Fall 2008: Hand-check!

If you’re like most of us, you’re not ready to abandon the playful pinks, watermelon reds, French pedicures and golden metallic hues and enter the dark side just yet.  But you want to keep your mani/pedi in full throttle fashion as we move from summer to Fall.  So what’s a girl to do?  As we kicked back in our stations at Isle Pedispa, we couldn’t help but notice the arrival of some great shades of coral that will brighten your day and your mood as the season begins to change. 

 

Since OPI has retired two of my faves from their collection (100 degrees in the shade – very appropriate for August in Houston and Cajun Shrimp), I had to try out their new “Modern Girl” and “Boat House” by Essie.  Wonderful shades, each in its own right.  Ease yourself into it with Boat House as it leans toward a pink coral and work your way up to Modern Girl since it is more of an orange-y coral.  Either one is very versatile, mixing with the great metallic sandals of summer into the notorious shades of chocolate and caramel that make Fall famous.

NINE must-haves for Fall

Maternal America's take on the classic white shirt is a must-have for Fall.

 

 

 

Wondering what fashions our haute mamas will be wearing this Fall?  Here are our NINE must-haves for the season:

 

• The Great White Shirt – Classic button up, stylish wraps, peplum sleeves or ruched details are all the rage
• The Perfect Trouser  – Wide-leg, tailored, satin, boot-cut, herringbone or whatever tickles your fancy
• Rich Colors – Indulge in shades of plum, magenta, mustard gold and Persian blue.  Mix it with your basic black, chocolate brown and winter white!                  
•  Irresistible Textures and Fabrics –  The softest cashmere, wide wale rib knits, velvet burnouts and luxurious embroidery steal the show.
• Detailed Dresses & Draping Tops –  Flatter your figure with shrug necklines, large cowl tunics and draping tops that accentuate your best curves.
• Leggings & Footless Tights – With this little addition, you can turn your favorite dress into a tunic.
• Wrap Dresses – The classic style goes the distance in animal prints, floral patterns and houndstooth.
• Menswear Redefined – Feminine details like ruffles and rosettes add playful touches to the male inspired herringbone and houndstooth fabrics.
• Denim Trousers – Vintage washes, dark linen and contrast stitching take these pants to the height of fashion.

Back to School Means Back to Schedules

The lazy days of summer are almost over.  That means school schedules, sports and special events are on the horizon.  We’re busy moms.  We multi-task and operate in overdrive most of the time.  Growing up, my mom called us by our sibling’s names, the name of our pet, or simply “that one,” and resorted to pointing or grabbing us by a piece of our clothing to get our attention.  Keeping it all together and getting everyone where they should be can get a little tricky.  Sound all too familiar?

Thankfully, MomAgenda, a stylish and functional planner is available to help eliminate chaos and restore order in your life.  This little invention is an original day planner created for Mothers, by a mother. 

Our faves include the Desktop Agenda & the NEW Wall Calendar that feature:

·          17-month calendar runs from August 08 to December 09

·          Unique week-at-a-view format with space for mom, up to four kiddos (or 3 and your hubby) and dinner planning for each night.  Features monthly views too.

·          Pull-out MomEssentials that allows you to keep information at your fingertips and transfer it easily into the next year’s book without rewriting a thing.

·          Inspirational quotes and extra spaces to jot down notes.

Keep your cool and do it all in style.  The 2008-2009 editions are now in stock at both of our stores.  The Desktop Agenda is available in five stain-resistant colors including chocolate, lime, blue, pink and the new cheetah print as well as pink or marine blue moc croc.  Find us at www.ninematernity.com

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month

In honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we’d like to pass along some benefits of breastfeeding that we found on www.womenshealth.gov and in the pages of Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine’s August issue:

 

• Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants.  A mother’s milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby’s growth and development.  Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.
• Studies have shown that women who breastfeed their children are 50 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.  It also lowers the risk of ovarian cancer and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause.
• Worldwide, the average age that babies stop breastfeeding is 3 to 4 years.
• The average cost of breastfeeding per year is approximately $300.
• The average cost of formula feeding per year is between $1000 and $2000.
• Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy.  It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding womany may have after giving birth.
• Research has shown that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of SIDS as well as your child’s likelihood to develop allergies, ear infections and asthma.

See what’s in store for you at www.ninematernity.com

Pregnancy Fashion Files – The Final Phase

Phase Three:  Okay, so when is this little bundle going to make its appearance??  Once the excitement of pregnancy has worn off and you are sleep deprived from heartburn or having to go to the bathroom ten times per night, you will ask yourself the aforementioned question. 

 

The final hurrah before your trip to the hospital is your baby shower!  It’s your party, so you should be glowing as you make your entrance in a fabulous outfit.  A show-stopping dress is always in style for such a special event.  And there are many fashionable cuts for top and pant outfits that ensure you’ll be the center of attention.  We help many honorees shop for their outfit the very week of the party and that’s perfectly okay.  You want to make sure you’re buying something that you look and feel good in and at this stage of the game that can change every hour.

 

Now it’s time to make sure you’re ready for the hospital.  You should purchase one or two good nursing bras if you plan to nurse.  It’s best to have a professional fitting to make sure that you are purchasing the right size to accommodate your changing shape.  Yes, if you can believe it they will get even bigger!  Bravado and Melinda G are two of the lines that offer a good fit and a good price.    Grab your Lansinoh and Lily Pads, must-haves for the nursing mom, and your bag is almost packed.

 

You will also want a cute set of pajamas for the hospital and a nursing top or two.  Nursing styles have come a long way and are also actually flattering if you can believe that!   No more pulling up your shirt and flashing the world.  Designers have created fabulous “lift up/pull-down” styles that give you plenty of coverage over the top while still being able to feed baby easily.  Look for styles that can take you through the end of your pregnancy into nursing.  The list of nursing lines has increased dramatically over the past few years and the styles have become much more “of the moment”.  Some lines to look for include Majamas (check out their funky line called Nixilu), Japanese Weekend and Glamour Mom, that great little tank with the built-in nursing bra.  And some of your favorite designers, like Olian and Maternal America, have added nursing pieces to their collections too.

 

Phase Four:  The Joy of Motherhood.  This, I must say, is the best phase of all.  The past forty weeks have built up to this amazing event.  It is the most incredible and breath-taking moment that a person can ever experience.  You are so lucky that you get to take this ride, for your life will never again be the same! 

 

Have fun and cherish every moment!

 

 

Pregnancy Fashion Files – Phase Two

Pregnancy Fashion Files – Phase Two: 

 

Poof!  Where did this belly come from?  Fashionistas rejoice….for this is when the real shopping can begin!    This is the perfect opportunity to indulge in some fun prints and styles to vary up the basic wardrobe that you have assembled.  Fall 2008 is a year of rich colors, eye-catching prints and fabulous texture which will add a little spice to your wardrobe.  Blues, purples, grays, reds, oranges and browns are essential for this season.  Take a walk on the wild side with the animal print of your choice.  Whether it is cheetah, zebra or giraffe, you’ll be at the height of fashion.  More little hot numbers in maternity include: novelty tees with fun sayings, classic pieces with feminine details, dolman sleeve tunics, wrap dresses, denim trousers and the essential boot-cut pants.  Truly great pieces will help you go from day-to-night and can be mixed with denim or trousers.  Wear it two ways:  think leggings – turn that dress into a fab tunic just by adding them to the mix!

 

These fun items can be sprinkled into a dull wardrobe to bring a little magic to your closet.  This phase is the perfect time to indulge in some much needed retail therapy.  Stop by your favorite maternity boutique every couple of weeks and get a couple of new tops.  You will want to stop in often as many boutiques receive new shipments every week.  The appeal of boutique shopping is the inventory of fashion-forward selections and an influx of ever-changing styles. The bonus is that you are less likely to pass yourself on the street.  If you see something you love at your favorite boutique, grab it!  I have personally missed out on some great pieces because I waited and then my size was gone.  Especially if you’re shopping for a special event, your baby shower or other notable moment in your life!

 

Fall collections that you MUST SEE include: Olian, Maternal America, Noppies, Juliet Dream, Ripe, Notice and Chiarakruza.  Many styles are arriving in boutiques as I type!

Pregnancy Fashion Files – Phase I

There is so much excitement in finding out the life-altering news that you will be a mom someday very soon.  Everything is so joyous and new…that is, until you realize that your pants are getting a wee bit snug and your chest might just cause a button or two to pop off your shirt.   Maternity shopping can be really confusing for anyone, especially a first time mom.   Here are some tips for the first phase of this journey:

 

So, where does a girl begin?   Before the news of your impending motherhood has time to sink in, no doubt your waist will have already started to expand.   In between lying on the bathroom floor in despair and eating cookie dough straight out of the tube, this is the perfect time to invest in several great pairs of pants to be the staples of your wardrobe throughout your pregnancy. 

 

The hip maternity boutiques and designers have banished the outdated maternity pants with the unsightly panel, and have traded them in for more fashionable styles that accentuate and celebrate your tummy.  Must have pieces include black pants, brown pants and a great jean with a narrow thigh and boot flare.   Many current jean designers such as Paige Premium Denim now make maternity versions of their denim styles.  This can make shopping for jeans a much more enjoyable experience.   And Noppies pants are a must-have for every mom-to-be.  In four different colors and three different styles, there is something for you.  Their Summer Capri is a true cropped pant that goes from playdates to zoo trips and lunch with the girls.  The Long Capri will work as a trouser pant for petite mamas under 5’4”.  And the bootcut trouser has a 32” inseam and the most fashionable cut.  Wear them over or under the belly, whichever gives you the most comfort and then transition back down post-baby by using the adjustable insets in the waistband.  With their comfort and style, many very chic mamas still covet these pants well after the little bambino has arrived…..but don’t worry, we won’t tell. 

 

You should also invest in a few tops that are not too blousy just to get you by until your tummy becomes more pronounced.   Ready to tell the world that you haven’t just let yourself go?  Share your wonderful news with a little humor by sporting a 2 Chix tee that says “does this baby make my butt look big?” or “with bump, not plump.”  And you can skip borrowing your mate’s t-shirt!  Michael Stars created the perfect tee and he does the same for his materni-tees.  You’ll fall in love with the banded sleeve henleys, deep scoop necks and classic tanks.  There are so many options: from ruching, to sleeve lengths, and neck styles, and colors to cotton and shine fabrics.  They are so perfect that you’ll want to have one in every color.  Keep these tops basic and dress them up with accessories.  Did I tell you that accessories are a pregnant woman’s best friend?! 

Our Newest Addition!

NINE maternity proudly announces the birth of www.ninematernity.com

Born on Monday, July 7, 2008

This baby never sleeps so you can shop

through the night ~ 24/7!

 

You have experienced our Rice Village & Medical Center locations

and keep coming back for more. 

With your enthusiastic feedback and passion for fashion while expecting, we have added online shopping to our family.

 

The site has launched with our core lines that you know and love:

Noppies – the must-have pants, Olian, Japanese Weekend,

Michael Stars & more.

 

Believe it or not, we are beginning the transition into Fall. 

New pieces from this collection have started arriving in our stores.

 

Whether you live in Houston or another great city,

we invite you to experience www.ninematernity.com

and to share it with a friend.

We offer free UPS ground shipping on orders of $150.00 and more.