The expression “maternity fashion” has long been considered an oxymoron. However, due to an emergence of designer maternity lines, mothers who are expecting can now expect to be fashionable and comfortable throughout their pregnancy.
“Maternity fashion is all about women celebrating their bumps. In the past, they'd hide in oversized muumuus or their husband's button-downs,” explains pioneering maternity designer Liz Lange. “These days, women are happy to show off their pregnancies by wearing fitted pieces that highlight their changing shape.”
No longer forced to wear smocks and cover-ups, mothers-to-be are searching for the perfect combination of fit, comfort and sophistication in maternity clothing.
Obviously, comfort is a high priority throughout the term of a pregnancy, and a sure way to guarantee comfort is to select garments made with natural fibers, such as cotton. According to NPD FashionWorld’s AccuPanel, the primary fiber of maternity wear purchased is cotton.
In fact, research from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor states that 55 percent of women respondents cite fiber content as an important aspect of their purchasing decision; this element surpassed even the appeal of a designer name, which was rated as important by only 37 percent of women.
As in mainstream fashion, we have seen a huge celebrity influence in maternity designs. According to the Monitor, nearly a third of women respondents aged 20 - 24 use celebrities as idea-generators for clothing purchases. This trend continues in maternity fashion.
“It has been amazing to see celebrities really leading the charge by no longer skipping parties and red carpet events during their pregnancies."
"Today we see them front and center at red carpet events in sexy gowns; and you can't open up a magazine or turn on the TV without seeing stories on celebrity bump watches and celebrity baby showers, etc,” continues Lange.
“It is fabulous because women emulate celebrities and when they see them looking fabulous in form fitting maternity clothing, they want to dress that way too.”
Physical discomfort is an unfortunate reality of pregnancy, but comfortable clothing can go a long way to make pregnant women more at ease.
Thanks to an increasing number of visionary maternity designers, expectant mothers do not have to sacrifice comfort or fashion for the duration of her term.
