When it comes to maternity fashion today, the pregnant mums of tomorrow are very fortunate to have the wonderful choice of designers and online shopping web sites available to them for ‘convenient shopping’ for their maternity wardrobe.

Not only now have they this luxury of shopping from home, they also have an amazing choice of maternity designs in natural and stretch fabrics, colours, and styles.

Modern technology has lead to these advances and choices.  Fabrics are available in stretch, woven or knitted (not available in my day), organic and environmentally friendly fabrics such as organic cotton and bamboo. I love this organic cotton breastfeeding dress by Barefoot Maternity, its a clever design, and looks so comfortable and practical.

We had lovely wools and cottons available when I wore maternity clothes, however the stretch and knitted fabrics have made possible new designs for garments, lending them to comfortable wearing. For example underbelly style pants and skirts with adjustable waists in stretch fabrics.

The new fabrics have excellent washing qualities with little or no ironing required, very suitable for the working or busy Mum.

During my three pregnancies I wore very full, flowing maternity smocks, requiring ironing, or tunic style maternity dresses and pinafores, of wool or cotton, the wool requiring dry cleaning!

The maternity trousers or jeans, if you were lucky enough to find a pair – or have a ‘hand-me-down’, had extra buttons and material at the waist, yes at the waist, for expansion.  I remember wearing maternity blouses however I cannot remember any maternity T shirts at the time. My maternity wardrobe certainly didn’t have the versatility and comfort that’s available today.