Maternity wear, the US $ 2 billion dollar global industry has seen an annual growth of 0.8 % from 2008-2013, in the worst hit period in the economic slowdown. Interestingly, the category has not only seen an escalation in sales, but in fashion quotient as well. With a number of high-profile celebrities stepping into the world of motherhood in recent years, including British Duchess Kate Middleton, Hillary Duff, Fergie, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Garner and Victoria Beckham to name a few, maternity fashion is having an extended moment in the spotlight.
As motherhood and an expanded tummy are no longer a thing to hide, but instead a celebration to show off with pride, would-be mothers with disposable incomes are driving the maternity apparel segment to higher sales and better merchandise. Additionally, with the US and UK birthrate expected to grow, demand for maternity apparel is expected to increase significantly in the next decade.
The biggest change that has been witnessed in maternity wear over the last few years is the shift from a functional piece to a fashion statement. The market has responded with a bigger selection for women to choose from and now there are garments in the market to suit every body type. Maternity wear today suits the personality of the mother, giving women the feel good factor and adding more excitement to their lives than yesteryears. With popular tabloids filled candid shots of celebrities in all stages of pregnancy looking smart, attractive and fashion forward, women have started demanding clothes during different terms of their pregnancies as well. Retailers like Forever 21, Topshop and H&M are taking advantage of this niche market by designing fun and fashionable pieces to add to their pregnancy wardrobe selections.
The clothes are being designed to let the women have plenty of room for their growing belly along with giving them a better fit for a more defined look. It’s no longer an era of oversized T-shirts for pregnant women.
Isabella Oliver, the online maternity clothing label worn by celebrities, registered a 35 percent rise in sales for the year 2012 alone. Inspired by the visibility of maternity wear, many designers and retailers are coming up with new and improved ideas for their maternity clothing line.
Retailers like Old Navy, Destination Maternity, GAP, Kohl’s and Sears are offering new styles in maternity fashion for all seasons. While one can browse through an assortment of cool and comfortable summer clothes, there is a variety of options for the seasons of fall and winter as well. One of the greatest developments in maternity fashion today is the jeans. Jeans are being designed to look more like the styles of today and are made to fit the women so that they can move and be comfortable at the same time. Designers have also started putting more runway-ready fashion to the public, with a number of consumers following in the wake of people like the Duchess of Cambridge.
Whatever Kate wears today is off the rack in no time at all and there are runs on everything that she wears. In choosing a garment for the gestation period, criteria such as quality of manufacturing and fibre content comes to the forefront. With comfort being an obvious goal for would-be-mothers shopping for maternity clothes, they start hunting for options made in natural fibres like cotton. An average of 89 percent of tops purchased in maternity apparel is composed of 60 to 100 percent cotton, with more than three-quarters made from 100 percent cotton. The fibre breakdown for bottoms is approximately the same; with an average of 75 percent bottoms manufactured being composed of between 60 to 100 percent cotton and 59 percent being made completely from 100 percent cotton.
