A Maternity Belt with Alaïa Energy

Top image: HERMAN Fitted tee in white (inspired by men’s underwear, soft, with sleeves that hit just right and a length that actually covers the belly, im wearing a size L), REYÈM Wide leg pants in black (take 15% off everything on their site with code THECEILING15), PHOEBE PHILO Gathered flat in black, KHAITE Bontin wool blend coat (sale on sale) and THISTLES Jack unisex sunglasses black & black

Charon: I try to keep things uncomplicated, meaning I’ve bought close to nothing for my maternity wardrobe (perhaps the word itself is the problem). One pair of jeans, three sizes up, that doesn’t exactly spark joy. And one Nike maternity legging that somehow does, perfect for my version of a workout or a slow morning at home. Everything else I’m wearing these days I already owned and fully intend to keep wearing after delivery. Big goals, I know. But what does that look like in practice?

All the bottom styles in this edit are from Reyèm. Take 15% off everything on their site with code THECEILING15. Offer valid until October 13 at 11:59 p.m. CET.

TOTEME Double-breasted cashmere coat, Maternity support waistband (I can see the nude version working too, though I’m not a doctor, so check with your specialist first), LEMAIRE Wool and cotton-blend wide-leg pants and BALENCIAGA Rodeo croc-embossed bag

During these last months, instead of wanting to float around in a long white caftan dress and a wide-brimmed hat like some, I’ve felt more like channeling my inner Xena, the warrior princess. The lingering influence of one of my favorite maternity shoots, Madre Terra, starring Mariacarla Boscono by Juergen Teller for Flair October 2012, definitely has something to do with it. But it’s Rihanna, queen of pregnancy style and mother of three, who I keep coming back to. The image of her leaving Le Royal Monceau in Paris with her family, wearing a maternity support belt styled over a loungy outfit during men’s fashion week, has stayed with me long before I was even showing. The belt itself somehow gave me Alaïa vibes slightly orthopedic, but without spending the big bucks. If Vibram is hot, and Skims can turn body and face shapewear into objects of desire, then making a maternity belt the look while pregnant feels like pure logic to me.

It was around this time last year that I wrote, “Will I ever wear real trousers again?” The answer is a confident no. It seems I do elastic-waist pants only now. With my second child on the way, currently the size of a cucumber at 30 weeks, my stretchy-waist fashion feels both stylish and practical. While suitable bottoms (like Marie Adam Leenaerdt black chic tracksuit trousers, Aya Muse folded waist trousers, Lemaire wide leg pants, Lu’u Dan baggy lounge pants or anything Pleats Please) are usually considered the tricky part of dressing with a growing bump, it was actually my tops that turned against me this time, suddenly too short or too tight. Maybe that’s why I immediately fell for the return of the shrunken knit at Jil Sander SS26, as I mentioned a newsletter or two ago (a quick demonstration of what that looks like below). Not lying, currently in South Africa with temperatures rising, I’m taking full advantage of this cropped-top-free-card phase.

Wearing a cropped merino jumper I’ve had for ages (this THE ELDER STATESMAN Cropped cashmere crewneck or MARIE ADAM LEENAERDT cardigan sweater might work as well) REYÈM Wide-leg pants in taupe (take 15% off everything on their site with code THECEILING15), FLORE FLORE White Esmé tank top (their tops are generally a bit shorter, a long sleeve would work here too) FANE Bra bag in pigeon (love any of these colors), and THISTLES Jack sunglasses black & black.

EXTREME CASHMERE N°302 lemon cashmere-blend zip-up cardigan, MAISON MARGIELA pleated mohair and wool-blend straight-leg pants, BALLY Samya leather pumps and THE ROW Ewa leather tote black (in brown here)

A little more fall and winter proof, and what feels like another quiet return, is the zip-up cardigan. Once a staple of my dad’s closet, army surplus stores, and Adidas (I still love my Y-3 cardi, or try this Adidas Originals x Wales Bonner velvet hooded version), it has found its way back into fashion’s good graces. Ever since Lemaire introduced their ribbed-knit alpaca and yak wool version, it has had my full attention. Since I just made a case against buttons, and oversized sweaters make me feel like a balloon walking on sticks, the zip-up, clearly underrated in pregnancy style, wins by default. It simply comforts and adapts, pregnant or not. This super soft oversized one from the Dutch brand Herman, inspired by the men’s wardrobe, feels just right when nothing else fits. I like to layer it over a fitted tank, or not, and leave the zip halfway, as if to say, I meant for it to look like this. And I do. The Extreme Cashmere N°302 lemon cashmere-blend zip-up cardigan (a shrunken knit and zip-up love child) and Extreme Cashmere N°385 xtra cute cashmere zip-up jacket are equally high on my list.

Super soft oversized HERMAN Zip-up cardigan (I’m wearing size S), REYÈM Balloon pants in black (take 15% off everything on their site with code THECEILING15), PHOEBE PHILO Gathered flat in black and SHANNON BOND Everyday belt

Wearing PHOEBE PHILO Gathered flat in black via @googoosh, REYÈM Balloon pants in black (in fig here, take 15% off everything on their site with code THECEILING15) and STENN Josephine bracelet

There is a lot to be said about pregnancy style, but in the end it is personal. I just want to look like myself during this time. Sarah-Linh Tran, one half of Lemaire’s design duo, captured that feeling perfectly when she took her bow at the Fall/Winter 2024 show while pregnant. She could not have looked more herself, and I bet that outfit still fits. A wardrobe with an expiration date of nine months makes me restless, not to mention the thought of justifying the expense. My first pregnancy was during Covid, hardly the time for a fashion moment, but it taught me to invest in only a few essentials, enough to feel good in both mind and skin. Reyèm’s elevated bottom wear is/was definitely one of them. This time around, it comes down to a pair of sport leggings and a perfect pair of timeless Phoebes that could not suit me better.

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