Katie Piper gets real about the problem with maternity clothes
‘Honestly, I just ended up wearing them so that I wasn’t naked’
Urgghhh, maternity clothes ?
Sure, some of us just get lucky and find that gem brand where everything seems to fit wonderfully, or that whatever we’ve found magically blends into our existing wardrobes.
Or are well off enough to afford the really, really premium stuff. The Blake Lively-on-the-red-carpet level stuff.
But for most of us, that’s really not the case. It’s all ‘oh my god what the hell is wrong with the waistband on these jeans?’ and ‘is this a maternity dress or a sack used to transport potatoes?’.
Right? It’s not just us, right?!
Well, it would seem that TV presenter Katie Piper is on our side, at least, as she told MFM during a recent chat.
The fashionable 33-year-old has confessed that, in both her previous pregnancy and her current one, she’s had many a struggle with dressing while pregnant.
“I find it hard to find clothes that suit my lifestyle [with this bump]," she admitted.
"So, when I’m not working I just like to be casual and still feel like I’m like young and fashionable, but when I’m working I want to look smart and make an impression.
“I just feel like a lot of the [maternity] clothes I was wearing just to not be naked. I don’t like that, I want to express myself with what I’m wearing.
“In the beginning, I was wearing a lot of my husband’s t-shirts, hoodies, leggings, but when you get invited to a wedding or a party, you panic, because you’re like, ‘I can’t wear leggings and a Nike t-shirt to a wedding. I can’t go.’ Nightmare.
“[Also], I don’t want to spend £800 on a new wardrobe, I want it to be affordable. It is a short time to have to buy loads of new clothes.
“And you don’t even stay the same [size or shape] throughout pregnancy, do you? You kind of change every couple of months.”
We know what you’re thinking: come on then, Katie. We know you don’t like the maternity options out there.
We know you design dresses for non-pregnant folk. Put your money where your mouth is. Give us what we want. We want a maternity range.
Well, she's already delivered – creating a capsule collection of party-friendly maternity dresses and bump-covering slogan tees for online boutique Want That Trend.
She’s gone one step further, too, with a stand-out red dress in the collection that borders on not just being nice-looking and wearable, but even ??? pretty sexy.
“I don’t see why we should shun [being sexy during pregnancy], we should always celebrate our sexuality. It’s a positive thing,” she confesses.
“I’m a big believer in choice for women especially, and if someone wants to feel that way in their pregnancy then great, there should be that option there.”
Amen to all of the above ? Amen, indeed.
Have your say
Come on then! Katie’s made her maternity clothes gripes pretty clear – but did you have any struggles with pregnancy gear?
Did you end up just wearing regular clothes in larger sizes, or your partner's comfies?
Let us know what you’re thinking about the state of maternity clothes in 2017 over on Facebook!
Images: Ruth Rose, wantthattrend.com
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