2010 Maternity Trends

Maternity clothing has come a long way since your mother was pregnant! And even in the last five years since I was pregnant with my son, I have seen huge strides in the styles and philosophies behind maternity clothing.
Years ago, our only choices were relatively frumpy, tent style garments which tried to hide our bursting bellies! More recently, maternity fashions have matured with the times and the garments you can get for your pregnancy are as cute as the ones you wear when you aren’t pregnant! Many of the newer maternity styles are designed to accentuate a mom’s pregnant belly and show it off, rather than hiding it under loose draped clothing. The diversity of maternity garments has also expanded, with moms being able to choose from hip stylish tunics, leggings, maxi dresses, swimwear, and sleepwear.

Moms now have more stylish options to choose from for maternity wear. In addition to wanting great styles, most moms are looking for great values as well. With the downturn in the economy over the last few years, moms are even more cost-conscious than before. Maternity clothing can be fairly expensive, and moms today like being able to purchase garments that will last beyond their nine months of pregnancy and into the next year or two. This way they can justify the “extra expense” of maternity clothing because it isn’t just for maternity anymore. This has inspired manufacturers to make garments that are not only designed to be worn during pregnancy, but afterwards as well. Many manufactures have switched to a “before and after” mode of production, where garments are produced which look great on a pregnant belly and also fall nicely or ruche to flatter your post-partum figure. Most of these garments also have hidden nursing openings, so that moms can breastfeed discretely once their little bundle of joy arrives. With these “before and after” styles, moms can shop to their heart’s content with the reassurance that their purchases can be utilized not only for their nine months of pregnancy, but also for their breastfeeding journey for the next year (and beyond!).

Another trend is the use of eco-friendly fabrics. Eco-friendly fabrics include organic cotton, organic linen, bamboo (which is great at wicking away moisture) and other natural fibers such as hemp. You can see a complete listing of the different types of eco-friendly fabrics and what makes them so great at www.natural-environment.com.

More and more moms are conscious of our environment and the impact of our environment on our children. These new eco-friendly fabrics make a mom feel good about the clothing she is putting near her own body and her baby’s body. And as more and more moms are venturing into natural parenting, baby wearing, and extended breastfeeding, a pregnant mom can also nurse her toddler in style while pregnant with maternity garments that feature discrete nursing openings!

The latest trend is that of “Life Style” clothing. These maternity clothing designs are made to be worn for years by moms and moms-to-be. They are appropriate for use during pregnancy, for discreet breastfeeding, and beyond. This “Life Style” clothing trend is the latest to hit the maternity scene. Now fashionable moms have even more choices with garments designed to become part of your wardrobe — wear them before you get pregnant, throughout your entire pregnancy, and beyond for discrete nursing, and even further beyond as a great staple that will last for years. These items do not have traditional nursing openings or have removable layers so that once a mom is done nursing (or if she decides not to) she can continue wearing these garments as part of her regular wardrobe. For instance, consider a top or dress with a criss-cross layer that allows for discrete nursing, but doesn’t actually have nursing openings, or a removable bra that has nursing openings, but is still separate from the garment itself and worn underneath. When you are nursing, you wear this layer, but when you are pregnant or after your nursing days are over, you can remove it and you have a garment that can be worn for years. The designs are innovative, fashionable, and suitable for all phases of a mother’s life!

Editorial provided by Judy P. Masucci, Ph.D., of Annee Matthew Maternity & Nursingwear. Dr. Masucci is a mom to one beautiful boy and a business owner. She lives in Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh, where she manages the North American Operations for Annee Matthew. ‘Life Style’ Maternity, Nursing & Beyond clothing has been pioneered by Annee Matthew Maternity and Nursingwear, based out of Singapore and is managed for stores in the US and Canada by Dr. Masucci.