What to wear, according to a stylist

I'm nearly six months into my pregnancy in the middle of a very stressful and isolating time, which has impacted my ability to see friends and go shopping for maternity clothes. I love thoughtfully selecting each item in my wardrobe so that I always feel like myself, but when I went in search of stylish pieces for my changing body, I was immediately bummed. My options included: a lot of billowy stuff that made me look like a tent, bright and colorful things that made me feel wider and more pregnant, or larger sizes of non-maternity designs (an ineffective tactic, save for a couple of notable exceptions, below). I can't dress exactly like I did pre-pregnancy because of my new shape—my bigger chest and belly are challenging for non-maternity clothes. It's a totally new way of thinking about my body.

So I reached out to Katie Holmes' stylist, Allison Bornstein, who's helped me downsize and perfect my non-pregnancy style. She explains the secret to looking great: "When you're pregnant, what looks better is tighter clothes. Billowy clothes [only] look good on [petite] women. It's actually kind of cool; You have nine months when your body is not your normal body, so it's an opportunity to do something a bit new." With her help, I figured out what I could pull from my regular wardrobe (shoes, bags, blazers) and what I needed to buy (jeans, tops, skirts, dresses). You don't need much, which is perfect for someone who's trying to practice conscious consumerism. Bornstein's hyper-focused on helping you shop your own closet, and she's always booking FaceTime styling sessions: either a regular hour, or an extended version during which she'll send you relevant links for new items. Below are a few of the tips she passed on so I could make the perfect capsule—she's basically my pregnancy style whisperer. (Check out her super-helpful pregnancy capsule video for even more tips.

Original article: https://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/g32926501/pregnancy-style/

October 13, 2020 — Stephanie Missirian