"Maternity clothes that don't look like a tent" is one of the most searched phrases in the category.
The options available to most pregnant women in India fall into two buckets: shapeless and comfortable, or shaped and uncomfortable.
The idea that you could have a piece of maternity clothing that genuinely looks good — not "good for maternity wear," just good — is treated as aspirational rather than achievable.
It shouldn't be.
Why maternity wear looks the way it does Most of it is designed to accommodate, not to fit. Extra fabric is added at the front. The silhouette is loosened everywhere to avoid the bump. The result is clothing that technically fits over a pregnant body but doesn't flatter one. The bump becomes the dominant visual element — the clothes work around it rather than working with it.
The other issue: most maternity wear is designed for the Western market and adapted for India, which means the cuts, proportions, and fabric choices don't account for Indian body shapes, Indian weather, or the actual lives of Indian women.
What actually looks good during pregnancy Fit still matters, even with a bump. A few specific things make the difference.
Intentional volume — a pleated front, a relaxed cut that's designed to fall well, a wide leg that creates proportion — reads as style. Random extra fabric doesn't.
Clean silhouettes — one thing happening in a garment at a time. A relaxed top with a clean neckline. A wide-leg pant in one solid colour. Nothing competing for attention.
Fabric with drape — cotton-spandex and linen both fall well on a pregnant body. Stiff fabrics, satin, or anything structured without ease looks forced and becomes uncomfortable.
The right length — tops that hit at the hip rather than riding up. Midi lengths that create a clean line. Proportions that account for the fact that the bump changes how everything sits.
The women we spoke to were clear: 43% cited limited stylish options as their primary reason for not buying maternity wear. Not price. Not availability. Style. The category has decided that pregnant women will accept whatever fits, and most of them have — not because they don't care, but because no one offered them anything better.
be imli exists because that trade-off is unnecessary. Clothing that looks considered because it was considered. Cotton and linen chosen for how they look and feel, not just because they're cheap to source. Cuts that work with a pregnant body rather than around it.
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