Rosie Nixon has been joint Editor of HELLO! magazine for the last three years, having previously held senior roles at women’s glossies Grazia, Glamour and Red.
She relishes the busy hands-on role of Editor with a love of all things celebrity, royal and fashion related and can regularly be found dashing from office to glamorous event – putting on her heels in the back of a car!
Rosie lives in Clapham with her husband and their elusive cat Archie and is currently expecting her first child.
First trimester down. I’m now half way through my second and this is where things start to get a little…bumpy, when it comes to dressing for my new shape. My favourite Hudson jeans no longer fit, the nights are drawing in, I want to eat everything in sight – yet I don’t want to look like I’ve lost all sense of my former fashion-friendly self.
Wasn’t it so much easier to be pregnant and stylish in the summer? We always want the season we can’t have. Halle Berry would have been my summer pregnancy muse back then. With her cool maxi dresses, she only needed a gold sandal, cluster of bangles and a big smile and she was topping best-dressed lists the world over.
It’s not so simple when you live in Britain, the rain is lashing down and your hair’s been blown about so badly on the way to work you’ve arrived at the office looking like Worzel Gummidge, but with a bigger belly. Yes, looking effortless with the elements against you can feel like an art form and in my job – like yours – hibernation is not an option. So what to do?
To handle the challenges of a winter maternity wardrobe without layering myself up to the size of a sumo wrestler, I decided to pay extra attention to the dressing habits of the expectant stars we have featured in HELLO!, to come up with my list of the 7 winter wonders for pregnancy style. I hope it helps you too…
1. Invest in a fitted three-quarter length coat:
When in doubt, look back at the pregnancy wardrobe of the Duchess of Cambridge, who so neatly seemed to handle the transition of wash-board stomach to growing bump with the help of one key essential – the three-quarter-length dress coat. I adored Kate’s Mulberry mint tweed coat and she repeated this style endlessly throughout the latter stages of her pregnancy. The high street is full of coats in this length right now and pastel shades like baby pink are particularly on trend as are check designs – so don’t be tempted to plump for a baggy tent to cover yourself up, stick to clean lines and a fitted shape. Wear with maternity jeans or over a jersey dress and you’ll be snug and stylish wherever you go.
Shop her style: Seraphine Houndstooth Wool Coat £115
2. Embrace the bump:
Model mums-to-be may be able to carry off a structure-free silhouette, but for most of us, it is deeply unflattering, so instead of trying to disguise the fact you’re carrying around a precious mini-me under your jumper – make like Claudia Schiffer and let the bump do the talking. This photo of Claudia is from a few years ago, but I think her look is completely timeless – stripes perennially work, and they don’t have to mean unflattering.
Shop her style: Seraphine Blue & Black Striped Cowl Neck Tunic £49.00
3. Remember the power of a great LBD:
Kim Kardashian found herself in the spotlight for the amount of weight she put on during her pregnancy, but the moments she pulled off a good maternity look, were the times she remembered that less is more. Even though I’ll be twice the size I was last year, the clingy Little Black Dress will still be my best friend for the festive party season. Add a bit of Kim-style bling and you’re ready to rock around the tree (only maybe not quite as vigorously as you might have done last year).
Shop her style: Seraphine Maternity Cocktail Dress – Black Lace £159.00 or Black Long Sleeve Bodycon Maternity Dress £55.00
4. Don’t shy away from prints:
Winter florals are a huge trend for autumn/winter and an elegant statement print dress – either long for the evening or short for day – will help break you away from wearing black all of the time. If you’re less into flower power, leopard print is a major trend once again, so have a play with prints to add some variety to your winter wardrobe. Who wants a bland bump? Not me.
Shop her style: Silk Printed Maxi Dress £125.00 or Pure Silk Watercolour Print Evening Gown £119.00, wear with Black Angora Bolero £59.00
5. Be a trailblazer:
If you do have a favourite summer frock, there’s no reason it can’t work during some of the milder winter weeks if you team it with a blazer to perfectly fit your bump. Invest in the right one and it will create a really flattering shape, whilst sharpening up a look, as the Duchess of Cambridge proved with her polka dot Topshop dress and black Ralph Lauren blazer combo. Team your blazer with jeans and maternity trousers, as well as your favourite maternity dresses.
Shop her style: Seraphine Cropped Peplum Jacket – Black £85.00 wear with Seraphine Polka Dot Mock Wrap Maternity Dress £55.00
6. Stick to your signature look:
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen effortlessly nailed this paired down look with her black jeans, leather jacket and flat boots. Invest in at least one pair of good quality, stretchy maternity jeans, a comfortable vest top – GAP have a great range – and wear with your favourite open jacket, statement scarf and boots, for a look that will never fail on off-duty days, whilst still reflecting your personal style.
Shop her style: Black Maternity Skinny Jeans £49.00, Leopard Print Scarf £29.00
7. Leg it:
I am a big fan of Fearne Cotton’s eclectic style and thought she looked cool throughout her pregnancy – with special marks for never being one to sacrifice comfort over looking great.
This look emphasizes the point that a pair of snug, black maternity leggings could be your most versatile piece for the winter months because they create such a sleek look, whilst being super cosy.
I love the faux leather trim maternity leggings from H&M, as well as the many classic styles on offer from Seraphine.
Wear under smocks and dresses and add a pop of colour on your feet, a la Fearne.
Shop her style: Seraphine Seamless Maternity Leggings £14.40 and Blossom Printed Dress £55.00
Other Articles You May like:
Our top 3 Autumn fashion trends for pregnancy
High flying career women in Seraphine maternity styles
The kids are back at school – time for some new maternity work wear