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.
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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.
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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!

Summer pregnancies? THE BEST!

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Yes, it’s hot. Yes, heat causes swelling. But, the upshot is that you can avoid the incredible bulk of a winter pregnancy and channel some St Tropez sultriness.

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The trick: sporting beach cover ups as RTW. Pop into a trendy boutique or the swim department of a large retailer and scoop up a few printed caftans and a chic pareo (a.k.a oversized scarf used to wrap around the waist). A caftan’s generous cut is a gift from the fashion fertility gods. They are comfy and thoroughly au courant. Pair your pareo with a tight tank top. Just wrap it around your waist and knot it under the bump. The best part? Both of these summer wardrobe staples have  “before and after” appeal. They are perfect now and can be worn for dozens of family vacations to come.

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Expert tip: Dress up casual caftans and pareo looks with dramatic gold dangle earrings and a pair of elegant  wedges.

1. Zero + Maria Cornejo long cade dress $975

2. Theodora & Callum fuchsia multi cherokee caftan $195

3. Roberta Roller Rabbit sarong big cata $50

4. Missoni sophia pareo $289.99

5. Sir Alistair Rai om mantra love in fuchsia $145

6. Tory Burch print silk long caftan $210

7. Calypso St. Barth sarong silk poncho $195

8. Rachel Pally from Shopbop.com shirt gwyneth caftan dress $71.40

Its “D Day.” Deliver Day, that is. When you are up 25-50 pounds, a gal needs a little glamour. Instead of sporting the grungy, gaping-at-the-tush hospital gown that has been soiled by years of birth “matter”, slip into something more luxe; a soft, thoughtfully designed gown created specifically for a comfortable and stylish labor. It’s a simple truth: when you look good, you feel good. Even in the face of hideously painful contractions.

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There are a lot of things that I love about designer hospital gowns:

• They are new

• They are chic and look fabulous in pictures.

• They have openings to accommodate an epidural, fetal monitor and IV

• They have mini pockets for lip gloss and a cell phone (so one can social media-cize the birth process with ease)

• They are another way to make your “birth-day” special.

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Expensive? A bit. But, it is the small indulgences that make an about-to-deliver mom feel great.

PRETTY PUSHERS original delivery gown in hot pink $24

DEAR JOHNNIES hospital gowns $72

ANNIE & ISABEL the evelyn gown $68

GOWNIES olivia delivery gown 34.99

Pregnancy is exhilarating, exhausting and challenging on many fronts. To me- a longtime fashion editor, style expert and author- the key to pregnancy style is having the tools to confront sartorial challenges and step up to the fashion plate 

Here are some tips to unleash your inner pregnantista.

CREATE A UNIFORM Neutrals are fashion chameleons which take on the mood of whatever garments they are layered with. Thus, neutral basics can be mixed and matched to “work” for every situation. Must haves? An above the knee shift, black leggings, black bias cut jersey dress, empire waist dress, a black lycra top, a flowy tunic and a black maternity stretch pencil skirt. Then, groovify your wardrobe staples with ADD ONs and WOW FACTOR, the style elements that transform basics into “looks”. 

PROPORTION, PROPORTION, PROPORTION! Nothing frumpifies more than oversized clothing and lack of proportion. Some guidelines? If it’s big on top, it should be narrow on bottom. If it is narrow on top, you can add some volume with a skirt or wide legged pant. Skirts and dresses should be above the knee or sweeping the ground to elongate the body. Legs are slimmed and lengthened with black tights and a boot or heels. Big blouses are countered with fitted skirts or tapered trousers. 

BACK IN BLACK There is a reason that, each season, editors declare that “black is the new black”. Black is mysterious and chic. Black is basic enough to make a statement. Or not. Black is classic. Black is seasonless. Black matches with everything. Black can be dressed up or down. Most important?  Because it absorbs light, black hides imperfections and is, hands down, the most slimming color on the planet.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK!  This genius silhouette gathers (flattering to all shapes) under the breast and falls loosely to the hip, knee or floor covering bulging bellies and butts with cascading fabric. The empire waist also put the focus on the arms and shoulders, places where pregnancy weight does not manifest itself.

TALK TUNIC TO ME The breezy dress me up, dress me down tunic gets an A+ in masking girth. Popularized by style luminaries like Babe Paley and Talitha Getty, this versatile thigh length top is beloved for its ability to showcase boobage and hide bloatage.

SEISMIC SHIFT Channel Gidget. Or, my preggo icon Gwen Stefani, with the flirty old school shift. Cut straight from the shoulders and flowing away from the hips, this above the knee dress is easy to wear and disguises thickening thighs and other forms of bottom heaviness.

LEARN TO LAYER  The skillful layering of color, textures and accessories allows the savvy pregnantista to invest in quality basics and “bump them up” into compelling looks. Check this out: pregnancy jeans with a black chiffon tank top is fade- into- the- woodwork nice. But, mix in glitzy kitten heel slides, a Pucci-esque swingy trapeze jacket, a heavy gold pendant and gold earrings and you’ve made a statement.

KNIT WIT Slouchy knits offer the soft silhouette that is chic and cozy for day or evening wear. Get a blast of color with a thin open -at –the- front cashmere knit sweater or a non-structured jacket that is short in the back and long and drapey in the front making it a versatile (and vertical) layering staple. And, because it comes in a variety of colors and fabrications, the look translates to every season. 

GET WAISTED! Pregnancy is the optimal time to discover the joys of belting. Designers use belts to express “directionality”, or, mood of their collection. In pregnancy,  belts are a functional style element that delivers the illusion of a waistline. A stretchy belt can be used below the bra line to create an empire waist. And, a thin leather belt can be added over a cardigan to add polish. A flashy belt below the belly is a way to draw attention to your sumptuous bump and away from other areas that you may not be so fond of at the moment.

GET HIGH!  A heel visually lengthens your silhouette and, in turn balances out your tummy enhanced proportion. You don’t need five inch Carrie Bradshaw stilettos. But, with the watermelon in your belly, height will balance out the bulge, elongate your body and add that soupcon of glamour that transforms dumpy to diva.

TIE ONE ON!  Scarves are the Holy Grail to maternity moxie; a colorful style element that can build up a basic. During the first trimester, scarves camouflage a bulging belly. For trimesters 2 and 3, drapey scarves deliver verticality to the somewhat stumpy pregnant silhouette. Colorful, bunch-up-able scarves (think Jennifer Aniston in Malibu) can be looped nonchalantly around the neck to add color and Parisienne chic.

THE HIGH ART OF SUPER-ACCESSORIZING  Aside from being decorative, accessories play a major role in creating a long, lean silhouette. Neck grazing earrings, for example, take the focus to the neck and shoulders where pregnancy weight does not manifest. Layered long necklaces rein in excess fabric of tunics and balloon dresses supplying a lean silhouette.  Belts give drapey clothing shape and can supply an illusion of a waist while you are camouflaging a burgeoning belly. Scarves add verticality and cover the belly. Larger bags balance out proportion. And heels literally take pregnant women out of the dumps by lengthening the leg. Jewelry should mirror the bravado of your bump. Bold baubles—cuff bracelets, gold chains, chandelier earrings-amplify your style quotient.