Pregnant (And Fashionable) in Philly

Is it just me or are there an unusual amount of pregnant women roaming the streets of this city this summer? Seriously, I feel like everywhere I go there’s some glowing, knocked-up gal. And, more often than not, they look absolutely amazing.

It started to make me wonder: where do local moms-to-be shop?

Philly is home to both the retail giant Destination Maternity and its upscale subsidiary, A Pea in the Pod where, despite having no plans to procreate anytime soon, I’ve seen/drooled over a lot of really cute digs. Yet, their prices are not nearly as comfortable as their clothes look. Considering how costly it is to have a kid these days, I highly doubt many ladies are dishing out that much cash on an entire new wardrobe.

So I decided to hit the streets and find some expecting moms to get the real scoop on maternity fashion in Philly.

But first: brunch. I don’t like to write on an empty stomach.

Luckily, I wound up satisfying both of my cravings at the Continental. After admiring her chic, nautical ensemble from across the bar, I starting chatting with Rachel Boyko, manager of the Steven Starr joint, who is bigger than she’s ever been in her entire life—and totally making it work (as you can see from the photo).

“I’m six months pregnant and I haven’t purchased anything with the tag ‘maternity’ on it,” the first-time mom says.

Rachel is grateful to have a close friend she can borrow clothes from, but also notes that she has a few tricks to keeping her style.

“I play up the belly! I buy a lot of sundresses and maxi dresses from Old Navy and pair old ones with tights. Belting and accentuating my belly makes me feel adorable and more confident.”

Then there’s my boss Lindsay, who is excited about having just celebrated her 35^th week. She’s not so thrilled however to be 35 pounds heavier.

“Nothing fits and unless you’re someone that has a lot of money, you don’t want to invest in maternity clothes,” the Queens Village resident says. “Plus, there’s no real maternity lines people gravitate towards.”

Lindsay has actually been surviving on Destination Maternity dresses and hand-me-downs from her friends and family.“The hardest part is that the clothes out there aren’t really fashionable, they’re just to get you through,” she laments.

“I love fashion, high heels and hair dye and all three of them have been stripped from me!”

While I always thought the hardest part of being pregnant was giving up alcohol, clearly there are bigger points of frustration.

That’s why I’ll be doing some research of my own to help all of Philly’s expecting find the best deals for their next nine months. Stay tuned!