There is something in the water…
It started about ten months ago when a friend of mine got pregnant. And then another friend got pregnant. And then another and another and another and now it seems I’m the only one NOT pregnant! OK, well it’s not that severe, but lets just say there are a lot of mom’s coming out of my small town in Connecticut. And they are all incredibly stylish women in their own way. I think there used to be a stereo-type that when a woman gets pregnant, she let’s herself go. Well it is quite the opposite. If anything you try and make yourself look more glamorous then you did before because there is this stigma of people expecting you to look a certain way, yet you just want to keep looking like yourself. Especially for the loves in your life, whether it’s a husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc., you still want to feel sexy. And I think that my friends are some of the hottest mom’s and mom’s-to-be there are. In today’s society you see a celebrity get pregnant, gain a couple of pounds during the pregnancy and still look flawless and then two days after giving birth they look like nothing ever happened. Well, that’s not the real life. Not everyone has the luxury of having a make-up artist, personal trainer, stylist and dietitian follow them around everywhere. I’m sure being a celebrity brings enormous pressure to stay stick thin and to look like a million bucks 24/7, so I am not doubting that it is still hard work. But I could imagine it has to be tough to not want to jump into sweatpants, Uggs and a cozy sweater (OK, I think that would still look cute on any mom). So who says that beauty and fashion have to go out the window just because you’re pregnant? Not these women!!
I think the first to drink the water, was my friend Melissa. Melissa is a couple of years older than me and in high school my friends and I always thought she was the most beautiful Senior. She’s still beautiful and she has got killer style, so when she got pregnant and I started seeing photo’s of her over the months, I wasn’t surprised that she still looks amazing. Layering dresses and sweaters in neutral colors and cute accessories kept Melissa looking cute and stylish. And then always the sunglasses, you never know when the paparazzi are coming out- everyone loves to see a baby bump. 
I think a handful of pregnancy must-haves include: dark denim jeans, empire waist dresses, super long tanks, leggings, and a sweater wrap. Melissa has all of these done up flawlessly.
Melissa just had her baby about 6 weeks ago, and he is a precious little one.
Then like I said everyone just kept announcing “I’m Pregnant!” My very good friend Shannon is having twins. A boy and a girl, Charlotte and Logan. Aren’t those the cutest names, especially as a pair? Well, Shannon has always had her own style. She likes color, prints, and accessories. So when I found out she was pregnant- I was psyched to find her maternity clothes. But they are all sooo expensive! From everyone I have talked to from my friend Heather, to Jaime, to Jane, to Shannon… that is the biggest downfall of maternity wear. But that doesn’t stop you from shopping! Out of everyone I talked to, they all said that they still loved to shop and yeah while comfort is definitely key, you never give up your style. Forever 21, H&M, Old Navy, Kohls, The Gap, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie were most of the stores that you could find fashion and also comfort. Even if it wasn’t meant to be maternity clothes, you can just go up a size or two. That’s why I knew Shannon wouldn’t have any problem. She said that even though it has to be comfy, it has to have fashion to even fit into the comfy category. Her staples, as were many others, were leggings and “long cozy dress/shirts.” She also found that you can wear less make-up because you get a “glow.” Many women talk about that pregnancy glow. She said that even though she needs to be resting a lot at home, she still throws on her eye liner. You never find this girl without it!
Shannon is due soon, and we all can’t wait to meet her baby girl and baby boy! They are going to be two stylish babies!
I can always remember my friend Jane being perfectly done up at any event, you never saw the girl without her look. In high-school I remember going over her house and being so jealous of how cute she could put together a look, and her hair…don’t even get me started. There was never a hair out place. When I asked her if her regime stopped at all, she said she still continues to get everything done and more. Manicures, pedicures, facials and massages…why not indulge more now than you have before, because when that little girl of hers is born, I don’t know if it will be that easy. But you never know. I think I would still need to make the time to pamper myself! From what I can remember, Jane always loved to shop. I asked her when she started buying new clothes for her pregnancy and she said right away! She was “so excited to find new styles during the summer that would be able to carry (her) throughout the fall, such as lightweight tunics that were semi-fitted.” She shopped every week ( I hope her husband isn’t reading this!) and she said the first thing she bought was a new pair of UGG’s. Now I know some people have a thing with UGG’s, but they are the most comfortable boot to put your feet into and when your pregnant, I couldn’t imagine anything better. Everyone said when they found something that was more stylish and comfortable, they would buy it in multiples, in different colors, that way you always have things you know will look good and that you like. So I would probably buy UGG’s in at least three different colors. And have you seen the Limited Edition Jimmy Choo and UGG collaboration…
Now these do run insanely expensive (Left $595, Right “Mandah” boot $795) but if I had to indulge into a pair of comfy UGG’s for my pregnancy it would definitely be the “Mandah” boot. I’m not one for over indulging with studs, but you can completely downplay the rest of your outfit with all of your neutrals (black leggings, white long tank, camel cashmere sweater….). I’m not pregnant, but I think I would have so much fun shopping for maternity wear, even though I would probably be broke by the end of it. There’s always consignment!
Jane is waiting for the arrival of her baby girl in the next couple of months. And I am sure she will take after her mother with her great style. Maybe some baby UGG’s should be on the way too!
Jaime has always been super stylish. She is super tiny and has long legs that everyone is jealous of. I haven’t seen her baby bump in person but I’m sure she is still looking wonderful. She said like many others, her go-to is leggings. I can see why. They are so comfortable. My favorite are from the brand Splendid. I have a bunch and they are super soft. I live in them! Her favorites maternity spots are Gap’s Maternity line and Heidi Klum’s line. (See Below). Jaime did check out some of those stylish pregnant celebs and was pleased to find out that almost all of them liked to show off the bump with fitted things rather than oversize. I think it’s great too to show off the bump! Be proud of it, don’t hide it! She said she would never let herself go and fall into that frumpy pregnant woman category. She finds clothes that fit and accessorizes with them. She said there is no middle ground when it comes to fashion over comfort. She always goes with fashion, except for shoes… No more high-heels ladies, to big of a risk of falling! She agrees with everyone that maternity clothes need a boost! Maybe that will be my next voyage, a well-made, in-expensive maternity line. Jaime said that, “We need more maternity stores but not at high-end prices.” Agreed.
Jaime is expecting her little man in the middle of January. Taking after his parents, he is going to be one good looking little munchkin!
My friend Heather also bought new clothes right away. She agreed that it is very hard to find “fun maternity clothes unless you have a ton of money and are model perfect.” You do only see those fun maternity clothes in the movies and on television for the most part. I remember watching “Friends” on TV and hoping that the day I get pregnant I would look as stylish as Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) did through her “pregnancy” on the show. I asked everyone if they looked at a particular celebrity who was pregnant and tried to share their type of look. Most people brought up Heidi Klum, who is model perfect and she does have a lot of money. So it is hard to replicate her look. Heather said she did check out Heidi’s maternity line but said, “Unless you are runway thin and don’t retain water, it’s not going to work.” Which I completely agree with, and again it is very expensive. Heather said for the most part she dreaded shopping for maternity clothes but when she found something she loved, she always bought multiples. She also kept up with her regular regime of beauty, by getting her nails done. I think those are the little things that remind you that you can still look amazing and still look like YOU while you are pregnant. Heather is a beautiful woman and she also has that pregnancy “glow” which only brings out her beautiful features more. I believe it would be hard to maintain your look that you have before you get pregnant and it’s probably difficult to adjust to all of the changes. Heather agreed but she did not seem the least bit worried because she said as soon as her little guy gets here, she will be right back to where she was. Which, lucky for her, I don’t think it will be that hard.
Heather is 6 months pregnant now and happily awaiting for her little man, Colin.
I did check out Heidi Klum’s maternity line called “Loved Heidi Klum” and I think a lot of the things are super cute. Here were some of my favorites…
You can find these at www.motherhood.com From top left- top 29.98, sweater 39.98, top on sale for 14.99, and a pair of slim leg maternity jeans on sale for 34.99
And you can always pair it with some Jennifer Elizabeth baubles….
I have known Susan, since well forever. We were in Daisy’s, Brownie’s, and Girl Scouts together and I have a lot of childhood memories with her. When I found out Susan was pregnant I was thrilled! Her mom is so great, so I know she will be a great mother too! I agree with her when she says that “society is harder on pregnant women now a days then when my mother had me. Society today is so obsessed with weight and looks that I feel pregnant woman are judged harder and expected to look nice at all times.” She doesn’t feel that pregnancy is a reason to let yourself go. She does believe that comfort is key when it comes to pregnancy. She said she would love to wear yoga pants and t-shirts all of the time but she has found jeans and nice shirts to wear that are comfortable and stylish at the same time when she is going out to meet friends.The whole debate with trying to find maternity clothes that are modern and stylish is tough with her as well. I think this is definitely something that needs to be targeted in today’s market. Lot’s of younger, stylish women get pregnant and they aren’t millionaires. So to be able to buy the “stylish” EXPENSIVE maternity clothes just isn’t an option for everyone. There needs to be a trendy, affordable collection out there targeted to women who still want to feel fashionable. She did say that she has accepted the fact of elastic bands around all of her pants and that she knows that in the end she will forget about it completely when she meets her son for the first time. How cute is that?
Susan is due in February right around my birthday and she is expecting a baby boy.
For the most part of this post, I just wanted to congratulate all you beautiful mom’s on your pregnancy and tell you all how beautiful you have always looked and how stylish you still are. Melissa, Shannon, Jane, Heather, Sophia, Jaime, Susan and K, Congratulations! <3 xoxo
