A woman who is pregnant is mostly described by superlatives such as radiant, glowing, blooming and gorgeous; but now thanks to the fashion trends endorsed by celebrity moms-to-be, one more word has been added to the list — stylish.
Hollywood sensation Blake Lively and our very own Bebo don’t seem to let their pregnancy distort their fashion statement. Whether you want to flaunt that baby bump or keep it subtle, designers Anand Kabra and Nachiket Barve have a few tips on maternity fashion.
For an Indian ethnic look, Anand says, “A long kurta with a decorative waistcoat, or an anarkali dress with a heavy handloom dupatta would look great.” The elaborate dupatta will take attention away from the bump and will focus on the elegance of the attire.
For a western look, he swears by wrap dresses which allow the body to breathe and which can be used even after the pregnancy and still look equally beautiful. Long tunics with slacks or tights can also be worn for a casual look.
Anand adds, “If one is tall, she can experiment with shift dresses, and remember, ‘big on top of big’ is never a good idea, so stay away from layering your clothes too much with capes and other such styles.”
Nachiket Barve stresses on the importance of fabric. “Choose fabrics that have a slight stretch to it, like jersey and flannel. A colour block, knee length dress would make for a neat look. Elegance and cleanliness of form is what we must aim for here. Keep away from extremely circular or jarring prints,” he says. Long kurtas with palazzos or a midi-length dress with a long, open shirt would give a chic look.
Nachiket suggests that if a pregnant woman came to him to design something for her that would flaunt her baby bump, he would go for a “hip-level T-shirt with a lovely knit fabric, with a silk jersey jacket over it”. “I would pair this up with skinny, stretch pants. This look can be donned casually or can be dressed up with accessories for a party attire,” he says.
