By Nedra Rhone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

When style expert Amy Tara Koch was pregnant with her first child, she made an interesting discovery about maternity gear. “The upscale boutiques have great stuff,” Koch said. “They really pay attention to what is happening in fashion, and they echo what is going on on the runway and translate it into maternity. But if you are going to go to a mass store ... it is really a dumpitola.”

By the time her second child came along a few years later, not much had changed. In order to preserve her place in the fashion ranks, she took matters into her own hands, building a wardrobe of basics with non-maternity items. On Tuesday, Koch visits Atlanta for the first time to promote her new book, “Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy Into the Ultimate Style Statement” (Ballantine Books, $18).

It was important to Koch that this be one book that didn’t take pregnancy too seriously. “Every pregnancy book is so didactic, so serious and also so alarmist. I wanted [the book] to be really lighthearted, funny, witty, a little sarcastic and have fun with the subject,” she said.

While empire waists and tunic tops remain staples for pregnant women, particularly in the first 26 weeks when it’s best to camouflage a growing bump rather than be mistaken for a muffin top, Koch uncovers other tricks such as elongating your frame with scarves, making black your anchor color and using bold jewelry and big bags to dwarf a growing belly. She even suggests five basics as the foundation for any maternity wardrobe, and gives tips to perk up tired skin.

In advance of her visit, we asked Koch to share a few thoughts on staying stylish while pregnant.

Q: What is the biggest fashion mistake that pregnant women make?

A: Lack of proportion. They think they should hide and wear oversized clothing. They wear an oversized shirt with oversized pants thinking that it covers, but it makes 5 pounds look like 50. If it is flowy on the bottom, it should be tighter on top. If it is tighter on top, the bottom should flow. If you wear a flowy shirt, you can rein in the extra material with lots of long chains. Pregnant women should not wear chokers. Another way is to wear belts under your bump.

Q: How much should you spend on your maternity wardrobe? And how can you avoid spending too much?

A: I try to stay away from naming brands by making it about silhouettes. If you go to Kmart or Target, you will find a long Lycra tank top; then again, you can go to Wolford and spend $200 on one. You can find these basics at every price point. There are fantastic leggings at Izzy Maternity or American Apparel. I wanted to be careful about mentioning price points. I think you can find items in the range of $35 to $100 each.

Q: What is the most useful or innovative apparel item available to pregnant women?

A: I just learned about a dress you can wear [at least] five different ways. It’s called the Versatile Dress by Pouch (www.pouchmom.com). The trick is multitasking clothing in general, finding one item that looks like 30 items so no one knows you’re wearing the same thing every day.

Book signing

Amy Tara Koch, author of “Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy Into the Ultimate Style Statement.”

6-8 p.m. Tuesday. Free.

W Atlanta Perimeter, 111 Perimeter Center West