Leave it to the 'stylist' who likens contemporary maternity fashion to 'nauseating visions of Laura Ashley-inspired floral prints' to give advice to a pregnant reader in need of some brand new duds. Yesterday in M magazine, the supplement to the Sunday Age, stylist Sophie Hexter attempted to sort out the style woes of this woman of 24 weeks:
Q: Good news, I'm pregnant. Bad news, nothing fits any more. What can I wear to work that won't make me look like a whale? I've got three months to go and don't want to fork out on designer maternity gear I will never wear again.
And Hexter's answer...
Amongst her suggestions, 'buying clothes in bigger sizes'...for anyone that has ever been pregnant, you know that at a certain stage, 'buying a bigger size' results in an item of clothing that only fits around the bump and is too loose everywhere else. This is why good maternity fashion is exactly that..fashionable...and also accommodates a changing shape. It drives me insane that whenever pregnancy fashion comes up in magazines or newspapers, journalists or stylists hesitate to highlight some of the amazing local maternity fashion happening here in Melbourne and which are now international brands. It is so ridiculous to keep referring back to floral print pinafores and big Peter Pan collars. Maternity wear has changed just as much as experiences of pregnancy and you don't need to buy expensive maternity wear to find good pieces that can go the distance in the pregnancy and after. Most of the maternity designers I have spoken to have a fashion background and have worked in mainstream fashion for many years before making the switch to maternity. These are women that know style.
Hexter only highlights mainstream fashion for the reason that it can be worn after pregnancy. But seriosuly, buying clothing a few sizes too big isn't going to fit after baby is born even if you are carrying a bit of extra weight. Today, most maternity designers produce clothing that can be worn post-baby (hello, Lycra!) and in fact, most women are wearing maternity clothing for up to a year post-birth. What annoys me the most are the outfit options she suggests (shown in image):
Willow dress: $994
Guiseppe Zanotti flats: $995
Feathers jacket: $389
Feathers dress: $199
Sambag boots: $450
Stella McCartney cuff: $450
TOTAL: $3,477
Are you kidding me? The average woman can barely afford to pay for prenatal care, let alone spend nearly $3,500 on two outfits. What a ridiculous waste of an article and an opportunity to give women practical advice on looking fabulous during pregnancy! Give me a bloody break...Take a hint from the designing women at Soon, Ripe and Egg and you will see that pregnancy does not have to be 9 months of fashion hell (most of these are available in the US as well).
For real maternity fashion ideas, check out:
1 comment:
I actually agree with the stylist. Being six months pregnant myself I have found everyday clothes in a slightly bigger size to fit better than maternity wear. What's more, it's maternity wear that's generally way over-priced. Agree that the willow dress is too expensive but the feathers one seems reasonable.
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