How maternity fashion has changed over the years

These days, we can see expectant mothers rocking red carpet events, but there was a time when mothers-to-be tended to only resort to loose clothing with the intention of hiding their bump. The evolution of maternity fashion did not happen overnight, but today we can certainly say that it offers several stylish alternatives.

The team of incredible.club had the idea of ​​analyzing the different standards of clothing for pregnant women in force over the centuries. To learn more about it, just keep scrolling.

In the 1400s, women wore dresses that were loose enough to hide their bulging midriffs. Nothing but hiding the pregnancy was important, and for that many resorted to velvety materials. A century later, women started wearing aprons to hide their bellies, and that seemed like enough. Especially because women used to stay at home during pregnancy.

The 1600s saw the appearance of the first documented piece of maternity clothing. It was called “Adrienne.” The outfit managed to highlight the feminine silhouette by having folds below the waistline and balancing the proportions while the belly grew.

By the 18th century, women were wearing bodices that accentuated their extremely upright posture, relying on stiff fabrics and structures at the front and back. And they continued to wear corsets during pregnancy, as fashion demanded them.

Pregnancy was a condition to be hidden, so Victorian women did their best to disguise their bulk. They could wear a scarf or a long dress that integrates the belly with the rest of the silhouette, for example. In 1860, the “maternity corset” appeared. It was a support piece used mainly to help women camouflage body changes.

In the middle and upper classes, women began to have more options for maternity clothing, but those in the lower strata continued to wear baggy, oversized garments. The first haute couture maternity dress was created in 1904, while the first prêt-à-porter pieces (ready to wear, from French) appeared in 1911.

Women continued to be encouraged to wear loose and loose clothing during pregnancy, as pregnancy was still seen as a condition to be hidden. In the 1920s, they began to wear dresses with adjustable belts.

The 1930s saw a return to a more feminine maternity fashion style, with slim silhouettes and high waists. Thus, they opted for dresses with an adjustable waist, in addition to cross-body pieces. A decade later, pregnant women followed the same mindset when it came to belly volume.

In the 1930s, mothers-to-be tended to wear separate sets instead of dresses. Generally, they had a marked waist in the first months of pregnancy, becoming looser when the belly increased. This fashion continued throughout the 1940s, walking along with shirt dresses and cross-over models.

In the 1950s, the fashion world finally took a different look at pregnant women, and we started to see more two-piece sets and some pants. Celebrities began to appear on screens showing off their big bellies, which encouraged other women to emphasize their pregnancy and change their way of thinking about the subject.

During the 1960s, women started to buy specific clothes for each stage of pregnancy. Skirts were still transpassed, but shortened, and the hippie style established itself as the epicenter of maternity fashion at the end of that decade.

Maternity wear of the 1970s prioritized hem lengths, peasant blouses, and printed long dresses. Women began to be more interested in pregnant fashion, starting to enjoy their own pregnant belly.

Fast forward to the 80s and it was time to add volume, proportions and color. Colorful and oversized pieces were a trend at the time.

In 1991, Demi Moore posed pregnant on the cover of Vanity Fair, starting a trend that we continue to see until today, defending the following motto: women do not need to hide their bodies, but embrace the beauty present in the pregnancy phase. ! Pregnant bodies were beginning to be celebrated, and women were already proudly showing their bellies.

Thanks to the 90s, the pregnant silhouette came to be seen as attractive and capable of attracting attention, making women of the new millennium choose to show their belly more and more. Stretchy dresses and bare-belly pieces became fashionable, as did empire-waisted dresses.

Many celebrities of the 2000s rocked it with looks that highlighted their pregnancy, both at red carpet events and when going out to solve something day to day. Pregnant bodies had never been so in evidence, and women valued their radiant appearance.

When the new millennium made it clear that women did not need to hide their pregnancy, we began to see more styles of their own, daring and revealing, aimed at highlighting the beauty of the mother-to-be.

Today, women are combining comfort and fashion by wearing clothes in their own way, allowing each pregnant woman to build her own style. They can look great with a vintage look or prefer a more modern and comfortable look, if they so choose.

In your opinion, what type of clothing fits best on a pregnant woman’s body? Leave your comment, because we would love to know your impressions on the topic!