Jeans

Slacks & Co. Finally Opens Its Online Boutique

May 9, 2012

Well, the Met Gala was a serious letdown for PF. Not a single pregnant celebrity or model showed up–or at least an evidently pregnant one. Although, actress Diane Kruger could have been carrying triplets underneath this Prada concotion and we never would have known it.

Still, there were some beautiful dresses and much to my surprise, new mom January Jones’ yellow Versace gowns was one of my favorite. Her recent admission that she is busy eating her own placenta in custom smoothies prepared for her by her doula confirmed to me that she is rather odd, but the woman is gorgeous and she really looked stunning on Monday night.

On to more pressing and relevant concerns for all of us non-celeb, non-placenta-eating pregnant and postpartum women. I am pleased to announce that Slacks & Co., the UK-based maternity designer, has finally, finally opened its online boutique…and 1-2 day shipping to the US is a mere GBP 10. Slacks & Co. specializes in designing high-end trousers for pregnant women, with a focus on taking looks right off the runway and translating them into maternitywear. I simply love this line and there is nothing out there quite like it for pregnant women. I am wearing a pair of the line’s black London Cigarette Pant as I sit here writing this. Slacks & Co. has designed its maternity trousers to look nothing like maternitywear and at 3 months postpartum, I am particularly thankful for that. I wear a pair of these just about every day to work and comfort myself with the knowledge that I and only I know I am still in maternity clothing.

The primary and solitary complaint I have with Slacks & Co. is simply that they are so hard to find, with very few US retailers carrying the line and only a select few of the line’s vast array of trouser styles usually available. The new online boutique changes that, offering specialty pieces like the Dallas Faux Leather Tregging or the Buenos Aires Jodhpur. And yes, these trousers are specifically designed and tailored for the pregnant physique–none of the suspect tactic of adding an elastic belly band to regular fitting trousers and marketing them as maternity, one of Pea in the Pod’s most frustrating tactics.

So, happy shopping. Buying a pair of these trousers may truly revamp your maternity wardrobe…and give you the postpartum one you don’t even know you need yet.

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MA Delivers With A Pair Of Colored Maternity Jeans

December 16, 2011

This season’s incredibly fun colored jean trend has virtually passed the maternity fashion industry by and here at PF, we are quite bummed about it. Walking by store displays full of brightly colored yellow, green, red, and aqua jeans is no fun when there is absolutely no chance you can partake.

So, we pregnant women learn to make do. Maternal America, always the most likely American maternity designer to deliver on the most current fashion trends, is just out with a pair of new ankle length, skinny maternity jeans in plum. It’s not fire-engine red or aqua, but it’s not black or brown, so we’ll take it. MA’s Plum Skinny Ankle Jean is priced at USD $102 and still available in all sizes. Third trimester pregnancies, go one size up in these. MA’s skinny jeans are a slim fit, and you certainly don’t want to be wearing a pair of too-tight, plum-colored maternity jeans. I may officially be too big for skinny colored jeans at this point, but I’m looking forward to making them a postpartum wardrobe staple.

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J Brand Maternity Denim On Sale Tonight

November 29, 2011

Rue La La just launched another Mama J by J Brand maternity sample sale this evening and all of the maternity line’s jeans are priced at USD $79.90. Need I write more? Good luck, sizes are limited, but these are going to go fast. At these prices, buy in a larger size for the third trimester or in a smaller size for the postpartum weeks.

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Seven Maternity Jeans Are 30% Off This Weekend

October 21, 2011

Seven for All Mankind is hosting its Friends & Family sale this weekend in its online boutique and is offering a very generous 30% off sitewide. And yes, that includes the Seven Maternity Jean Collection. Seven has vastly improved its maternity collection in recent years, adding both an under-the-bump option and a full belly panel option. Of course, the retail prices are a bit steep, with a pair of maternity jeans ranging from USD $178 to USD $240. Use promo code “7FAMFF11″ for 30% off through Monday, October 24th.

MichaelStars.com is also holding its Friends & Family sale online this weekend, offering 30% off sitewide with promotional code “FRIEND.” Michael Stars is unfortunately not currently carrying any maternity pieces in its online boutique, although I’m told the shop will have some maternity pieces for the holidays. But it certainly can’t hurt to stock up on some comfortable loungewear for those first few postpartum weeks.

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Choosing The Ultimate Basic-Your Maternity Jeans

September 23, 2011

Buying jeans is a very personal decision, especially when you are pregnant. One woman’s perfect jean is another woman’s denim nightmare. So, I’m not going to recommend a specific jean to all of you. As with any pair of jeans, maternity or not, you aren’t going to know if you like them until you try them on and get yourself in front of a full-length mirror. Instead, here is a short list of what you should be thinking about before you purchase maternity jeans.

1. The Waistband. Normally, buying jeans is all about what your posterior looks like in the mirror. As you may have noticed lately, your fashion priorities have changed a bit. The type of waistband you choose is now suddenly the most crucial aspect of your maternity jeans. There are several options: under-the bump, under the bump with a thin elastic panel for extra hold, and completely over-the-bump. Recently, more denim designers have offered over-the-bump options in their maternity lines and this is a very good thing for all of us. While you won’t find a more avid devotee of the Mama J by J Brand line than me, J Brand’s maternity jeans are all designed for under-the-bump wear with elastic inserts built into the natural waistband. At a certain point in most women’s pregnancy, under-the-bump is no longer an option because they simply don’t stay up. Both Paige Premium Denim and Seven for All Mankind have recently introduced over-the-bump waistbands to their maternity selection, allowing you to ensure that a pair of jeans you buy at week 9 will still be wearable at week 39.

2. The Cut. Wide leg, bootcut, straight leg, skinnies, pencil leg, jeggings–you can find all of these trendy cuts in maternity styles these days. The only way to decide which you prefer is really to try them on. And you may have to be flexible about your preferences as your pregnancy progresses. For example, I love J Brand Mama J Skinny Maternity Jeans, but by the last few weeks in my pregnancies, I usually can’t fit them over my calves. Hence, I usually choose wide leg or bootcut styles for the last trimester.

3. The Price. You can buy yourself this $240 pair of Seven for All Mankind Bootcut Maternity Jeans at right and chances are, you’ll love them and wear them to death. But, you can also buy yourself a pair of Maternal America jeans for about $100 and you’ll likely love those too. MA in particular does great denim and also does an impressive job of updating their most popular designs each season.

Now, where to shop. Remember, you’ll want to check the return policies of any online boutique where you buy maternity denim. If you can’t return your purchase easily, I don’t suggest buying there unless you really know what you want already. Piperlime has a great selection of maternity denim and you can’t beat their free shipping and free return policies. Also, they often have a good selection of maternity denim on sale. Right now, the Paige Denim Blue Heights 14 High Panel Maternity Jeans (pictured above) are discounted from USD $179 to USD $119.99. These are very flattering maternity jeans and have been vastly improved since Paige added the over-the-bump, 14″ panel to the waistband. shopbop.com also has a good selection of high-end maternity denim as well as free shipping and free returns. Zappos.com carries Maternal America’s much-loved skinny maternity jeans (pictured at right) for $106 and again, there is free shipping and free returns. They are currently in stock in both the dark wash and the lighter stonewash color.

Maternal America – Maternity Skinny Jeans (Dark Wash) – Apparel

Maternal America – Maternity Skinny Jeans (Stone Wash) – Apparel

Good luck. It may take you a few rounds to find what you need, but take comfort in the fact that there is so much to pick from these days. Only five years ago, when I was first shopping for maternity denim, Pea in the Pod was the only show in town.

Tagged as: Denim

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J Brand’s Maternity Line Included in Sample Sale TODAY

June 28, 2011

Ruelala launched its J Brand sample sale just a few minutes ago and as I had hoped, the sale includes several pairs of maternity jeans. The skinny leg, the straight leg and the bootcut leg–they are all included in the sale and size collection looks decent. And the discount is more than 50%. I would head over there immediately.

Click here to join Ruelala if you are not a member already.

Tagged as: Denim, sales

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No Need To Miss Out On The Wide-Leg Trouser Trend This Spring

February 23, 2011

Are you wondering how you are going to work this spring’s retro high-waisted, flared trouser look now that you are pregnant? And I don’t mean boot cut, I mean wide leg, none of that run-of-the-mill 16 inches, we’re talking 20 inches or more at the cuff…

Well, even if you aren’t, I’ve been thinking about it and I have some suggestions for you. Obviously the high-waisted look is not really an option. You might be wearing a “high waist” this spring, but not by choice and it will be comprised of elastic and spandex rather than figure-hugging denim accented with a teeny-tiny waist belt. But the wide leg trouser look is attainable and there are a few maternity options out there for Spring 2011.

1. J Brand Love Story. This item has been on the market since I can remember and it is a tried and true maternity basic. I worked my way through two pairs of these during my pregnancies and they were a consistent go-to item in my closet. The flare at the bottom is not too dramatic at 22 inches, but obvious enough that they looked great with a pair of high-heeled boots or sandals. Toward the end, I even wore them with flats–not the most flattering look on a 35-week pregnant, 5’4″ frame, but it wasn’t offensive either.

J Brand’s Mama J line is only available with a very discreet, under-the-belly waistband. It makes for a great pair of jeans to have during those first weeks of pregnancy and that awkward postpartum period, but I did have difficulty keeping them up very late in my pregnancies–but that’s a problem that can be fixed with a long, tight-fitting camisole or tank. J Brand’s Love Story jean is priced at USD $195 here at Unbuttoned Maternity or here in J Brand’s online boutique.

2. Maternal America Megan Trouser. Always on the cutting edge, MA has sprinkled a couple of wide leg styles into its vast spring collection of pencil jeans, straight leg jeans, and leggings. The Megan Wide Leg Trouser is available in blue, black and white denim and retails for a very reasonable $98 here in blue over at Euphoria Maternity and here in black at Due Maternity.

3. Gap Trouser Wide Leg Jean. The Gap has a wide leg option this spring as well, priced at even more reasonable USD $79.50 here. I find that Gap maternity jeans stretch out pretty quickly, which can present a problem if you plan to wear them for a long day. But they are good for a night out, as long as you can wash and dry them after each wear.

4. Japanese Weekend Wide Leg Jean. Japanese Weekend also has a wide leg jean that came out last fall, but plays a prominent part in their Spring 2011 collection. This jean has wide belt loops around the waist, so you may wear them with a belt. The jeans are selling for USD $98 in Japanese Weekend’s online boutique here.

5. DL1961 Wide Leg Roxy Jean. Designed with a 23″ leg opening, DL1961′s Roxy wide leg jean is the ultimate fashionista’s choice this spring. Luckily, just like Blake Lively and Rachel Bilson and numerous other nonpregnant starlets, pregnant starlets can also wear their DL1961 Roxys this spring, because a dark denim maternity version is available at Sierra Lane Maternity for USD $168 here. DL1961′s maternity jeans are the polar opposites of those Gap maternity jeans–the ses jeans don’t stretch out at all. They look amazing on the body, but don’t expect to turn to DL1961 for your “comfy” jeans. There’s a reason Blake Lively looks so good in them.

6. Hudson Wide Leg Medium Wash Maternity Jeans. Pea in the Pod is, of course, also in on the wide leg trend with a $205 light wash wide leg jean from Hudson available here. Unlike the darker rinse trousers detailed above, these jeans are decidedly more casual with a distressed denim look and a lighter wash. They also have the patented Secret Fit Belly, which gives new meaning to the term high-waisted. Buy these if you are late in your pregnancy, but absolutely desperate to participate in the wide leg trend. You don’t need this waistband unless you are very far along–contrary to what the salespeople at Pea in the Pod will tell you, the Secret Fit belly panel does not work as an under-the-belly waistband. It simply makes you look lumpier than you need to and doesn’t do such a great job at keeping your trousers up anyway.

Just a quick note to say that I am sorry to have been gone for a full week, PF readers, but I have been terribly sick with a nasty chest cold. I thought about all of you pregnant fashionistas a great deal over the past few days, because as miserable as I have been, there is really nothing as bad as having a cold when you are pregnant. Every time I popped one of those heavenly Advil Cold & Sinus pills, I remembered how all of the “good pills” are off limits to pregnant women. Pregnancy colds are a complete nightmare, I really feel for you if you have had one or if there is one in your future.

And, by the way, congrats to PF reader Melissa Fogerty, who won the SwimSpot.com drawing for a $100 gift card. Happy Shopping, Melissa!

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Seven Maternity Jeans Finally Available Somewhere Besides Pea in the Pod

January 6, 2011

I’ve got some exciting maternity-related fashion news today–Seven for all Mankind is now officially offering its maternity jeans for sale in its online boutique. There are two reasons why this is exciting.

Firstly, Seven has been active in the maternity fashion market for a long time and the designers at Seven know what they are doing. Their maternity denim and legging selection offers both under-the-bump and over-the-bump waistbands. None of those half-hearted, somewhere-in-the-middle-of-the-bump elastic waistbands for Seven. Buy your skinnies with discreetly positioned elastic built into the waistband, so no one has to know quite yet that you are with child. Or, show off the bump while also ensuring that your skinnies stay up with Seven’s “Extra Belly Flap,” i.e. over-the-bump elastic waistband.

Secondly, you no longer have to buy Seven maternity jeans at Pea in the Pod. For years, Pea in the Pod was the “exclusive” purveyor of Seven’s maternity line. This “exclusive” is no longer and I, as well as all of you, should welcome the opportunity to refrain from having to shop at one of those impersonal, overpriced, monopolistic Pea in the Pod stores.

Unfortunately, Seven doesn’t seem to have dropped its prices even now that Pea in the Pod isn’t taking a cut. Seven’s maternity denim still ranges in price from USD $178 to $225. But, chances are you already own a pair of Sevens and you don’t need me to tell you there should be at least one pair hanging in your maternity wardrobe. Click here to shop Seven’s new maternity offerings in their online boutique.

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Columbus Day Weekend Sales…And Paige’s Layne Cargoes Now Available in Maternity Version

October 6, 2010

I always equate Columbus Day weekend with shopping because my mother had an annual tradition of taking my sisters and I to Bergdorf Goodman’s to buy our winter coats on Columbus Day. We’d watch the Columbus Day parade on 5th Avenue, have lunch at Rockefeller Center, and then we’d spend the afternoon trying on precious matching winter coats and hats at Bergdorf’s. Doesn’t that sound like the most perfect Columbus Day? I always thought I’d revive that tradition with my own children, but being that I now have 4 boys, our big Columbus Day weekend event is going to be “Truck Touch 2010.” It is exactly what it sounds like–an all-day event at which little boys can “touch” and pretend to drive school buses, skid steers, excavators, tractors, and trash trucks. So much for Bergdorf’s. I’ll be sitting in a garbage truck instead.

But even if I will be spending my days at Truck Touch 2010, there will still be shopping. The Columbus Day sales are starting already and the online maternity boutiques are fully participating. Below is a list of sales that have already launched. Most of the sites are offering sitewide discounts on their Fall Collections, so this is a good opportunity to buy something you have been eyeing for the cooler weather.

1. Pickles & Ice Cream. The Texas-based high-end maternity chain is offering 15% off all regularly priced clothing through Monday, October 11th. Just type promotional code “SAVE15″ when you check out. The sale does not include accessories and lingerie, but it does include Pickle & Ice Cream’s impressive collection of maternity denim here. And, most importantly, the discount includes the brand new Paige Premium Denim Layne Cargoes, which have just been released in a maternity version and which you simply must buy here. I have been wearing these stretch cargo pants all summer and they are amazing–comfortable and chic. I have seen them pop up on a few maternity websites in the past week, but this is the first time I have seen them being offered with a discount attached. I’ll admit, USD $199 for a pair of maternity pants is an indulgence. But I’ve looked and you are not going to find anyone else making skinny maternity cargo pants this fall, so if you want them, now is the time to buy them. Unlike Paige Maternity denim, in which you definitely should go up one size, buy these in your pre-pregnancy size. They stretch…a lot. I wash them every time I wear them, so you may need to do the same, especially if you are very pregnant and don’t want to be yanking them up every 30 seconds.

2. 9 Months to Grow. Starting today, you may use code “FALL20″ at 9 Months to Grow to earn 20% off the entire Fall 2010 clothing collection here. I’d use this discount to finally buy invest in a pair of the DL 1961 Maternity jeans. I’ve read about these jeans in numerous maternity fashion articles and also in numerous non-maternity fashion magazines. Cassandra, the owner of 9 Months to Grow, has recommended them to me several times, citing the tremendous stretchjing capacity of the denim. Who among us isn’t interested in a pair of maternity jeans with incredible stretching ability? Not to mention the fact that DL 1961 jeans have an over-the-belly panel, a rare find in designer maternity denim (Pea in the Pod doesn’t count). Cassandra currently only has the bootcut DL 1961′s available here…

3. Sierra Lane Maternity. But you can head right over to Sierra Lane Maternity here if you have your heart set on the skinny maternity DL 1961′s (the “Kate”). Sierra Lane is offering 25% off all maternity denim with promo code “TAYLOR.” The maternity denim collection here is also impressive, but don’t be fooled into thinking that William Rast and Mek Denim have suddenly ventured into maternity denim. When a maternity boutique says that a denim line has suddenly made a maternity version “exclusively” for them, it means they were given permission to cut off the waistband of that line’s non-maternity jeans and attach a piece of elastic instead. Don’t buy these jeans. Once you are truly pregnant, i.e., not just bloated, you will actually realize that a 4-inch piece of elastic does not suddenly make a pair of jeans into maternity jeans. Stick to the denim designers who are actually designing for the pregnant body, like Rock & Republic, Paige, Juicy Couture, and James Jeans.

And one more shopping note for those inclined to use Columbus Day as an excuse to buy. My go-to boys’ clothing brand, Shrunk by Scotch & Soda, finally has an online website that is easy to navigate, allows for shipping to the US, and is written in English! I spent a good portion of last spring trying to order their must-have Spring 2010 boys’ collection from their Dutch website. I became quite adept at putting everything I wanted into my shopping bag, but was never able to decipher the Dutch to the extent where I could actually pay for my items and and have them shipped to the US. It is no fun to shop and then discover it is impossible to pay for what’s in your shopping basket, especially when the items are just so damned cute and sold out everywhere else. Click here to shop Shrunk by Scotch & Soda. You can buy their line at high-end children’s online boutiques, but the selections are small and the small sizes sell out quickly.

Check back tomorrow…I am going to report on my ill-fated experiment with Forever 21′s new maternity line…it probably will not surprise you that I advise that we all save our $19.99…

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Good News? The Most Flattering Skinny Maternity Jean Has Been Restocked

July 28, 2010

I have good news if you are all about looking trendy and fabulous during your pregnancy, but not such good news if comfort is a top priority for you as well. Shopbop has restocked the Paige Premium Blue Heights Skinny Maternity jean in both black here and dark blue here. Like I said, this is good news if you are planning on spending the fall looking uber-chic parading around in your skinny maternity jeans because these jeans are the most flattering skinny maternity jeans out there. There is, however, one major drawback–they are incredibly uncomfortable. In exchange for wearing a pair of very well-cut, very slimming maternity jeans, you have to put up with a very unforgiving waistband and a very inconveniently sized elastic panel at the top of the waistband. Paige Premium did recently catch on to the problems with the width of the elastic waistband on their maternity jeans and the dark blue jean has a wider elastic piece at the top of the jean, as you can see in these photos. But Paige’s black skinny maternity jean is still sold with a narrow elastic waist band at the top. When your jeans are already incredibly tight, it’s a serious battle to keep them on without an elastic panel that pulls all the way over the bump.

That being said, these jeans will look amazing on your pregnant body. I wore them constantly and just endured the pain and tried not to sit down too often when I had them on. I also did try to look at my rear view in a mirror as much as possible when I had them on to remind myself why I was putting myself through this and that helped a lot. If you are having a good number of “fat days” during your pregnancy, buy these jeans and save them for those days when you just can’t believe how big you look. These jeans will make you look smaller, I promise that. They may make you cry out in pain as you try to pull them on, but they will definitely make you look smaller. And no matter what you do, do not heed Shopbop’s advice and buy these jeans in your pre-pregnancy size. Buy one size up to lessen the torture just a little bit. Trust me, they will feel “skinny” enough even if you buy one size larger. And if you need help justifying the purchase, you will wear these often during those postpartum weeks–I guarantee they will be slightly less painful to pull on when you are not pregnant.

Just a small piece of advice if you do buy them. I did manage to solve the whole waistband problem with the black jeans by wearing my trusty Scrunchbump tank top or cami at all times. I love Scrunchbump tops and no pregnant woman who wears under-the-bump trousers should be without one during the third trimester. Scrunchbump tops are fitted enough and supportive enough that they do manage to keep troublesome maternity pants from sliding down.

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