to plan accordingly. Comfort was key to every look but so was style; I heavily leaned into color, pattern and fit to add a bit of fashion week excitement to my outfits.

Here’s how I navigated NYFW and the bump simultaneously, and what to keep in mind when you’re putting your own maternity wardrobe together.

Embrace your pregnant shape and show it off

Billowing pieces that flow over the bump in an attempt to conceal it will only add bulk. For the Tory Burch show in New York I opted for the brand’s body-con T Garden Mockneck dress in a bold pattern and online color palette to highlight my figure. What I loved most about the dress was the long vertical line built into the pattern that helped to elongate my body. Look for details like this to help you feel confident. When it comes to body con, make sure the piece is stretchy and go with a midi or maxi length so you don’t have to worry about the hem riding up.

Go big on color and pattern

Don’t hide behind dark colors; use bright hues and great prints to your advantage. While heading to meetings between shows, one of my favorite looks was a striped knit dress from Zara layered with a brightly colored coat and coordinated with a lime green bag (this is a trending color for cpring) both from Tory Burch and my go-to loafers from Poppy Barley. Adding color to a look can be an immediate mood booster for yourself and the people around you and helps you walk into any room with a commanding presence. I loved seeing pregnant digital creator Jenny Cipoletti