You don’t hear this from many places, as retailers like to entice you into buying maternity pieces by claiming they will last you straight through to the end of your pregnancy. But come the third trimester, you will likely need and/or want an entirely new wardrobe. And if not a new wardobe, then a few pieces that you will have to wash every day and wear over and over again, becasue nothing else will fit you. And I mean nothing. The American Pregnancy Association recommends a woman in her third trimester gain 1-2 pounds per week…ha!
Fourth Love, a new maternity line out of New York City, clearly prizes comfort and simplicity for the pregnant form, rendering the line just about perfect for a third-trimester pregnancy. Kim and Jessica won’t be wearing Fourth Love, as there is nothing in the least bit body-conscious about this new maternity line. But that’s just fine with the rest of us. All of the silhouettes are loose-fitting, and best paired with skinny jeans or leggings. The fabrics are high-end, made from cotton and rayon blends, and manufactured right here in the USA. All of the pieces are easily washable, and available in muted, versatile colors. I know–perfect, right?
Fourth Love’s Spring Collection is available exclusively though the line’s online boutique. Don’t miss the Favorite V-Neck Blouse, it’s like I’ve already said a few times…perfect.
Halle Berry always looks amazing, but that woman somehow manages to look particularly hot while pregnant. She was pictured recently in the Michelle Jonas Keyhole Maxi Dress and I just thought she looked fabulous. I am wiling to bet she isn’t even wearing maternity Spanx underneath this.
If she looks fabulous in this dress, well it’s certainly worth a try for the rest of us.The Keyhole Maxi Dress is available in different prints and solids in the Michelle Jonas online boutique, including the Portugese Land pattern that Halle was wearing. And yes, before you ask, it has a built-in bra. I wouldn’t recommend it otherwise. The dress is priced at USD $258, but several of the colors are on sale.
And a big PF congratulations to reader Melanie Pellegrini, who won last week’s Madderson London giveaway. Melanie, please contact Sara directly via email (sara@maddersonlondon.com) to arrange for shipping of your new pink silk Charlotte Dress. Thanks to everyone who entered, a big thanks to Madderson London for its continuing support of PF, and much more importantly, for creating a high-end maternity line that is very easily shopped by Americans (take note, European maternity designers).
Several pregnant celebrities have recently stepped out in one of Isabella Oliver’s classic ruched black tank dresses and I continue to be impressed by how classy these pieces look. I don’t know who Ali Landry is or why she is a celebrity, but she looks great in the black Isabella Oliver Ruched Maternity Tank Dress. 
Reese Witherspoon, always a modicum of class (except when she’s wasted), looked great last year in the same dress.
I sent Isabella Oliver 
an email earlier in the week to let them know how much I was loving the black ruched jersey dresses and they kindly offered to give PF readers an exclusive 10% discount off the dresses and the entire site. Treat yourself to one of these uber-classy black numbers–and few other pieces–for summer and save 10% with promotional code “PF10.” I myself love this dress, especially for travel, You can stuff this dress in the bottom of your purse and it still looks fabulous when you pull it on.
The dress is priced at USD $155, reduced to USD $139.50 with the discount. The promotional code is good through May 31st.
What is your postpartum self going to wear to that fast-approaching summer wedding? I know from far too much experience that your options are likely not very appealing. You need something that looks halfway decent, but also allows you to breastfeed and/or pump mid-event without having to disrobe and leak all over yourself. In my case, it also usually needed to be long, as after pregnancy, my legs took a very, very long time to return to a condition that was OK for public consumption. Over the nearly six years I have been writing this blog, one of the most frequent questions I receive is where does a nursing mom find something nursing-friendly that can be worn to an upcoming special event. Oh, and it would be nice if said dress is actually pretty and perhaps even flattering.
Mothers En Vogue’s Cloud Nine Black Silk Nursing Maxi Dress looks like a really great answer to this persistent dilemma. It’s obviously black, which is good. The dress’s outer shell is 100% silk and the lining is made from a bamboo/spandex blend. The description alone sounds comfortable, forgiving, and exactly like something I’d want to be wearing while my body is literally engorging with milk. The breastfeeding access is provided through the sleeve, with a black nursing camisole underneath. If you aren’t comfortable in all black during the height of summer, add a brightly colored belt at the waist or fun shoes and you are suddenly on trend for Summer ’13.
The Mothers En Vogue Cloud Nine Black Silk Nursing Maxi Dress retails for USD $159.
PF readers are a lucky bunch this Monday morning, as we are launching an exclusive giveaway offer in collaboration with the new luxury London maternity line Madderson London. By the end of the week, one special PF reader will be the owner of a new “Charlotte” dress from Madderson London’s Spring/Summer 2013 line. Manufactured in London and cut from Italian stretch silk satin, the playful Candy Pink Charlotte dress is perfect for your upcoming summer occasion, for date night, or even for one of those days when you simply want to slip into something fabulous, no occasion necessary. This dress, which comes in two sizes, is also a great postpartum piece.
In order to enter the giveaway, head to Madderson London’s Facebook page and simply comment on this Pregnant Fashionista posting. A simple “I want that dress” is all that’s needed to qualify for the giveaway. This offer will last all week and I’ll announce the winner one week from today.
The Charlotte dress retails for £275 or USD $422. Here at PF, when we do these kinds of giveaways, we don’t mess around, only the very best for our readers.
**This giveaway is sponsored by Madderson London.
Most moms I know already have a “mom necklace.” That’s what I call the charm necklace which, in various different incarnations, includes charms depicting children’s first initials and often their birthdays or birthstones. I have been wanting one of these ubiquitous mom necklaces for six years, but I never found the perfect one to buy myself. I wanted something I could wear every day, but didn’t look like costume jewelry; and I wanted something tasteful that I really enjoyed wearing. Unfortunately, as I kept adding to my brood, the charm necklaces became less and less appealing as I didn’t want to look as if I was carrying the equivalent of a key ring around my neck.
Then just a few days ago, lying in my neglected inbox, was a promotional Mother’s Day email devoted entirely to “mom” necklaces. Buried in the middle of those annoying, slow-to-load slide shows such emails too often include, was the ideal necklace for the mom with numerous children who may still want a delicate, tasteful piece of everyday jewelry. The Maya Brenner Collections Letter Necklace positions as many initials as you might like along a delicate gold, white gold, or rose gold chain. The 16″ necklace itself costs $220 with one initial included, and each additional initial costs $60. You may also upgrade the chain to 18″ with an additional $25. You may order up to three initials through the LA-based line’s boutique, but you will need to call customer service if you want more than 3 initials.
I actually just called and ordered one for myself this morning and the customer service representative could not have been more helpful. As she put it, “this is a custom-made necklace, we will make whatever you ask for.” Who doesn’t love hearing that from a customer service rep?
You can reach Maya Brenner Customer Service at 213-627-2756. It won’t arrive in time for Mother’s Day, but rest assured this is a Mother’s Day Gift she won’t want to return. And partners of moms-to-be, you will look oh-so-impressive if you show up at the hospital with one of these after the delivery is over.
OK, what was Kim wearing last night at the Met Ball? I just don’t get it. A full-length Givenchy floral gown with attached gloves? Forget the loud pattern and the high neck and the crazy slit–all of which aren’t in the least bit maternity-friendly. And the fact that she needed three seamstresses last night to tailor it to her body (of course you did, Kim, you are 7 months pregnant!). But full-length gloves for a woman who presumably will need to go to the bathroom many, many times during the night? Does she think she is making some kind of fashion statement? She truly looks as if she is wearing a bedspread. And I find the gloves kind of spooky.
Sigh. Enough with Kim, back to all of you mothers-to-be, new mothers, and not-so-new mothers who are patiently awaiting Mother’s Day on Sunday. Today’s recommendation for a semi-indulgent gift? New sandals. Not shoes, because I want you to be able to wear them until the end of your hot summer pregnancy. But hip, fun, colorful sandals that will make your swollen feet look stylish, even when the rest of you doesn’t.
And here is the best part–these Positano Sandals are incredibly fun and priced just over $100. I actually couldn’t believe it when I spotted them. They are comfortable, made in Italy from 100% leather, and look like they are right off the season’s runways. But again, you can buy five pairs for less than the cost of a pair of designer sandals. LUISAVIAROMA.COM
currently has six different pairs to choose from, with the most expensive–a mere $136–being the red Positano Suede Fringed Flats. I like them all. The black and white Positano Leather Fringed Flats, priced at just over $120, will cover up your swollen feet tastefully.
And don’t let the fact that you are shopping internationally stop you from asking for these for Mother’s Day–LUISAVIAROMA.COM offers free shipping to the United States and includes all import duties, so there is no additional hassle for the American shopper.
Mother’s Day is less than a week away and if your husband or partner is anything like most, nothing has been planned. Personally, I feel like Mother’s Day should be the most important day of the year–more so than birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. Moms have not only taken on the most selfless job around, but have sacrificed their physical well-being to do so. Sometimes Mother’s Days can pass by without the tiniest acknowledgement–this should simply not happen to women who have been pregnant enough months that they no longer have a belly button (this is a family-friendly blog, there are obviously other more illustrative examples we could all offer, but I shall abstain).
So, every day this week, I am going to suggest a somewhat indulgent, but always well-deserved Mother’s Day gift. Forward this on to your partners. Take it from me, don’t be afraid to be too obvious. If your partner is skilled at gift-giving and the like, lucky you. If not, provide assistance. Going without on Mother’s Day really, really sucks.
The Rebecca Minkoff Knocked Up Baby Bag belongs at the top of any Mother’s Day wish list. Each and every new mom needs a diaper bag. And even not-so-new moms need an updated diaper bag. It’s stylish, it’s practical, it’s useful, and it’s hard to go wrong giving a woman a chic, black bag. The bag is leather, but the interior is nylon and has eight separate pockets. The bag comes in at 15″ wide and 13″ high, and is priced at USD $395.
The Rebecca Minkoff Knocked Up Baby Bag
has been around a while, and due to its popularity, the black version tends to sell out quite quickly. Husbands/partners, I would not delay in purchasing it. And to be honest, it’s not as if you really have all that much procrastination time left anyway.
I am swearing off celebrity maternity fashion today, tempting as it is, and doing what this blog does best–bringing you must-have, but sometimes hard-to-find designer maternity fashion. And today, in contrast to most days, I am doing it with a line that prices every single piece under $100.
Sierra Lane Maternity is a California-based online maternity boutique that operates about as under-the-radar as a business can get. The boutique’s website rivals this blog in being technologically challenged. The pictures are poor quality and the site is incredibly hard to navigate. But as I always say when people ask me why I can’t seem to upload a photo properly, it’s the content that matters. And with Sierra Lane Maternity’s in-house line, the content is fabulous.
Often, maternity boutiques opt for boring basics when designing an in-house line. Sierra Lane has chosen an alternate route, releasing a new line of Spring pieces that all add a little something extra to core maternity pieces. The Avery Ruffle Top livens up a basic black cotton maternity top for USD $69. The Madison Striped Tank, with spaghetti straps and a loose-fitting silhouette, is a casual must-have for only USD $49. My favorite of the new pieces, however, is the clever Backless Halter Swimsuit. I’ve never seen a maternity suit designed like this. The suit combines a blousy, bump-friendly top attached to modest boy short bottoms, which include adjustable ties. Not every pregnant woman can work a sexy backless swimsuit and kudos to those of you who know that–but if you are early enough in your pregnancy or possibly trying to hide the tiniest of baby bumps, this is a great suit to try at only USD $69.95.
The rest of Sierra lane’s boutique is also worth navigating. The maternity brands are recognizable, but the pieces may not be. The buyers at Sierra Lane manage to choose those seasonal pieces you may not find in other maternity boutiques.
Being that Kate Middleton is now actually looking pregnant, each day provides an enticing window into every pregnant woman’s dream maternity wardrobe. And though I know people love it when Kate wears budget-minded fashions from the High Street, PF is particularly thrilled when she goes high-end. Yesterday, Kate donned an incredibly chic nude sheath–apparently custom-made for her–topped with a collarless coral coat from French designer Tara Jarmon.
The exact coral-colored coat that Kate wore yesterday is still available in very limited sizes at Harvey Nichols–you’ve got to be fast if you want what Kate is wearing–but Tara Jarmon makes several very similar coats in other colors, including a more practical Beige Cotton version. Princesses can spend $600 on coral coats–the rest of us should probably go for the beige, so we can wear it more often. Kate obviously proves that the coat looks great on a woman in her third trimester. The coat is priced at approximately USD $619.
Over in Greece, where the Kardashian clan is vacationing, Kim did appear to wear a true maternity dress this past weekend. Being that I can’t find the same dress among any maternity designers, it may simply be a maternity-friendly dress from one of her favorite couture designer friends. But still, I am so very pleased to see that it fits properly.
I also really loved the Black Helmut Lang Jersey Maxi Dress that Kim wore over the weekend upon her arrival in Greece for her vacation. Again, not a maternity dress–but ruched and draped in all the right places. And, best of all, priced at USD $310, so the rest of us can indulge as well. Is Kim turning things around for the third trimester? Wouldn’t that be incredible? I’d love to open my laptop every morning and admire what Kim is wearing, rather than cringe in disbelief.
