The Ultimate Maternity Wear Style Guide for Manufacturers

Designing maternity wear is not a one-size-fits-all business. There are several challenges. Mums-to-be do not want to dress in sacks; they are looking for clothing that is comfortable, fits perfectly, accommodates their changing bodies, and goes with their fashion sense. Moreover, they want to upgrade their closets without breaking the bank. Maternity wear designers should create clothes keeping in mind the needs of pregnant women. In particular, the pieces they design should solve the issues would-be moms face with maternity wear that is presently available on the market.

Maternity Clothes Design Tips

Before giving vent to their creative juices and getting busy with sketching, designers should understand the preferences of a mom-to-be. This entails peeping into the minds and hearts of would-be moms to figure out how they want to dress and how they want their clothes to feel on them.

Designers should also read up to learn how a woman’s body changes through the course of her pregnancy. This knowledge ensures they can come up with maternity clothes designs that are not only stylish, but also comfortable and do not lead to health issues.

The following are some insights to help designers understand how moms-to-be want to dress and what they expect their maternity dresses to look and feel like:

Not all women want to hide their bumps

It is a popular misconception that pregnant women want to conceal their growing tummies. Pregnancy is the most glorious period in a woman’s life, and most women are proud to show off the miracle that is growing inside them. Designers need to remember that maternity dresses needn’t be baggy or resemble sacks. Many moms-to-be are comfortable wearing form-fitting dresses during their pregnancies.

Not all would-be moms want to ditch their preferred clothing styles

Most women have a preferred clothing style that they would not want to ditch during those nine months. Some have a preference for dresses and would hate to wear oversize tees and baggy trousers just because there isn’t a size or a style of dress they can comfortably fit into. Some women want to carry on wearing tailored suits to work during their pregnancies.

Designers should create maternity wear that includes a wide range of attire to suit the style and comfort requirements of pregnant women.

Would-be moms don’t want to break the bank to overhaul their wardrobes

Not every mom-to-be intends to spend a fortune to overhaul her pregnancy wardrobe. All women know that their bodies will change every other month during the course of the pregnancy. They are also aware that they will regain their pre-baby bodies within a few months after the baby arrives.

Some women may just want to buy a few skirts that they can pair with the tees or shorts they already own. Some others would want to buy just a blazer that they can wear with most of the dresses they own. Maternity wear designers should create versatile pieces that can be worn with clothing with different colors, cuts, and textures.

Stretchy clothes should not be sheer

Stretchy clothes tend to become transparent when they are stretched, such as when the wearer bends down to pick up an object. Designers should choose appropriate fabrics to prevent stretchable clothes from becoming sheer.

Maternity clothes that incorporate nursing features save money

This is a practical and thoughtful consideration for new mothers. Not all new moms shed the weight they had gained during pregnancy right after the baby arrives. They can continue wearing the clothes they had bought during pregnancy (and they want to!). Designers should think beyond pregnancy and incorporate nursing features in maternity wear so that new mums don’t have to shell out more money to buy clothes they can nurse in.

Maternity wear wardrobe essentials

Moms-to-be do not want to break the bank and overhaul their wardrobes to include clothes they can fit into and look stylish in during their pregnancy. Most women are looking for just a few versatile pieces of clothing that they can mix-and-match to create new attire.

Listed below are six maternity wear wardrobe essentials that would-be moms are on then lookout for:

1.   Jeans and Trousers With Elastic Bands

Jeans and trousers with sturdy elastic bands can be worn over the baby bump or underneath a protruding stomach. Elastic bands ensure that the jeans or trousers can accommodate a growing belly, a low tummy, or one that sits high. After all, not all baby bumps are alike! Many pregnant women buy specialty maternity jeans or trousers. These pieces of clothing are much more comfortable than regular wear jeans or trousers.

2.   Maxi Dresses

Maxi dresses are comfortable. They do not sit tightly over a growing belly, and they allow a changing body to move freely.

A pregnant woman usually buys a maxi dress that is only a size or two more than what she wore before the bump appeared. That’s because she doesn’t yet know how much her body will change throughout the course of the pregnancy. She intends to buy dresses one or two sizes larger when she outgrows the size she is currently wearing.

Maternity wear designers should keep this in mind when designing maxi dresses. Moms-to-be are not searching for dresses that make them look like they are wearing voluminous tents.

3.   Stretchy Dresses, Tees, and Skirts

Most moms-to-be are after dresses, tees, and skirts that their changing bodies can grow into. Stretchable clothing fits the bill perfectly. Depending on how much weight a woman gains during her pregnancy and where she gains it, some of these dresses can be worn throughout the entire length of the pregnancy and also during the nursing period.

4.   Oversize Blazers

An oversize blazer is a versatile piece of clothing that can be worn with different attire. Depending on the cut and whether it is buttoned up or left open, a blazer excels at accentuating or concealing curves. A blazer in a solid dark color is a must-have in a maternity wardrobe. 

5.   Athleisure Wear

Athleisure wear now doubles up as streetwear. So, it is not surprising that more and more pregnant women want to buy a few pieces of athleisure wear for their wardrobes. They cannot only lounge in these clothes but also run errands around town wearing them without irking the fashion police. Athleisure wear is comfortable and comes in a wide range of colors and designs. Moms-to-be who want to look stylish need not feel stuck for choices.

6.   Sneakers and Flat Booties

If there is one thing that would-be moms want most in their clothes, it is comfort. Uncomfortable footwear not only sours the mood but is also unhealthy and risky for pregnant women to be walking around in.

Moms-to-be are aware that they should ditch their stilettos and sky-high heels as the baby bump grows. They prefer to wear sneakers and flat booties. Swollen ankles are common during pregnancy. So, many women are on the lookout for footwear that will accommodate their puffy feet.

Whether would-be moms want to completely overhaul their wardrobes or cobble together attire from just a few pieces of clothing they carefully select from the store racks, maternity designers will want to be the ones providing the solutions. But it is not always easy to find clothes that appeal to the wide-ranging tastes and stringent demands of pregnant women. Neither is it easy to source high-quality clothing that will last beyond those nine months and continue to look and feel good. Get in touch with Fashinza to source maternity wear that would-be moms will love to wear and recommend to their peers.