Maternity Do's and Don'ts

Follow these 6 simple guidelines to dressing stylishly while you are pregnant and you won't only look Fab but your will feel great as well.

Don’t – Wear tops which are too short which cause you to expose your tummy to the world.
Do – wear maternity camisoles or singlets which cover your belly and giving you a lovely shape. Also, combine with non-maternity labels pieces from Billion Dollar Babes, BY Malene Birger and any of your favourite pieces from your usual wardrobe to put over the top of your maternity basics to create an interesting layered look.

Don’t – put aside all of your favourite little dresses because they are too short.
Do – wear them in a different way…reinvent your favourite little dress as a tunic or a mini you can wear over everyone’s favourite Soon tights. Depending on the style of dress, you can always add a belt under your belly (we recommend this with trousers), or the belt positioned above your belly.

Don’t – shy away from trying bold prints especially with florals and tribal prints being so fashionable right now.
Do – watch what the leading maternity labels are doing with their prints as the designers know how to choose prints which are flattering even on the biggest belly. As a general rule the smaller the print the larger it makes you appear.

Don’t – be tempted to fill your wardrobe with the biggest and baggiest pieces you can find, or ransack madly though your husband’s wardrobe for that matter.
Do – wear properly fitted and comfortable clothing which hugs your body showing off your tummy in a beautiful way rather than hiding this precious cargo. Of course if you are at home and are desperately seeking some comfort in your hubby’s clothes then go for it. We suggest checking out the Blossom Mother & Child collections and anything from Mishka’n’Milka, who’s pieces are young and fresh and flatter your body.

Don’t – run from staying active (pardon the pun), as this is the best way to feel better about yourself and as a bonus you will find it easier to get back into shape after you have had your baby.
Do – purchase some active wear and we suggest the perfect additions to any active maternity wardrobe are; at least one pair of tights from Soon and some yoga pants, 2 tanks from YIM and one t-shirt. Knowing these are sitting there waiting for you will help to motivate you to put them on and stay active. Feeling good is looking great!

Don’t – be scared of investing in a great baby bag.
Do – know your style and invest in a bag which is something you will use whilst your pregnant, after you have had your baby as a baby bags and most importantly can be used years after as a beautiful fashion addition to your wardrobe. We love the Hansel Bag by Not Rational and the Bronte Baby Bag by Rachael Ruddick.

The Hansel Diaper Bag by Not Rational

We love the Hansel Diaper bag by Not Rational. We simply love it!

It has all the trappings of, in our opinion, being the best bag on the market for new mum’s everywhere – and not just new mums, at least half of our clients at Cedar Leaf purchase this bag as their everyday bag as this bag was originally designed as a regular bag and named the ‘Fab Bag’.

Founder and designer Fabiana Trosman of Not Rational says,

“My bags are designed for the modern woman in all her incarnations”.

Fabiana’s talent is her unique ability to observe others and cast herself in many roles. This enables her to design elegant solutions to life’s daily challenges. Her designs travel from work to playground to hip and trendy restaurants. They’re utterly versatile, classy without pretention, and a pleasure to carry. Fabiana’s uncanny ability to design for us all proves that sometimes being not rational can lead to great triumph.

So why do we love these bags so much?

Is it the fact that these bags are so stylish yet practical, or it is that they are made with ethical cow and lamb leathers and are the lightest large bag we have ever picked up? Perhaps it’s the fact that the quality is impeccable and the bags come in many exciting colours?

For us it’s the fact that every bag comes with all the trappings of a uniquely beautiful bag – a sleeper bag, fabric lining, loads of pockets and space for our bits and pieces and our very own little Not Rational pin.

Not Rational bags are still simple and practical, a truth that is an intimate part of their beauty. The bags are favored by celebrities from Jennifer Aniston to Lindsay Lohan, Christy Turlington, Jessica Simpson, Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek. Editors in the know, such as Sarah Bailey of United States Harper’s Bazaar, count themselves as fans of the line.

Nicole Hooper-Marshall, Founder of Cedar Leaf regularly carries the Cognac Leather Hansel and the Dark Grey Canvas and Purple Leather Hansel. You will see Wendy Mak, Founder of Smitten with Style, Personal Stylists, carrying her Black Patent Hansel during her Client Sessions.

These bags are a permanent fixture in the Cedar Leaf store, so click here now to choose your very own.

Hell in Heels

I’m sure that almost all women of the world are united in feeling the pain and suffering of a day or event in towering heels. We know we look amazing but the long terms effects of these painful necessities do us no favours.

At least during our pregnancies we can get some respite by deciding to wear our beautiful flats. These things become our friend and rightly so...they are not only practical and comfortable but they actually look great with our maternity staples of jeans, palazzo pants or knee length dresses.

An article from The Telegraph (UK) newspaper says: “News that Angelina Jolie, pregnant with twins, had her Louboutin heels specially reduced for her recent red carpet appearance at Cannes was a fillip to expectant mothers, myself included, struggling to keep up with the current vogue for both very high and ultra-low footwear.Jolie, we learn, has also been discreetly wearing Nike insoles in her shoes to stop her arches crumpling beneath the extra weight she's carrying - so it looks as though she's been sensible enough to take professional advice on how to avoid major problems with her feet”.

It would seem that the correct advice for expectant mothers is to make sure your feet are correctly supported and apparently an innersole will assist by moulding to the true shape of your foot.

A buying tip is that all French Sole ballet slippers come with an innersole so this will make the whole experience more streamlined. A lot of people still believe that flat ballet slippers are for girls in their teens but we are here to tell you that is anything but the truth.

Depending on your own individual style you are spoilt for choice with labels like French Sole which you can find in store at http://www.cedarleaf.com.au/ . You will be able to find a pair or two to suit you we promise!

Cap it off with a Cardiagn

Every second photo you see of pregnant celebrities now days shows them wearing a cardigan over just about everything. Why, I hear you say… well it because it is the most practical and comfortable solution to stay warm during the cooler months and most of all it has the added bonus of elongating your body when worn correctly.

Generally speaking if you are quite tall then you would look fabulous in longer line cardigan, if you are a little on the shorter side then a cropped cardi will work perfectly for you, and for anyone in between go crazy with and try something bright and cheerful at any length.

We recommend trying knitted cardigans in beautiful fabrics like cashmere. If you purchase a classic piece and care for it properly you will have it for years to come.

Also, don’t limit yourself only to knitted cardigans, try a cropped leather jacket for a ‘right to the minute’ look or a long flowing jersey wrap which you can pull together, cinched in with a belt above your tummy for a look which will take you from day to night.

Cardigans look great with everything and are versatile enough to dress up or down but be careful not to look too ‘nanna-ish’. Make sure you purchase a style which suits your shape, individuality and colouring preferably without any embroidery, overly large buttons or without any shape. Use the mantra “Keep it Simple” when purchasing.

The main thing to remember here is to choose the style of cardigan which you would normally wear when you are not expecting, this will ensure you will continue to wear it after your special package or packages arrive.

Shown in the image above on: Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Nicole Ritchie.