Guest Post: Ethical Style for Your Baby Bump
- Mata Traders
- 19 Feb, 2018
Meet Sierra! She has worn several hats here at Mata (sales and operations pro and catalog model) and is now styling her newest role as a MAMA. Sierra and her husband are proud parents of a beautiful four-month-old daughter who already is a Mata girl - featured here as the “bump” in her mom’s guest blog post on bump-friendly looks from the Mata collection.
I’m not sure if it’s the fear of my water breaking and looking like I wet myself or the overall discomfort that jeans have brought me in my last term of pregnancy, but I’ve become extremely resentful of the trouser. The only time you’ll see me in a pair of pants is when I have a centering appointment (with eight other expecting couples), and I know my shirt will be lifted to read the baby’s heartbeat. If it isn’t a centering day, nine times out of 10 you’ll catch me in a lightweight and drafty dress. Most likely something I owned pre-pregnancy.
I have nothing against maternity clothes. These days there are a lot of options out there. But I just couldn’t bring myself to spend a fortune on outfits that I’ll need for only a couple of months. As my bump has grown, I’ve had to take some critical looks at what’s in my closet. After a serious evaluation, I’ve concluded two things: 1.) I own entirely too many crop tops, which now fit more like sports bras and 2.) certain silhouettes and fabrics are the key to finding a dress that works - both pregnant and not. Dresses with a waistline are a clear no-go as well as dresses made of stiff fabrics. By sticking with light to medium cotton blends, or some combination of jersey and elastic, you can dress comfortably throughout your third trimester and beyond.
Versatile Pregnancy Outfits
Enter: The Transition Dress
The transition dress is any dress you can wear during and after your pregnancy without looking like you’re either suffocating in it while you’re pregnant or drowning in fabric after birth. If you’re like me and your pregnancy wasn’t exactly planned, this is a great way to feel stylish and save money.
I know what you’re thinking: “Sierra, all this sounds great but where can I find transition dress?” Well, I’m here for you girls. I’ve enlisted the help of one of my favorite fair trade brands, Chicago-based Mata Traders. With their Autumn/Winter '17 line at my disposal, I had so many options. To keep it concise, I narrowed it down to my top three. I purchased each dress in the same size I would normally wear before I was pregnant, thus finding permanent additions to my closet.
This beautiful, fall-ready Belmore dress is medium weight and 100% cotton, making it super comfortable and creating a slimming, optical illusion around your waistline. Without a nine-month bump, the Belmore dress falls right above the knee. Compensating around your third-trimester belly turns this dress into a sexy mid-thigh number with plenty of coverage in the back so, don’t worry, you can move and bend freely.
The Marlene dress is so lightweight and breezy I didn’t want to take it off. Like a lot of women during pregnancy, I have been running hot. Putting my hair in a ponytail literally makes me break into a sweat. This dress is perfect for the moms out there who tend to feel a little soggy by the end of the day. The loose silhouette frames my body and my bump elegantly and make me feel like a carefree, bohemian goddess.
Can you say “stretch and comfort?” This sweet flounce is 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex. The fabric has so much give to it, I could almost fit two babies under there. It’s loose in the right places and tight where it should be. The Knit Flounce dress isn’t just one of my go-to dresses for the last few weeks of pregnancy, it’s also one of my all-time favorites.
Every “body” is different, especially during pregnancy, so it’s good to know that Mata Traders has impeccable customer service. If you want to try a dress but aren’t sure of your size, you can email them your measurements or any other questions and you’ll hear back quickly with lots of spot-on suggestions. Check out all they have to offer at matatraders.com!
Special thanks to Stephen Nitz for the awesome photos!
