We often get emails from expectant sisters about our whether or not we may expand to include a maternity line, but we actually already have many maternity-friendly pieces.  Specializing in modest clothing, it means our garments are naturally loose yet flattering. I speak from personal experience in that the clothes I recommended in my post for taller sisters still fit me, and I’m 26 weeks along.

It helps to look for maternity clothes with a few thoughts in mind:

1. Don’t buy too far ahead. Remember that your body will change shape visibly from month to month–sometimes even from week to week, so don’t buy all your clothing at once. Especially considering the state of the economy, it’s best to use your common sense: only buy larger/looser clothing when your old clothing becomes uncomfortable. For many women, they can wear their old slacks most of the way through the pregnancy–everyone puts on weight in a different way. However, you should never wear anything constrictive. If it doesn’t fit comfortably, it’s time to upgrade.

2. Choose soft fabrics. For the expecting SHUKR shopper, our jersey fabrics (US, UK) are perfect for this, and anything with rayon or elastine is also fine.

3. Style is important. Go for tops that have an empire waist. (Yes, I just linked to Wikipedia, but rest assured, it’s not really less accurate than the Encyclopedia Britannica…but I digress). Empire waist-style tops are not only trendy; they are comfortable and leave lots of breathing room. For breastfeeding, button-down or wrap-style tops are pretty straightforward choices. When choosing slacks, two words: adjustable waistline! This is essential for the comfort of you and your baby. Besides, your waist will do quite a lot of adjusting, so your slacks should too.

Here are a few items we typically recommend:

The Sundial Wrap Top (US, UK). This is made of a soft rayon fabric, and is also ideal for breast-feeding as it has a front opening (shown below).

 

 

 

 

The Sunshine Embroidered Top (US, UK). This v-neck top features an embroidered empire waistband and is one of our most elegant. It’s sure to make you look beautiful, even when you don’t necessarily feel your best (shown below).

 

 

 

 

The Jersey Pleated Dress Top (US, UK).

The Embroidered Light Sweater Top (UK) is made of rayon (96%) and elastane (4%). You should find this top very suitable throughout pregnancy, from the initial stages to the end.  (Sorry, it’s currently only available in the UK).

If you find the above garments to be low in stock, we have some new arrivals that will fit the bill nicely:

The Aghabani Embroidered Blouse (US, UK).  This elegant 100% rayon top has a lovely empire waist.

The Sukar Tunic (US, UK).  A fun, flowy top with a drop empire waist, made from a nice tencel-rayon blend.

The Lace Flared Top (US, UK). This top boasts a surplice neckline with lace, and elasticized waistline.

The Nouria Tunic (US, UK). Tried and true from personal experience.

The Jersey Tie Front Skirt (US, UK). Great for early pregnancy.

Our Drawstring Wide-Leg Trousers (US, UK). Shown below:

 

 

 

 

The Faux Wrap Viscose Dress (US, UK).

The Mediterranea Dress (US). (Sorry, currently only available in the US).

These are only a few examples of our maternity-friendly clothing. Feel free to browse the website and look for anything that has a forgiving waistline, as most of our garments do.

The best part is that SHUKR clothing doesn’t look like maternity clothing and will still fit you after the baby is born. It’s naturally loose and modest, so you can look elegant throughout your pregnancy and beyond. As the savvy shopper, you won’t have bought something that you couldn’t wear again.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 5:05 am and is filed under Bits & Pieces, Design.