Ecover, experts in caring for laundry for all the family, has partnered with celebrity fashion stylist Alex Longmore to help new and expectant mums find clothes to suit their busy lifestyle, whilst maintaining and celebrating the ‘me’ in ‘mummy’. The partnership is to celebrate the launch of Ecover’s new concentrated laundry range, inspired by nature. Alex is one of the UK’s top fashion stylists with over sixteen years of experience has become a key player within the British fashion industry and worked with top celebrities including Zara Phillips, Jodie Kidd, Little Mix and Claudia Schiffer.
Parenting on Female First
Becoming a mum is inevitably a life-changing experience. As a stylist, Alex gets a lot of questions from pregnant clients and new mums on how they can adapt their style to suit their changing lifestyle. One of the key things is to be really prepared, and be smart with mixing maternity wear with stylish high-street items. Here are five top tips on how to dress when you are pregnant:
COLOUR CAN REALLY HELP TO GIVE YOU A BOOST
Colour can really help to boost your look, especially if you’re feeling sleep-deprived. Reds and light blues reflect light, helping you look more radiant. Bright colours can also help to lift your mood, so that you look and feel more on the ball. Block colours are very on-trend, as are bold prints, so don’t be afraid to mix unusual colours together, like red and pink, or colour-block with your baby. Bold colours can sometimes fade in the wash so make sure you use a detergent to protect them like Ecover’s Colour Detergent, and wash on a low temperature setting.
MIX SPECIALIST MATERNITYWARE WITH HIGH-STREET
Take a leaf out of the celebrity mum style book and mix up your specialist maternity-ware with everyday high-street items in larger sizes. These are often less expensive, and can help to make functional items look more stylish. Specialist maternity tops like buttoned-down tops can be great for added convenience if you’re breast-feeding on the go, as you can operate them with one hand quickly. For added style, simply layer an unbuttoned shirt from the high-street over your breastfeeding top, or pair with a loose-fitting blazer or cardigan.
UPCYCLE TO GET YOUR LAGOM FASHION ‘FIX’
Lagom is a lifestyle trend that follows hot on the heels of Hygge, the Danish concept of comfort. The lagom-way is to buy quality first-time around, shop second-hand where you can, and repair things when they are broken. So why not check out your local charity shop, sew on your broken jacket button, and fix the hem of your trousers to get your lagom fashion ‘fix’. Try your hand at upcycling or knit a warm winter scarf that’s unique to you. Then with your savings you’ll be able to splash out on a stellar wardrobe item that will get years of use.
This frugal mending revival also involves reducing your environmental impact. Try washing your clothes at 30°C, hanging your washing outside to dry (when weather allows), and switching to a plant-based laundry detergent like Ecover that’s tough on stains but kind to the environment.
MAKE FRIENDS WITH FLATS
Flat shoes must become your friends, both through pregnancy and afterwards when you’re kept on your toes, chasing littles ones around the house, or down the street. Flat shoes shouldn’t mean your style suffers – there are a wealth of gorgeous flats to indulge in. Trainers are still having a moment and as a new mum, surely there’s no better time to try out the sports-luxe trend. Flat boots worn with leggings also look great in winter.
INVEST IN JEANS THAT ADAPT TO YOU
Some luxury jeans brands such as J Brand and AG at Trilogy Stores and at Harrods will alter their styles for expectant mums. This is brilliant as it means you can still look and feel fashionable with your growing bump. They’re an essential purchase for your maternity wardrobe. To protect your denim for longer, wash your jeans inside out on the lowest temperature and on a slow spin cycle to avoid shrinkage and fading, and use a gentle but thorough, denim friendly detergent like Ecover Non-Bio.