If there is one thing I’ve learned about fashion in pregnancy, it’s that dressing a brand new body at 38 is not necessarily easy.
I found out I was pregnant last September, and during those first months I determinedly clung on to my “normal” clothes – in denial, perhaps, about my changing body – until I eventually realised that trying to squeeze my growing belly into the pieces I’d worn for the last decade wasn’t just wildly uncomfortable, it was doing nothing for my confidence. Or my newfound boobs.
My only reference for “maternity wear” up to that point was seeing my pregnant friends wear jeans with crazy elasticated waistbands – I didn’t feel ready for those. For the first time in my life, I was at a loss when it came to how to dress. So, I leaned into maternity leggings and oversized jumpers, which certainly ticked the comfort box, but for someone who loves clothes, was just incredibly tedious. Then, as winter approached, I discovered a new passion for cashmere tracksuits, which I bought in a size up from Chinti & Parker and Madeleine Thompson.
As the days started getting longer and my cosy sweats started getting too warm, I realised that I was doing this all wrong. Why was I trying to mute my fashion choices; to make myself less seen? I had a revelation: pregnancy is, in fact, the perfect time to try something new. My pre-pregnancy style identity was on hiatus, and I had permission to go and find a fresh one that was completely different. As soon as I did that, getting dressed every day felt so much better. Actually, it felt liberating.
As I often do, I looked to my impossibly beautiful late grandmother, Angela Delevingne, for style inspiration. She – together with my great aunt Doris – was an extraordinary dresser. Growing up, whenever I would visit her home with my sisters and cousins, we would marvel at her wardrobes, which were literally bursting with the most incredible fashion. Born in 1912, my grandmother was one of those enviable people who was just naturally bold with her style choices. I decided I wanted to emulate her attitude in my pregnancy, rather than hiding away.
In one of the many fabulous photos we have of her, her perfectly coiffed hair is swept back and she is wearing a pair of wide-legged dungarees with a red lip. Like the chicest Land Girl you ever saw. It’s one of the images that served as the original inspiration for my cousin Edwina’s London-based label, Clary & Peg, which makes clothes – often in vintage fabrics – that are rooted in nostalgia and designed to be worn forever – including, crucially, during pregnancy.
And so, Edwina and I decided to set about paying homage to our grandmother and our shared family history and heirlooms with a capsule collection perfect for spring/summer. There are dungarees of course, this time in a soft lemon yellow, realised in linen and ideal for everyday – I wear mine with everything from a simple tee to a feminine frilly blouse, or even just a sports bra. They are a shot of sherbet-y sweetness in my wardrobe and I have barely taken them off.
Then there’s the peachy Wren skirt, made from deadstock fabric in a decidedly 1940s weave. Its elasticated waistband is super supportive, yet still stylish enough for a birthday dinner – it is my lifesaver when I need to look instantly put together.
The most surprising piece we made? Undoubtedly the navy wrap-style Eva dress, which, as a double A cup girlie all my adult life, I never thought I would have in my wardrobe. But the shape – tiered, very ’70s – is so flattering on my fabulously bigger boobs that it’s become my favourite piece. Who knew? I can wear it out at night with a little jacket, or just barefoot in my garden. Being pregnant, I now know, doesn’t mean you can’t still be really sexy. This dress makes me feel exactly that.
I am due in six weeks (and still, by the way, utterly unprepared), but before then, I’ll celebrate my 39th birthday. What am I planning to wear? Bodycon. I want to wear something short, tight and stretchy that will put my beautiful bump centre stage and celebrate pregnancy for what it is: a miracle. (Plus, bodycon looks great on the arms). So, if I have one piece of maternity wear advice for you, it is this: have some fun, experiment, wear things you’ve never worn before. That’s what I’ve done, and I think my grandmother would be proud.
