Maternity Fashions
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
Tips for Finding Flattering Maternity Fashions
Maternity fashions have moved leaps and bounds towards allowing pregnant women to look like mature adults while retaining their individual styles and staying in tune with current fashion trends. Here are ten tips towards looking your best in maternity fashions:
Know Your Body Type
While all pregnant women can look forward to becoming pleasantly round during the final months of their pregnancies, body type still play an instrumental part in looking your best in maternity fashions:
Tall
Tall women should look to knee-length skirts, because they break up the length of the body and makes you look more in proportion. Dressing in separates made up of mixed colors or patterns will accomplish the same effect. For example, wear a form-fitting teal tunic with a black stretchy skirt.
Petite
The advice for petite women is exactly the opposite as it is for tall women. Petite pregnant women will look taller if they wear separates or dresses that are monochromatic. If hose and shoes are also the same color, it will enhance the effect. Use eye-catching accessories and jewelry to pull the eyes upward and to dress up the somewhat bland effect of a single-colored outfit.
Bottom Heavy
If you are bottom heavy, pregnancy is apt to make you even more so. Look to slimming dark colored bottoms and brighter tops to de-emphasis your hips, and avoid horizontal stripes.
Basic Black Dress
A basic black dress is a key piece to any maternity fashion wardrobe. It can be layered under a jacket for the office, then paired with dazzling earrings, pearls, or a splendid scarf for formal evening wear.
Neckline
Current fashion trends give pregnant women an amazing selection of tops that are both comfortable and stylish. Whether you like wearing T-shirts, baby doll tops, or silk blouses, pay careful attention to the neckline. Scoop, V-neck, or boat neck, the way your top looks above the breasts can de-emphasis your all-to-obvious growing abdomen and pull eyes up to your face. After all, you do not want associates talking to your stomach; you want them speaking to you.
Foot Wear Matters
Choosing the right shoes is a matter of more than comfort; it is a matter of balance and support. As you gain weight, you may find you feel off balance even in flat shoes. Trade in your high heels for low heels or flats, and be prepared to purchase larger shoes as your feet may swell during pregnancy.
Know Yourself
Know what styles and colors you feel most comfortable wearing. If you are comfortable, your own inner beauty will shine through.
Cling Is In
Clothing that fits close to your body without binding will make you look neater and will flatter your figure best.
Growing Room
Unless you are buying maternity fashions during the finally weeks of your pregnancy, you can expect your body to continue to grow. Look to purchasing garments that are either made out of stretchy fabric or are expandable via ties, adjustable waistbands, or elastic.
Invest in Basics
Spend the majority of your maternity fashion budget on a few key pieces that can be paired with consignment shop bargains, borrowed clothes, and brightly colored or creatively designed separates. For example, splurge on quality black dress pants that can be paired with either silk blouses or funky T-shirts.
Belly Basics
Whether you want your maternity fashions to accentuate or conceal your belly is totally up to you. Maternity Clothes designers have learned to celebrate pregnancy with both styles of clothing, so if you prefer short shirts showing inches of belly above low-cut Maternity Jeans, you will find maternity clothes to meet your needs.
Budget Management
When money is tight, spending a lot on clothes you will only wear a few months may seem wasteful. Look for alternatives to the high prices of Maternity Stores. Beg, borrow, and think outside the box to come up with mix and match outfits that will ease your transition through pregnancy into motherhood.
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Comments
I found a great site for maternity wear! It's www.2chix.com. They have super cute shirts. I bought the What's Kickin' tee shirt and I love it- it's soft, stretchy and long so it doesn't ride up like so many do. I see they have a new one that reads, "Pregnant is The New Sexy"..I'm def getting that one too! They also have a really cool long vintage skirt that just seems to fit so well. It looks great with flip flops and a tee shirt and you can also wear it when you're not pregnant bc it has drawstrings. I also like the petunia picklebottom diaper bags...much more stylish than most of the others! Anyway..those are my favorites! Thanks!
-- Contributed by: bellybeautifulThis page has been accessed 5,474 times. This page was last modified 21:47, 17 April 2006.
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