Miss Betty Doll has posted some gorgeous blogs reviewing some of our most classic styles! Including an incredibly adorable Mother & Daughter dress post featuring the Irene Dress and Baby Sailor dress in 'Chambray Anchor Black'. Now she's sharing her review of the Sweetie Dress as a maternity option!
Gingham Style - Maternity Friendly Heart of Haute
Ages before I had even announced my pregnancy, I began putting out feelers for what retro repro companies deemed appropriate for maternity wear for at least part of pregnancy.
Heart of Haute was one of the first I reached out to. I asked the ladies which of their styles they thought would work for a bump, phrasing it as "what would you say is the most free around the waist area". I was met with the reply that, amoungst others, the Sweetie Dress would be a dream for an expanding belly due to the free waist and tie at the back.
To be brutally honest, this was originally the only thing I struggled with on Heart of Haute dresses. I was afraid anything free waisted, even tied in the back, wouldn't work for me. Not only was I terribly wrong (I loved the little ties in the back whether maternity friendly or not! Makes for a tighter, more custom waisted fit) but I am so thankful for them now that I have no idea how big I will be from one day to the next.
I have a case of the disappearing bump. I am now 18 weeks pregnant and after living off of plain pasta and bread for the first trimester, I am now craving nothing but fresh tomatoes and big salads. Thus, I have no tummy bloating to speak of and have in fact lost a bit of the weight I gained in the first couple of months of pregnancy.
The Sweetie Dress is perfect for that. Some days I don't even look pregnant (I was full of delicious noms the day I did this shoot hehe!) and being able to tie the dress nice and tight and accentuate my waist is a lovely plus.
I grabbed one in black gingham to match an outfit Selene already had (shocked?). I got a size medium, up a size from my usual small. I didn't need to and regret the decision now, as I have some fabric bunching in the back that I know I wouldn't have had with my normal size. I can safely say that even a size small would easily get me through all of pregnancy in this dress.
It's already a favourite of mine! The light and breezy fabric, the a-line skirt, the generous bust and waist, the sweetheart neckline. This is one of those kinds of dresses I would dream about wearing as a little girl.
So, the verdict - I recommend the sweetie dress regardless of pregnancy, but if you are pregnant - get this dress!! It's a steel at $90 USD, and it will last you well beyond pregnancy. The neck tie even means it's breastfeeding friendly as well - just untie, feed, and tie again!
As a personal update, I am feeling fabulous. Finally. I had a fair bit of anxiety and a whole lot of exhaustion and nausea in my first trimester, as I mentioned last time. Now, I am doing pilates with one of my girlfriends almost every day via webcam (because, mom life), my house is clean all the time (as clean as it gets with a toddler sprinkling magical messes behind me) and I can cook dinner without needed to be sick. Yay!
I have some water bloating just like last time, but my aforementioned salad cravings are helping with that anyway. I am actually less bloated than I was with Selene. I am now 64 kilos and have been for awhile now. I started at 58.
Baby is wiggling all the time and I am so thankful to be able to feel it so early. Sometimes if I'm having a bad day, I feel a little wiggle in my tummy and give myself a mental kick. There's lots to be grateful for.
I have a baby sprinkle, Selene's second birthday, a baby nursery and christmas to get through in the next few months, so I am enjoying a few weeks of calm before the (very happy!) storm. I love parties and all things homey, so all of these events are a big deal to me. I have been practicing with fondant decor so that I can do Selene's birthday cake myself this year, So excited for what the next few months will bring!
Do you own a Sweetie Dress? What's your favourite Heart of Haute design? xo, Miss Betty Doll
Heart of Haute was one of the first I reached out to. I asked the ladies which of their styles they thought would work for a bump, phrasing it as "what would you say is the most free around the waist area". I was met with the reply that, amoungst others, the Sweetie Dress would be a dream for an expanding belly due to the free waist and tie at the back.
To be brutally honest, this was originally the only thing I struggled with on Heart of Haute dresses. I was afraid anything free waisted, even tied in the back, wouldn't work for me. Not only was I terribly wrong (I loved the little ties in the back whether maternity friendly or not! Makes for a tighter, more custom waisted fit) but I am so thankful for them now that I have no idea how big I will be from one day to the next.
I have a case of the disappearing bump. I am now 18 weeks pregnant and after living off of plain pasta and bread for the first trimester, I am now craving nothing but fresh tomatoes and big salads. Thus, I have no tummy bloating to speak of and have in fact lost a bit of the weight I gained in the first couple of months of pregnancy.
The Sweetie Dress is perfect for that. Some days I don't even look pregnant (I was full of delicious noms the day I did this shoot hehe!) and being able to tie the dress nice and tight and accentuate my waist is a lovely plus.
I grabbed one in black gingham to match an outfit Selene already had (shocked?). I got a size medium, up a size from my usual small. I didn't need to and regret the decision now, as I have some fabric bunching in the back that I know I wouldn't have had with my normal size. I can safely say that even a size small would easily get me through all of pregnancy in this dress.
It's already a favourite of mine! The light and breezy fabric, the a-line skirt, the generous bust and waist, the sweetheart neckline. This is one of those kinds of dresses I would dream about wearing as a little girl.
So, the verdict - I recommend the sweetie dress regardless of pregnancy, but if you are pregnant - get this dress!! It's a steel at $90 USD, and it will last you well beyond pregnancy. The neck tie even means it's breastfeeding friendly as well - just untie, feed, and tie again!
As a personal update, I am feeling fabulous. Finally. I had a fair bit of anxiety and a whole lot of exhaustion and nausea in my first trimester, as I mentioned last time. Now, I am doing pilates with one of my girlfriends almost every day via webcam (because, mom life), my house is clean all the time (as clean as it gets with a toddler sprinkling magical messes behind me) and I can cook dinner without needed to be sick. Yay!
I have some water bloating just like last time, but my aforementioned salad cravings are helping with that anyway. I am actually less bloated than I was with Selene. I am now 64 kilos and have been for awhile now. I started at 58.
Baby is wiggling all the time and I am so thankful to be able to feel it so early. Sometimes if I'm having a bad day, I feel a little wiggle in my tummy and give myself a mental kick. There's lots to be grateful for.
I have a baby sprinkle, Selene's second birthday, a baby nursery and christmas to get through in the next few months, so I am enjoying a few weeks of calm before the (very happy!) storm. I love parties and all things homey, so all of these events are a big deal to me. I have been practicing with fondant decor so that I can do Selene's birthday cake myself this year, So excited for what the next few months will bring!
Do you own a Sweetie Dress? What's your favourite Heart of Haute design? xo, Miss Betty Doll