It is safe to assume that your body will change throughout your pregnancy. Though we periodically hear stories of women who went to the doctor for abdominal pain and came home with a baby, not knowing they were even pregnant! For most of us, we will certainly feel and see the changes our body goes through throughout the pregnancy.

The obvious change is your growing belly, due to the new life growing inside you. Other elements affecting your body may not be as obvious, and may or may not affect you.

You may notice, even before your belly begins to expand that your pelvic bone widens and your jeans may start to feel a bit snugger. This is due to the loosening of your hip bone, which occurs in order to prepare your body for the birth.

You may have also been told to avoid salt during your pregnancy. This is due to water retention and is typically associated with the third trimester. Most women experience some swelling during their pregnancy. It is common to experience mild edema in the feet, legs and hands, even the face. This is due to the increased blood volume in the body during the pregnancy. Some woman may experience more swelling than others. See your doctor if you feel the swelling is extensive or abnormal.

While all these changes, combined with elevated level of hormones, can result in frustration with your body, it is best to try and see the up side of things, and remember it is all temporary. Your body is changing because of the baby growing inside, and after the birth your body will change again. This is certainly not the time to start a diet, but a short while after you deliver, you can start working on your figure again, if you wish.

Do not be discouraged when you look in the mirror, but find ways to enjoy these changes while they last. Treat yourself to new items of clothing, shop for maternity clothes that will enhance your celebrated curves and don’t throw out all you have in your closet. You never know, you may fit into them sooner than you thought.

What does the fall / winter fashion has planned for us? This winter maternity fashion brings us styles for extreme body sizes – everything from newly pregnant and still skinny to celebrating the “real” feminine shape of the ‘nearly due’. Grays integrated with a touch of warm color in truly dramatic textures & patterns are what’s “in”. The chest that was magnified in the past decade is now covered under layers of thick sweaters accenting long lines of feminine legs. The combination between forms that emphasize a skinny waist & those that leave room for a preggo belly truly broaden the selection and allow even the most pregnant women a wide variety in putting together their pregnancy wardrobe.

The global winds

New designs have always been inspired to an extent from historical periods and different ethnic cultures, as well as from textile innovations, social movement, weather & politics. Yes, my dear readers, our garments are made of a little more than we would have thought. This season we can see the changes in the global weather very clearly on the runway as well. The new ethnic trend is assembled of a collection of cultures across the globe combined into a unique new line. Patterns and textures from wild cultures are introduced in tailored and conservative designs.

If so far one period was significantly present in one line, this season introduces the 20’s, 80’s & 50’s with a hint of futuristic sci-fi movies. The use of multiple layers that has been in style for some time now, supports the immediate and constant movements between extreme weather and air conditioned or heated spaces. These elements are evident in current fashion collections around the world. With time, a collection of layered items is being designed to fit to any weather with the use of accessories and layers that make the difference per outfit. The infinite mix & match with the layering of clothes allow the pregnant women to wear maternity clothes with items from her pre-pregnancy wardrobe.

Gray is the new global color

The famous “little black dress” is making room for the new “little gray dress” in different tones. Other new colors this season are purple, which is replacing the summery yellow; the bright red is stepping down for red gray; blue & brown are also touched with gray with season. These new colors and tones are combined with items in gray, of course. For example: gray dress with colorful tights. If you are pregnant & are planning for more than one pregnancy, you should design a classic wardrobe in fashionable gray, mix it up with this season’s purple scarf or top, and in a year or two for your next pregnancy you could use the same basic wardrobe and update the item(s) of color with the colors of the time.

A celebration of textures & fabrics

Do not worry, the world of fashion is not becoming boring, all this grayness that is introduced this season is accompanied by many patterns, thick knits, and – feathers! No, it’s not a typo.. many feathers, layers & folding of the fabric that look much like origami.

This new style celebrates long skinny legs. Hence the higher belt location at the waist, that make the legs look longer & ignores the chests area. If you are pregnant this is your time to celebrate! A massive & comfortable sweater dress & tights will emphasis your skinny legs in comparison to your growing belly. If you finally have a chest to show off, you can always emphasis it with a belt at the bust line.

And to wrap up, the jeans! You can see that even the jeans go gray and the blue gets deeper.

So how does it all fit on us?

Shape – careful, over layers will compliment the colloquial among us. A fashionable look can also be achieved with softer layers with clean-line tailored top & a flowing bottom. For those of us with feminine legs, this is the time to enjoy tights, a skirt or dress– anything that ends above the knee. For narrow legged, skinny tights are the way to go.

When pregnant, your body changes rapidly. Finding something in the closet every morning (whether for the work environment or otherwise) may become challenging by the day, as your belly grows. With the new changes and challenges of the pregnancy, you do not need the added stress of struggle with your wardrobe.

Before you get frustrated by your existing collection, take a look in our closet and see what can be of use to you during your pregnancy. You may find that some tights and sweat pants may work well for a while. Use them as long as they do not put pressure on your belly. Dresses are another nice option – that is if your chest still fits into them. Some outfits can be dressed up or down with basic accessories, take advantage of what you have in your closet and make use of scarves, wraps, purses, pins, jewelry etc.

If you are ready to expend your wardrobe, you can use the same concept. Layering is a great way of mixing up your look and using pre-pregnancy and maternity clothes together in creating the perfect look.

When shopping for maternity clothes, consider getting a belly band or two in different patterns to use with tops from your pre-preggo collection. Tights in different colors can be mixed with a maternity tunic or dress for a sheek look. If you are a jeans person, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have maternity jeans. You can wear them with any maternity top, for different occasions.

There is no need to go overboard – you do not need a completely new wardrobe. Get a pair of jeans or two, several colors or tights, and have fun with tops, tunics and dresses. If you plan to breastfeed plan ahead and get nursing tops. They will grow with you and shrink back if they are of good quality.

It is important to remember – that looking good can help boost your mood and confidence, but you first need to be comfortable. If your pants are too tight leave them in the closet and find something else. You’ll fit back into them soon enough. In the mean time, your baby and your bladder need the room to coexist comfortably…

Hooray! Summer is here and you are ready for the beach. At this point it is nearly impossible to ignore the urge to cool off in the cold water, and really, there is no reason to resist. This year you’re sensitive to the heat more than ever, since you have the body temperature produced by two.

This season, the gods of fashion have heard your prayers and decided – bikinis rule! More so, they have allowed you to purchase the two pieces separate from each other according to your body’s need for different sizes. Furthermore, you can gather great information about the colors, prints, and of course taking into account the new changing proportions of your body. It is time to show off your curves and leave your shyness at home!

It is true, hardly any companies design maternity bathing suites; and those that do rarely have an eye for style and chic attire. You can find yourself walking around for hours, looking for a piece of 5” fabric that is not designed to hide it all and costs and arm and a leg.

Alas, that does not mean you have to hide indoors. On the contrary – you should show off your curves and join the many other pregnant women at the beach wearing well made and well priced bikinis.  Start looking and feeling fabulous!

The best fit

Regardless of whether or not you are pregnant you should select a bathing suit shape according to your body type in order to accentuate your body with a slimmer look.

The first step on the way to finding the prefect fit is to take a look at your whole body in the mirror. I suggest doing this at home rather than in the florescent lighting at the department stores.

What I have found is the cut of the bathing suit top will have a major impact on the shaping of your hips. The top piece should emphasize a wider shoulder area in order to “shrink” the look of your hips.

A halter top or a strapless design enlarges the appearance of the hips. A string bikini top or a tank top shape puts emphasis on the shoulders and makes the hip area look smaller in relation to the rest of the body.

If you are a woman of beautiful contour and your hips seem to bother you, try a top that brings the eye to the top half of you. Trust me it Works!

Long legs: you can shorten the length of your leg and emphasize the calf by wearing shorts with low pockets.

Fuller hips: do not be fooled to believe that covering your hips with a sarong will make the hips look slimmer. The contrary is true. Instead, wear a loose skirt or an A shaped design.

Colors: when you’re pregnant, you may have pigment spots on your skin, and those are usually yellow and brownish in tone. Avoid a bikini in these colors. Blue, green & pink will complement you more. If your skin is prone to burning, avoid purchasing red colored swimwear.

Black is a great classic color. It wears and washes well. However, in a full piece design black is no longer slimming, better to opt for a two piece. Patterns: Mix it up! Use inspirations from the 50’s & 70’s with a symmetric prints, polka dots, flowers and stripes. Black & white prints, geometric shapes, and throwing caution to the wind, is the way to be, happy and free.

Make your bikini last longer:

First, try to find bikini bottoms that are adjustable with strings, so you can adjust its size as you grow. There is a good chance you will use it through your entire pregnancy. Same goes for the top part – with string around your back and neck. There are plenty tops with thick strings – those give better support for your changing chest.

Buy a one piece? Yes or no?

One of the disadvantages of the one piece bathing suites is that they are limited in their ability to expand. For this reason, the one piece suit will not flatter you at any point in your pregnancy. Therefore, avoid spending the money on a one piece.

Final tips

• You can wash your swim suit in the machine, using the delicate cycle. Do not dry
• Sun tan oil will stain and destroy the swim suit. Use sun tan lotion instead.
• Vinegar can help rid of stains, but could change the to the suites’ color.

And lastly, remember – it is only a bathing suit. All of our imperfections are just that.  A bathing suit will not eliminate them entirely so, embrace it all. Love your body and enjoy your new look.

Your pregnancy is a wonderful opportunity for a celebration of fashion. When else will you let yourself loose with flowing fabrics & specialty pants with an elastic band for belly support?

In the last years, a real change in style has taken place in the world of maternity clothes. No more wearing tents, or your husband’s shirts, instead there are designs that flow with the curves of your changing body, emphasizing the belly and maintaining flattering proportions.

The current maternity collections favor the feminine body and the changes it goes through throughout the pregnancy.

Summer collection – leading trends

In the summer months, maternity collections feature light dresses, tops with generous openings and shorter pants. Comfort is the name of the game -walks in the park, veging in front of the TV or even work. This summer we see more bold patterns that give a short sleeve shirt a fun twist; as well as, patterns rich in flowers and elements from nature.

Summer collection – tips for how to select the right thing

Maternity clothes and body types: for those of use with slender legs airy dresses are recommended; pants that widen at the bottom (such as bell bottoms) will be more flattering for those with not so slender legs.

If you wish to create the illusion of narrower hips, choose a high cut pair of pants that covers the belly. This cut will also give the appearance of longer legs. An A shaped skirt will also do the trick.

For a more voluptuous look, choose shirts or dresses with a V shape neck what highlight the chest and shoulder areas. Wining fashionable combinations:

- Different color tights with a long tunic for a casual sheek look.

- Maternity jeans with elastic bands and a half sleeve top.

Welcome!

We are very excited about our new blog!

We now have the means to communicate our thoughts about, well, anything (…) on paper. Well, not exactly paper… but the screen will do.

This is a wonderful time to be pregnant! The fashion world has so much to offer & you get a wide selection to choose from in color, style, pattern, even budget.

It used to be easiest to go into hubby’s side of the closet & find something to hide your growing belly with. But let’s face it: 1. their side of the closet is small(er than yours!) & doesn’t have the variety you’d like to be able to choose from. 2. Who do you think you are fooling? Other women will know what trick you are trying to pull!

This summer is the time to take advantage of all worlds & enjoy a celebration of maternity fashion! It’s here, and you are not pregnant every day, enjoy it!

Happy pregnancy! Happy shopping!