Fashion with a bump

By Guest Bloggers, Taylor Presson & Allison Bumgardner

When we started having babies five years ago, maternity fashion was just getting started. Today’s new mommies have even more amazing and affordable options than ever before. We spent several afternoons hunting the latest summer and fall fashion “must haves” for Charlotte’s most glamorous mothers to be. It is simply “Fashion with a bump.”

On our personal fashion blog, we took a survey of our readers to find out what was the one item our mommy friends could not live without. Beating out designer jeans and jersey tops was our personal favorite, the Yoga Pant. We were so excited to find the newest discovery, the “Everywhere Pant” from the makers of the Bella Band, Ingrid & Isabel. Ingrid & Isabel have outdone themselves. This pant can be worn over the belly for more support, under the belly or as a skirt that hits mid-waist. We love this option because it covers the ever expanding rear view. The “everywhere pant” retails for $88. Liz Lange for Target has one of our favorite maternity fold over waist yoga pants. Check locally or order online for $29.99. Available in black.

Mommies today are more concerned with living a healthy lifestyle and need more transitional clothes that will take them through their pregnancy and afterwards. Transitional clothes like low rise convertible cargos, tunics and leggings, cardigans with adjustable ties and empire waisted comfy t-shirts. At Destination Maternity, Allison scored a pair of awesome cargos for $29 in the Motherhood line. Layer with a heathered tee ($19.50) and a new cardigan ($34) and you have an outfit you can wear straight through fall. Old Navy Maternity has some super cute jersey wrap cardigans in gray and khaki( $22.50 online) that will take you through your whole pregnancy and after!

All this research led us to a whole new level of maternity denim knowledge. We learned that each designer makes their jeans in a different way. Need more support? Try Citizens of Humanity. Most of their jeans fit “over the belly.” Paige denim specializes in under belly styles and J-Brand has super-cool elastic inserts to stretch with your ever-expanding belly! Destination Maternity buys their denim of choice and adds their own “secret fit belly” bands. Check there for hip denim lines you can’t find anywhere else. Our favorite new style for fall are the super comfy “Jeggings” from Citizens of Humanity. These jeans/leggings will look great for fall with sweaters, long sleeve tees and tunics. You can pair them with mid calf boots and head out the door. They can be found for $179 at Pickles and Ice Cream. We could write a whole article on the great maternity denim from Old Navy. They have “low rise” bootcut jean currently on sale at www.oldnavy.com for $19 or the “full panel” flared leg jeans for $30. Not so sure about “jeggings”, Old Navy has the cutest pair of skinny jeans for $12.97 online!!

It may still feel like summer, but we are all dreaming of the cooler days of fall. Keep your eyes out for must-haves like anything with pockets, plaid ruffle shirts, boat neck sweaters and shirts, bold colors and patterns and a refreshing hint of anything tie-died. Whatever the season, maternity clothes are a fun part of the most special times of our life. Why not feel and look great?!

Register for our latest Smarty giveaway:
Got mess? Well momma (or daddy), our Smarty friends at Rubbermaid have just the solution! Want a shot at taking the first step in organizing your whole home, including family room, closets, garage & more?! Register today to win a free 2-hour in-home consultation with a Rubbermaid specialist.
We could ALL use this, but only one lucky Smarty wins a free 2-hour in-home consultation valued at $130. Click here to register AND leave a comment on the official giveaway blog including what your most challenging area to keep organized is (make sure you leave your name in the comment!). We’ll pick our favorite Smarty answer! Good luck from Rubbermaid & all of us at Charlotte Smarty Pants!