Here at Markid, we’re all about being eco-friendly! With that in mind we’re talking all about eco-friendly maternity clothes. We asked the CEO of a high-end, eco-friendly maternity brand for some advice on how to look stylish– even at 9 months pregnant! Her advice is straight ahead.
ASK AN EXPERT: Eco-friendly Maternity Clothes
Elle Wang, Founder, and CEO of Emilia George, a new line of high-end, sustainable maternity workwear for professional women.
_
Why did you decide to create your company?
I will always remember that evening when I was sitting on the couch at seven months pregnant, breathing hard, and telling my mom and my husband that the maternity clothes I was wearing were so uncomfortable and I was done with them. I said I will start my own collection with much more comfortable fabrics and more versatile and classy designs. I knew nobody in the fashion industry in the U.S.… I just started googling “buy fabrics in New York” and that was the start of my Emilia George journey.
Pregnant women have so much on their plate, it can be hard to focus on fashion. Why do you believe it’s important?
I always believe in the power of the right garment that can make a person feel on top of the world. Pregnancy is a journey women embark on that has had such a complex impact on their lives. And I will never get tired of hearing people say to me “I wish your brand existed when I was pregnant.”
What’s your advice for pregnant women on how to look and feel stylish– even in the third trimester?
I went through two pregnancies and I still remember how uncomfortable I felt towards the end of
the third trimester– even without wearing any clothes. So my advice as a twice-pregnant woman is that comfort is the genesis of feeling stylish. Embracing and celebrating my new shape during pregnancy was my best mindset. I gained a total of 70 pounds during my two pregnancies, so needless to say my shape changed a lot from BC– (before children!).
How did that change how you looked at clothing?
Once I stopped looking at clothes from the angle of flattering and instead looked for something that made me feel so comfortable and naturally cooling, I was unstoppable. Yes, some fabrics such as Japanese Cupro have a naturally cooling quality. Style comes from within. There is no such thing as THE MOST STYLISH maternity wear. It is the right maternity wear that makes an expecting mom feel the most stylish.
What about postpartum? Sometimes it feels like everyone expects women to just bounce back immediately after the baby is born, but it’s a really challenging time.
Unfortunately, this is an area where social media is both a blessing and a curse. Women feel bouncing back immediately is the “norm” if so many people on social media can accomplish that. For me, the postpartum period is harder than pregnancy itself because of the recovery, the breastfeeding and pumping, and the stubborn extra weight that will not go away anytime soon. I do love wearing my own collection because I had this in mind during the design–making sure the design is versatile and classy enough that it seamlessly helps women to wear regardless of what stage of pregnancy and postpartum. Embrace this stage. Period. Everyone is different and everyone’s journey is different.
Why did you decide to make your brand eco-friendly?
Most people know that there are typically two ways to dispose of fashion waste—burn them or bury them. I’ve seen some images of the process and they are haunting. There are so many aspects for a brand to strive to be eco-friendly… from sustainable fabrics, sustainable labeling, sustainable packaging, and ethical manufacturing to an eco-friendly supply chain. Because it is an uphill battle for even the biggest names in the fashion industry to get there, I knew we had to start from day 1 to strive for eco-friendly practices.
