Meghan Markle Wrote the Book on Modern Women Pregnancy & Maternity Clothes
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Smiles broke out across the world on Sunday, Valentine’s Day with news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are having another baby. When the Duchess was pregnant with their first child Archie, the whole world obsessed over Meghan’s every pregnancy-style decision.
Living now in Santa Barbara, Calififornia and away from the glaring lights of constant publicity and judgment (that’s a relative statement), Meghan and Prince Harry’s Valentine announcement came exactly 37 years after Princess Diana’s announcement of Harry’s upcoming birth.
PHOTO BY MISAN HARRIMAN, COPYRIGHT OWNED BY THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX © 2021
In keeeping with the couple’s determination to control their own narrative, the announcement of Harry and Meghan’s second child, came within the larger topic of social justice. British-Nigerian photographer Misan Harriman, who played a starring supporting role in introducing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, shared the couple-owned copyright of a single, lovingly poetic image of a pregnant Meghan and Harry outdoors on his Instagram feed. Harriman shot the image remotely on his iPad.
The close friend of Meghan Markle’s is the first Black male photographer to shoot the cover of British Vogue and a committed social activist. AOC shared the pregnancy announcement within the larger story of social justice images on Harriman’s Instagram feed.
It’s no accident that the positioning of Meghan and Harry’s second child comes within the larger narrative or the social justice movement. The weekend prior the couple Zoomed in with no notice to a Get Lit - Words Unite online poetry writing class the day before Get Lit poet Amanda Gorman again inspired American hearts and spirits with her Sunday Super Bowl poem.
In another nod to Meghan and Harry’s own desire to honor family ties, family friends and their own values, Markle is wearing a Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera gown that was custom-made for the Duchess while she was pregnant with Archie, who will celebrate his second birthday on May 6.
Markle is hugely committed to sustainability in the fashion industry and favors brands that are equally committed to saving our planet. And of course, sustainability has long been a major focus of her father-in-law Prince Charles and other royals for decades.
We need more joy in fashion
Says Wes Gordon of Caroline Herrera, creator of Meghan Markle’s 2021 Valentine’s Day reworn pregnancy dress.
Harper’s Bazaar UK profiled designer Wes Gordon in 2019, and the headline really caught AOC’s eye: Wes Gordon: why we need more joy in fashion.
Meghan Markle’s Influence on Modern Pregnancy Dressing
The Duchess jet-fueled the modern-woman’s trend to proudly displaying one’s pregnancy bum as a badge of honor. Remember that in the winter/spring of 2019, Duchess Meghan continued to perform her royal duties in Britain, leaving many elegant examples of ensemble dressing among her many pregnancy images.
There’s no doubt, though, that Meghan Markle’s pregnancy clothes were often casual and frequently from ready-to-wear collections.
The top rule for pregnancy dressing in 2021 is to focus on clothes that have life after the baby is born. That’s easier than ever when comfort is queen for expectant mothers and never like in today’s world.
Knits of all kinds — tops, drawstring pants, dresses — grow with baby bumps and are forgiving after birth. Every article on creating a pregnancy wardrove tells women to nail down the basics. And start with the clothes that you own. Assume nothing, especially if the clothes are from a prior pregnancy and not worn since. What condition are those basics really in? Do you feel good in them?
Whenever possible, mix practicality with a bit of joy. America and the entire world finds itself in a moment of sobriety right now. Pregnant women have a myriad of concerns about the actual logistics of giving birth in 2021. ‘Mank’ star Amanda Seyfried tells Vogue Australia in February that lockdown gave her a tremendous opportunity to live in the moment of being pregnant at her country home in New York state’s Catskills reigon. It was a time of great reflection about her new baby in her belly and a time for great joy. Yes, Seyfried enjoys major privilege as a move star, but her sentiments should be embraced as widely as possible by mamas-in-waiting.
Color and print lift spirits. If we follow Wes Gordon’s advice to “find joy” through fashion, we don’t have to go as bold as Meghan Markle’s purple dress with a red coat. If so, be certain that the outfit works post-pregnancy.
A huge trend for 2021 fashion is pops of color against a neutral canvas of black, tan, ivory. Study fashion pictures like this morning’s Vogue Czech fashion story of Prada’s spring 2021 launch collection with Raf Simons. Do not be literal. I’m not suggesting that you wear green socks with orange shoes.
A pair of espadrille slides in a green and yellow stripe might be perfect and worth investing in. Add a bit of summer jewelry in the same colors and tell yourself that you’ve got high-octane mama spirit — just like the Duchess of Sussex. If Meghan’s not your standout femme icon, find one you like if she dresses with joy.
Mix High/Low Dressing
In today’s world, the vast majority of women — pregnant or not — understand high/low dressing. Even though some of the world’s most prominent low labels like Zara or H&M have pledged major efforts around sustainability, most low is not sustainable — but then NEITHER is most high.
So do your best and keep your conscience clear on this topic. AOC refuses to lecture pregnant women on any topic. We want you to stay positive and comfortable. If we can help you find some joy, then we’ve done our job well.
One of Meghan Markle’s favorite maternity brands — one she frankly put on the map — is Hatch Collection. Let’s pop over to Hatch Collection because their landing page today agrees with AOC that few purchases or gifts in life lift spirits like flowers.
AOC is super enthusiastic about flowers always — and they come in all styles and price ranges. The secret to understanding high/low dressing is to get the high price look at an affordable one. Let’s look at the Hatch Collection Sofia dress because it’s exactly what I have in mind. The $328 price may NOT be what you have in mind, so stay with me. I found an alternative.
Because Hatch Collection uses live models and many views of the clothes from every angle, a pregnant woman can learn a lot looking at silhouettes on this website. Do not yell at me that the models are all thin mamas-in-waiting.
Still, you can learn a lot from studying the Hatch Collection silhouettes. And some women can afford to buy the Sofia dress, because it’s exactly what I have in mind — although for many pregnant women a slightly more billowy, caftanesque shape like Duchess Meghan wore in Morroco (see Markle collage top of page) is great.
Going into Google images last night, I knew exactly what I was looking for, and I found it online — but not in the maternity department. I found it at Dress Barn maternity clothes. This dress, designed to follow the total body-expanding course of just about any woman’s pregnancy, is a great Dress Barn example of high-low searching. And a reminder that you can fine great maternity clothes in the non-maternity department if you understand what you are looking for.
Frankly, these sexy mama pregnancy dresses from Dress Barn would look great on a wide-range of women — before and after pregnancy. To prove that to you, my next search will be for pregnancy clothes that look great on women who didn’t start out a size 6. Help is coming. ~ Anne
