Accidental Mama, Fashion February 21, 2013

Fashion Week Mama : New York 2013

Jill Stuart Fall 2013 Because no needs to know what direction your hips are going

Jill Stuart Fall 2013 ~~ No one really needs to know what direction your hips are going

~~~by Sarah Lolley~~~~

After a few years covering Fashion Week in NY while either nursing or pregnant, I can’t help the urge to rate fashion shows on whether a mom or a mom-to-be could invest in the pieces on the runway. I have passed along so many of my finds to my friends only to miss them later when I got pregnant again.

Betsey Johnson Fall 2013 The Grand Dame of Fuzzy and Pink

At every Fashion Week I struggle with what to wear while I am busting out of shoes and tented frocks. For the last five years finding something that looks great and feels great has been a challenge that should have made me an expert. Now that I am retired from baby making, my last is a year old, I look for fashion that helps hide the new girth and blubber baby that I can’t seem to give birth to quite as easy as before.

Mama’s Toes at Fashion Week from Sarah Lolley on Vimeo.

Next Fall I am pleased to see that peplums are the new fashion norm. They have been making appearances for the last few years but I have never seen so many. Every collection must have some form of little skirt or ruffle around the waist. It’s elegant, vintage, feminine, and is the best thing since Shapewear underwear to disguise while extenuating your figure.

Nicole Miller Fall 2013
Rainbow Bright Motorcycle Chic

Rebecca Taylor Fall 2013
Navy Peplum and Flouncey Skirt

Trina Turk Fall 2013 ~~I love outfits that my kids would like to eat

There is definite retro 70s rock’n roll feel about a vast number of shows. Leggings, fur vests, ankle boots, and button collars with fedoras, berets, and wide-brimmed hats are bohemian, reminding me of the British Invasion. I like this look because I have a lot of black leggings and loads of hats.

Knitted shrugs and fuzzy cowl eternity scarves were like my staple in college. I had one I could stretch into a cape or a scarf. What I missed was more color. Deep velvety purple or plum would be so Bowie when I am carrying my metro-sexual baby.

Paneled frocks with pleats on the waist look like they would be a great after baby look, but beware for pieces that turn you into a 1950s housewife with hips for shelves. When the panel runs down the front with darker panels down the side are severely modern and very McQueen without ruining the lady-like silhouette.

My real advice for mama-nista’s is if you are post-baby or presently being inhabited by a bladder bouncer, look for clothes that wash well. And Flatforms are not a good substitute for heels. See above video. For more Fashion –> Fashion Week Mama