cool

Made By Riley

MADE BY RILEY-553.4000x3000@72ppi

British Loungewear brand Made By Riley have teamed up with the NSPCC and Maggie’s Cancer Trust to collaborate with their SS16 collection. The cool range of tees and sweatshirts have slogans such as ‘CHOOSE TO SHINE’ and ‘NO RAIN NO RAINBOW’ helping to give sleep deprived Mum’s a pick up each morning. The ‘RILEY’ sweatshirt is the perfect throw-on-and-go with a pair of skinnies and still be able to pull off that cool Mum look. The ‘R’ sweatshirt from the main line collection has been seen on mega mum Fearne Cotton.

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Both charities partnership will last a lifetime, not just this season and for each one sold, 10% will be donated to the relevant charity.

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Prices range from £40 – £110. For more information go to www.madebyriley.co.uk

CLUTCH CONTROL

Jem + Bea BABA pouch, £18

Ooh yeah! Exciting Bag News Alert! Uber cool changing bag brand JEM + BEA have just released their latest offering in the form of these nifty clutches. The black MAMA bag is available in luxurious calf leather embossed with gold letters (lets face it, anything embossed or monogrammed is the fashion dream). But the clever bit is, they’ve kept their signature water resistant, wipe clean lining so no need to panic when little yoghurty fingers do a speed grab inside for your keys.

The navy BABA pouch is made from practical nylon and has a pop of colour with its bright yellow lettering. Pull that bad-boy out your changing bag at Gymboree and watch the Mumvy unfold (that’s Mum envy if you didn’t know).

MAMA - black - open - £45

Use them as a compact changing kit, a posh snack bag, an evening clutch or a Mum’s Emergency Kit bag (a miniature gin would fit just snug in there right?). Whatever you do, just make sure you get in there quick when they become available as at £45 (Mama) and £16 (Baba), they’re bound to sell out fast.

Launching on the 4th July the bags are available at JEM + BEA

THE LEATHER FORECAST

Brr! Don’t let this lovely bright sunshine fool you, it’s still winter after all and it’s still cold (even with your pregnant almost tropical inner thermostat). So what do you wear, without adding bulk to your bump with loads of layers or chunky knits? Yep, you got it; leather. It’s stylish, it’s timeless and it’s an excellent chill beater! Stop buying babygrows, and treat yourself to a really good biker jacket, I lived in my Whistles Roxy one throughout pregnancy (and beyond), it was the one item in my wardrobe that made my style still feel like my own.

Leather is great for flattering those areas aside from your bump, so if your legs are your best asset, go for a pair of leather (or leather look) trousers, H&M have a great pair that look like leather for just under twenty quid; perfect if you don’t want to invest in the real thing. Alternatively, Seraphine‘s faux leather leggings worn by the likes of Gwen Stefani and Anne Hathaway during their pregnancies.

£19.99 H & M

And if you’re feeling flush, head to Nine in the Mirror for some seriously discounted designer pieces from the likes of By Malene Birger and Iro. (Click on the images for prices)

By Malene Birger Cullottes was £565 now £170

£146 By Malene Birger at Nine In The Mirror

Iro at Nine In The Mirror was £980 now £294

Oh and we can’t not mention this great sleeveless jacket from Asos, which although isn’t maternity, it would see you through the first trimester and can be worn over a plain roll-neck and without the belt as your bump gets bigger.

£60 ASOS

So, whilst you’re saving your pennies by not boozing for nine months, think of it as a new way to get leathered…

Matchy matchy

T-shirts £18 and £28 available from Tease + Totes

Ok I’m not suggesting you head down to your local Sainsbo’s in an adult baby-grow, but I’m noticing a growing trend for Mum’s and their little ones in coordinating outfits and I’m liking it. We had a taster last winter when Dolce & Gabbana sent their models down the runway with a matching mini-me in tow and others have since followed suit. Tease + Totes have their brilliantly empowering ‘Girl Power’ tees (above), where proceeds go towards Worldreader, a non-profit mission to get digital to books to all children.

Now there’s ways of doing this, and doing it well as it could go very wrong indeed. Keep it simple, don’t go matching head to toe, a top or jumper works best. Like these sweatshirts; now I love a sweatshirt, I love a grey sweatshirt, I love a grey sweatshirt with a slogan on it (still with me?), so this little combo from Bob & Blossom is tres bon in my view…

Sweatshirts £38 and £24, available from Bob & Blossom

And it’s not just apparel either, Sophia Webster jumped on the twinning is winning bandwagon with her Mini collection. The ‘Chiara’ style below is very sweet in teeny sizes. I’m not sure I’ll be rocking the heels round Peckham Rye Common pushing the Bugaboo but then again you never know…

£294 and £95, Sophia Webster

If in doubt, keep it simple. These monochrome tee’s from Threaded Tees are a winner, just add a flash of red lipstick (on you, not the baby), your well-loved jeans and you’re good to go.

Threaded Tees £21.41, available from Etsy

This post isn’t complete without a special shout out to Selfish Mother. Any cool mama in the know has a ‘Mother’ sweatshirt in their wardrobe (or in their clothes mountain, or on the bedroom floor). The brain child is founder Molly Gunn and her clothes are a hit with celeb Mum’s such as Fearne Cotton and Myleene Klass. I live in mine and am contemplating getting a t-shirt for the summer. For those who aren’t familiar, Selfish Mother don’t just make quality cool clothes, they do a lot of good for the world at the same time. They’ve raised over £50K for charities including Women for Women International, The Refugee Council UK, KIDS, and Help Refugees UK so buying one of their pieces goes a long way. Do it.

£45 Selfish Mother

£13 Selfish Mother

Click on brand for stockists:

Back to Basics

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It’s official, Isabella Oliver just upped its cool factor to a whole new level. Yes, the collection has its strong statement pieces, such as the ‘Rowsley’ leather leggings or ‘Rosliston’ jumpsuit, but what gives the range its wardrobe welly is the variety of basics available; which is what I found hardest to get my mitts on when I was expecting. Yes, it’s easy enough finding a nice dress, or a good coat within the (not so) vast maternity market, but try finding a well-cut white shirt, or a layer worthy polo neck, or boyfriend jeans that won’t make your bottom half look as wide as your waist and the challenge began…until now.

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The clever clogs at Isabella Oliver have thought of everything. There’s the black turtleneck to layer under a collared dress or their grey ‘Lexi’ top. There’s the ‘Relaxed Maternity Jeans’ which are just the right side of boyfriend, and the wear-anywhere ‘Grayson’ and ‘Marlow’ dresses should be top of any wardrobe wish list for defs. Complete the look with the carefully edited accessories; cool sneaks, textured clutch bags and delicate jewellery. Job done.

£45 The Maternity Turtleneck

£75 Veja Arcade Trainer

£135 Stowe Maternity Tunic Dress

£42 By Boe Infinity Necklace

£79 Lexi Maternity Top

£138 Sol Sana Frost Mule

£109 Baukjen Clutch Bag

£99 Grayson Maternity Dress

£65 Extra Long Skinny Belt

View the complete collection here.

Along Came ‘Just Polly’

Finally! A cool, stylish and functional maternity brand! Just Polly sprung onto the maternity market this month with its slick debut Winter 2015 collection. Consisting of clean cuts and flattering styles, it has that Scandi minimalist vibe making dressing your bump look easy peasy (even if you’re feeling queasy!)

Each piece is ideal for adapting to all seasons. I remember being pregnant and just when you think ‘Yeah I’ve got this preggy dressing nailed!’ along comes the rain, or the cold or a random heatwave and suddenly you’re like ‘now what do I wear?!’. Well, Just Polly is your new go-to for wardrobe staples to see you through all seasons.

ellie shirt

The collection doesn’t just look good either, items feature well designed nursing panels and coordinating modesty blankets providing the most fashionable feed ever!

With prices starting at £19 and going up to just £150, it’s almost worth getting pregnant all over again…