Maternity
StyleMaternity
StyleHow to gain thirty or more pounds in nine months and still look like One Hot Mama:
How can I tell you what will look good on you when I’m only words on a computer screen, and I haven’t even seen your body type or colouring or could possibly know that paisley just works, works, works on you? Well, there are some rules, and I’ll help you navigate them. At the end, you can always discard some or all, because the only arbiter of your personal style is YOU.
This phrase used to be a total oxymoron, as clothes for pregnant women even ten years ago were beyond hideous. But now, whenever I read an ad or a profile for a maternity clothing designer, they still make the claim that their looks break the mold of unattractive preggo clothing. Are you kidding? There are so many great togs to choose from that I, for one, am actually excited to be pregnant again!
What are the true challenges of dressing while gestating? The first is those early months, when you don’t yet have a proper bump (as the English so cutely put it) to hang the full-cut clothes on, but you’re definitely too round for your Levi’s. The second challenge is how to pull together a complete wardrobe for a round-the-world trip – without breaking the bank. The third is how to work with an enlarging alien expanse of pulsating skin below your boobies and above your widening hips and turn it into a fashion asset.
Let’s start by saying that, as a world-renowned bargain hunter, all my comments are geared toward eliminating unnecessary spending. If you prefer to just charge, charge, charge and money is no object, go immediately to our online store and order one of everything in every colour! Still here? Read on.
I’m going to restate some great words of wisdom that were the best info I’ve found on dressing the newly pregnant body. They came from one of my fave authors, Vicki Iovine, and are found in The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy. She talks about the weird phenomenon wherein your tummy is ice-skater flat in the morning, and then pooches out as the day goes on until nothing fits at night. Her solutions are great, and include my favourite one of using a sturdy rubber band to expand the waistband and therefore eke out a few more weeks of wear.
This first stage of pregnancy is where you can really do well with things that are in style right now, low-slung, boot-cut pants, stretchy tops and dresses, drawstring pants. But you may be lulled into thinking, “I can do this. I won’t need to ever buy maternity clothes.” Sure you won’t.
The number one rule in this trimester is to stay away from my tummy! Thus, dresses rule. It just feels awful (at least to me) to have a waistband touching me. Come to think of it, I don’t want a waistband until baby’s around four or five months old.
A small body-image note: I’m a small person (freakishly small, as my sis would say) and have never been a dieter or particularly concerned with my size, even when I was so, well, zaftig that my cheeks were hanging out of my lycra shorts in the 80s, but at this point in my gestation I feel very unattractive. Why? Well, I don’t look pregnant yet, just bloated. Be sure to do hair and nails and whatever else you need to keep up your spirit during this time.
Now you start to look preggo. But first you may be surprised at the changing shape of your body. Your greatly thickened waist may seem formless and rather, well, blob-like. Don’t despair, as the weeks go on, it’ll look more and more like a hard sphere. Here’s the scoop for weeks 15 on: Show off your tummy and work around your ass. Don’t try to wear non-maternity clothes in bigger sizes, as you’ll just look fat. (No angry letters please, I’m not saying anything’s wrong with being fat. I’m just saying that 99.9% of American women don’t want to look fatter than they actually are. If you disagree with that, you’re not a woman, and I don’t want to hear from you.)
And though you may think you’re only getting bigger in the belly, trust me, your butt and thighs are bulking up to support that growth. So be very careful of panty lines. How to make this stage look good? Dress with lines that run closely to your body. You’re pregnant, not in need of a caftan. For that reason, your husband’s clothes may not be the panacea you think they could be. Unless you guys are the same height and build, the sleeves will make you look distinctly orangutan-like, and there’ll be far too much fabric for you to swim around in.
On the off chance that you’re bigger than your husband while pregnant, it certainly won’t do your self-esteem any good to try on his clothes and have them be too tight. So stay away from his size of the closet unless you’re Christy Brinkley.
Now’s the time to think about your wardrobe for the next five months. Don’t buy any maternity clothes now, and you’ll run screaming into an overpriced mall shop in desperation at month eight because nothing fits and there is no way to work around that belly with leggings anymore. Go to a resale shop, or try the auctions at motshop.com or mothersnature.com for women who are unloading vast quantities of maternity clothes because they’ve finally tied their tubes. The good news is, that unless the wardrobe is from the mid-eighties, most maternity stuff isn’t particularly time-sensitive, so you’ll be able to get some good deals for basics.
Another place for cheapo stuff is Target. They’ve pretty much copied some of the more expensive lines’ tops quite well. I would warn you away from the pants, but that’s just me.
To buy maternity clothes, start with the size you were before getting pregnant. Your shoulders and torso length shouldn’t change while you’re growing a baby, so your basic size should stay pretty consistent.
Once you have a base, head to the One Hot Mama online store for pretty things to round out the selection. Why? Because you’ll be wearing these clothes a lot, which is why the really cheap stuff (you know what I’m talking about – that feels nasty to the touch) isn’t worth it. You need your clothes to stand up to repeated washing, especially since every time I tried to eat a meal after I started showing, I’d drip some special sauce on my tummy. Very impressive.
Play up anything that hasn’t gotten too big, and focus on the tummy. In other words, a slim-fitting top in a colour with black slim pants will take the heat if your ankles are little puffy. And if your legs look great, go for short stuff and dark glasses (the best way to avoid putting on eye makeup).
Although heels may make your legs look good, save them for occasions where you’re going to be languorously lolling on a chaise while people peel you grapes (aka, your baby shower). They’re just too durned dangerous, now that your center of gravity has shifted drastically.
The hardest thing to remember about this sartorial adventure is to dress like yourself. If you were a person who lived in bright colours, don’t feel relegated to a wardrobe of all-black because the style mavens make the majority of maternity stuff in that hue. Use it as a starting point for your sense of style.
We’ll always have you covered here at One Hot Mama. We’re happy to hear from you with your suggestions. Read on for words of fashion wisdom from some hot mamas who’ve weathered the trail.
Love,
Roxanne
From: Carla
Here is a maternity tip: Matte Jersey dresses are a lifesaver during the first half of pregnancy! If you are a bit too small for the more roomy maternity clothes that are found everywhere else, or if you like to show off your pregnant belly, try some matte jersey tank dresses or skirts in a size or two (or three) larger than your normal size. I like the sensual feel of clothes that hug my body while pregnant, and many styles can be casual or dressy. Show off those curves instead of hiding them!
From: Elaine
I found travel catalogs to be useful, especially for that bland second-trimester time. They specialize in loose, comfortable clothes that pack well and give you enough coverage to enter foreign (and/or religious) tourist attractions, which I found very helpful when all the maternity stores only wanted to sell me sleeveless, thigh-length dresses. They even have adjustable pants, so you don't have to resort to the rubber-band trick if you don't want to. And, best yet, they know that their customers may be going to ANY climate, so you can always buy clothes for cooler or warmer weather, regardless of what season the fashion industry thinks it is.
From: Claire T
Outside of Southern CA, many of us are pregnant for two seasons, so we end up having to buy two sets of clothes. I have a "second trimester" wardrobe, which is specifically NOT maternity clothes. I'm a lawyer-financial planner type in the New York metro area, so I need to look tailored and professional. I have a bunch of A-line dressed and knit dresses with full-length matching cardigan jackets. The don't scream "pregnancy" and pretty much got me through the sixth month on pregnancy #1. With pregnancy #2, they didn't last quite as long. [Ed’s note: the jackets you can always wear over maternity tops and bottoms. As long as you didn’t want to button them up]
For real maternity clothes, stay away from ruffles, flounces, bows, and anything floral. A friend loaned me some stuff and I couldn't deal with it--I looked like the Philadelphia flower show lumbering down the hall.
I was successful in picking a mix of colors (red, white, grey, black) and ONLY buying maternity clothes in those colors. Everything was a simple as could be. Got boring, but I could stand it. In general, I think this whole casual dress at the office thing is a cruel joke on the pregnant.
Claire, JD, MLT
From: Alison
I had several favorite items:
Anything with horizontal
stripes. When you're pregnant, you can
let you stomach look like a globe and have it be flattering. There
is no other time in your life where you can pull this off.
A pink floral chiffon sun dress.
It was cool, light, and VERY
cute. [OHM has one coming in June!] Every mom-to-be should have at least one
piece of clothing that lets her show off her sense of style... romantic,
dramatic, classic or natural. It just makes you feel good!
My swim suit. Believe it or not, I loved it. No skirt, just a watermelon suit. I loved wearing it... [Ed’s note: as my fave Girlfriend Vicki warns, do NOT try to wear a non-maternity suit when pregnant. Your girth will pull and expose either your butt or your crotch area. Not good.]
From: Rachael
Toward the end of your pregnancy - treat yourself to
something new that fits. There will be so
little that you can wear toward the end that it will really perk you up to have
something new.
Also, pick out a pretty bed jacket or pajama set (you will only wear the top for
now) to wear in the hospital. It really helps you feel pretty and in
shape for visitors. Those hospital gowns can make you feel pretty drab. Be sure
to get buttons so you can nurse comfortably.
I want to contribute my
