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Liz Lange was doing maternity chic before maternity chic existed. The New York Fashion designer revolutionized a market that was misunderstood.
I know it well.
When I was expecting my first child over 13 years ago, the maternity fashion industry wasn’t as robust as it is now. Pregnant women who wanted fashionable clothing had to be creative, sew their own pieces or mix non-maternity items with the limited options available then.
A friend of mine had a trunk show with these fab and super cute colorful and chic clothes that designer Liz Lange released. I was giddy and headed over and scored some awesome pieces. I wore a couple pieces to my baby showers. I still own some of them today which is a testament to their high quality and durability. Liz Lange, inventor of “Maternity chic“, is still creating gorgeous maternity clothes, with an imprint that can be found in Target and Target.com and is available widely to many more women.
Turned away by high end stores who told her pregnant women don’t care what they look like and didn’t agree initially to stock her designs, Lange persevered and kept on keeping on and eventually scored some celebrity clients like Kelly Ripa and Cindy Crawford. She was THE celebrity stylist before it was a thing. And not to be discouraged by naysayers, Lange sold her line in trunk shows through independent associates like the one I purchased my Liz Lange wear from back then. There was indeed a market for quality high end maternity clothes and Lange tapped into it when no one else was doing it, beginning in 1997 when she launched the line out of her home office.
Lange, who is also a mom of two, has never believed pregnant women should be constricted by archaic ideas of what moms-to-be should and shouldn’t wear while pregnant. Everyone’s got an opinion and not all are correct. Since then, Liz Lange New York grew from an appointment only showroom to a flagship store on Madison Avenue, a partnership with Nike and eventually becoming the first Maternity line to show at New York Fashion week.
“As the pioneer of ‘maternity chic”, I’ve spent almost 20 years in the maternity clothing business, forging licensing deals with Nike and Target, with a maternity line available exclusively at Target stores and Target.com,” the busy entrepreneur and mom says. “In that time, I’ve heard countless rules and style mantras regarding what pregnant women can and can’t do when it comes to style- and I’ve broken them all! My maternity line at Target focuses wearability and confidence with clothes that are comfortable, affordable, and always chic.”
The fashion maven, who is also a cervical cancer survivor, breaks down some myths and offers 5 ways to maternity myth Style Don’ts that are really Style Do’s for us:
1. DO: Stripes- We’ve all heard the rule, “horizontal stripes make you look wider.” Not so! For a mom-to-be sporting a baby bump, horizontal stripes can accentuate your shape. Also diagonal stripes can create a dramatic effect.
Try this striped dress from the Liz Lange for Target collection, which can be dressed up or down for endless style. The stretch material will grow with your growing belly, and the ruched sides keep it flattering through all stages of pregnancy.
2. DO: Bold Prints- Every woman needs some pieces in her wardrobe that demand attention and inspire confidence. I always make sure to feature a few patterns that pop when designing my own maternity collection.
Feel free to maintain your sense of style by accentuating your bump with all of your favorite patterns and colors.
3. DO: Shop Regular Sizes- A new expecting mother might think any shopping she does for her maternity clothing has an expiration date, but there are lots of great transitional pieces that are perfect for pregnancy and will still fit flawlessly into a post-baby wardrobe.
Instead of a maternity sweater, why not try this Liz Lange for Target item. The loose structure and flowy shape will look great as Maternity or New Mom Chic!
4. DO: Heels- Of course towering 6” heels are difficult even for the most experienced (and not pregnant) heel wearers, but that doesn’t mean they need to be written off completely.
Consider a shoe with a wider or kitten heel for a little bit of height that won’t put too much pressure on your back. The more delicate the heel, the more lengthened your legs will look!
5. DO: Go Sleeveless– Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you need to stay completely covered. There are lots of super flattering sleeveless looks that highlight your figure.
Remember- the bigger your bump, the smaller your arms look!
Good luck preginistas! Shake up the expected and knock em dead breaking the rules.