Favourite footwear, bump uniform and style hacks for pregnant mums, trust the baby girl for life to give us everything. Here is what fashion looks like for Toke Makinwa during pregnancy.
I’ve followed Toke Makinwa’s journey for years, and it is exciting to have her share her pregnancy fashion with us. It’s inspiring to watch Toke take control of her narrative, constantly redefining what it means to be a media personality while building a lucrative and fearless career. I’ve always admired her unwavering love for fashion. Toke’s Instagram has always been a runway of its own, serving us curated looks and bold looks. As a media girl myself, I understood that it’s showbiz and the real authenticity lies in how she presents her style.
However, pregnancy came with a new chapter for Toke. For the girl who has always loved her heels and structured silhouettes, it was refreshing to see her embrace comfort, even in moments of solitude. Her pregnancy fashion was about letting herself enjoy the freedom of shorts, boubous, oversized shirts and silky dresses that moved with her changing body. She embraced it all — the new skin, the new curves, and the magic of creating a new life.
In her interview for Marie Claire Nigeria’s Motherhood Special, our cover star, Toke Makinwa, shares all about her pregnancy fashion choices and how she addressed her skin changes.
Pregnancy fashion, but in the most comfortable way
When it came to her pregnancy style, Toke leaned on her favourite designers to keep things chic yet comfortable. She gravitated towards Nigerian designers Eki Kere and Banke Kuku. “I think Eki Kere became my best friend, I love her boubous, and she would randomly send me stuff. Banke Kuku as well. I just love silk dresses that I could wear and play around in my bump.” Kilentar was another favourite, with curve-hugging pieces that allowed her to feel feminine and stylish throughout the journey.
On more casual days, Toke embraced comfort without losing her style. “I’m grateful for the summer that shorts are in because I love being comfortable in them. A nice three-quarter length or short shorts with a nice vest and an oversized big shirt thrown over it was my major look through this pregnancy.”
No Toke Makinwa style formula is complete without the right shoes. Ballet flats became her friend too, “I love the Alaïa ballerina flats. I had to buy them in every colour because they were so comfortable. It also helped with my swollen feet.” She also favoured her Miu Miu sneakers. “I could always just walk around and roll around in them.” Her mantra was ‘make it fashion’ and ‘make it cute’. Toke’s pregnancy fashion choices were all about practicality without sacrificing style.
Postpartum style vision
Pregnancy fashion is only one side of the story, and Toke is already looking forward to what’s next. She is excited to explore her postpartum style with openness, gratitude and celebrating her body. “I can’t wait to snap back and just have fun with my body. I’m going to embrace it at every stage,” she said.
She envisions styling herself in ways that accentuate her figure, whether fuller or slimmer. “If my body is a bit fuller, I’ll wear clothes that highlight that and if it gets slimmer, which is the goal, I’ll also rock it.”
Postpartum fashion for Toke is about joy and acceptance. “I’m really all about just embracing the changes that came. I brought forth my best friend, a miracle happened through me, and I am so grateful. She sees her body as a vessel of miracles and rightfully so. “A fine girl is always a fine girl,” she adds with her signature flair. “The baby girl for life has a baby.”
Read also: Mum Style Diaries: Ayoyinka Abolarin shares her secrets to balancing motherhood and style with ease
Pregnancy fashion myths she doesn’t buy into
When it comes to maternity style, Toke isn’t one to follow the rulebook. “Honestly, I refuse to buy maternity clothes, comfort just does it for me”, she admits. Instead, she leaned into stylish oversized tops, stretchy fabrics, and the occasional fitted look that proudly shows off her bump.
Toke sees pregnancy as an opportunity to embrace rather than conceal. “I think a lot more pregnant women should flaunt their bodies in the state that they are. There’s no fashion accessory that they cannot rock,” she insists.
Toke’s style choices remained true to her personality. Unlike Rihanna, who set the standard for baring the bump, Toke prefers chic pieces that cover hers. “I’m not really a huge fan of hanging the belly, it’s just a personal preference. I’m more of a stretchy fabric sort of girl, just embrace the curves.” With much of her pregnancy spent away from the spotlight, she admits, “This pregnancy for me was spent mostly in hiding, so I was in sweatpants and baggy tops most of the day.”
Pregnancy skincare routine
Like most pregnant women, Toke also had to adjust her beauty routine. Pregnancy brought unexpected changes to her skin. “My skin got darker,” she explains, describing the shift as a learning curve. Rather than overcomplicating her regimen, she leaned on safe, simple staples. “I didn’t leave out hyaluronic acid in my routine. It is safe for pregnancy, so that helped to maintain the glow,” she says, stressing that some active ingredients had to be put aside. “I stayed away from the retinoids and other strong actives because they’re harmful for the baby.”
She also found that treatments could help maintain radiant skin and keep the complexion from getting too dark. “Doing a brightening facial in a safe place helps as well. They use the right and safe products for your skin.”
Advice to mums navigating pregnancy fashion
Toke believes that style in pregnancy begins with mindset. “You need to first accept the fact that your body’s changing. It’s bringing forth life and embracing change,” she says. “That is the first mental hurdle you have to go through. Your body’s performing a miracle.” A pregnant body is miraculous in its form, the way it stretches and accommodates, “I wish many more women would show that off,” Toke asserts.
She views every pound gained as purposeful: “Yes, you gain a couple of pounds, but they’re healthy pounds for a reason,” she notes. Instead of hiding, she encourages women to show off the beauty of pregnancy: “Whatever outfits you want to wear in your pregnancy, feel free to rock it. Feel 100% comfortable in your skin.”
Toke Makinwa shows us that pregnancy fashion doesn’t mean sacrificing style — it means rewriting it in your own terms. Your comfort is the priority, and you shouldn’t apologise for embracing the changes in your body.
