Baby shower dresses for the mum-to-be and her guests

Shapes that give the bump room

Three designs suit a bump just as they are drawn. The Tiered Maxi drops from a gathered yoke into three soft tiers of chiffon, so nothing sits tight across your middle. The Sage Arch Kaftan hangs straight and loose from a band collar to the ankle, with wide sleeves, which makes it the easiest of the ten to sit in through a long afternoon. The Ginkgo Wrap crosses over at the front and ties at the waist, so on the day you decide how snugly it sits, and later on you can simply tie it closer.

The Wisteria and Wildflower have a fitted bodice, the two pearl frocks a shaped sweetheart bodice, and the off-white and cream frocks gather at the waist, so these were drawn with guests in mind. If one of them, or the Lilac Tiered Dress, is the dress you pictured for yourself, tell us how far along you will be and your quote will say plainly whether the shape can work over a bump.

Sleeveless for summer, and a hem you can move in

A shower in July, or in Gulf heat, is a good reason to lose the sleeves. Every design here can be made sleeveless (the powder blue frock already is, on pearl straps): pick Sleeveless on the order form or write it in the changes box, and it is confirmed in your quote. Send an armhole measurement too, since a fuller bust can push the edge open; why sleeveless armholes gape explains what to ask for.

Think about the hem as well. You will be up and down all afternoon, greeting people, opening gifts and standing by the cake, probably in flat shoes, so measure the length in the shoes you plan to wear and say exactly where it should stop. An ankle hem copes with stairs and grass better than one brushing the floor, and the frocks can be cut longer than the mid-calf they are drawn at.

Gender reveal outfits for guests and the mum-to-be

At a reveal party, hosts often ask guests to wear their guess: pink for a girl, blue for a boy. Team pink has the blush frock and the Tiered Maxi in Rose Pink. Team blue has the Wisteria, the powder blue frock and, for a deeper blue, the Tiered Maxi in Navy.

Parents-to-be often stay in white, ivory or a soft neutral, so their clothes give nothing away before the moment. The ivory Wildflower Maxi keeps its colour to the embroidered wildflowers on the sleeves and hem, and the Ginkgo Wrap, drawn in rust, can be made on a white base for a reveal dress that leaves room for the bump.

Godh bharai and other blessings

In a godh bharai, the South Asian blessing held before the birth, the mum-to-be usually sits at the centre while relatives bless her and place gifts, sweets or fruit in her lap. She may be on a low seat or on cushions for some time, so a full skirt or a kaftan that settles neatly when she sits is a practical choice. Some families pick a colour for her, so ask whoever is arranging it first. Guests who would rather wear a frock than a suit will find more among our Pakistani frocks.

If an aqiqah follows after the birth, choose something smoother for that day. Everyone wants to hold the baby, and raised work on the front can scratch, so the two pearl frocks are better kept for the shower itself.

Which colours can change

The Tiered Maxi is made in seven colours: Rose Pink, Lavender, Sage Green, Navy, Taupe, Black and Maroon. The Lilac, Wisteria, Ginkgo, Wildflower and Sage Arch designs can be cut in another colour or have their embroidery worked in a different thread, and the first four can be made on a white base; whatever you choose is set down in your written quote. The frocks are made in the colours pictured.

Standing out on your own day

As the guest of honour you will be photographed sitting, standing by the cake and opening presents, usually in front of balloons or a flower wall. If the room is pale pink and blue, a deeper shade stops you melting into it: the Tiered Maxi in Maroon or Navy, or one of the embroidered designs in a richer colour. Very pale pastels can also merge with skin in bright light, as which colours photograph well explains.

Screens shift colour a little, and the embroidered designs are shown as design previews, so expect a small difference in shade between a picture and the finished dress. A daylight photo of the shade you want, attached to your quote request, helps us match it.

Chiffon, linings and a warm room

The Tiered Maxi is chiffon, and the blush frock is drawn in chiffon too. It drapes softly over a bump and stays light in a crowded room, but it is slightly sheer and can cling when a breeze catches it, so ask for a lining. For the other designs, tell us whether the shower is indoors in winter or out in a summer garden, and the fabric is agreed with you in your quote. A shower held in the evening, in a hall, can take something dressier; a formal event when pregnant has ideas.

Wearing it after the shower

A dress cut for a bump still has plenty of life afterwards. The wrap ties closer, the kaftan was relaxed to begin with, and a tiered maxi in Navy or Sage Green goes on to Eid, a dawat or a summer wedding. Guests get the same: a frock bought for one shower turns up again at the next birthday lunch. More shapes are on our maxi dresses and kaftans pages.