Rosie's Style Tips

Not only is Rosie Pope inspiring, she also had some great tips on what to wear when expecting and in your "fourth trimester". Her advice and design philosophy are fairly classic. She follows the runway trends and ignores the maternity industry. If you see her in the store, she will tell you that "if you won't wear it when you are not pregnant, don't wear it while you are pregnant". This goes along with the belief that many women compromise their clothing and style while pregnant, and this should not be the case.  Therefore the design and quality of the fabrics are very important to Pope.

So what do you get when you visit Rosie Pope Maternity? You get an attention to design and detail as well as clothes that you would buy on an everyday basis, but are made to fit a pregnant woman. Okay, enough with the preaching... what are her tips???

The essentials for every pregnant woman...

* leggings - invest in a nice quality
* tanks - wear alone or layered - the basis of your wardrobe
* dresses - they are easy, comfy, will easily take you from day to night and will last longer (the most versatile are wraps and shirtdresses)
* pants - invest in at least one pair of great pants
* jeans - same as the pants

A tip when trying on pants and jeans... try on many different brands and fits. Just because a specific brand fit you well before, once you are pregnant your body changes. This same brand may not fit as well as it did prior to your pregnancy. Be open to trying on everything. This also goes for different types of waistbands. There are several different ways that pants are made... the waist covers the belly, fits underneath the belly, etc. You need to try on everything to make sure that you figure out what is most comfortable for you.

For the "fourth trimester", Pope gave me the best advice that I have ever heard... buy some maternity clothes that you LOVE at the very end of your pregnancy.  Don't wear them until after you have had the baby.  This way you won't associate them with being pregnant and they will fit you much better than trying to squeeze into pre-pregnancy pieces.  Also, check out nursing options.  There are some cute styles out there that will help make nursing while you are out and about much easier.

The essentials for this transition time...

* leggings - good quality
* tunics  - spend some more on some pieces so you will enjoy wearing them

This is great and timeless advice. Take it and run. Visit Pope's website and if you are close enough, head to her store in Manhattan. For the rest of the country, she is planning on expanding her clothing stores and studios next year!

                                  - Allison

*Photos courtesy of rosiepopematernity.com.

A lesson I learned from Rosie

Recently I was able to speak with designer, educator, maternity concierge, and star of Bravo's Pregnant in Heels, Rosie Pope. I was so excited for this opportunity because I (like everyone else) love Rosie! She is genuine, creative and brilliant! She could be your best friend and at the same time she is taking over the maternity world!

For those of you not familiar with Rosie's story, I will catch you up briefly... Pope came onto the maternity scene in 2008 when her clothing store in Manhattan first opened. She first discovered a large void for stylish and wearable maternity clothes as she and her friends began to think about starting their families. Instead of complaining about the lack of options, Pope got to work and started creating chic looks for the women in her life. As things took off, Pope found herself getting ready to open her first store as she was about to give birth to her first child.

Once her store opened, she realized a void in education for pregnant women as well as those who have just given birth. Once again, Pope took it upon herself to start offering classes in her store. As things grew, she opened her studio, MomPrep, two blocks away from her clothing store. She now offers everything from prenatal yoga, infant CPR classes to debates between experts in the field (such as a doula vs. an anesthesiologist).

If that weren't enough, her maternity concierge services began as women began coming in the store and asking questions. As she began to be asked consistently about things like baby proofing and finding a nanny. Pope had no idea that there was even a need for a service like this, but just like everything else, she took it upon herself to fill this void. Now, you can go to Pope for a variety of needs before or after your baby is born.

Before I get to the style tips, the lesson that I learned from Rosie is to be a doer! Her success has been based on her ability to identify voids in the market and to fill them well. She is obviously a caring and talented person, but her resourcefulness in acting on these ideas is what I admire most. Plus, she is building her empire while starting a family... very impressive!

If you haven't watched Rosie's show yet, you must watch the season finale of Pregnant in Heels - Tuesday on Bravo. I guarantee that you will fall in love with Rosie too!

*P.S.  Check back tomorrow for style tips while expecting and after you have the baby... straight from Rosie!

                                  - Allison

*Photos courtesy of thedailybeast.com, thestyelist.com, bagsnob.com & momstrendnyc.com