Trendy Maternity

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 icon. 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…


 

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Intermix just posted the completely sold out Rachel Zoe Leather-Trimmed Camel Cape for sale in both sizes. Each time this item has gone up for sale this fall, it disappears immediately. Don’t take time to ponder whether $695 is too expensive for a trendy cape. Order it and return it if it isn’t as maternity-friendly as you were hoping. I am obsessed with mine, I simply cannot wait until it’s cold enough to wear it.

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L'Wren Scott Suede Pencil Skirt

Leather, leather, leather-it’s simply everywhere this fall. Before I found out I was pregnant, I was preparing to indulge fully in the trend. I had my lustful eye on See by Chloe’s simple grey leather shift dress and was trying to figure out a way to justify purchasing L’Wren Scott’s to-die-for berry suede pencil skirt.

Obviously, I no longer have any justification whatsoever for those purchases. But even a pregnant fashionista should not have to go without this fall, right? Which is why, upon its release a couple of weeks ago, I immediately ordered the “Backbeat” Leather Skirt from Paulina Maternity’s Pre-Fall collection. Paulina Maternity is based in Germany and I just love their new Pre-Fall Collection. And I am truly in love with this skirt. I’ve never owned a leather maternity piece before and I want to know why more designers aren’t brave enough to do them. If you are looking for an investment piece around which to build your fall maternity wardrobe, this is it. The skirt is made from buttery soft 100 percent leather and it is topped with a forgiving cotton elastic panel. I purchased a size Small in this skirt with the expectation that it might not last me more than a few weeks. But the manner in which the elastic panel is attached to the leather does allow for a good bit of bump growth and I think I am going to be pleasantly surprised by how long I can wear this skirt into the fall and winter.

This is obviously an investment piece, priced at £206 (approximately USD $321). And I waited to write about it so I could wear it a few times and make sure the quality and cut were worth the price. I’m now thoroughly convinced that this is a must for fall 2011. I’m wearing it here in Sweden with a thin turtleneck sweater or long-sleeved T-shirt, but have plans to pair it with my chunky, maternity-friendly Vince sweaters come the cold weather. Add a pair of black boots and you will be both completely on trend and hugely pregnant–a rare, but admirable, achievement.

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Rachel Zoe Ali Wrap Collar Cape

Rachel Zoe is absolutely everywhere today, as her fashion line is officially launching on Shopbop, Piperlime, and Nordstrom this afternoon. Add that to her ABC Nightline interview last week, during which she both displayed infant son Skyler’s walk-in closet, (complete with Gucci bomber jacket and exclusive Missoni cardigans) and made her announcement that she is designing a new line of children’s clothing and we are all justifiably suffering from serious Rachel Zoe overload.

Except, here’s the glitch–my new Rachel Zoe Ali Wrap Collar Cape arrived on Friday afternoon and I absolutely love it. More importantly, it is tremendously bump-friendly. This cape has been called the highlight of Zoe’s new fall line and it sold out almost immediately during the Neiman Marcus pre-sale last month. Shopbop posted the cape for sale this morning and it is still available in both sizes (it comes in either P/S or M/L). Almost every piece in the new Rachel Zoe collection demands that the wearer be a size 4 or below. But this cape has proven to be an exception, and it will serve you well during the first and second trimesters, and even into the third trimester if you aren’t intent on tying the belt. I actually like the way it looks worn open as much as I do when it is tied.

So, I acknowledge I am reluctantly becoming a Rachel Zoe fan (watch the Nightline video I linked to above and you may be pleasantly surprised by her. The reporter who interviewed her annoyed me far more than Rachel did).

And Rachel has promised her new children’s line will include more boys’ clothing than girls’ clothing–which means, of course, that whether or not I can fit into her women’s clothing, I am about to become one of Rachel’s best customers.

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Los Angeles-based maternity line Nuka Maternity is offering 40% off its entire Spring/Summer 2011 collection in honor of the Fourth of July weekend. Nuka uses absolutely beautiful cottons and silks and for this reason, it is one of my favorite mom-owned maternity lines. Numerous pregnant LA starlets have recently been photographed in Nuka, but these fabrics are so gorgeous, you may be willing to sell out and own the same dress as Tori Spelling.

Nuka’s cotton and silk maxi dresses are my personal favorite, but the line’s tunics and tanks are great basics as well. Nuka’s price points are typically high–not surprisingly, superior quality doesn’t come cheap. But the 40% off promotion brings the cost of a pure silk maternity dress down to less than $120. Type promotional code “USA40″ at checkout.

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Petit Bateau Maternity Mariniere Tunic

Nautical-inspired fashion continued to grace the runways for Spring 2011 and models, celebrities, and athletes in particular seemingly cannot get enough of the French-inspired “mariniere” look this summer. The translation of mariniere? “Mariner’s style”.  And, the ever-chic French look shows no signs of abating. France’s national soccer team will don mariniere stripes this year, choosing this new Nike jersey as its official 2011-12 away jersey. (Yes, I am now using sports jerseys as fashion inspiration–I’ve got 4 little boys, no little girls, and you have to work with what you got).

Pregnant women can now get on in the trend, as Petit Bateau has smartly transformed one of its signature children’s mariniere tops into a mariniere tunic for its very small maternity line. The tunic, which is available in both blue/white and red/white, sells out almost immediately when it is posted online, but it has just been restocked in Petit Bateau’s US boutique. Petit Bateau’s Women’s Maternity Mariniere Tunic is 100% cotton and has a belt attached along the seams of the shirt, which can be tied in front or in back. The tunic is priced at USD $78 but if you are new to the site, Petit Bateau offers 25% off to all first-time customers, as long as you register your email with the site. Check out the bottom righthand corner of the site for the promotion, it is definitely in fine print.

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