Pregnant Fashionista — A Trendy Place for Expectant Mothers

One More Colorblocked Maternity Option For Spring

January 27, 2012

I have one more late addition to yesterday’s list of colorblocked maternity options and I apologize for the oversight because this sweater is just so cute. The Gap’s new cotton/modal Striped Spring Maternity Sweater is available in three separate colors and the vivid color combinations will have you right on-trend way before spring, as all three of these pieces are certainly winter-appropriate.

And while I was happy to come across this new sweater from The Gap, I was a bit discouraged by the promotional email Seven for all Mankind sent to my inbox today, which announced that the Spring 2012 Cropped Neon Skinnies are now in stock. Just one question for the designers at Seven: you make great maternity jeans and you also design super trendy jeans every season like these new, neon ankle jeans for Spring 2012. Now why can’t you combine these superior skills and come up with a pair of neon maternity jeans for pregnant women? We don’t even need all four color options, just one would be fine (pink, please). We all really want a pair of neon pink Sevens for the spring, we are willing to pay for them, but, barring a Jessica Alba-esque body miracle, none of us is likely to fit into these very tiny jeans at any point during 2012. We all may miss out entirely on the neon trend and it’s just not fair.

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Spring Colorblocking For The Pregnant Set

January 26, 2012

Those of us who are pregnant or nursing are going to have a harder time than most partaking in the colorblocking trend this spring. While the spring collections are chocked full of bright, bold pieces with contrasting colors, the maternity collections are, well, less so. Being that I will not likely be able to shimmy into one of Victoria Beckham’s delectable color-blocked sheaths come the warm weather, and being that Posh failed to incorporate nursing access into said sheaths anyway, I’ve compiled a short list of the spring colorblocked dresses available to those of us whom Posh has blatantly ignored, i.e., both the pregnant and the nursing.

1. Maternal America Alyssa Nursing Dress. This dress is simple, trendy, but miraculously manages to be both of those things while also providing nursing access. There is a serious shortage of desirable nursing dresses out there, snatch this one up in your size for pool and beachside breastfeeding this summer.

2. ASOS Maternity Colorblock Dress . This maternity dress uses a great blend of colors to achieve its colorblocking effect. It’s 100% polyester and not lined, but it only costs $50. I guess it depends on how badly you need to be part of the trend. Need I write more?

3. Short Sleeve Colorblock Maternity Dress. A Pea in the Pod has not missed out on the colorblocking trend, with a new sleeveless sheath included in its Spring Collection. I loath shopping at Pea in the Pod, but if Posh isn’t going to deliver a colorblocked nursing dress for all of us, we’ll have to settle for what’s available. And this dress is only $89.50, so it doesn’t have the typical, jaw-dropping mark-up we have all come to expect from PITP.

4. Diane von Furstenberg Hatsu Dress. DvF is all over the colorblocking trend this spring and while there are no new DvF maternity pieces in sight for spring, the line’s oversized silk Hatsu Colorblock Dress is clearly maternity-friendly and available in an array of colors. Check out DvF’s online boutique and Barney’s for additional color options.

And, if you can’t settle on a colorblocked maternity ensemble, you can always indulge in a diaper bag . One of those new Danzo Colorblock Diaper Bags is still at the top of my nesting must-buy list…I feel compelled to deal with the crib and the car seat first, though…

Tagged as: Trendy Maternity

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Decadent Monday: Isabel Marant’s “Jenny” Suede Boots

January 23, 2012

There comes a moment in just about every woman’s pregnancy when she is forced to come to terms with the fact that not only does her maternity clothing no longer fit, but her shoes don’t really fit anymore either. For those of us due to give birth during the winter, the “shoe” dilemma is more expansive and pronounced, as sandals are not an option and both shoes and boots are too tight. I reached that very moment about two weeks ago when I realized that not only did my numerous pairs of trusty, knee-high boots feel just a bit too snug, but I couldn’t pull them on over my swollen calves anyway (And, by the way, I’m not going to be talking about Uggs here or ever. This is a serious fashion problem, but not one so big that I or you should give in to wearing Uggs).

I took to the online boutiques in search a pair of flat boots that I could continue to pair with my leggings, tights and skinny jeans, but that were still hip enough that I wouldn’t dread wearing them every day. The clear winner is the Isabel Marant Jenny boot, a flat, suede ankle boot just released for S/S 2012. This boot has a slouchy look that is so very French and casually chic, you can’t help but feel you have outsmarted cruel Mother Nature when you pull them on. Yes, you ‘ve gained 50 pounds and can’t quite get your own underwear on anymore, but you’ve still managed to complete your maternity ensemble with effortlessly fabulous footwear.

The “Jenny” boot is available in two neutral colors, taupe and anthracite, so you should have just about every outfit covered with one pair of these boots. Isabel Marant does not design shoes in half sizes so you will, of course, need to go one size up from your regular shoe size. The Jenny boots are available here in the United States at net-a-porter.com (anthracite) or from Barney’s (taupe) for USD $580. But with a European designer like Isabel Marant, you will actually save money by ordering them directly from Europe. Matches Fashion has the very same boots available in taupe for USD $429–even with the $45 international shipping charge and a potential 10% U.S. duties charge, you will still come out ahead. Net-a-Porter’s UK site has the Jenny boots available in both anthracite and taupe for USD $517 (including shipping and duties).

Tagged as: Accessories

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Shop Splendid Now For The New Collection of Newborn Separates

January 20, 2012

Splendid has just released a new selection of baby separates in its online boutique and I speak from extensive experience when i tell you to buy today, because Splendid’s newborn and infant sizes go very fast. The new selection includes both the Splendid’s Infant Boys’ Collection and Splendid Infant Girls’ Collection. Splendid’s must-have and very-hard-to-find infant pieces are their basic onesies and bodysuits. Once you’ve purchased one of these inexplicably soft pieces and dressed your baby in it a few times, you’ll know why they are virtually impossible to find in newborn sizes.

Tagged as: kids

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Danzo Baby Bags: Not Quite So Decadent

January 19, 2012

After Decadent Monday’s posting hyping Sugarjack’s luxury $779 diaper bags, I thought I’d bring things down a notch and focus on another small, new designer making diaper bags that are equally chic, but available for about half the price (which, I know, is still decadent for a bag that is likely to transport poop on a regular basis. but your diaper bag will be your constant companion for the next few years, so you’d better love it).

Danzo Baby, based in New York and founded by a married couple with young children, has designed minimalist, functional diaper bags made of nylon or canvas and trimmed in leather. Danzo bags come in several different styles, my favorites being the colorblocked nylon Retro Bag and the nylon Hobo Bag, both pictured above. The entire collection is available in the line’s online boutique and prices range between USD $200 and USD $400. This new line has been picked up by the likes of Barneys and Fred Segal, so we are sure to see these bags dangling from the arms of celebrity mommies very soon.

While Danzo’s bags are clearly lovely to look at, they are really all about diaper bag organization. In fact, there is a patent-pending “Danzo Diaper Bag System.” Danzo bags zipper all the way down the sides like a suitcase, so you can actually spread your diaper bag out and organize it (oh, and clean it). The inside of the bag then has clear, plastic pockets with interchangeable velcro labels offering organizational options like “diapers” or “pacifiers” or “medical supplies” or “phone” or even “make-up” and “lip gloss” (yeah, right). Danzo is offering the ultimate in diaper bag organization–of course, that’s nice, but in the end, we all care most about how the bags look on our arms or hanging from our strollers. And I think they look great…

Tagged as: new line

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Italian Maternity Designer Nicol Caramel Posts Her Spring Collection

January 17, 2012

Italian luxury maternity designer Nicol Caramel has just posted her Spring/Summer 2012 collection and it is just beautiful. Her rather bizarre Winter 2011 collection notwithstanding, Nicol Caramel turns out some of the most beautiful maternity clothing available and the newest collection is chocked full of the runway trends that are so hard to find in stateside maternity collections. Brightly colored capri trousers and flirty dresses, tastefully cut Bermuda trousers, and colorblocked dresses–all designed specifically for pregnant women.

Unfortunately, Nicol Caramel continues to be available in the United States only through Veronique Maternity. If you happen to be shopping in New York City, then you can stop in at Veronique to try on some of the new spring pieces. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until Veronique posts its Spring collection online, which always occurs later in the season than we all might like.

Otherwise, if you happen to be traveling to Italy in the coming months, Nicol Caramel’s boutiques are located in Rome, Milan, Calgiari, and Monzo. If you are not conveniently headed to Italy, you will have to settle for online window shopping, just like me (sigh).

Tagged as: European Maternity Lines

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Decadent Monday: SugarJack Diaper Bags

January 16, 2012

Decadent Monday is back! It took a brief hiatus during the post-holiday sales, but the spring collections are slowly being released and there are many items popping up these days that are worthy of a pregnant women’s decadence.

Perhaps the most obvious one is your new diaper bag. The diaper bag is going to be your constant companion from birth through potty training, so it is understandably a very momentous purchase. Unfortunately, choosing a diaper bag often involves a good bit of trial and error, so I find it is an item about which you should seek advice before purchasing. My own hard-earned advice is simple: go big…as in size. Spend less than $100 or spend more than $500…just make sure that you have a bag big enough for your needs. I have tossed many, many diaper bags for being inadequately sized, including the Louis Vuitton diaper bag, which I loved to look at, but absolutely hated carrying, as it appeared to be sized for a mom who didn’t need to carry much more than a bottle and a few extra diapers. I am not that mom.

I’ll be posting additional diaper bag suggestions later this week in various price ranges, but on Decadent Monday, I must introduce you all to the new and extremely desirable SugarJack Diaper Bags. Just released out of England in 2011 and available to American shoppers via their online boutique, SugarJack’s diaper bags look like designer handbags, but are actually very functional diaper bags in camouflage. Inside each of these bags is a removeable “baby organizer” compartment that can be taken out and washed whenever necessary, protecting your new, gorgeous designer bag from the inevitable, messy spills that will definitely take place inside any diaper bag. On those very rare occasions when you might be leaving the house without your baby, you can simply remove the organizer and use the bag as a handbag.

There are, of course, numerous designer diaper bags out there, but I am lusting after these in particular, because they are just huge.
The oversized Rebecca is 18″ wide and 16″ high and also has two very large front pockets for additional storage.
The chocolate brown leather Oliver is a bit smaller and is part of SugarJack’s Limited Edition Collection, but even so, it still comes in at a nice 15 inches high and nearly 14 inches wide.

The "Rebecca"

The "Oliver"

SugarJack’s prices are, well, decadent. The bags start at USD $549 and range up to USD $779 for pieces from the new Limited Edition Collection. I haven’t made the commitment yet myself. By Baby #5, one doesn’t really expect a sparkling “push gift,” but I am cautiously hoping my husband miraculously shows up in my hospital room with one of these beauties after I’ve been cut open for the third time and given him his fifth child. Here’s hoping for miracles…

Tagged as: European Maternity Lines

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Spring 2012 Has Sprung At Blossom Mother And Child

January 13, 2012

Blossom Mother and Child has posted the first of its Spring 2012 Collection on its website and there are, of course, some absolutely beautiful and wildly priced pieces included for the new season. Interspersed among Blossom’s own new spring pieces are some maternity-friendly spring items from designers like M Missoni, Just Cavalli, and See by Chloe.

If nothing else, it’s always nice to window shop at Blossom. If you are inclined to purchase something, I do suggest quickly buying up the Nolan Sleeveless Top, which is just out in a bright red version this season and is Blossom’s version of a bargain at GBP 49 (USD $75). The Nolan tops are a mainstay of Blossom’s in-house collection, but sizes sell out fast. They often restock the Nolan tops during the season, but they are still hard to snag in your own size.

Otherwise, just enjoy looking. And keep the collection in mind should you have a special event to attend come spring.

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Nursingwear Doesn’t Always Have To Look Like Nursingwear

January 13, 2012

Part of the difficulty with nursingwear is that it just about always looks like nursingwear. There are a few small nursing designers out there who have recently set out to design real fashion pieces that also happen to be nursing accessible, like Heather Lehmann and Peaks of London. But the pieces are expensive and I completely understand the reluctance to invest heavily in clothing you are undoubtedly going to stain and in all likelihood, ruin within months. Nursingwear, as I’ve learned from experience, never really qualifies as investment clothing…
…which is why I am a big fan of shopping Boob Nursingwear…on sale. Boob is a Swedish-based design company that specializes in minimalist, quality nursingwear. Somehow the Swedes always manage to turn out high-quality baby and nursing products that look great and come at relatively reasonable prices (IKEA or Polarn o Pyret, anyone?). Boob is a perfect example of that. Boob nursingwear has set the standard in the industry with well-designed nursing pieces that offer easy, convenient nursing accessibility. More importantly, a good portion of their collection doesn’t really look like nursingwear. For example, I just ordered Boob’s Striped Knit Nursing Dress. This dress offers the same nursing access as Boob’s well-known nursing tops, but it is actually a really cute and fun cotton dress. I don’t know how soon I’ll be ready to wear it alone with tights, but during those first few postpartum weeks, I look forward to donning it with leggings or jeans and walking out the door without worrying how I am going to get nursing access quickly and discreetly that day.

I do, however, wait until Boob goes on sale to purchase their items. I have a serious shopping problem, but I’m not nuts. I am not going to spend $135 on a nursing dress so I can constantly leak breast milk all over it, no matter how cute it is. This dress, however, is now 40% off at the Bellydance Maternity sale, and is still available in just about all sizes for USD $81.
Other online maternity and nursing boutiques are also carrying a good selection of Boob Nursingwear on sale right now, including some of the line’s most fashion-forward nursing pieces. Figure 8 Maternity has a wide selection of Boob nursingwear, including the cozy Knitted Nursing Hoodie, included in its winter sale for 30% off. Boob’s online boutique is offering many pieces at 50% off and Pretty Pregnant has a limited selection of Boob nursingwear available at 20% off (both boutiques ship from Europe, so you’ll have to pay international shipping). Sizes are sporadically available in all three boutiques, so be sure to check all three places before giving up on your perfect item.

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Finally, A Truly Pretty Fitness Line For Pregnant Women

January 12, 2012

I have been waiting so long for nice maternity gymwear, I really thought I was going to have to design it myself.

Luckily, designer Maggie Zembruski has stepped in with her new luxury maternity gymwear line, Me2Roo, and I have been happily relieved of the responsibility. With a fashion background that includes a stint at Louis Vuitton, Maggie has recently launched a brand new fitness line exclusively for pregnant women and ladies, this is really nice stuff.

First, let me tell you about the workout pants. I cannot say enough good things about the Piper Ruched Leggings. Most importantly for us third trimester ladies, these leggings stay up, despite being an under-the-bump style. I wore them to the gym twice over the weekend and I did not have to yank at myself even once. The leggings themselves are made from a very thick nylon/lycra blend and the waistband is also thick with a very strong grip around the bottom of your bump.

Now for the tops. Unlike most of my other maternity workout tops, Me2Roo’s workout tops are actually pretty, flattering tops. You will want to wear these. Designed in bright colors with a very flattering and forgiving racerback cut along the back, these tops really take a pregnant woman’s primary workout concerns into consideration, i.e. coverage and freedom of movement. I especially like the Emily Top and the Charlotte Top, because the clever pleating at the empire waist allows them to work for the first, second, and third trimesters.

My one complaint about Me2Roo’s tops is that they are not supportive enough to wear on their own. They do have an internal shelf bra, but I need to wear a bra underneath these tops, and if I do, then most others will have to as well. Due to the racerback style, you’ll need to plan to wear a racerback sports bra underneath, which is a bit inconvenient. But these tops are so very bright, pretty and well-made and for the first time in a very long time this past weekend, I looked at myself in the mirror at the gym and was not embarrassed by what I was wearing. I can put up with a little bit of inconvenience.

Me2Roo’s online botuique is currently low on stock, but you can still order the pieces I’ve detailed above. Stay tuned for the launch of Me2Roo’s Spring 2012 collection, which Maggie promises will be filled with “neon, neon, and more neon.” I can’t wait.

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