Sustainable Maternity Style & Conscious Pregnancy With Angie Smith

Can you briefly introduce yourself and your connection to sustainability? 

I’m a Stylist / Fashion Consultant from the UK who is now living in Sydney. I’ve always favoured classic items and never bought into the fast fashion way of doing things so it wasn’t a conscious effort. However since moving to Sydney and having the biggest wardrobe clear out of my life, I’m keen to only buy something new if I need it or love it, preferably both! My mum was big into charity shops and carboot sales which I remember going to lots of when I was growing up.

Where is home for you? 

Home now is Sydney’s Northern Beaches, I worked in London for 20 years before making the move.

How has your style evolved with your pregnancy? Have things changed more or remain the same? 

I wore a lot of denim when I lived and worked in London and since moving to Sydney I’ve lived in cut off denim shorts which I customised from my old vintage jeans. However, since I no longer have a waistline and my boobs have grown at least 3 sizes, most of my wardrobe doesn’t fit. Which has meant that I have had to re-think what I wear day to day which has been fun. My style has definitely stayed the same, I’ve just had to be more creative with what I wear in terms of silhouettes.

What have been your staple pieces? 

Since becoming pregnant I’ve lived in oversized shirts including the beautiful Nadia blouse by The Wylde. I’ve worn the shirts that are a bit too short with bike shorts and the ones that are long on their own. I’ve got some cool dungarees from Free People that I had before I was pregnant but I’ve bought in the largest size they do as I’m hoping they’ll see me through to 40 weeks.

I have a few bias cut dresses from Silk Laundry that again, I’ve bought in a size up and as they are cut on the bias so they just get a bit shorter as the bump gets bigger, I started off wearing these under blazers, sweaters etc and now it’s warmer I can wear on their own.

Tell us about your #itsnotmaternity campaign – where did the inspiration for this come from? 

Whenever I’ve had clients who have been pregnant I’ve rarely gravitated towards maternity brands – don’t get me wrong, there are some great ones out there and for some wardrobe items you have to invest in maternity wear. I was sent the most amazing pair of jeans the other day by Paige they are so soft and have a built in waistband to allow for the bump which has meant when it gets a bit colder I will definitely be wearing them.

For day to day though I think if you do some searching there are lots of brands that favours shapes that work well for a bump and they are clothes that you would wear after you’ve given birth and keep in your wardrobe. I know that the pieces that I’ve bought I will continue to wear after my pregnancy. After all, why would you buy a whole new wardrobe that you may only wear for 6 months to a year, that you wouldn’t dream of wearing after then. I know that if I did this, not only would I feel like I was in a whole new body, but that I was dressing like a different person as there just isn’t the range of maternity wear to suit everyone’s style and it’s so important to feel like yourself more than ever when you are pregnant.

I actually think that this is also a contributing factor to why so many women after having children don’t feel like themselves anymore. I always receive a lot of messages on Instagram from women who ask me how they ‘should dress’ after they’ve had their kids. They’ve been living in someone else’s body and wearing someone else’s clothes for up to a year. Clothes are such an important part of identity, they have the ability to make you feel good and the very best version of yourself, so dressing during pregnancy should be no different.

How would you encourage other women to think about sustainable pregnancy style? 

Part of being pregnant means that you are going to grow larger but that’s a size thing, not a style thing. So I say buy what you’d wear if you weren’t pregnant in shapes you feel comfortable wearing and then when you no longer need those items in such large sizes, have them altered.

I can honestly say that the pieces that I’ve invested in since being pregnant I will continue to wear when I’m not, I may just get the really over-sized stuff taken in a bit. If you have an event then I’d urge you to look at renting something for the occasion as those are the pieces that will be more costly to alter on the other side.

How have you been approaching wellness throughout pregnancy?

I was nauseous for the first 16 weeks and ate so much beige food and slept so much that when I started feeling better, I tried to exercise as I had been before but my body soon told me that it wasn’t happening. It’s amazing how sensitive you become when you are pregnant and how in tune with your body you are if you really listen to it.

So now I’m doing my best to nap when I’m tired, eat a balanced diet and after breakfast I make sure my meals are smaller as my digestion has definitely changed. I had acupuncture when I was trying to fall pregnant which I loved so I’ve kept that up as it makes me feel good and I’ve started having massages as I’ve been told that really helps with water retention later on in pregnancy. I want to try and keep my body as strong as possible for the birth and everything after so I’ve kept up with pilates but cut down the amount of classes. Walking is the best exercise for your body and mind, walking with a podcast is my favourite way to relax.

What have been some of your conscious skin and bodycare rituals? 

I keep a jar of coconut oil in the bathroom and use it after showering. I try and body brush when I remember before showering. I found I was getting dry skin around my nose and had chapped lips so I’ve been using the Rich Cream by Augustinus Bader which cleared it up within 24 hours of using.

I apply Estée Lauder’s advanced night repair on my face before going to sleep which is the best and making my skin look balanced in tone when I wake up. Esse sensitive skin cleanser is so calming and I sometimes leave this on as a bit of a mask and then if I need something more quenching, I use Dr Hauschka’s Hydrating cream mask. I also keep Drunk Elephant’s Lippe balm on my bedside table.

How are you thinking about sustainability when it comes to having a newborn? 

Sadly I don’t have any family living near and with the border restrictions I’m not sure when I’ll be seeing them again. So, I won’t be able to borrow bits or have anyone’s hand me downs, but I am lucky as sustainability is standard practice for most businesses in Australia and there are so many lovely ones when it comes to kidswear and all things baby related! I’m not going overboard though and I would definitely look to pass on anything that I do buy. I will also be telling people not to buy me any plastic toys and will look to buy second-hand where possible!

With approaching motherhood, what is your hope for the future?

I hope that the world has learned from the past year and slows down, that people become more conscious of how they are living, what they spend their money on and what the knock on effect of that is. I really hope that everyone continues to look out for their neighbours as I think that’s the most positive thing to come out of 2020.

Imagery and words from @angiesmithstyle