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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Maternity Fashion Woes


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Maternity styles have gone from ill-fitting and boxy to rather chic and fashionable over the years.

The whole dynamic changes dramatically when a woman is expecting and happens to be 5’4” and under.  So many times we hear the words “vertically challenged” referenced when talking about petite women.  In the fashion industry the word Petite does not mean a woman is small but rather 5’4” tall and under.

It’s more of a challenge, however, finding something chic and stylish to wear when your midriff is expanding.   Designers have finally recognized the fact that 70% of women are Petite and the majority, not the minority any more.  Now all we have to do is get them to expand those designs to a maternity line.  

Stores in larger cities or metros generally carry a petite line, which leaves others having to shop online. Before you hit the submit button on an order make sure they have flexible exchange policies. Most websites have detailed specifications and don’t forget to check whether the shipping cost on returns is extra.

Stick with monochromatic colors as they’ll make you look taller and slimmer.  You're probably asking yourself what that means.  It's a blending of the same hues in a color.  See the photo here to the right as a sample where different shades of burgundy/pink blend together.  Boat necks, rounded ‘V’ and high necks accentuate the shoulders.  Stay away from anything with horizontal striping.  Fashionistas advise not to wear geometric and/or floral prints. It’s best to use smaller and subtler prints and cotton is the best fabric as it allows the skin to breathe and does not irritate it.

Listed below are some sites that carry smaller sizes (it’s noted whether the style is petite for shorter frames or not). 

isabellaoliver.com - size 0 up - not petite sizing
oldnavy.com - xs up - not petite sizing
seraphine.com - size 2 up - not petite sizing
lee.com - petite jeans - not maternity styles but can buy larger size to suit
anntaylorloft.com - small sizes from 0 up
maternity-clothing-fashions.com - petite styling - somewhat pricy
gapmaternity.com - limited selection
motherwearclothing.com..uk - small sizes but not petite sizing
funmum.com - petite jeans and trousers
jcpenny.com - limited petite styles
beautifulyoumaternity.com - petite - somewhat pricey 
motherhood.com - xs starts at size 0 - not petite sizing




1 comments:

A rootdigger said...

I am not all that fashionable. I prefer to look Pg. And I am 5.31/2 and probably shrinking in height.Hey at least something is shrinking. I love to see loose styles but fashionable. room for improvement, I guess.
You have a lovely blog, thanks for the welcome to the Moms bloggers