Sunday, August 17, 2014

Styling the Bump


Zanna Roberts Rossi
With my second on the way in two years, I feel like I've been in maternity clothes forever! Living in NZ I seriously feel like there is a lack of decent maternity clothes. They're either matronly, or twee or plain sack-like & unflattering. If you are naturally slim or don't go crazy on over eating when pregnant, you can almost live in non-maternity clothes for 2/3 if not most of your pregnancy. Baggy tees, jumpers and cotton stretch dresses are great and yoga pants are brilliant. The old adage of "eating for 2" is a compete crock. You only need approximately 200-300 'healthy' calories a day when pregnant. I mean that is equivalent to just one slice of grainy toast with peanut butter! During my first pregnancy I managed to stay fit and healthy and if anything, I wanted to eat healthy food, knowing everything I put in my mouth was helping to grow a human! I felt very responsible. This time around wrangling a toddler & and constant Winter colds, I've found myself comfort eating and a little larger. Am just past halfway, and am now back to trying to walk daily & not eat too many treats! One thing that makes me feel better is a good wardrobe. Here are my pregnancy staples. The more you can mix and match, and use non-preggy clothes, the better. And, it's easier on your wallet!

Maternity Staples
Maternity Staples. Click here for full breakdown.

Jeans

Like my last pregnancy, I'm living in jeans. If you're lucky you won't need maternity jeans for a while, or can squeeze into a size larger than usual which I did. First pregnancies you generally put on less weight, I am in maternity jeans earlier this time around. But there are plenty of great maternity jeans. J Brand maternity jeans are fab but cost a fortune here, so I buy High Street/Chain Store jeans, which are very reasonable, & you can get ones with the elastic panels band at each side - not all the way around the belly (a look I didn't like). I've bought a black & a dark blue pair. You can also by belly bands that you use to attach to your regular jeans at the top. I also took to rolling the tops of my jeans down before I had to concede and get into maternity jeans. Or you could be very handy like Victoria Beckham and make your own maternity jeans by customizing your usual pairs! She wasn't keen on the elastic panel inserts either (See below).

Black leggings & Yoga Pants
My boot-cut collection of yoga pants lasted throughout my pregnancy, which I was thrilled about! They had a roll down flap at the waist, which I just rolled up when pregnant. I also wore my black ASOS maternity leggings to death in the latter months. Not being a svelte celeb with a neat tidy bump in that last trimester, I found that thighs rubbing together was one of the most uncomfortable side effects, so leggings & tights need to be worn! Not very glam - but necessary! 

Long v-neck jumpers

I've got through Winter by living in jeans and long, baggy Sambag cashmere jumpers. Long v-neck jumpers are the best! Rag & Bone do a lovely one worn by Zanna Richards Rossi (see below). A bit beyond my budget, but gorgeous none the less! 

T.Shirts 
During warmer months I mostly wear jeans & baggy tees. I buy long v-neck tees a size or 2 bigger than usual. I also invested in a few fitted maternity tees for the latter months, as sometimes I just felt like something fitted and not baggy!

T.Shirt dresses
These are so handy and non-maternity cotton stretch ones are fine to wear throughout pregnancy. With Summer coming, I'll have to switch to my Foxette tee shirt dresses with black leggings for those final months. Short empire line dresses work well too as you can mostly wear non-maternity ones.

Maxi Dresses

Loved my non-maternity long stripey Maxis during Summer. They can be worn before, during and after pregnancy, although for the latter months, maternity maxi dresses are great. ASOS have some good options. Long vintage empire line maxi floral dresses also look great - check out Elsa Pataky below.

Black Blazer
A black blazer is always handy to throw over & dress up jeans and a tee. Always dresses up your outfit and can be worn day or night, before, during and after pregnancy! You'll see loads of celebs wearing blazers during pregnancy, as below.

Office Wear
One of the other few maternity items I invested in was a black maternity pencil skirt - very handy and went with my jumpers, tees and blazer. 

Dressing up
On rare nights out, I wore my stretchy black lace Foxette dress a lot for my last pregnancy, which was a life saver! I love lace dresses on pregnant women, they always look chic and feminine, especially the fitted versions.
  
Rachel Finch in LOVER® Ceremony dress, Billie Faiers & Teresa Palmer Pallas Couture wedding dress 
I also adored Kim Kardashian's Carine Gilson camisoles she wore during pregnancy, they really dress up black pants & a jacket for a night out.
 
 Kim Kardashian in Carine Gilson cami
Now mid-trimester, I'm again looking to some styley new fashionista mums for a bit of inspiration! Two of my faves, Gwen Stefani and Sienna Miller, pretty much dress the way they always do when they are pregnant and I love that. It looks like they simply tailor outfits, or buy larger sizes to fit their bellies. It helps that both have experience with fashion design. Interestingly, there is virtually no maternity style tips or advice online from any Sienna or Gwen interviews - which is surprising especially coming from Gwen, who has been lauded for her maternity style throughout all 3 pregnancies. Instead, they seem to let their pictures do the talking. I also love Elsa Pataky's grungy rock chick pregnancy style, in her black boots & pretty vintage dresses.
    
Elsa Pataky
   
 Gwen Stefani
  
 Sienna Miller
I have loved reading the following tips from pregnant fashionistas. Their wardrobe staples are very consistent.  I've been loving following Marie Clare Fashion Editor & E! fashion correspondent Zanna Roberts Rossi's seemingly effortless looks. 
Burberry jacket, Kimberly Ovitz dress, BLK leather jacket, Marc Jacobs pants & Alexander Wang Tee
"Lots of people said, ‘Oh just get a pair of leggings and a white shirt,’ and I was like I can’t live my life like that for six months! When you have fun dressing, it motivates you so I’ve embraced it. I decided I’m not going to wear sweats and I’m going to go for it" from Metro US
 
Marchesa dress and leggings
Zanna Roberts Rossi 
Interviewed on the fab blog Romy & the Bunnies, Zanna outlines her top tips for pregnancy dressing:
1. My most important tip is to stay true to your own style. Pregnancy does not mean you dress like a different person (there are enough changes happening!).
2. Buy a couple of quality basics that you can style in different ways. Mine were the black J Brand leather leggings and a Boden black Cashmere sweater.
3. Don’t start wearing tight maternity clothing until you are sure you look pregnant, not in the ‘is she isn’t she’ tricky phase when you look like you may just have eaten too many burgers!

Burberry jacket, Kimberly Ovitz dress, Rag & Bone jumper & J Brand leggings
I loved the Marc Jacobs sparkly tight dress I wore for The Golden Globes. Its ironic as I NEVER would wear something this tight when not pregnant but all of a sudden with a baby bump, I have more confidence in my body. For anyone who has followed #stylethebump they know I never take my leather J Brand leggings off! They are the perfect antidote to feeling too mumsy and uncool, plus they work with everything! From a silky long dress layered over, a chunky sweater stolen from my hubby or a cool vintage Tee. The only maternity brands I gave into were Hatch, such as the overalls I was wearing on the shoot and the new Mommie maternity bra from Cosabella and its brilliant!! Comfy and pretty." Check out more pics & full interview at Romy & the Bunnies

Rachel Zoe
   
I also loved mother of 2 stylist Rachel Zoe's pregnancy looks. Mind you, both her bumps were so teeny, but she still had some great tips that apply to those of us who do not look like skinny minnies throughout our pregnancies! As she loves layering anyway, Rachel was able to maintain a lot of her current wardrobe for her pregnancies, which you can totally do with roomy tees, stretchy maxi dresses& skirts and tee shirt dresses.
 
 "I don’t really have maternity clothes. I don’t dress that much differently pregnant than I do when I am not pregnant, honestly. I live in kaftans, ponchos, and drape-y tunics because I like to be comfortable, so dressing is not that different.” In Style 

"Black leggings, oversized tees, super soft knits, jersey and cashmere, cropped jackets, flat riding boots, smoking slippers. Anything with stretch, and stick to dark colors. A great black pair of leggings – you can wear them with everything and they grow with you during your term.  I also think oversized loose knits are great – whether you opt for a super soft and cozy cardigan, or an open knit pullover. It’s effortlessly cool without having to put too much thought into your look. I also think a great pair of ballet flats and riding boots are the perfect shoes to mix and match into your wardrobe.  Or, if you’re anything like me, I wore heels to the very end." from Romy & the Bunnies

"Keep the dresses long and loose. Column-style maxi dresses are always a great option because they're effortless yet chic -- perfect for those days when you're not in the mood to put together an entire outfit. Just throw on a long dress and you're done. I love this look paired with a belt worn under your belly to accentuate the bump -- after all, you only have it for a couple of months. Anything A-line is great if you want to go short. If not, I think a bare neck or shoulder is always super sexy -- but never too revealing. An empire waist is great if you want to show off your belly" from ABC

Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Romy & the Bunnies blogger
 
“I didn’t want to change the way I dress, or the way I feel about myself. I wanted to keep dressing in a very sexy, girly way. It’s so strange how people can be judgmental when they see a pregnant woman dressed in high heels and tight dresses. Being pregnant shouldn’t make you feel less of a woman, but more of a woman!” British Vogue

"My mum managed to stay stylish through her whole pregnancy. I found amazing photos of her, wearing tight Alaïa dresses and beautiful Victorian high-waisted dresses. And I see all my friends who manage to dress sexily while they are pregnant, but I felt like there wasn’t a platform for those kind of mums." Metro UK

Kristin Cavallari
     
"I don't think you need to spend tons of money on maternity clothes," admits the star, who is due this summer and still wearing her normal jeans. "I just can't zip or button them, so I wear the belly band that goes around the button to hold them up." Kristin also recommends stocking up on cheap tank tops and pairing them with blazers for trendy mommy-to-be style. She even plans to keep them in rotation once the baby arrives: "If they get ruined, it's not a big deal because they're inexpensive." baby arrives: "If they get ruined, it's not a big deal because they're inexpensive." Life and Style

Actress Molly Sims
 
"I’ve never met a maxi dress I didn’t like and was particularly attached to them during my pregnancy. I also wore a lot of long, stretchy skirts and paired them with either a cardigan or leather jacket. During my pregnancy, I continued to buy the same clothes I bought before but in larger sizes. Except during my final month when not even the largest size would fit me. At that point I knew it was time to give birth!"  Romy & the Bunnies

Model Missy Rayder 
"My favorite things I wore while pregnant were large vintage dresses and American Apparel stretch paints. That’s it. I lived in them. For me it was not about putting any effort into dressing. I couldn’t even fathom it. And forget about trying to squeeze into the shoes you wore before. My feet were so swollen that just observing my former shoes was painful! I did purchase a couple pairs of maternity jeans but even those didn’t fit once I got to 7 months." Romy & the Bunnies

Model Lily Aldridge 
   
"It was very hot towards the end of my pregnancy so I was living in beautiful cotton dresses with leather sandals. I especially loved a form-fitting dress to show off my growing bump. Rick Owens tops were my absolute favorite because they grew with my belly.  I loved wearing J Brand Jeans while pregnant. Hatch Maternity also has amazing dresses in cottons and silks. Wear whatever makes you feel the most beautiful and comfortable!"Romy & the Bunnies

Victoria Beckham 
  
"I refuse to accept that I have to change my look when I’m pregnant. I do still wear my stilettos when I’m pregnant, but I’m not recommending it for anyone else. I make my own maternity jeans by taking a normal pair and cutting V shapes in the side by the pockets and stitching elastic there. That way, I keep the normal zipper fly in front, which is a lot nicer looking than a big strip of elastic...I fell in love with ponchos when I was pregnant with Cruz. They were my pals, the only things that had room for my tummy, my boobs and my back. My boobs get so big during pregnancy that they practically start around my back. As your boobs are changing so much, it is worth getting them re-measured." The Independent




1 comment:

  1. Excellent article. Very interesting to read. I really love to read such a nice article. Thanks! keep rocking.
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