Hip Maternity Clothes – No It is Not An Oxymoron
No, the phrase “hip maternity clothes” does not qualify as an oxymoron. If you carefully and aggressively shop maternity stores, catalogues, and mother-to-be boutiques, you will find a few “absolutely adorable” dresses. If you wander outside the box a little bit, you probably will find some big, comfy sweaters and some cute boys’ rugby shirts to wear with leggings or yoga pants. But practicality demands simple answers to a few urgent questions: Do you have time to shop and shop and shop some more for the sake of finding just a few outfits? Can you stretch your budget, more or less like you have begun to stretch your tights, accommodating the spendy tags on designer-inspired maternity wear? Does “absolutely adorable” really mean the same as “hip” in your vernacular, or are you trying to put the best possible spin on a difficult situation? Although you want to keep an open mind, you eventually must acknowledge jeans with big elastic panels where you’re supposed to see the fly never will make the “hip” list. Why not just keep wearing the clothes you have?
You do not have to take-up the cause of feminism to understand a subtle but unmistakable prejudice still haunts the maternity aisles: In good 1950’s fashion, you still must do your best to conceal your bigger-everyday belly, because showing-off your pregnancy is approximately the same thing as broadcasting your sexuality. Yes, everybody talks to you as if your pregnancy is an occasion for great celebration, but they try to dress you as though it were an occasion for great shame. Pregnancy does not brand you as a harlot; it announces you as a Mom. When the baby arrives, you will return to all your favorite outfits, restoring your signature style. Becoming a mom does not change your taste…at least, not in clothing. Why should you give-up all your favorites?
Motherhood does not require you to look matronly. There’s nothing in the books about “sensible shoes” and dresses big enough for you and four Boy Scouts with all their camping gear. Just because you are having a baby, you have not given-up being you. As a matter of fact, the next nine months offer your last chance to star in your own life. After baby debuts, it’s all about her and you’re just the stage crew. No need to frumpify. Show your respect for, pride in, and sheer delight about the power and grace of a pregnant woman’s form. The books say, “Pregnancy gives you a radiant glow.” So, radiate. You have every good reason to wear all your cute trendy clothes just as long as you can.
Whether or not your mother and grandmother totally approve, and whether or not your rich Aunt Sophie gives her blessing and writes a check, resolve to keep wearing your “pre-pregnancy” wardrobe for as long as you can. Use your dedication to your own clothes as motivation to eat healthy foods and maintain your exercise program. As the baby grows, let Ingrid and Isabelle become your BFF’s. Ingrid Carney invented and first marketed the “bellaband,” more universally known as a “belly band,” and definitely not to be confused with a pregnancy belly belt, which also is a fashion essential but very different from the band. Isabelle, Ingrid’s daughter, active and “pesky” as she grew in mom’s womb, inspired the belly band. Ingrid perfected the subtle art of restructuring an old tube top to fit around an expectant mom’s waist and hold up her pants, so that she can go on wearing her favorites at least through her first two trimesters and usually until she goes into labor. Translation: a belly band empowers you to continue making your distinctive fashion statements right up until the moment you say, “Uh, honey, it’s time.”
You have the power to take the phrase “hip maternity clothes” completely out of consideration as an oxymoron. Frequent, skilled use of fashion-forward belly bands lets you continue wearing all your cutest, most stylish outfits throughout your pregnancy. Isn’t that what common sense always dictated? Hip maternity clothes are the clothes you already have hanging in grandma’s old armoire.
Tags: ballaband, belly band, hip maternity clothes, Pregnancy Bands, trendy maternity clothes
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