Don't get left out in the cold.

Personally I hate the winter.  It almost makes me dislike the joys of fall because I know it means winter is right behind it.  Sometimes I even resent spring because it never gets here quick enough.  Yes I know that summer brings mosquitoes, sunburn, upper lip perspiration, swamp crotch and fuzzy hair, but I will always prefer being warm to cold.  I hate being cold. We're in the depths of January and my 5 day weather forecast isn't giving me much cause for optimism.  I have been forced to give up my imaginary spring wardrobe planning for the immediate necessity of warm and water proof footwear.  As much as I love Brooklyn, I am always almost seduced by living in different hemisphere this time of year.

The origins of this avid seasonal dislike might come from my Scottish childhood.  We lived in a beautiful old farm house without upstairs heating or modern windows.  It was not unusual to see your breath in the morning when you woke up.  Actually there was one radiator.  You would find my sisters, brother and I huddled around it every morning getting dressed.  We would very carefully divide up the radiator into equal sized sections, place our clothes on top to take the chill off and quickly get dressed. I probably do my childhood a huge disservice telling that story.  It makes it sound like I had a frigid and bleak childhood - it was nothing of the sort.  It was an unbelievably rich, happy, almost idyllic one, but it was certainly cold.

Putting on a brave face with my daughter.

I was my own worst enemy though.  Mini skirts and skimpy blouses didn't really cut it.  It took moving to New York in my 20's to teach me how warm weather dressing is done. New York women just know how to do it every season, every year. 

So how do you do it when you are pregnant?  There are some perks to being pregnant in the winter - your body normally runs much warmer with all the extra blood flowing around you body.  The winter of 2006 and 2008 were definitely the warmest I've ever spent that is for sure.

There is sadly a distinct lack of good down coats out there  that will accommodate a bump or a baby, but here are some current options that we love.

Menonove Puff Coat

Harvest Open Cardigan by Line

Ian Cardigan by Line

Even if Kennedy and subsequent male politicians have found hats a challenge to their masculinity, if masculinity isn't something that concerns you, be grateful that a hat is just another wonderful self expression opportunity, and a warm one!  I was told once that you loose up to 50% of your heat from your head.  It is not a statistic I have any way of proving, but I do know hats have improved my winter comfort enormously.  They also almost always make me feel happier because they can be glorious, absolutely glorious.   

  

My friend Lisa Battaglia is an amazing milliner.  Her hats shouldn't be worn if you are feeling particularly shy because you will be inundated with compliments if you wear one of her creations.  Her incredible collection has actually made me almost look forward to feeling a chill in the air. 

"Swinger" by Lisa Battaglia

"Brooklyn" by Lisa Battaglia

Fashion serves as a pick-me-up in my life.  If you are like me it might be time to invest in something that raises your spirits while you wait - patiently - for the temperatures to go up.

 

The Argument for Maternity Clothes

It will come as no surprise that as one of the owners of a maternity boutique I would write a blog post touting the benefits of maternity clothes.  In my defense though if I didn't believe in the value of maternity clothes, I would never have set out to make a living selling them - it would be like a vegan opening up a steak house.  I will endeavor not to make this post a shameless plug for Bump, but the reality is it will probably be about as 'fair and balanced' as Fox News.

I wasn't fortunate enough to have Bump during my first pregnancy, over 5 years ago.  I made a lot of mistakes, many of which definitely influenced my decision to open Bump.  Like a lot of other women who fought buying maternity clothes I found myself 8 1/2 months pregnant and utterly miserable because nothing fit, I had completely lost my identity in how I dressed, and everything made me feel uncomfortable.

So based on my experience as woman with 2 pregnancies under (and over) her belt and 3 years as the co-proprietress of a maternity boutique, here is my argument for maternity clothes.

"Nothing fits any more.  Maybe I should just buy clothes that are a couple of sizes bigger than I normally wear."

Yes you could buy clothes that are a couple of sizes too big or to even start shopping in the men's department (really, please don't) but there are a couple of problems with this solution.  First of all, the waist is probably the only place they will fit.  Secondly you aren't saving money.  If you are going to buy something new, at least buy something that will fit your entire body and flatter your shape.

"Why spend money when it is just for 9 months?"

Most of us have an official or unofficial seasonal budget for new clothes.  New seasons roll around and whether it's through wear and tear, new trends, or the simple pleasure of retail therapy, we add in a new pair of jeans, a summer dress, a winter coat, a great little cardigan or a cute new accessory.  It is rare that any of us will let 6 months pass without buying anything new. So treat your pregnancy like a new season and allocate yourself the same budget you would to any other season.

Secondly the reality is, it's not just 9 months.  It would be nice to go straight back to our former bodies and favorite old pieces of clothing after we give birth but isn't normal or natural.  While our bodies are adjusting enlarged boobs and readjusting to no longer housing our babies we need clothing that is kind to our bodies. 

"I'll just find something cheap/on-sale/consignment that will do, after-all it is only 9 months*."

This was my initial reaction 5 years ago so I went out and bought a pair of black maternity from the pants from The Gap on sale.  I forgot years of standing in fitting rooms trying on pair upon pair of Gap jeans and pants only to finally accept that their pants just don't fit me very well.  But they were $40 so I would make them work.  But they didn't work,  I didn't return them and wore them once.  $40 for 1 day - not a good equation.  Now if I had just bought the pair of amazing jeans I wanted for $180 I would have worn them at least 40 times at much better rate of $4.50 at a day.

Of course if you can find items you love cheap/on-sale/consignment then cha-ching!  But really, don't sell yourself short on something that "will do" when you can find something that you'll love and works for your sense of style and body shape.

*See above.

"I have lots of things in my wardrobe that work already."

This one is actually not something I would disagree with.  With the addition of a bella band and a muffin top stopper for your pants & skirts, a lot of your pre-pregnancy wardrobe will grow with you happily throughout your pregnancy and prevent you from having to re-invent your wardrobe.

It might sound incredibly superficial, but I really do believe in the power of fashion.  It's a way of expressing ourselves.  It shouldn't be all that defines us, but it is one piece of a unique and varied puzzle that we create for ourselves.  When you are pregnant you should absolutely not abandon that, and you certainly don't have to.  Pregnancy and parenthood is such a pivotal time in our lives that it's good to feel grounded in anyway we can.  Clothes are part of that grounding.  So even when you are giving up wine, caffeinated coffee, sushi, unpasteurized cheese, hot dogs (not necessarily a huge sacrifice unless you go to Bark) and 8 hours of sleep, you don't have to give up fashion...or comfort.

www.bumpbrooklyn.com