Thursday, April 1, 2010

Funky, fun maternity trends for 2010

Flowers are blooming, summer is right around the corner, and the emerging trends in maternity fashion are especially funky, fun, and hot! Now is the time to think about stashing away the ankle boots and gloomy sweaters, and begin shopping around for fresh, eclectic new clothes and accessories for your blooming body!

Tribal prints are one of the emerging fashions for the upcoming season. Tribal prints include anything with earthy designs which feature geometric, funky patterns. While some of the items paraded on recent runways may seem a bit overwhelming and impractical, you can draw inspiration from such designs while still looking respectable and workplace friendly with a little smart and savvy shopping.

If bold patterns aren’t your thing, you can choose from simpler palettes of solid-designed tops, pants, and dresses. The current color trends are steering away from blacks, teals, purples, and dark grays. This spring and summer season brings a whole array of colors to play with, and neutrals are a safe start. The current fashion focus is on draped, romantic, loose types of clothing which are especially flattering in neutral or earthy type shades.

If neutrals are not your taste, the other hot colors for the season include bright whites, gray, emerald green, cobalt blue, bright or pale yellow, and various shades of red.

As always, never feel limited by what is seen on the most recent runways. Different styles and fashions suit individuals differently, but never feel afraid to push the limits of fun and funky maternity fashion!

Monday, March 22, 2010

How to dress fun and funky, regardless of age or pregnancy!

We here at Funkyfunmaternitywear strongly recommend that all women feel free to "push the envelope" when it comes to fashion. Life is always much more fun and exciting if you learn to dress according to your attitude, not your age! However, some women are left with doubts about whether or not they are trying to compete with their younger friends (or even children) in terms of fashion, and are therefore a bit reluctant to experiment. Such worries can be so confining! You may find the following tips helpful.

1) Experiment with new looks and fashion ideas! You may have to play around a bit to get it right, but you will probably find that certain items that you were afraid would look out-of-character for you actually make you look hotter and funkier than ever! Also, it is always fun to come up with a personalized fashion theme, such as always wearing funky, odd earrings regardless of the occasion, or jazzing up professional work outfits with playful, fun pumps and hairpieces. The possibilities are endless when you have an open mind!

2) Don't be afraid to change your fashion focus. Dressing just to conform to your perception of corporate casual or business professional can prove very limiting. You can always find ways to spice things up while remaining job-approved. In fact, it never hurts to stand out a bit and appear bold and brave with your strong fashion sense!

3) Choose your items carefully, especially when starting out. For example, while shopping at Funkyfunmaternitywear, you can begin by purchasing some of the smaller, simpler items to see if they work for you. Once you develop an idea of how funky and wild you are willing to go, shopping may take on a whole new world of fun!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Weekly fashion tip: how to pick the most flattering colors

The first step in the process of selecting what color clothes to buy is to determine your natural skin tone.

One way to do this is to observe the color of your nail bed or pinch the skin under your arm or your inner thigh. Does the tone tend to appear more reddish-orange, reddish-blue, pinkish-blue, peachy or yellowish? Once this is determined, you will have a set standard for your natural tone. The colors that will appear most organic to your skin are the colors you determined via your "pinch test". Conversely, contrasting colors will create vibrancy.

If you prefer a more subtle style, stay within the realm of you natural tones. Remember that most people fall into one of the four color seasons, and there are colors that should be encouraged and avoided for each one:

Winter: Winter people fall into the "cool category" and have pale, beige with a hint of sallow or green undertone, rosy, black, brown, brown-black, or olive skin. Their natural hair is black, blue-black, dark or medium brown, chestnut, silver, or salt and pepper. Winter eyes are all shades of brown, gray-blue, all shades of blue, yellow-green, or gray-green.

Autumn: Autumn people fall into the "warm category" and have ivory (sometimes with freckles), peach, ruddy, golden beige, or coppery-bronze skin. Their natural hair is honey or dishwater blonde, red, coppery or chestnut brown, charcoal, or golden gray. Autumn eyes are brown (reddish, amber, or black-brown), hazel, green (clear, pale, golden, or avocado), turquoise blue or teal. Autumn eyes are never blue-gray.

Summer: Summer people fall into the "cool category" and have porcelain, rosy, beige with a hint of sallow, or ruddy skin. Their natural hair is smoky blonde or brown, dark brown (with or without red highlights), ash gray, or ash blonde. Summer eyes are icy blue, gray-blue, dark blue, pale gray, gray-green, clear green (with or without hints of yellow), hazel, or soft brown. Summer people usually burn first, then tan.
Spring: Spring people are in the "warm category" and have skin that is ivory or milky-white with some freckles, peach (with freckles), beige, golden beige, or ruddy with peach. Their natural hair is golden, honey, or flaxen blonde, strawberry blonde, red (with freckles), golden brown, or gray with yellow. Spring eyes are blue (clear, deep, or aqua), green (clear, golden-green, gray-green or blue-green), light golden brown, or hazel.

Springs and autumns (the warm category) should try for gold-toned colors; bright greens and pinks or corals for springs, heady greens, oranges and deep yellows for autumns. Summers look best in clear, blue or silver-toned colors like cherry-red or violet, while winters should try for blue-toned pastels and icy colors, like navy, powder pink, or cool gray.

As a final note, please realize that these are just general guidelines. Some individuals may find that a particular color outside of their category looks fabulous, and vice versa. Don't be afraid to experiment, and always have fun while shopping at Funkyfunmaternitywear!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Maternity fashion tip: What size to buy?

Once women receive the wonderful news that they are expecting, many are eager to engage in the exciting pregnancy rite-of-passage of maternity clothes shopping. While the choice of when to start buying clothes is up to the individual, many women find themselves confused about what sizes to buy.

The below charts should be helpful in determining what sizes you will need throughout your pregnancy. Please keep in mind that maternity sizes, just like any other fashion lines, may vary a bit by brand.

Sizing guidelines are as follows, according to your pre-pregnancy size:

Size 0-2 = XS; Size 2-4 = Small; Size 6-8 = Medium; Size 8-10 = Large; Size 10-12 = XL


The below chart is helpful for full-sized expecting mothers:

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Welcome to FunkyFunMaternityWear!

As a mother to a three-year-old boy, I clearly remember how daunting the task of maternity clothes shopping really was. Though I believed my rounding form to be beautiful, womanly, and shapely, it seemed that most clothes available were meant to hide the pregnant female form.

Even if the clothes didn't manage to transform me into a human tent, they would be horribly unfashionable and extremely "frumpy".

I believe that pregnancy is one of the most special times in a woman's life, and why shouldn't she deserve to look her absolute best? My online store provides some of the most fashionable and affordable collections of maternity wear you could ever hope to find.

I appreciate that fact that you are taking the time to look over my products, and I hope you find something that celebrates your pregnant, beautiful self!