Today s maternity fashions are functional, fresh and fun. A pink tube top tunic ($67) is paired with white jeans ($88) and a silk scarf tie ($44), all from Queen Bee, 14A North Meramec Avenue, Clayton. A black and white floral halter dress ($136) is from 9 Months in Style, 11243 Manchester Road, Kirkwood.
Photos taken at Lewis of London, 12392 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; hair and makeup by Amy Theusch of Menagerie Models. Maternity fashions once were synonymous with calico fabric, pink bows, denim overalls and the universal knowledge that you wouldn't be wearing such heinous clothing if you weren't indeed pregnant. When my relatives found out I was pregnant, they started giving me all their old maternity clothes.
I thought, 'Yuck, I'm not wearing jumpers and coveralls,' said Elizabeth Friend, 25, of O'Fallon, Mo. She's having her first baby in less than a month. Much like the majority of women experiencing pregnancy today, she doesn't want her clothing to hide her bump.
I'm wearing my clothes a little snug so that I can show off my belly, Friend said. She says she wants to celebrate the fact that she's pregnant, not fat. As an added benefit, she hopes to extend the life of some of her casual maternity clothes even after she gives birth.
It worked for Angela Nolan of Creve Coeur. She gave birth about four weeks ago and was out shopping at Lewis of London with new arrival Danielle Renee. My mom was always saying that my shirts looked too tight, but I liked it because I can still wear some of them, Nolan said.
Today, maternity fashion doesn't mean, I'll wear anything that fits. The styles aren't just functional, but fresh and fun. Some items even are making those with flat stomachs a bit jealous.
We get a lot of (nonpregnant) people walking into our store and grabbing items to try on in the dressing room who didn't know we were a maternity store, said Nicole Moore of Queen Bee in Clayton. Apparently, the shoppers are too distracted by how cute the clothing is to notice the mannequins with prominent bellies. When they finally realize that we aren't a normal boutique, they usually drop the clothes and run, Moore said.
The typical refrain among these women: They never would have guessed that maternity clothes could be so stylish, she said. Moore often doesn't get a chance to explain that some of the clothing she and business partner Jennifer Dunaway carry aren't strictly maternity wear. While shopping for merchandise, the duo occasionally will find an item constructed to be flattering and comfortable during pregnancy.
They have a tunic-length tube top by Susana Monaco in peach that technically is not maternity clothing. But it looks great and it's got the right amount of stretch, and it's definitely something that women could wear after pregnancy, Moore said. Instead of ordering the garment in small, Queen Bee stocks only medium and large sizes to accommodate maternity needs.
To further define the pregnant silhouette, Dunaway likes tying a versatile silk scarf by Frank and Kahn as a belt above the belly. Julie Hossmann of 9 Months in Style in Kirkwood says she, too, gets shoppers who aren't pregnant coming in to buy maternity wear. That would have been unheard of a generation ago, but Hossman says maternity designers have become ingenious when it comes to incorporating flexibility into their garments.
The amazing part is that some women can wear something at six to eight weeks and still fit into it at full-term nine months, Hossman said. It's obviously not a guarantee, but it's not a rarity. The midrise pants that are designed to go under the belly with bands that adjust look just like normal midrise pants, Hossman said.
One customer who tried on the maternity pants a few months after the baby was born found the fit so flattering that she came back and bought the pants in two more colors, she said. The customer said people were always commenting on how cute the pants are and saying, 'Isn't it great to be back in your own clothes?' Hossman said.
She didn't want to tell them that it was still maternity. Top photo: Today s maternity fashions are functional, fresh and fun. A pink tube top tunic ($67) is paired with white jeans ($88) and a silk scarf tie ($44), all from Queen Bee, 14A North Meramec Avenue, Clayton.
A black and white floral halter dress ($136) is from 9 Months in Style, 11243 Manchester Road, Kirkwood. Photos taken at Lewis of London, 12392 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; hair and makeup by Amy Theusch of Menagerie Models. Photo by Karen Elshout | Post-Dispatch Middle photo: A floral chiffon halter dress with bead necklace detail ($136) is from 9 Months in Style; pearl slip-ons ($59.
99) are from Famous Brand Shoe Stores, multiple locations. Photo by Karen Elshout | Post-Dispatch Bottom photo: A printed handkerchief top ($67) from Queen Bee, 14A North Meramec Avenue, Clayton, is worn with black capri pants ($84) from 9 Months in Style, 11243 Manchester Road, Kirkwood. A strapless top with butterfly and rhinestone appliques is paired with cropped jeans ($85), both from 9 Months in Style.
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