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We’ve been re-organising stock ahead of our Spring clothing deliveries, and as a result have added more items to the Cecily Plum maternity clothes sale.

Newly added is this maternity breastfeeding top by Ripe Maternity, you can also find a long maternity cardigan (ideal for chilly spring days), and cotton Shakespeare maternity shirt.

Be quick though as stock of all sale items is very limited

Part of our multi-function collection, the two in one tube top from Boob is a great piece for your summer maternity wardrobe. In organic cotton with a pretty floral print, the tube top can be worn as a

1. A bump band:  great for covering any gap between trousers and tops as your bump grows (and allowing you to wear your normal tops for longer).
2. A top: a strapless tube top, perfect for hot summer days, this looks fabulous with linen trousers.

Ruching on the sides means this will adapt to fit your shape easily as bump grows.

We’ve sourced the perfect maternity work trousers for this coming Spring Summer!

A few months ago we ran a survey with a bunch of questions, including “What clothing has been most difficult to find during your pregnancy?”, overwhelmingly the answer was “trousers suitable for work“.  What was great was that people entered quite a bit of detail about exactly what they were looking for, which boiled down to -

• They need to be black
• They need to be a smart fabric, not jersey
• They need to be made from natural fibre, not polyester

I completely sympathise with the problem: throughout my pregnancy I found it impossible to get hold of smart trousers that weren’t made from a hot and slightly scratchy polyester – yuk.

We’ve now found the perfect smart maternity trousers at a European company called Bellybutton – these are made from cotton with a little elastane for fit, they’re solid black with a crease down the front and a soft bump panel.  You can see them in our Spring preview and they’ll be available from March.  We hope you love them!

Spring’s not far round the corner now (at least that’s what I keep telling myself), and we’re expecting our first deliveries of the new season collection next month.  We’ll have new maternity clothes and breastfeeding clothes from Bellybutton, Ripe and Boob, as well as the new changing bags from StorkSak.

You can preview the new collection on the Spring Summer Maternity clothes preview page.

I’ll be featuring some of the items from the new collection individually over the next few blog posts, as well as adding more items to the preview as images become available.

Following the theme of best selling items that aren’t baby changing bags, today I’m looking at our three best selling pieces of maternity wear this winter.

We loved this dress as soon as we saw it, and we’re happy that our instincts were right and Cecily Plum shoppers have loved it too.  This fun maternity dress by Swedish designers Boob is a wrap style in grey, covered with white polka dots.

Wrap styles are fab during pregnancy as they adjust to fit a changing shape, which also means they work just as well on the way back down again afterwards.

We’ve had an extra delivery of these lovely dresses so they’re in stock in all sizes for a little while.

This lovely dress by Australian maternity brand Ripe Maternity has been popular since we introduced it last November.  In dark charcoal grey, the Pocket Tunic has a cowl neck and cute patch pockets.

There is a long pleat at the front to accomodate your bumps, and we think that this maternity tunic will work very well after baby’s born too.

The fabric of the tunic is cotton mix knit, and is quite thick so this tunic will keep you cosy and warm for the rest of the winter.

Ever since we featured this top in our Autumn Winter photoshoot it has been really popular.  Available either as a black top or red top, this maternity top is a wardrobe essential.  With a V-neck (perfect for flattering pregnant chests) and ruching on the side it fits beautifully without being baggy.  The quality of the fabric and high lycra content also mean it keeps its shape well and doesn’t bobble (or pill) in the wash.

The perfect layering piece, we plan to discontinue the red next season, so get it while you can.

The Cecily Plum Sale began last week and is going strong.  Some of the most popular are:

The BabyMel X2 bag, perfect for parents of twins, or those with more than one child.  The X2 has two bags which clip together with poppers to be carried as one, or can be seperated, each having it’s own bottle pockets, change mat and carry strap.  Was £61, now £45.

The floral maternity wrap dress was a popular item over the summer, and we only have a few left in stock.  A cream and blue dress with a bold floral pattern in a p style.  Thids dress has long ties and a deep V-neck, perfect for layering.  Perfect for next Spring and Summer too, and a bargain at £29 (down from £49).

The tie-neck maternity top is a useful basic, and we’re clearing the last few from our shelves to make space for Spring stock.  This top is lovely and long, with elbow length sleeves and a pretty tie at the front.  Also on sale in fuschia pink and reduced from £29 to £19.

There’s lots more in the sale, but it’s disappearing fast, so don’t be long!

Are you afraid of shopping for maternity clothes because you’re scared that all you’ll be able to see are floral sacks? Those days are gone, and these days there are lots of available options that can be both flattering and comfortable. Here’s advice for choosing comfortable, attractive clothes while you’re waiting for the new arrival. Shopping for maternity wear can be practical and even enjoyable.

Now that you’ve become pregnant, you don’t want to be worrying about your wardrobe. But there are a lot of changes happening, so you’ll still want to look and feel your best, even while they’re going on. You should expect to gain between twenty-five and thirty-five pounds, with most of that being added at the end of the first trimester. You’ll put on weight from the baby, the expansion of your womb, breast growth, and a bunch of other places.

Plus, you should expect your weight to shift. You might even end up wearing larger shoes as bizarre as that sounds. The right maternity clothes can help you keep from feeling frumpy, and they’ll adjust to the needs of your body as changes take place. Ideally, good maternity wear will adjust as you slim back down and will double as clothing for nursing. Fortunately, there are lots of mix and match options you can choose to put on at any time of day. One or two good pieces can do the work of a lot of less appropriate ones. Have a look at these tips.

As soon as you start to feel slightly uncomfortable in your old clothes, begin looking at your maternity wardrobe. You don’t want to be shopping at the last minute, and the sooner you start planning, the more you’ll get out of your maternity wardrobe. Don’t forget that maternity wear sizes follow your pre-pregnancy size, so a normal size ten or twelve should take the same or a medium in maternity clothing.

Of course, you need to buy with growing room, and stick to the right underthings, also. Choose maternity underwear and bras for greater comfort, and the right amount of support while you’re still growing. It won’t matter what the top layer is if you’re not wearing the right foundation, after all. You can stick to your favorite styles, too. Bikini style underwear is still available for women who are pregnant.

Look for patterns or solids which will mix and match to stretch your maternity wardrobe budget, while avoiding clothes that will draw a lot of attention to your middle. Dark clothing is great if you want to look leaner, but don’t feel restricted to black and navy if they’re not what you normally like to wear. Stick to lighter weights than usual, however, since many pregnant women feel warm – even in the winter.

There are lots of trendy, comfortable styles that’ll let you feel like yourself and keep with your regular looks. The days when new mums had to feel like they were walking around in their nightgowns are long past, and that’s a great thing. Take notice of some of the great options currently on the market, and start planning your maternity wardrobe soon!
photo credit: Emery Co Photo

The fab six way maternity dress, perfect for all those parties, wedding and other functions you have whilst pregnant and is perfect for maternity evening wear. It’s a great investment buy for pregnancy enabling you to ring the changes unlike any other maternity dress we’ve seen. It can be worn as a variety of formal maternity evening dress styles or as a maternity skirt throughout pregnancy; it also makes a great 4th trimester piece.

The 6 way dress is made up of a long skirt, a bandeau (which is worn around the bust or the tummy), and a wide, tapered piece of fabric attached just below the bandeau which forms the ties in many of the styles.

The fabric of the dress is soft and drapey (not clingy), with a stretch. The bandeau is snug fitting, which means it can provide support for the bust when worn as a dress, and for the tummy when worn as a maternity skirt.

It’s hard to believe that this maternity dress is as versatile as it seems, and as easy to wear. When we tried our sample we were really impressed! Each dress comes with a set of clear instructions. These show six main ways to wear the dress, with a few variations also explained. Most likely you’ll find even more ways to wear it!

6 Way Dress Instructions

We have started our New Year Sale. You will find some excellent bargains, with some lovely pieces reduced, including maternity tops, our cosy maternity cardigan, maternity trousers, the Bump Box, cashmere lounge wear, and Zita West maternity and new Mum skincare.

With many items half price, you’re sure to find a bargain you love!

We are very happy to be able to offer an alterations service on our Harry Duley maternity clothes collection.

As all Harry Duley’s clothes are made in the UK, she can alter:

• Length – maternity skirts or maternity trousers lengths can be altered
• Sleeves – Want short sleeves instead of long? No sleeves to turn a top into a vest? Just ask, sleeve lengths on all tops can be customised.
• Necklines – like the Ruche Sided top, but want it with a tie-neckline? Then please ask, necklines can be made V, round or tie.

To find out more, see our Bespoke Alterations page -

Or email joanne@cecilyplum.com, or comment on this blog post.