BEST MATERNITY FASHION

I’m so excited to introduce you to Hatch Collection. If you already know this clothing company pat yourself on the back because, sadly, I didn’t discover them until the end of my third trimester and they have to be the COOLEST fashion line for pregnant women.

What I love is that you can wear so many of their clothes after baby and have the easy of looking fabulous while breastfeeding. My favorite piece is this army green, silk shirt dress. I love the high low line of it, as well as the fact that it’s loose. My stomach still has a ways to go, so I’m still wearing a lot of loose clothes after the birth.

Hatch Collection also makes wonderful basics that every new mom needs. Great leggings, nursing tanks and bras. They are so simple, yet so current. You will find something for yourself for every stage of pregnancy, and you’ll feel like a million dollars because you will know you are in style if you wear their clothes.

Go check them out, and in the mean time let’s celebrate that we can finally wear boots! Woohoo! So happy!

Photos by Gina Meola; clothing sponsored by Hatch Collection.

Maternity Outfits I Love

I've had a couple requests come may way over the past month to share some of my favorite maternity outfits...Ask and you shall receive! I created several different mood boards appealing to a variety of fashion styles - feminine, preppy, rocker, etc. In each set I have sprinkled maternity clothes with non-maternity clothes because I, personally, have found that sometimes just going up a size or two in regular clothes fits me better than actual pregnancy fashions. It's just a matter of trial and error.

These sets also include a lot fall trends such as leopard, peter pan collars, black leather and gold. There is no reason pregnant women can't enjoy all of the fun fashion trends like the rest of the ladies out there. Embrace your bump, get comfortable bras and underwear and then go to town shopping!

PREPPY PREGGO - Cardigan, skinny jeans and a peter pan collared blouse...This is the perfect outfit for the city prep. When you're pregnant your balance is a bit off, so flats are usually my shoe of choice for shopping and errands. Adding a touch of color to your lips is a stylish and fast accessory that doesn't take much thought too.

preppy preggo by alexandraevjen featuring cap toe flats

ROCKIN' THE BUMP - There's nothing more comfortable than cotton when you're pregnant. So, a simple long t-shirt, stretchy leggings and a killer jacket create an EASY and COMFY look that is completely on trend. Accessorize with chunky jewelry and an awesome purse.

rockin' the baby bump by alexandraevjen featuring infinity scarves

PRETTY & PREGNANT - Above, I mentioned that cotton is the best fabric to wear when pregnant, so this jersey dress is a beautiful, comfortable option too. With a tie around the waist to accent your bump, a statement necklace to draw attention back up to your face and a simple cardigan to cover any arm bulges, you are set for date with your love or brunch with your girl friends.

pretty and pregnant by alexandraevjen featuring a cashmere cardigan

METRO MATERNITY - I feel like I lived in maxi dresses throughout my pregnancy, so this outfit combination is most like my style. This fall take a cropped sweater and put it over your favorite summer maxi dress to keep warm and stay fashionable. Add a scarf, some awesome shoes and other accessories and walk out the door.

Metro Maternity by alexandraevjen featuring asymmetrical tops

Have more style requests? Feel free to ask! Send me an email (alexandra@avestyles.com) or leave a comment here.

Mama Drama - My Maternity Photo Shoot

I couldn't have dreamed of a better photo shoot to celebrate becoming a mom. My dear friend Gina Meola knocked the ball out of the park with her brilliant photography skills. Even though she mainly photographs weddings, she was amazing enough to share her talent with me and celebrate this new chapter in my life.

The same goes for my good friend Kim Cornwell who has been a part of almost half of my photo shoots, and a HUGE support in helping me be the fashion stylist I am today. My hair is always in the best hands with her, and she had a blast making my hair the curliest and biggest it has EVER been in my life! It was AWESOME. Not only is she a brilliant artist, but a super encouraging woman that you just want to be around all of the time.

Lastly, Azure Schaffer is a new friend of mine, and the perfect person to do the makeup for this shoot because she is also expecting a baby this fall. She not only is an expert at making people look beautiful, but she is a FINE ARTIST. Her skills with her brushes are equivalent to painting. She dreamed up an awesome look for this shoot, and really tied everything together with her choices.

I hope you love the photos as much as I do. It was SUCH a fun experience to celebrate my little girl growing in my belly!

If you're curious about the clothes, I wore a striped dress from H&M, a lace dress that I found at Marshalls, and a silk blouse by Vince. I kept everything bold, simple and contrasting - perfect for black and white as well as color. Also, nothing was maternity wear. I've really found that maternity clothes don't fit me well, and it's best to just go up a size in regular clothes. I hope that gives ladies out there hope that they don't have to give up their love of fashion while being pregnant.

To see more photos from this session, please visit Gina's blog.

Maternity Photo Shoot Inspiration

Two weeks ago, I had special maternity photos taken by my dear friend, Gina Meola.

Tomorrow I'm going to share them with you, but today I wanted to show you my inspiration behind the concept of the maternity session.

I really wanted this photo shoot to not only celebrate becoming a mom, but who I am all together - a woman, a fashion stylist and a mother. So, we turned it into more of an editorial styled shoot with lights, a blank backdrop, dramatic hair and makeup.

No props. No gimmicks. Just fashion and baby bump!

Can't wait to show you the result!