Maternity Baby Shower Dresses

The baby shower is the one day in the whole pregnancy that is photographed properly, which is why the dress matters more than any other single purchase in a maternity wardrobe. It has to fit a bump that will have changed again by the time the day arrives, photograph well in daylight and in a lounge room, and stay comfortable through three hours of standing and being hugged. This collection is 63 maternity baby shower dresses in sizes XS through 2XL, priced from $36 to $89.95.

The range runs from soft cotton day dresses to sheer two piece photoshoot sets and full evening gowns, so it covers a backyard afternoon and a restaurant dinner equally well. Several styles have nursing access built in, which is what turns a one-day dress into something you wear for the next year.

Which Color Should You Wear to Your Baby Shower?

• Pink: the most requested color by a wide margin, and the safest choice if you want the photos to read as a baby shower. The Amber dress in pink floral, the Marisol two piece in candy pink, the Lila cotton dress in sugar pink, the Maya ruched bodycon in baby pink and the Cara pink maxi cover soft blush through to a true pink.
• White and cream: the most photogenic, and the choice if you want the day to feel formal. The Roxy lace dress in white, the Mariana sheer photoshoot dress, the Chloé sheer dress, the Elena white cotton knit and the Ariana maxi in butter cream all sit here.
• Red and wine: the strongest option in winter and the one that reads as an event rather than a party. The Elise red floral wrap, the Flora sleeveless red floral wrap and the Mika ruffle silk dress in wine.
• Floral prints: the middle ground, and the easiest to wear again afterward. In Bloom, Daisy romantic cream print, Lina palm leaf in ocean blue and the Lilliana blue print midi.
• Blue and green: the least expected and often the best on camera. The Marisol two piece in baby blue, the Roxy lace in pale sky blue and the Camille v neck evening dress in hunter green.

Backyard Afternoon or a Booked Venue?

The venue decides the fabric more than the style does. An outdoor shower in warm weather calls for cotton, cotton knit or a light woven; the Lila cotton dresses and the Elena knit are cut for sitting on a garden chair for hours without creasing into something that photographs badly. An evening or restaurant shower is where the sheer two piece sets, the silk ruffle dresses and the v neck evening styles earn their keep, because they carry a heel and a jacket without looking like a day dress dressed up.

Season matters too. In summer, sleeveless and short sleeve styles in cotton or a light print keep you cool while everyone is taking photos with you in the middle of the room. In fall and winter, long sleeve maxis, wine and hunter green tones and heavier knits do the same job with a coat over them on the way in.

Fit, Sizing and When to Buy

Order your usual pre-pregnancy size. These dresses are cut with the bump allowed for, so sizing up drops the shoulder, widens the neckline and leaves the waist tie sitting in the wrong place, which is the single most common reason a baby shower dress photographs badly. Sizes run XS to 2XL, with some styles sold in XS/S, M/L and XL/2XL groupings, and a measurement chart on every product page.

Buy at around 28 to 30 weeks if your shower is in the third trimester, which most are. That is late enough that your bump is close to its final size and early enough to swap for a different size if the first one is not right. Ruched, wrap and empire styles are the most forgiving if you are ordering earlier than that. Free shipping applies on orders over $100.

Shop Baby Shower and Related Dress Collections

• All maternity dresses across every occasion and fabric.
• Maternity maxi dresses for full length and floor length styles.
• Maternity midi dresses in the most photographed length.
• Floral maternity dresses including the print styles above.
• Maternity party dresses for evening showers and celebrations.
• Maternity evening dresses for the most formal end of the range.
• Nursing dresses for the styles that keep working after the birth.
• Maternity dress sale for reduced styles and last sizes.

Baby Shower Dress FAQs

What size baby shower dress should I order?

Your usual pre-pregnancy size. The pattern already allows for the bump, so sizing up mainly moves the waist seam and the shoulder to the wrong place. Sizes run XS to 2XL, and there is a measurement chart on every product page if you are between sizes.

What color should a mom wear to her own baby shower?

Pink is the most popular by a long way, followed by white and cream. There is no rule you have to follow: white reads as the most formal, red and wine are the strongest in winter, and a floral print is the easiest to wear again afterward. Pick the one you would happily be photographed in for the next ten years.

When should I buy my baby shower dress?

Around 28 to 30 weeks for a third trimester shower. Any earlier and the bump will have changed enough that a fitted style may not sit the way it did when it arrived. Ordering two weeks ahead of the day leaves time to exchange a size.

Can I wear a baby shower dress after the baby?

Several of these are built for it. The wrap, tie front and nursing styles open at the front for feeding, and the knit and cotton day dresses carry straight into the fourth trimester. The sheer two piece photoshoot sets are the ones most likely to stay a one-day dress.

What should I wear if my baby shower is outdoors in summer?

Cotton or cotton knit in a sleeveless or short sleeve cut. Both breathe far better than a lined woven, and they sit flat rather than creasing after an hour in a chair, which matters when the photos happen at the end of the afternoon rather than the start.