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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).

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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

H&Mmmmmm

There’s no denying it, H&M are having a moment. All you need to do is watch their new City Diaries Spring fashion commercial and you’ll be putting items in your online basket faster than a new parent can eat their dinner.

If you’ve just had a baby, this is the perfect chance to spoil yourself with a few new pieces to make you look and feel great, which is so important as a new Mum. With the Fashion Editor’s favourite cold shoulder top at just £7.99 (yes really!) you wont feel guilty for spending from the nappy fund either.

There’s a strong Boho influence across many styles in store at the moment meaning cuts are loose and flowing and styles are floaty and flattering – ideal for a post-baby body. You can wear them straight away rather than keeping them hung neatly in your wardrobe for when you’re ‘back to your original size’ (which lets face it, could be next season.) I particularly love the red shoulder-showing tassel dress at just £14.99 which would hide any post-baby pouch a treat!

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Many of the tops and blouses are either off the shoulder, lace up or tassel-tied meaning they’re feeding friendly too.

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Button Up Smock Top £29.99

I know time is precious as a new mum (and most of said time is spent googling stuff like ‘how long can a baby cry for?’ and ‘what should newborn poo look like?’) so I’ve compiled a Top 10 to save you valuable shopping seconds. You’re welcome…

[Click on each image for details]

Cold Shoulder Top £7.99
Striped Dress £24.99
Lace Up Blouse £19.99
Kick Flare MAMA Jeans £29.99
Belted Long Sleeve Dress £39.99
Trench Coat £39.99
Beaded Jacket £79.99
Embellished Long Sleeve Dress £59.99
Belted Cardigan £39.99
Wide Leg Elasticated Waist Trousers £14.99

So next time you’re up feeding on the night shift, check out hm.com – what can be better than a 3am shop from the comfort of your bed eh?!

THE SS16 TREND REPORT

It’s official. The sun has been out at least twice which in my mind means spring is finally here. The January sales are over, the February transitional pieces are well gone and the new spring/summer styles that get us wanting to rip up our current wardrobe and start all over again are now dropping in store. If you’re anything like me, by the end of winter I am so over all my clothes, out with all the layers and chunky knits and I look forward to days where it doesn’t take twenty minutes of coat, hat, scarf, gloves, sunglasses, umbrella rigmarole just to get out the door.

There’s no reason why being pregnant should affect your style, yes you may have to adapt certain looks but why not treat the nine months as a good time to experiment with new cuts like flared jeans or a maxi dress. With an ever increasing choice on offer in the world of maternity wear, THE MOTHERSHOP has created a handy little a round up of the top trends for SS16 and a sneak peak of what’s on offer in maternity wear for the coming season. All that’s needed now is a little bit of sunshine…

HOPELESS ROMANTIC

Blush tones, pretty florals and textured white make up this feminine trend; throw in a touch of dreamy Chloe-style boho and you’re on the right lines. Look out for pleats for bonus style points too.

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[Clockwise from left] Floral maxi dress £48 Asos. Frill bib £15 Asos. White crochet dress £99 Seraphine. Blush pleated skirt £49 Seraphine. White top £16 Next.

SUPER STRIPES

Big stripes, small stripes, coloured stripes, graphic stripes, vertical stripes; you get the picture; you can’t go wrong in bump boosting stripes this season. Look out for shoulder-showing styles if you want to be oh-so-ss16.

STRIPES

[Clockwise from left] Striped t-shirt £16 Asos. Dress with pink pockets £175 Madderson London. Off shoulder dress £28 Asos. Cold shoulder dress £28 Next. Micro stripe dress £30 Marks and Spencer. Under the bump pencil skirt £20 Next.

FRILL SEEKERS

Go big or go small, either way ruffles were out in force across the catwalks. From Roberto Cavalli to Miu Miu, frills were at the forefront of the designers minds this season.

FRILLS

[Clockwise from left] Sleeveless dress £153 Marni at Nine In The Mirror. Peach dress £42 Asos. Pink sleeveless dress £POA Madderson London. Shortsleeve printed dress £335 Paul & Joe at Nine In The Mirror. Yellow top £58 Peakes of London.

DENIM DAYS

Max out on the denim as it’s going no-where fast. Look for details such as patchwork, two-tone or embroidered for the most up to date look. And cuts such as flared, cropped or A-line will see you through the season in style.

Denim

[Clockwise from left] Denim shirt £40 Topshop. Colour block dress £160 Hatch. Dungareees £45 Topshop. Grandad collar shirt dress £30 Marks and Spencer. Flared jeans £65 Mama Jeanius.

PICNIC TIME

Re-inventing the classic check in new cuts, from midi dresses to loose trousers. Look out for giant gingham in flowing fabrics.

PICNIC

[Clockwise from left] Green shirt £30 Mamalicious. Red checked dress £16 Matalan. Cream and Black checked shirtdress £39 Topshop. Red and black shirt dress £26 Dorothy Perkins. Black and white drape gathered front top £34 Topshop

AVOIDING THE ‘MUM BUM’

Mind The Gap sign on tube station platform in London UK

 

Whether you’re sat on the floor at Gymboree, wedging the pram in the car boot or saving Sophie la Girafe from the floor for the nineteenth time that day; it seems there is no escaping the ‘Mum Bum’.

If you’re not au fait with the term, let me explain. You’ve had a baby, maybe not quite back to pre-baby weight and your once favourite jeans don’t fit as well as they used to. Now whilst wearing said jeans and finding out that 98% of your day is spent bending over; you have what can only be likened to a builders bum. Sat in coffee shops, at baby sensory classes, in the doctors waiting room; you can be sure to find an abundance of Mum Bums, constantly being rectified with a quick yank up of the jeans or pull down of the top but to no avail. The Mum Bum wins….every time.

Sound familiar? I know. I’ve been there. THE MOTHERSHOP has the solution with these crack-concealing (sorry) high street hero pieces…oh and some outfit inspo too.

£48 Topshop

Dungarees are maternity heaven; room for bump, easy access for feeding and no possible bum show. Winner every time.

 

[Pic credit: Pinterest]

Look for high waisted pieces; trousers and skirts. Wrap skirts are great for a bit of give for bending down, and loose trousers with a pair of Adidas Originals will work for park laps.

Stock up on the bum busters now; and leave the wardrobe malfunctions to the workmen…

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.

Clary & Peg

 

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Clary & Peg is the brainchild of two London Mothers; Edwina and Johanna. With celebrities such as Rosamund Pike and Sophie Hunter (aka Mrs Cumberbatch) in their garms as well as awards from Smallish and Baby&Me magazines, they’re set to go far. Oh, and the small fact that Edwina’s cousin is none other than Cara Delevingne who caused a social media storm when she posed with a fake bump wearing a Clary & Peg design.

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The pieces are designed to be worn with a bump and also beyond so you won’t feel like you’re spending a lot for something you’ll only wear for a few months. Many of the styles have a vintage inspired feel to them; from Sixties pinafores, Seventies smock dresses and Eighties jumpsuits, Clary & Peg have the decades down in style. My personal favourite is the denim pinafore dress; worn with a plain polo neck and black opaque tights it has a certain Alexa Chung feel to it…

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The bambino’s haven’t been forgotten about either, with the sweetest range of baby bloomers to choose from. They can be worn bare legged in the summer or over tights in the winter. Super cute!

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See the full Clary & Peg collection here

Dress De-Stress

With the party season just round the corner, anyone with a sizeable bump is no doubt dreading coming up with what to wear for the work parties, the family get-togethers or drinks with mates (of the boring non-boozy variety of course). But before you send yourself into an early labour, have a look at the amazing selection of dresses ASOS have to offer.

There’s Seventies inspired maxi dresses, ideal for hiding puffy ankles and if it’s long enough, you could probably get away with wearing flats. And for the folky fans, a selection of embroidered beauties; the berry coloured oriental bird print is my favourite. I actually wore the SS15 pastel version to a wedding earlier this year (see below) when I was 8 months pregnant.

 

So panic not, Asos has saved the day and taken the stress out of pregnant party dressing. What’s more, the best thing about being sober for nine months is that you have more money to spend on clothes! Hurrah!

All available from http://www.asos.com

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Along Came ‘Just Polly’

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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…

www.justpolly.co.uk