ONLINE MATERNITY VS REAL MATERNITY STORES

There is a change in the air, I can just feel it.

When I first opened Maternity Revolution 9 years ago, there was a desperate shortage of Maternity Wear stores and so there is little wonder our store was such a hive of activity. Over the past few years things have been changing.

Now I'm not big on change so I've been in denial for a little while now but it seems online shopping is becoming more popular than instore shopping. GASP! I'm at a bit of a loss to understand it because buying clothes online is just so touch and go. Sizes vary greatly and what looks good on the model may look horrible on you. Things get even trickier when you are talking maternity wear, particularly bras etc.

I have a bit of a theory and that is that in the tough economic times of late many maternity stores have disappeared and for many ladies, they don't have the choice. They buy online or not at all. The stores that are around are often small with very little choice. Often they are also expensive. This has given online maternity stores the monopoly.

Whatever the reasons, ladies are choosing more and more to shop online and the stores that are still around are pretty much staying open for a small minority of shoppers. I predict that in the next few years there will be only online maternity wear stores and a few brand specific stores like Ripe and Pea in a Pod.

This may well be the case for normal fashion and many other retail stores as well. It would be interesting to see where places like Westfield stand on this. Surely they must reduce their rents soon to help retailers stay in business or risk having empty shops and reduced revenues anyway.

As for Maternity Revolution, we will move with the times and ramp up our online presence. We certainly won't be disappearing anytime soon as I strongly believe we are the best maternity wear store in Australia. As for our showroom in Brendale, only time will tell but let me just say this to the ladies that like to shop in a real store, with real people....USE IT OR LOSE IT!

Bye for now

Lisa
Maternity Revolution

Suggestions Please!

Well I have blogged on just about everything I can think that anyone in the market for maternity wear might be interested in. So far I have discussed:

-Maternity bras - how and when to buy them. I have given you a run down on all the different styles of maternity bras.

-Maternity jeans and given you a guide to how they should fit and what different waistband styles are available.

-Compression hoisery during pregnancy and various other maternity support garments.

-SRC Recovery shorts and all the other post pregnancy recovery garments that are making their way onto the market.

-Maternity Sizing and how to choose the size best for you.

-Maternity Swimwear- a styles guide and tips to buying the best maternity swimsuit for your needs.

-Nursing Wear and why you need it.

- Why maternity wear is more expensive than normal clothes

-Why you should support your local maternity retailer or risk losing them forever.

-Why maternity wear is so much more than something you wear for only a few weeks, ie eternity wear!

I'm not sure that there is much else I can tell you so if you come up with any ideas or would like me to answer any questions, please speak up!

Bye for now,

Lisa
Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
07 3205 1818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

SHAPEWEAR VS RECOVERY GARMENTS





SRC Recovery Shorts $189




Body Belt Waist Wrap $69.95 (Only original style available in store)





Cantaloop Re Shape Briefs $43

 



Cantaloop Re Shape Boxers $43

 



Belly Bandit Wrap $89.95

 
So you've just had a baby and you've heard that it's a good idea to wear a girdle of some sort to help you get your pre-pregnancy body back as soon as possible. The big question is "What product do you choose?"

I wish I could answer that for you but I am a bit biased towards the SRC Recovery Shorts because I have had such fantastic feedback about them so I will tell you what I know in the hope that it may help you make your decision.

Many years ago I had ladies coming in to store asking for step-ins that they could wear post pregnancy to help get their tummies back in shape sooner. The idea of step-ins was coming from their Mum's who had used such garments in the 60's and 70's. I had heard of them but knew that there was nothing currently on the market.

It seemed that ladies of European, Indian and Asian descent were quite keen for such a product in Australia as it was seen as the norm back home. I was perplexed. I had given birth and not worn a girdle of any sort. Why would women want such a thing? Perhaps the fact that I now have a permanently pregnant looking belly might be the answer.

One Saturday at the shop I had 3 women ask about the SRC Recovery shorts. I had never heard of them and I was amazed that these women were prepared to pay $189 for a pair of what were best described as bike shorts but I decided there was obviously a demand out there for something like this so I looked into them. 

3 years later I have sold more pairs of SRC Recovery Shorts than I care to remember and never have I had anyone come back and say they regretted the purchase. In fact everyone raves about them! Why? Because they work. Simple as that. There is a lot of science that goes into the manufacture of these shorts and a lot of it goes over my head but I do know they work and I do know that they have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association which is no easy feat.

I can tell you roughly why they work. They have compression built into them that helps to clear fluids quickly and is especially good for women with vein problems. The compression also helps that throbbing feeling you get in the nether regions after giving birth.

They support the belly and your caesarian wound if you have one, making you feel more comfortable and helping to heel the wound sooner. The fabric breathes so you won't sweat.

The tummy panel gives compression to help rectify abdominal muscle separation while still giving gentle resistance to the abdominal muscles. In other words, as you move, your muscles move but are supported at the same time which helps your body to heel itself. This is a really important feature because some garments support the belly but don't allow for any muscle movement which means they can do more harm than good.

SRC Recovery shorts are comfortable to wear and you have the added benefit of a streamlined silhouette, much like shapewear. Let's not forget the fact that because they are a medical product you may be able to claim them on your private health insurance and/or claim a tax rebate at the end of the year.

The biggest downside is the price so it's understandable that you may be drawn to cheaper options such as a wrap or body belt but to add to the confusion there are now many other products starting to hit the market known as re-shapewear and they are generally much cheaper than SRC but they claim to do a similar job. Do they work? Honestly, I don't know. I have asked the question of SRC who understandably say that nothing is as good as their product. I have spoken with the re-shapewear companies who assure me that their products are just as good. I personally haven't spoken with many people who have tried these other products so I just don't know the answer. My mother's words ring in my ears saying "You pay for what you get" but I am also conscious of the fact that not everyone can afford SRC and wearing something is surely better than nothing.

We have stocked the Body Belt in the past which a corset looking garment with hook and eyes to fasten it in place. They are around $75 and the people that have bought them in the past seem quite happy with them. We stock the Belly Bandit wrap ($89.95) and the Cantaloop Re-Shape Range ($43) but these are all very new products and as yet I don't have any feedback to offer.

One more word on SRC and that is I like the fact that you can wear them 24/7. Obviously the longer you are able to wear the garment the better the results. They are also great to wear while exercising and are particularly useful while doing pilates.

Hope this helps!

Lisa
Maternity Revolution
Ph: 07 3205 1818
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500

When to Buy Maternity Clothes

Strangely enough many ladies feel there is a designated time that one should start wearing maternity clothes or maternity bras but there are no rules. Infact I know many people that wear maternity clothes all the time and they're not even pregnant. Even my 15 year old has several pieces of maternity wear in her wardrobe and she looks great in them. Nobody would ever know!

Once upon a time, maternity pants and skirts used to have a huge panel sewn into the belly and it not only made them ugly but it made them hard to wear in early stages of pregnancy. Maternity Tops and dresses used to be full and floaty and would make you look pregnant if you weren't already.

Thankfully those days are long gone and today, maternity pants and skirts have soft knit waistbands that can expand and contract and be worn up over the belly or folded down. They give a much more flattering silhouette and are far comfier than most non maternity waistbands.

Today's maternity tops and dresses are still available in full and floaty but mostly they are quite fitted and the less fitted styles are usually only floaty over the belly rather than from the neck down. Many maternity tops and dresses are even designed with breastfeeding in mind so you get double the value for money.

So my best advice is to wait until your own clothes are feeling a bit snug and then head on  in to your nearest maternity store. Don't ever feel embarrassed about visiting a maternity store too early. No one is going to judge you and as I said earlier, many of my customers aren't even pregnant.

You will hear and read all sorts of advice about how you don't need to buy maternity wear but honestly, all this advice is utter rubbish. Even if you make do with normal tops and dresses you will definitely need maternity pants and skirts. If you try and buy normal pants in a bigger size they are still going to be ill fitting unless you happen to have gone up a size everywhere on your bottom half. Even if you have put on weight and find going a size up works for you, it won't work for long. Eventually your belly will be totally out of proportion to the rest of you and buying pants to fit your belly will result in them being huge everywhere else.

Trying to put off the inevitable by making do with larger sizes in normal clothes seems silly to me. Eventually you will have to bite the bullet and buy maternity wear so instead of buying one pair of good maternity pants and wearing them your entire pregnancy, you end up buying 2 pair of pants (one normal pair and one maternity pair).

What about Belly Belts etc???

Some people buy a Belly Belt or similar and love it. Others hate it but even those that love it will rarely use it for the entire pregnancy. Try wearing your pants done up with a hair elastic and see how comfortable it is and what sort of line it gives you under tops. The only time I can see the point of a Belly Belt is if you are at the end of a season. Perhaps Winter is nearly over and you don't want to have to go and buy a pair of maternity jeans for only a few weeks. In such a case a Belly Belt might be the answer.

I think there are 3 reasons that people are hesitant to buy maternity wear;

1) They think they will only wear it for a short time
2) They feel it is too expensive
3) They have no maternity store close to them and would have to buy online

I have tackled the first to arguments in previous blogs (Think Eternity Wear not Maternity Wear 4/10/12 and Why Can't I find Cheap Maternity Clothes? 20/2/13), so I won't go into too much detail but just briefly:

If you buy your maternity clothes early in the pregnancy you get the most use from them and if you chosse wisely, you can use them for breastfeeding and this could be anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 years plus. Even if you don't feed, your chances of springing back to your original size in less than a few months is unlikely. If this is your first pregnancy then you will also be able to use the clothes for subsequent pregnancies and in the unlikely event that you don;t wear them for long, second hand maternity always fetches good prices on Ebay and at markets.

As for the price, you can't expect to buy a pair of maternity pants that you will wear every second day for the next year or more to last if they only cost you $20. Still I admit that some maternity wear is over the top in price so it is a matter of shopping around. You must remember that many of the designer labels still make most of their range in Australia so of course it is going to be more expensive but the quality is amazing.

At Maternity Revolution we are always on the look out for reasonale prices and good specials but at the end of the day, we still need to eat and to pay our rent.

The final argument of there not being any maternity stores close by is probably the most valid of all 3 arguments.

Let's face it, Target , Big W and  Kmart don't have a very nice maternity range so if there is no specialty maternity store close to you then you may have no choice but to buy online. Just make sure that the store has a returns policy that will allow you get a refund if you don't like the clothes. It's sounds crazy, but not all stores do. Some only offer a credit note. Also a good idea to check how they handle exchanges. At Maternity Revolution we will post exchanges within Australia at no cost to you. We also allow you to hold onto the original purchase until you receive the exchange as sometimes you will want to compare the 2 sizes before deciding which one to keep. It also saves you time and postage on returning the items because you only have to go to the Post Office once. If you are ever unsure what size to buy we are only a phone call away.

Bye for now.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500, Australia
Ph: 07 3205 1818
Email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au

Maternity Jeans - Style Guide

Just about everbody owns a pair of jeans and while pregnancy might be a joyous time in life, the day that your own jeans cease to fit is a sad day indeed. It's not all doom and gloom though. In fact, many ladies find their maternity jeans so comfy they never go back to their old jeans.

"So what is so hard about buying a pair of maternity jeans?" I hear you ask.

Well it's not so much that it's hard but there are several things you need to be aware of and it's going to be a lot harder if you are buying online so you need to pick a store that allows refunds, doesn't charge postage to send out exchanges, and that is prepared to post you several pairs at a time (preferably without charging for them until you have decided what to keep) so you can compare styles. Maternity Revolution is one such store.

Below is a break down of some of the things you should be looking for in a pair of maternity jeans.

STYLE OF WAISTBAND

There are several different waistbands available but the main 5 are:

Over belly with Knit Waistband



Mid Belly with Knit Waistband



Underbelly with Knit Waistband at Front and Adjustable Elastic at the Back



Underbelly with Button and Fly and Adjustable Elastic in the Pockets

Underbelly with Button and Fly and Adjustable Elastic in the Complete Waistband




WHICH WAISTBAND SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

The maternity jeans that most people are drawn too is the Underbelly with the Button and Fly becuase they look "normal" but these are probably the least comfortable. Conversely, the highwaisted ones look pretty ugly on the hanger but are usually the most comfortable.

Let's go through each waistband individually.

Overbelly with Knit Waistband

• Offers a smooth line under your tops.
• Feels supportive as the belly gets bigger
• Helps to keep your pant up.
• Can be folded over if you prefer the feel of underbelly.
• Helps hide the post baby jelly belly and gives a nicer line in the early stages of pregnancy when many women haven't popped out yet and just feel fat as opposed to pregnant.
• Suitable for any size.

Mid Belly with Knit Waistband

• Sits in a comfortable spot on the belly and still offers some support.
• Better for shorter ladies that feel the high waisted bands sit almost under their bust.
• For most ladies it still offers a smooth line under clothes but not quite as good for holding in a post baby belly.
• Not as good for holding up your pants.
• Easy to wear even when not pregnant without feeling that you are wearing a maternity jean.
• Suitable for any size

Underbelly with Knit Waistband at the Front and Adjustable Elastic at the Back

• More comfortable than button and fly in later stages of pregnancy but not as comfy as the mid and overbelly waistbands.
• Tends to give a muffin cup look in some people.
• Buttons tend to pop off the adjustable elastic.
• Popular with very small framed people who find both mid and over belly sit too high.
• Not good for people with larger bottoms as the plumber's crack issue raises it's ugly head.
• Best for size 4-12

Button and Fly with Elastic in the Pockets or Elastic in the Complete Waistband

• They look and feel like you are wearing your normal jeans and in early stages of pregnancy that great but in the later stages they will start to get very uncomfortable if you are carrying low.
• They will give a muffin cup look unless you are stick thin because they sit low.
• Plumber's crack is a definite possibilty.
• Best for size 4 - 12

THINGS TO CONSIDER IN CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE OF MATERNITY JEAN

The type of denim is important because the more stretch it has, the more it will give and the more it gives, the more chance you have of your pants falling down after an hour or so of wearing them.

In normal jeans, this is why you have belt loops but wearing a belt when you are pregnant is neither comfortable or even possible for some ladies. You are relying on the waistband to be able to hold the pants up once the denim gives and remember that denim is a heavy fabric so it has gravity on its side.

Make sure that if it is a stretchy denim you buy them so they are a snug fit on you bottom and thighs. You may be thinking they are too small but trust me, the biggest mistake people make is to buy them too big and you will regret it.

The one place where you don't want the jeans to be too tight though is in the waistband (where baby is). The point where the jean meets the knit waistband should sit about the level of your pubic bone. You should be able to comfortably fit your hands inside the jeans at this point. If there is no room for anything to move, they are going to dig in (particularly when you sit down). If there is too much room then you know that once the denim gives the pants will start to slip.

In shorter people the point where the jean meets the band sit almost at belly button level and this is no good because it won't be long before you grow out of them.

It is also important to look at the fabric used in the waistband. If it is too soft it won't hold your pants up and won't offer any support. If the fabric has no memory it won't bounce back after it has been stretched, making them unwearable post pregnancy.

OK, let's summarise all this info.

1. Short and/or petite framed ladies are better with underbelly styles while taller and/or larger framed ladies are better with overbelly.
2. Make sure the jeans are firm enough that they won't fall down once they give.
3. Check the point where the jean meets the waistband that it's not too tight ot too loose.
4. Make sure that if it has a knit waistband that the fabric is firm with good stretch.
5. Make sure that if you are buying online that you can return them and wear them around for 10 or 15 mins before making your decision.

I haven't touched on the different cuts of maternity jeans in this blog because I feel this is more personal preference but basically you have skinny legs, straight legs (most popoular at the time of writing this blog), bootleg, relaxed fit and flare leg.



Buying Maternity Swimwear - Tips and Style Guide



I think there is a collective thought out there that Maternity Swimwear is ugly! It's not, truly. It's just so different to what you are used to looking at. Most fashion swimsuits you look at have bright prints, padded or wired bras, power mesh tummy panels etc. Let's face it, for most pregnant ladies the last thing they want to do is make there bulging busts look any bigger and something designed to flatten the tummy is not exactly ideal in a maternity swimsuit. "Well that's pretty obvious" I hear you all say but what then is it you expect a maternity swimsuit to look like?

I think it is a little like the first time you walk into a maternity store to buy a pair of maternity pants. You see the big knot band and think "Grandma pants!" Then you try them on and instantly the comfort takes your breath away and you don't want to ever take them off again. Actually, I digress slightly when I tell you that many women continue to wear maternity pants long after they have finished having children, simply because they are so comfortable and nobody would ever be able to tell that they were maternity pants, so why not?

The same can be said of a maternity swimsuit. I twist and contort to try and put my everyday swimsuit on because of all the power mesh etc. Getting it off once its wet is a very funny sight indeed.  What a nice change to be able to easily slip a maternity swimsuit on.

So what I am saying is that maternity swimsuits look much better on you than on a hanger and they feel incredibly comfy.

OK, so now that I have convinced you to give them a go you are wondering where to start.

Probably the best thing you can do is ask the experts. At Maternity Revolution we are happy help you select the style best suited to you and we can even post out a selection for you to try.

As a general rule it's best to decide first what you are using the swimsuit for. Will you be doing laps or simply lying on the beach? If you need it for laps then most pregnant ladies prefer a one piece maternity swimsuit for a more streamlined shape in the pool. This can be tricky because in order to cut a one piece swimsuit that will suit early stages and late stages of pregnancy without giving you a wedgie or having your boobs fall out the side is no easy feat. Having said that, we believe that the ones pieces we stock do accomplish this, although still some styles are better suited to later stages.



One you have decided on one piece or tankini you need to decide on whether you will be wearing the swimsuit in mainly chlorine or fresh and salt water. Chlorine is really hard on fabric and will break down the Lycra fairly quickly. I'm sure we are all familiar with the bagging pants look you get once the Lycra breaks down in your swimmers. It looks like you've had an accident in your pants...not very flattering. The fabric loses its stretch and becomes see through. Even when you are careful and rinse them after every swim, they are still going to break down.

The answer if you intend to swim in chlorine on a regular basis is a chlorine resistant or even better, a chlorine proof fabric. The Lycra used in our Ilant swimsuits is a top quality Italian fabric that is 4 1/2 times more chlorine resistant than most other Lycras but still it won't last as long as a chlorine proof fabric. A chlorine proof fabric is 100% polyester and has no Lycra in it.

So why wouldn't they make all swimsuits chlorine proof? Unfortunately chlorine proof fabric is a lot duller and coarser than the smooth, shiny appearance of Lycra and it isn't available in a range of colours or prints like Lycra is. So if it is fashion and looks you are after then it might have to be Lycra but if you don't mind plain black then there is a fair choice of styles available in chlorine proof.

The next thing to consider is support.

Not many maternity swimsuits have built in bras, as this is what brings the price up considerably in a swimsuit. I will let you in on a little secret, some manufacturers are currently working on styles with built in bras and seem to have been able to keep them at a reasonable price so what this space.

The best style of maternity swimsuit I have found from a support perspective, is the muscle back style, in particular, the Ilant Maternity Muscle back tankini and one piece. I think because it spreads the loan and doesn't make the shoulders carry so much of the weight. Avoid skinny straps (unless they are crossover) if you have a larger bust.



What about maternity bikinis? Well Ilant did try this once but really, what's the difference between a maternity bikini and a normal bikini other than the fact that many pregnant ladies have a larger bust than normal and bikinis are ofter the territory of ladies with smaller busts or those that don't mind having much more than their nipples covered. Bikinis designed for a larger bust often have underwire and that rules them out for pregnant ladies. So a maternity bikini has a fuller bra top than a normal bikini (much like a crop top). Overall they weren't all that popular because you do have to be very confident to wear a bikini while pregnant.

Most maternity tankini briefs sit under the belly and have an adjustable drawstring waist but there are some styles that have over belly briefs and others that have boyleg briefs.

If you love the swimsuit but don't feel comfortable showing so much leg, there are maternity boardshorts. One style is in a chlorine proof swimsuit fabric (long and short style) and the other option is the typical quick dry fabric boardshort that most major brands use. The chlorine proof ones are much comfier but the quick dry ones are most popular because they look like normal boardshorts.



Unless you only plan to wear your swimsuit a few times, I don't suggest you buy a cheap swimsuit from one of the major discount chainstores. Even if you do rinse it out after every swim, you will be lucky if it lasts more than 3 months. Could end up being false economy of you have to buy 2 swimsuits each pregnancy.

Well I think that covers just about everything but if you need more info or advice on anything to do with buying a maternity swimsuit, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Bye for now.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
Ph: (07) 3205 1818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au



Maternity Evening Wear Sale

As much as it breaks my heart to do it, I have had to mark down much of our maternity evening dresses to cost or below below the new season stock is almost upon us and put quite simply, I don't have room!

Crazy that I can have such a huge store and still say that I don't have room but it's true.

Below are some of the great bargains so be sure to check them out before they sell out.

 Egg Maternity Goddess Gown Was $249.90 Now $150

 Egg Maternity Beyonce Dress Was $238.95 Now $150

 Szabo Maternity Pippa Formal Dress Was $198.95 Now $65

 Szabo Maternity Paris Nights Cocktail Dress Was $158.95 Now $85

 Szabo Maternity Pippa Cocktail Dress Was $148.95 Now $40

 Szabo Maternity Ballerina Evening Dress Was $178.95 Now $99.95

Pea in a Pod Chiffon Formal Evening Dress Was $196.95 Now $99.95

This is just a sample of what's available so check out the evening wear dresses page on our website. Click here

While stocks last so hurry!

Regards,

Lisa Hovar

Maternity Revolution