Meghan Markle flaunts her baby bump in first maternity dress

Meghan Markle has finally started shopping in the maternity department.

On Thursday, the Duchess of Sussex, 37, paid a visit to Smart Works, a patronage that provides unemployed women with free clothing and job interview training. And for her first public appearance of 2019, Markle, who’s expecting her first child with Prince Harry this spring, showed off her growing baby bump in a maternity dress for the first time since announcing her pregnancy last October.

Markle wore the “Eliza” dress by Hatch ($218), a black, curve-hugging midi-length knit design with short sleeves. The maternity brand is a favorite of celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, Kourtney Kardashian and Scarlett Johansson. Founder Ariane Goldman is no doubt thrilled to add the duchess to its list of famous fans: During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter last fall, Goldman joked, “Do you know anyone who knows Meghan Markle?”

The Duchess of Sussex paired her dress with a khaki twill coat by Oscar de la Renta ($2,990), cow-print Gianvito Rossi pumps with clear PVC panels ($537 for a similar style), Victoria Beckham’s “Vanity Box” leather bag ($1,355), Kimai “Felicity” earrings ($804 for a pair) and a Missoma “Interstellar” ring ($59).

Midi dresses have long been a favorite of Markle’s, but some fashion experts feel that she should consider other silhouettes as she navigates the rest of her pregnancy.

“She has been seen very much in this midi length which is very much in fashion, and I’m not sure this is flattering when you’re pregnant. So I think we may see her shortening the hemline from what we’ve seen her in pre-pregnancy,” designer Cecile Reinaud, whose maternity brand Séraphine is beloved by both Kate and Pippa Middleton, told Page Six Style in October.

Continued Reinaud: “That kind of mid-calf length tends to make the skirt look more like a tent, and obviously nobody wants that. So it’s quite difficult to pull off that midi length, unless it’s a body-con. As soon as it’s a bit of an A-line, then it does give you too much circular volume on the skirt and gives you the tent effect.”

By selecting looks that hug her curves, like the Hatch dress, Markle will be able to hang on to her beloved midis until her due date.