BEAUTY AND THE BUMP
Tips on how to dress stylishly when you’re expecting.
It wasn’t so long ago that fashion decreed that a woman who was expecting a baby should also dress like one. That meant billowy pastel smocks and jumpers adorned with pretty bows, Peter Pan collars, puffy sleeves and twee patterns. Think Diana, Princess of Wales in her polka- dot teal frock, or Mad Men’s Betty Draper in candy pink baby- doll dress. How things have changed. “We aren’t trying to hide the belly anymore, like we were 30 years ago,” says Lorena Battistel, owner of Room For 2 Maternity and Baby in Vancouver.
You only have to look to celebrity culture to see how true that is.
With the supermarket tabloids and gossip blogs on perpetual “bump watch,” we’ve got a telephoto slide show of how a woman’s body changes throughout pregnancy. More importantly, celebrities have become fashion icons in how ( and sometimes how not) to dress the belly.
“I think women are very interested in what celebrities wear for maternity,” says Joanne Ducharme, director of design for the Canadian chain Thyme Maternity. “Women want to know what the celebrities are wearing while pregnant and then create a similar look for themselves.”
Olivia Capone Myers agrees. She’s the design director for A Pea in the Pod, which, along with Motherhood Maternity, is part of the international Destination Maternity chain that just opened its first Canadian superstore in Langley. She’s also expecting her first child this spring.
“The fact that so many celebrities are expecting — Jessica Simpson, Kate Middleton, Fergie and Kim Kardashian to name a few — has been incredibly exciting for me both as a designer and expectant mother,” Myers says.
“These women all have such a defined sense of style that they’ve maintained throughout their pregnancy, which I think is important and helps you feel good about yourself during this time when your body is changing. I think this wave of Hollywood pregnancies is encouraging women everywhere who are expecting to show off their bump and to turn their pregnancy into a fashion moment.”
Still, it’s not always easy dressing a body that is changing literally from day to day. That’s why Lynn Cromie, the manager of Vancouver’s boutique maternity store Hazel & Jools, thinks it’s so important that women rely on a retailer that can provide exceptional fit.
During pregnancy, your body changes all over — not just in the belly — making it hard to know what will fit, and when. Or, as Cromie explains, “First you thicken, and then you pop.”
Those changes can vary wildly throughout a pregnancy, so Ducharme recommends using Thyme Maternity’s “Momtobe Checklist,” which lists must- have items by trimester.
“I think that is key,” Ducharme says. “Focus on each trimester as your body changes so much. Lingerie would be very high on the list, followed by 3- in- 1 denim and lots of our super stretch tees.”
It’s not just how a garment fits that’s important, but also how it feels. Look for soft, comfortable, stretchy fabrics, especially ones that can breathe, like bamboo.
“You’re sensitive to everything, so fabric is a really big deal,” Cromie says.
Ducharme agrees: “Women want to feel comfortable while looking good. Fabrics have to be soft, pants have to be stretchy, and nothing should feel tight or confining. Wearing regular clothing in larger sizes just doesn’t work.”
It might be tempting to live in yoga pants and empire waists for the full nine months, but why would you when maternity fashions fit better and still follow the latest trends?
As Myers points out, “This season, you’ll find destructed denim, peasant tops, and florals in our store, but we tweak these looks to ensure they are flattering and super comfortable for mom- to- be.”
On- trend wardrobe staples include flattering side- ruched tees and dresses, which are great for layering under blazers, cardigans and jackets, as well as stretchy skinny pants and crops. Add interest with feminine lace inserts, waist details and lots of colour, especially bold blues and greens and bright pastels like coral and lilac. And be sure to pick up a few before-and-after pieces, too, especially nursing tops and bras.
If there is a single must- have item, it is denim, which comes in every style from coloured skinnies to frayed and faded slouchy boyfriend jeans to soft, stretchy “jeggings.”
“Pregnant or not, we love our jeans! And jeggings are a great wardrobe staple,” says Cromie. “I always say denim is the new black pant. The dark denim, they can dress it up and they can dress it down.”
So essential are jeans that Destination Maternity has created its Secret Fit Belly, a sort of elastic insert that allows pregnant women to wear their favourite regular brands, such as 7 For All Mankind. Says Myers, “You can still wear your favourite skinny, boot cut or boyfriend styles, but be incredibly comfortable.”
And, she adds, “Feminine accents like ties, bows and belts are another top trend. When placed above your bump, they give it a flattering shape and are an effortless way to add that extra something to any outfit.”
Embrace your curves, temporary as they are — ultimately, that’s the key to carrying off your pregnancy in style.
“Be happy and confident with your new body,” Ducharme says. “Embrace the experience; this will probably only happen one or two, maybe three times in your life. Focus on looking and feeling as good as you possibly can.”