Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot, Joan Crawford and that mom at school pick up that ALWAYS looks cute all have a common bond: a signature style. Through their fashion choices, their personalities loom like a halo over their heads.
.

But, many women don’t necessarily have a “signature look.” If you have lived for years mystified by what happens on runways, red carpets and hyped paparazzi shots in gossip magazines, call upon your dormant SAT studying skills and study fashion divas of the twentieth century. Pregnancy is, in fact,  a golden opportunity to exit your comfort zone and bring your inner glamazon to life. Give a nod to the fashion icons of the twentieth century and use your belly as a VIP pass to the order of eternal divahood.  Go to Barnes & Noble and purchase Fashion Icons: Fashion Trends Throughout the Century, Star Style, Thje Marchesa Casati Portraits of a Museand Mistress of Modernism: The Life of Peggy Guggenheim, and start thumbing through. Eccentric? Yes. But, absolutely scintillating. Learn about silhouettes. Discover accessories. Investigate why muses perenniale- marvelous Marchesa de Casati, dynamic Diana Ross, chic socialite Babe Paley, 60s siren Edie Sedgewick, boho babe Talitha Getty and art deco diva Nancy Cunard-became style revolutionaries. These histrionic women dissed convention and used fashion to express themselves. Such bravado is evident in their outré fashion choices: gowns as daywear, turbans, shoulder sweeping earrings, extreme eye makeup, stacked-to-the-elbows bangle bracelets, cloaks fashioned of peacock feathers. Don’t feel pressured to swap your skinny jeans for an electric blue jumpsuit. Just get inspired. Then, take it down a notch to reality. In your free time, let your fingers do the walking right over to Netflix.  “Fashion moment” TV shows and films are a great way to research style and learn about silhouettes. Once the kid(s) are asleep, rent Mad Men, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Women, Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby, Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Katherine Deneuve in Belle Du Jour, Mia Farrow in Great Gatsby, Marlene Dietrich inShanghai Express, Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada and Joan Collins in Dynasty.
.

I am not suggesting that you go radical. Your task is to find a scintillating look which suits your personality and flatters your body type.  Upper East Side Lady Who Lunches? Downtown “it” Girl? Haute Hippie? Groovy Gal About Town? Be the girl with the Bakelite cuff bracelets and fabulous YSL scarves adorning every outfit. Wear Grandma’s lurex sweater sets to go to the supermarket. Layer vintage Betsey Johnson baby doll dresses with Byzantine beads and rhinestone crosses just because. The larger you feel, the more accessories required. Your Cinderella moment awaits!