Madonna transformed pop culture mentality about pregnancy
Things have changed a lot since the men’s Oxford shirt was the standard fashion uniform of expectant mothers. Now maternity fashion has caught up with the chic apparel worn by the unexpectant.
In 1914, Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May to be Mother’s Day. To honor the 90th anniversary of the holiday whose roots go as far back as Greek and Roman times, we take a look at those who don’t yet know why one day a year off will never be enough: Those who are due to be due.
It was Madonna, she of the name suggesting mother to all, who helped transform the pop-culture mentality about pregnancy from something meek to incredibly chic.
When the singer first showed off her budding bosom and belly, some were aghast and some just remembered it was Madonna. But like so many trends this chameleon sparked, a swelling belly became the latest accessory, and celebrities everywhere began wearing tight-fitting clothes, speaking publicly about their fertility and making use of that pregnancy glow.
It wasn’t long before designers caught up, and men’s oxfords stopped being de rigueur maternity wear and were relegated back to men. This season, everything from cargo pants to sexy strapless dresses is available while baby’s on board. Pregnancy aside, clothing has shrunk over the past few years, leaving trend-conscious women to don mini skirts and snug tops.
“Women want to continue their chic, sexy look into maternity,” explained Jessica Bayard, assistant maternity buyer for Harrie J’s, a maternity and baby boutique in Metairie. “The clothes and styles this year are completely different than even two years ago because the customer is requesting tighter and shorter, and the manufacturers are listening.”
In fact, many of the manufacturers are actually the women who were once making the requests themselves. Skye Hoppus, the wife of Blink 182’s lead singer Mark Hoppus, began designing a line when she was in her seventh month and realized she had nothing to wear worthy of her rock star wife status while packing for her husband’s road tour.
This spring, alongside friend and maternity boutique owner Suzanne Mitchell, Hoppus launched the company Childish, focusing on velour sweat suits, boot-cut jeans, ruched tank tops and body-skimming jersey skirts.
Famous moms-to-be such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Courteney Cox are scooping them up by the armload, as are the hoards of fans with less distinctive pedigrees.
From an article by Karen Sommer Shalett
Source: The Times-Picayune