How to look swell

10:46am Tuesday 26th August 2008

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Maxine Gordon reports on some blooming marvellous fashions for autumn mums-to-be.

PREGNANCY clothes have come a long way since the days of the smock dress. And, love them or loathe them, we have celebs to thank for making maternity wear chic.

Pregnant and proud, they boldly dared to show off the bump many women thought they had to hide. Fashion has now followed suit, ensuring that being pregnant is no longer a one-way ticket to a style hinterland.

Instead, women can keep stay on-trend by snapping up maternity wear with a fashion edge.

The high street is a good starting point to pick up basics that won’t break the bank. Topshop, New Look, Next and Dorothy Perkins all have maternity collections that should help expectant mums look and feel good during pregnancy.

Mothercare is an obvious stopping point, too, on the shopping trail. Key autumn looks have infiltrated its new collections for autumn and winter, with highlights including a military-style wool coat and a cream knitted dress which would look great over a pair of trousers or with tights and knee-high boots. There is also a fab chunky knit cardi with collar and wide ribbon belt which would see you through pregnancy and beyond.

Mamas & Papas has high fashion items too, including ditsy print dresses that capture the folksy trend for autumn. Another stand out is a grey print tunic that is smart enough for work, but dressy enough for a night out.

Online retailer Blooming Marvellous(www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk) lives up to its name with gorgeous pieces for autumn. Look sharp in its pleat-fronted trench coat or simply divine in the grey embroidered cotton and silk tunic, perfect for work, rest or play.

For something equally away from the high street, head to Gillygate in York and independent boutique Expecting. The store, which is run by mum-of-two Heather Booth, offers a one-stop shop for mums-to-be.

Heather opened the store after struggling to find decent maternity wear while pregnant with her first child, Jack, now ten. She also has a daughter, Erin, five.

“We like to think we stock everything,” says Heather, who sells a range of clothes from leading European designers. Although it’s a boutique, the prices are affordable. “We sell tops from £15, trousers from £40 and our most expensive item is a wool coat for £89.”

New additions are arriving daily to the new autumn/winter collection, and bargain hunters can snap up end-of-summer lines from the ‘under a tenner’ sale rail.

Heather says it is a false economy to try and kit out your maternity wardrobe on the cheap.

“Maternity wear is not a waste of money. You may have five or six pairs of trousers and jeans. Suddenly they don’t fit. So you buy a pair of maternity trousers and a pair of maternity jeans. You will be wearing them every day for the next four or five months. You will wear them more than any other item in your wardrobe, ever.

“Good maternity wear lasts nine months. You have fewer items, so you will wear them a lot more than your normal clothes, so they need to be good quality to go the distance. As with everything, you get what you pay for.

“When I was just ten weeks pregnant with Erin, I wore a pair of black trousers that cost about £50. I wore them when I went to hospital and when I came out and for another three months. I was in those trousers for almost a year and they were still in good condition.”

Heather says a pair of black trousers, some jeans, some tops and knitwear are the must-haves in a maternity wardrobe for autumn and winter. A new coat may seem like a big blow-out but, says Heather, if you walk to work every day, then it is essential.

“Some women are happy to buy a coat because they plan to get pregnant again and will keep it. Others sell it on eBay and get quite a good amount of money for it,” she says.

But the most important part of a pregnancy wardrobe is something few people will see.

“A well-fitted bra is vital,” says Heather, adding that wearing the wrong bra is one of the biggest causes of backache in pregnancy. Expecting offers a wide range of maternity underwear and an expert fitting service.

“I will fit somebody at 16 to 18 weeks because that is when your cup size normally stops changing. If I fit someone into a bra then, nine out of ten times, it will last to the end of their pregnancy.”

Occasion wear can be a problem for pregnant women too, who may not wish to fork out a fortune on a frock they might only wear once. Heather advises dressing up a smart pair of trousers and top, or a plain dress, with colourful accessories.

She said: “If you buy a black dress you can wear it with some red shoes and a bag, perhaps a big flower in your hair, but still be able to wear it for work.”

Dos and don’ts...

Heather Booth from Expecting has the following top tips to help you make the most of your maternity-wear budget:

DO buy your usual size.
Good maternity wear is designed to fit in all the areas where you grow during your pregnancy – your bump, bust, hips and thighs. Do not buy the next size unless you put on a lot of weight.

DON’T splash out on bigger-sized clothes.
It’s a false economy. You can go through six different sizes during pregnancy just to fit things around your belly and spend six times more money. And the clothes don’t fit the shoulders, arms, hips or legs. They make you look bigger everywhere when you aren’t – you are pregnant.

DO invest in maternity tops.
They are longer at the front so that they don’t ride up as your bump grows. Also the side seams are set further back so that there is more fabric at the front but the back sits normally.

DON’T cut costs.
Good maternity wear lasts nine months and more. You have fewer items so you will wear them a lot more than your normal clothes, so they need to be good quality to go the distance. As with everything, you get what you pay for. And remember, most women will still wear maternity clothes for several months after the birth.

DO get fitted for a bra.
This is important not only to prevent backache but to keep your boobs pert in middle age.