Just because pregnant women temporarily lose their waists doesn't mean they have to sacrifice their fashion sense. Maternity wear designer Liz Lange says mothers-to-be can eliminate one stress from their increasingly taxing lives if they'd just embrace their new figures and make the most of them in shapely styles.

In her new book Liz Lange's Maternity Style (Clarkson Potter), Lange offers advice.

- You shouldn't hide your body while you're pregnant: Wear items that are sleeveless, shorter skirts and show off your new cleavage, especially in evening wear.

- Lange also encourages moderation. "I'm not a big proponent of showing off your absolute naked belly."

- For work, Lange's favourite looks revolve around a few key pieces: a sleeveless tunic top, a black blazer, a streamlined knit dress, a pencil skirt and black cigarette pants.

This can be enough to make up a five-day wardrobe if all the pieces are in neutral colours so they can be mixed and matched easily.

- A zip-up fleece sweatshirt, a man's-style button-down shirt, a tank top, yoga pants and a pair of jeans are the essentials of a weekend wardrobe.

- For special occasions -- frequently fashion-critical affairs, which can seem particularly daunting to a pregnant woman -- Lange suggests a brightly coloured shift dress with a flattering neckline for baby and bridal showers, a feminine print dress with a complementary solid-colour cardigan for a graduation, and a just-above-the-knee dress paired with a dress coat for a wedding.