Maternity fashions
- Thread starter Hanne
- Start date
...
...I like this for a comfy shirt to just throw on...the wrap chest area adds a bit more style to the shirt to make it a 'different' shirt. And it's a heck of a lot better than those clunky big sweatshirts I've seen some of my preggo friends wear (she wore sweats to a party! wtf!? 
)
http://www.duematernity.com/olhomatop1.html
)http://www.duematernity.com/olhomatop1.html
Inspiration : Celebrity Maternity Fashion
Junior editor for french vogue Mélanie Huynh is pregnant.. there's images of her here in her thread should anyone need inspiration..
Junior editor for french vogue Mélanie Huynh is pregnant.. there's images of her here in her thread should anyone need inspiration..
softgrey
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softgrey
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daniellat
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Im glad theres more modern clothing for pregnant ladies. Im not pregnant and not planning to soon but i remember seeng women dressed in tents and having bows all over in pastel colors, it made pregnancy look cheesy and ridiculous. Theres no need to wear a costume just bc youre pregnant. Nowadays ive seem some very stylish pregnan women!
fashionista-ta
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^ You describe a true horror 
fashionista-ta
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^ Sounds reasonable to me 
I have read articles about women having regular dresses hemmed and rehemmed constantly as their shape changes ... I think that would drive me mad 
I have read articles about women having regular dresses hemmed and rehemmed constantly as their shape changes ... I think that would drive me mad From www.inhabitots.com by Jill Fehrenbacher
Eco-friendly & Economical Maternity Wear
Or How to Get Through Your Pregnancy Without Having to Purchase ‘Maternity’ Clothes
Although pregnancy is an exciting time in any mom-to-be’s life, the day-to-day logistics can often be quite daunting for a first time mother. For me if was quite an emotional rollercoaster to deal with so many rapid changes in my body — and when all of a sudden my favorite clothes started feeling too tight, I didn’t know where to turn. I just wanted to keep feeling and looking like myself, and the prospect of having to buy a whole new wardrobe of flowy earth-mama dresses to get me through a few months of my life sounded about as fun as labor pain — especially after a google search made me realize that it is almost impossible to find maternity wear in organic or eco-friendly materials.
Fortunately a thorough re-examination of my closet, and a couple tricks I picked up from friends staved off a bank-breaking trip to a Pea in the Pod. Ultimately I never ended up purchasing ANY new maternity clothes, and feel perversely proud of this accomplishment. I hope that some of the tips and tricks I picked up will be helpful to other eco-minded pregnant women who are going through this for the first time. If you’re a first-time mom-to-be staring at your rapidly expanding waistline and wondering how you’re going to get through the next 6 months with your sustainable style and your budget intact, read on…
How to stretch your existing wardrobe as far as your expanding waistline
Maternity clothes are often very expensive, hard to find in organic materials, and we all know that it is not very eco-friendly (or economical) to buy a ton of brand new items that will only last you for a few months. Fortunately there is hope for the eco-minded pregnant lady, and most of the things you will need probably already exist in some form in your closet.
View attachment 420084
Jessica Scott Organic Mini Maternity Wrap $80
If you are looking forward to the fun of buying brand new maternity clothes (and sometimes its nice to have an excuse to buy new stuff), by all means go shopping, and look for versatile styles such as 3-in-1 tie wraps (see Jessica Scott’s organic maternity wrap above) and belly bands in organic, breathable fabrics. . Check out Pristine Planet and Maternique for some eco-friendly options. But I hope my tips and tricks below will at least help you get more leverage out of your existing wardrobe, so you don’t have to purchase as much new stuff.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to an eco-approach to maternity clothes is the ‘Three R’s’: reduce, reuse, recycle. Since the time during which maternity clothes are a necessity is so short in duration (in the grand scheme of things), you really want to try to avoid purchasing new things as much as possible. Hopefully, you will be able to find most of what you need already buried in your closet, but for those must-have items that you just can’t do without (maternity jeans in winter?) - your first stop should be your local thrift store or Salvation Army. Also worth checking out is BellyBundles, an online maternity consignment shop. Most thrift stores understand the high turnover of maternity clothes and have pretty good selections. When you are done with your pregnancy and those stretchy-top jeans, be sure to continue the cycle by passing your old maternity clothes onto your pregnant friends or back to the thrift store.
The A-Line Dress
The first and most obvious maternity aid I discovered in my closet was the A-Line dress. Fortunately for us contemporary sustainable style mavens, this type of no-waist style has been trendy for the past few years, so there is absolutely no lack of baggy/floaty tops and dresses available on the market - even in eco-friendly fabrics. I’ll bet that most of you own at least one or two tops or dresses in this loose-fitting cut, and this is the type of thing you can wear throughout the whole 9 months of your pregnancy (and beyond). In the above photo I’m wearing an organic cotton ‘Weston Dress’ by Loyale at 5 months pregnant, and a black cotton Mexican dress at 8 months.
WARNING: Not for those who want special ‘pregnant lady’ treatment
One thing to keep in mind - the baggy style of the A-line cut will hide your bump, so if you want people to realize you are pregnant (i.e. if you want people to offer special ‘pregnant lady courtesy’ to you) this is not the best choice. Whenever I would wear something like this on the subway, no-one would ever offer me their seat - even when I was 8+ months along and, in my mind, pretty obviously pregnant. After feeling confused and miffed a couple times, I finally realized that it was because these type of clothes don’t make it very clear to the outside world that you are pregnant, and no well-meaning stranger wants to take the chance on assuming you are pregnant (and possibly receiving a very nasty reaction if you are not) unless it is really really obvious.
Flaunt your Bump with an Empire Waist
The opposite approach to obscuring your pregnancy is to flaunt your bump for all it’s worth. Empire waist styles are great for this effect, and are probably your most flattering option for a growing belly, as this option makes you look properly pregnant rather than merely pudgy. If you check out expensive maternity shops like a Pea in the Pod, you will notice that almost all of the shirts and dresses for sale there (at a big markup) are simply normal clothes with an empire waist style. Fortunately, like the A-line, the empire waist has become quite a popular style for regular, non-maternity clothes over the past few years, so it can be found almost everywhere (including your closet hopefully).
PANTS - A trickier pproposition
I’m not going to lie to you: pants are definitely a trickier proposition than tops in terms of maternity wear. Since your waistline is usually the first part of your body to start expanding, you might notice your pants getting too tight in the waist pretty early on. I understand why many women turn to maternity jeans, or to ripping the waists out of their favorite old jeans - but trust me, you CAN get through pregnancy without such drastic measures by simply employing a little ingenuity.
View attachment 420085
STAGE 1: The rubber band trick
During the first stage of waistline expansion in the first and second trimesters, you will probably be able to keep wearing your favorite pair of jeans — as long as you loosen the button and fly. With a combination of long tops (think tunics) and the old ‘rubber band trick’ - you can pretty much extend the life of your regular jeans well into your second trimester. If you are not familiar with the rubber band trick, see the image above: just loop a rubber band (hair bands are perfect for this) from your top jean button, through the hole and back to the button. This option is not very sightly of course, so you will need to cover it up with long sweaters and shirts that cover your fly. However, if you are a fan of the long waisted tunic look, like I am, this isn’t difficult to keep up.
View attachment 420086
STAGE 2: The Belly / Bella Band
During the second stage of waistline expansion you can extend the life of your regular jeans even further (or possibly your partner’s larger jeans) with a Belly Band. The pregnant lady’s best wardrobe friend, the Belly Band is an ingenious piece of stretchy fabric in a loop that helps to hold your unbuttoned pants up while supporting your bulge and maintaining an appearance of put-together sophistication. The most well-known brand of pregger tummy tubes: the Bella Band, is made from synthetic fabrics, but the eco-friendly brand Belly Band is made from environmentally sustainable bamboo.
STAGE 3: Stretch pants, leggings & yoga pants
Rubber bands and belly bands can only take you so far, however. There is a point you will reach at the very end of your pregnancy — when your stomach is as big as a basketball — when there is just no way you will fit into your tight jeans anymore, belly band or not. At this point you will probably need to opt for maternity jeans or stretch pants. Since I started the beginning of my third trimester in a 90 degree New York summer, I had the good fortune of not really having any need or desire to wear pants during this big-as-a-basket-ball stage. I am currently full term now (9 months pregnant), and on the rare occasion that I feel the need to put anything over my legs, my collection of stretchy leggings and yoga /workout pants works just fine.
I recognize that this may be a very different situation for the women who is approaching her third trimester in the middle of a 20 degree New York winter. For those of you in this scenario I would recommend checking out thrift stores, BellyBundles, or Pristine Planet for eco-friendly maternity pants. You could also ransack your partner’s closet with your Belly Band in hand, or even rip the waistline out of your favorite pair of jeans and sew a Belly Band into it.
Eco-friendly & Economical Maternity Wear
Or How to Get Through Your Pregnancy Without Having to Purchase ‘Maternity’ Clothes
Although pregnancy is an exciting time in any mom-to-be’s life, the day-to-day logistics can often be quite daunting for a first time mother. For me if was quite an emotional rollercoaster to deal with so many rapid changes in my body — and when all of a sudden my favorite clothes started feeling too tight, I didn’t know where to turn. I just wanted to keep feeling and looking like myself, and the prospect of having to buy a whole new wardrobe of flowy earth-mama dresses to get me through a few months of my life sounded about as fun as labor pain — especially after a google search made me realize that it is almost impossible to find maternity wear in organic or eco-friendly materials.
Fortunately a thorough re-examination of my closet, and a couple tricks I picked up from friends staved off a bank-breaking trip to a Pea in the Pod. Ultimately I never ended up purchasing ANY new maternity clothes, and feel perversely proud of this accomplishment. I hope that some of the tips and tricks I picked up will be helpful to other eco-minded pregnant women who are going through this for the first time. If you’re a first-time mom-to-be staring at your rapidly expanding waistline and wondering how you’re going to get through the next 6 months with your sustainable style and your budget intact, read on…
How to stretch your existing wardrobe as far as your expanding waistline
Maternity clothes are often very expensive, hard to find in organic materials, and we all know that it is not very eco-friendly (or economical) to buy a ton of brand new items that will only last you for a few months. Fortunately there is hope for the eco-minded pregnant lady, and most of the things you will need probably already exist in some form in your closet.
View attachment 420084
Jessica Scott Organic Mini Maternity Wrap $80
If you are looking forward to the fun of buying brand new maternity clothes (and sometimes its nice to have an excuse to buy new stuff), by all means go shopping, and look for versatile styles such as 3-in-1 tie wraps (see Jessica Scott’s organic maternity wrap above) and belly bands in organic, breathable fabrics. . Check out Pristine Planet and Maternique for some eco-friendly options. But I hope my tips and tricks below will at least help you get more leverage out of your existing wardrobe, so you don’t have to purchase as much new stuff.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to an eco-approach to maternity clothes is the ‘Three R’s’: reduce, reuse, recycle. Since the time during which maternity clothes are a necessity is so short in duration (in the grand scheme of things), you really want to try to avoid purchasing new things as much as possible. Hopefully, you will be able to find most of what you need already buried in your closet, but for those must-have items that you just can’t do without (maternity jeans in winter?) - your first stop should be your local thrift store or Salvation Army. Also worth checking out is BellyBundles, an online maternity consignment shop. Most thrift stores understand the high turnover of maternity clothes and have pretty good selections. When you are done with your pregnancy and those stretchy-top jeans, be sure to continue the cycle by passing your old maternity clothes onto your pregnant friends or back to the thrift store.
The A-Line Dress
The first and most obvious maternity aid I discovered in my closet was the A-Line dress. Fortunately for us contemporary sustainable style mavens, this type of no-waist style has been trendy for the past few years, so there is absolutely no lack of baggy/floaty tops and dresses available on the market - even in eco-friendly fabrics. I’ll bet that most of you own at least one or two tops or dresses in this loose-fitting cut, and this is the type of thing you can wear throughout the whole 9 months of your pregnancy (and beyond). In the above photo I’m wearing an organic cotton ‘Weston Dress’ by Loyale at 5 months pregnant, and a black cotton Mexican dress at 8 months.
WARNING: Not for those who want special ‘pregnant lady’ treatment
One thing to keep in mind - the baggy style of the A-line cut will hide your bump, so if you want people to realize you are pregnant (i.e. if you want people to offer special ‘pregnant lady courtesy’ to you) this is not the best choice. Whenever I would wear something like this on the subway, no-one would ever offer me their seat - even when I was 8+ months along and, in my mind, pretty obviously pregnant. After feeling confused and miffed a couple times, I finally realized that it was because these type of clothes don’t make it very clear to the outside world that you are pregnant, and no well-meaning stranger wants to take the chance on assuming you are pregnant (and possibly receiving a very nasty reaction if you are not) unless it is really really obvious.
Flaunt your Bump with an Empire Waist
The opposite approach to obscuring your pregnancy is to flaunt your bump for all it’s worth. Empire waist styles are great for this effect, and are probably your most flattering option for a growing belly, as this option makes you look properly pregnant rather than merely pudgy. If you check out expensive maternity shops like a Pea in the Pod, you will notice that almost all of the shirts and dresses for sale there (at a big markup) are simply normal clothes with an empire waist style. Fortunately, like the A-line, the empire waist has become quite a popular style for regular, non-maternity clothes over the past few years, so it can be found almost everywhere (including your closet hopefully).
PANTS - A trickier pproposition
I’m not going to lie to you: pants are definitely a trickier proposition than tops in terms of maternity wear. Since your waistline is usually the first part of your body to start expanding, you might notice your pants getting too tight in the waist pretty early on. I understand why many women turn to maternity jeans, or to ripping the waists out of their favorite old jeans - but trust me, you CAN get through pregnancy without such drastic measures by simply employing a little ingenuity.
View attachment 420085
STAGE 1: The rubber band trick
During the first stage of waistline expansion in the first and second trimesters, you will probably be able to keep wearing your favorite pair of jeans — as long as you loosen the button and fly. With a combination of long tops (think tunics) and the old ‘rubber band trick’ - you can pretty much extend the life of your regular jeans well into your second trimester. If you are not familiar with the rubber band trick, see the image above: just loop a rubber band (hair bands are perfect for this) from your top jean button, through the hole and back to the button. This option is not very sightly of course, so you will need to cover it up with long sweaters and shirts that cover your fly. However, if you are a fan of the long waisted tunic look, like I am, this isn’t difficult to keep up.
View attachment 420086
STAGE 2: The Belly / Bella Band
During the second stage of waistline expansion you can extend the life of your regular jeans even further (or possibly your partner’s larger jeans) with a Belly Band. The pregnant lady’s best wardrobe friend, the Belly Band is an ingenious piece of stretchy fabric in a loop that helps to hold your unbuttoned pants up while supporting your bulge and maintaining an appearance of put-together sophistication. The most well-known brand of pregger tummy tubes: the Bella Band, is made from synthetic fabrics, but the eco-friendly brand Belly Band is made from environmentally sustainable bamboo.
STAGE 3: Stretch pants, leggings & yoga pants
Rubber bands and belly bands can only take you so far, however. There is a point you will reach at the very end of your pregnancy — when your stomach is as big as a basketball — when there is just no way you will fit into your tight jeans anymore, belly band or not. At this point you will probably need to opt for maternity jeans or stretch pants. Since I started the beginning of my third trimester in a 90 degree New York summer, I had the good fortune of not really having any need or desire to wear pants during this big-as-a-basket-ball stage. I am currently full term now (9 months pregnant), and on the rare occasion that I feel the need to put anything over my legs, my collection of stretchy leggings and yoga /workout pants works just fine.
I recognize that this may be a very different situation for the women who is approaching her third trimester in the middle of a 20 degree New York winter. For those of you in this scenario I would recommend checking out thrift stores, BellyBundles, or Pristine Planet for eco-friendly maternity pants. You could also ransack your partner’s closet with your Belly Band in hand, or even rip the waistline out of your favorite pair of jeans and sew a Belly Band into it.
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I came across a blog by a stylish pregnant (now mother) Spaniard.
View attachment 435826 View attachment 435827
View attachment 435828 View attachment 435829
Abrigo / Coat: Zara
Leggings: American Apparel
Bolso / Bag: Balenciaga
Botas / Boots: Zara
T-shirt-Dress: Zara
all image from mydailystyle.es
View attachment 435826 View attachment 435827
View attachment 435828 View attachment 435829
Abrigo / Coat: Zara
Leggings: American Apparel
Bolso / Bag: Balenciaga
Botas / Boots: Zara
T-shirt-Dress: Zara
all image from mydailystyle.es
more from mydailystyle.es
View attachment 435830
View attachment 435831
Vestido / Dress: Zara (old)
Jersey: H&M (old)
Gorro / Hat: Mango (old)
Abrigo / Fake fur coat: vintage
Zapatos / Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo
Bolso / Bag: Su-shi.com
View attachment 435832
Leggings: H&M (old)
Vestido / Dress: Zara (old)
Blazer: vintage
Botines / Ankle boots: Vogue (old)
Bufanda / Scarf: Zara
Bolso / Bag: Coach
View attachment 435833
View attachment 435834
View attachment 435830
View attachment 435831
Vestido / Dress: Zara (old)
Jersey: H&M (old)
Gorro / Hat: Mango (old)
Abrigo / Fake fur coat: vintage
Zapatos / Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo
Bolso / Bag: Su-shi.com
View attachment 435832
Leggings: H&M (old)
Vestido / Dress: Zara (old)
Blazer: vintage
Botines / Ankle boots: Vogue (old)
Bufanda / Scarf: Zara
Bolso / Bag: Coach
View attachment 435833
View attachment 435834
more from mydailystyle.es
View attachment 435837 View attachment 435838
Vestido / Dress: Zara (old)
Blazer: M.Dutti
Cinturón / Belt: Asos
Pañuelo / Scarf: Zara
Zapatos / Shoes: Vermont (lo más cómodo que jamás me he comprado) old
Briefcase bag: vintage
View attachment 435836 View attachment 435839
View attachment 435837 View attachment 435838
Vestido / Dress: Zara (old)
Blazer: M.Dutti
Cinturón / Belt: Asos
Pañuelo / Scarf: Zara
Zapatos / Shoes: Vermont (lo más cómodo que jamás me he comprado) old
Briefcase bag: vintage
View attachment 435836 View attachment 435839
hanne - thanks for the pictures! she does manage to look great pregnant. and great article. personally, the belly band didn't work for very long for me .. i was constantly fiddling with it to stay in place.
i don't know what it is, but i do feel quite uninspired, fashion-wise. i find that i'm really uncomfortable in general, so i always opt for my most comfortable clothes, which usually means a pair of really comfy maternity pants, a stretchy empire waist top, and some kind of flat shoes. i agree with others in the thread that suddenly i feel like wearing more body conscious clothes, to show off my baby bump. it's a far cry from the tunics and loose dresses i was used to and thought i would gravitate towards during pregnancy. in general, i also feel really reluctant to buy any maternity clothes ... you wear them for such a short time, it's hard to justify buying more than a few things here and there (preferably on sale).
i don't know what it is, but i do feel quite uninspired, fashion-wise. i find that i'm really uncomfortable in general, so i always opt for my most comfortable clothes, which usually means a pair of really comfy maternity pants, a stretchy empire waist top, and some kind of flat shoes. i agree with others in the thread that suddenly i feel like wearing more body conscious clothes, to show off my baby bump. it's a far cry from the tunics and loose dresses i was used to and thought i would gravitate towards during pregnancy. in general, i also feel really reluctant to buy any maternity clothes ... you wear them for such a short time, it's hard to justify buying more than a few things here and there (preferably on sale).
helena
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I have mad do throughout (now 3 days overdue - ahhh) with two pairs of topshop maternity jeans , a pair of hideous trousers from Formes (total mistake), two pairs of baggy trousers both with triangular elastic inserts down the side (done by alteration shop) and a whole host of smock dresses whcih are non-maternity. I have found dark colours look best (shock)....and good coats/jackets/scarves/jewellery and good boots/shoes really made a difference. So I haven't spent much on clothes which I will not wear again. APC is fantasic for cute dresses.
Hanne - thanks for the pics of the spanish girl....she looks great....partly I think because she has long skinny legs....and she manages to still look young and trendy.
I think its a real challenge not to look dowdy/frumpy....so in a way I think you have to make more of an effort with wearable items (like shoes/boots/scarves etc) to be quite on trend and almost embrace more interesting pieces....than you might normally. Actually Comme des Garcons/Junya/Tao is also good for maternity wear as the proportions are mental anyway....The other clothes that have really worked for me....are Marni....again...strange cuts and volumes.....
, a pair of hideous trousers from Formes (total mistake), two pairs of baggy trousers both with triangular elastic inserts down the side (done by alteration shop) and a whole host of smock dresses whcih are non-maternity. I have found dark colours look best (shock)....and good coats/jackets/scarves/jewellery and good boots/shoes really made a difference. So I haven't spent much on clothes which I will not wear again. APC is fantasic for cute dresses. Hanne - thanks for the pics of the spanish girl....she looks great....partly I think because she has long skinny legs....and she manages to still look young and trendy.
I think its a real challenge not to look dowdy/frumpy....so in a way I think you have to make more of an effort with wearable items (like shoes/boots/scarves etc) to be quite on trend and almost embrace more interesting pieces....than you might normally. Actually Comme des Garcons/Junya/Tao is also good for maternity wear as the proportions are mental anyway....The other clothes that have really worked for me....are Marni....again...strange cuts and volumes.....
FASHIONLOVA
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am having a hard time finding nice clothes without having to buy them online.
the main stores that carry materity wear here are french brands like premaman and they have ugly things.
am tempted to get clothes custom made.
also, mydailystyle.com is a very interesting blog that i ve been following for a while as well. she has great style and is so lucky to have kept a slender figure all the way till the end of the pregnancy. not everybody s like that.
the main stores that carry materity wear here are french brands like premaman and they have ugly things.
am tempted to get clothes custom made.
also, mydailystyle.com is a very interesting blog that i ve been following for a while as well. she has great style and is so lucky to have kept a slender figure all the way till the end of the pregnancy. not everybody s like that.
helena
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what I did was get trousers that I liked anyway and take them to the alteration shop and have them insert elestic triangles down each side seam....that way they fit you but they stretch in the tummy where you will grow.....
You can do the same with skirts.....
You can do the same with skirts.....
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