AW 2012 Trends: Military inspired maternity wear

Military influences were in full force on the London Fashion Week AW 2012 catwalks.

Big brassy buttons appeared on double breasted tailored coats, while structured, wrap dresses and jackets gave a more subtle nod to the trend.

Traditional khakis and blacks were joined by bright neon colours, thanks to bold moves by Prada, while studs shown by the likes of Burberry and Alexander McQueen, were added to bring the trend into this season.

Of course the maternity fashion world has taken note of this hot trend, with a range of stores introducing a range of military inspired blouses and coats.

However, the great thing here is that you don't have to stick to maternity wear. Give a nod to the look with a military style cap, or pick a pair of military inspired flat boots, which will last you throughout your pregnancy and into next winter too.

See the gallery below for some of our military inspired maternity faves.

Military Cap, £20,  Next

Refer Military Coat, £65, Asos Maternity

Belted Wrap Jacket, £125, Isabella Oliver

Spica boot,  £159, Bertie

Maternity Stud Military Shirt, £40, Topshop

Maternity Military Blouse, £35, Asos

Pebble UK offers fashionable maternity support tights

In the past when we heard the words "support tights", we were filled more with images of grannies rather than fashion fun.

However, let's get a little bit serious for a second and think about what these actually mean when you're pregnant or just had your little bundle of joy. 

According to Pebble UK, which has been in the support tights business for 12 years, products such as these are a great way to prevent and help swollen ankles and or varicose veins, as long as they come with the correct mmHG measurement, which is a gradual pressure that is present in the hosiery, from most at the ankle to least at the top of the legs, that will help improve blood circulation.

The company is trying to move the products away from their granny reputation, offering a range of fashionably coloured opaques, sheers and footless tights.

Some even have anti-cellulite functions - that's got our vote-  textured massaging soles, comfortable baby grow pouches and shaping tops.

Keeping healthy has never been so fashionable.

See the gallery below for a few of the styles offered by the company.

Peaks of London designs breastfeeding dress to celebrate birth of Adele's baby boy

We were thrilled when Adele announced that she had given birth to her son earlier this week, and we're not the only ones.

To celebrate the birth, Peaks Of London has designed a dress especially for the occasion.

The Marilyn Adele dress, available as part of the company's Spring/Summer 2013 range channels Adele's signature style, while offering discreet breastfeeding access. And can be worn for any occasion. Team up with a pair of sandals for that casual day out, or dress it up with a pair of heels for a night out.

The dress will retail at around £150 and will be available early next year giving us plenty of time to save.

Maternity Halloween outfit ideas, the witch, the cat and the goth

Halloween party outfits have moved on from the traditional zombie bride, vampire and green face painted witch, with the style conscious turning to a more subtle look for the event.

Simple black dresses with cat ears, or devil horns and red heels are all acceptable in today's Halloween style world and this is great news for pregnant ladies who want to attend that party without feeling left out. 

As the event draws close we thought it was time we got into the spirit and gave you some ideas on how to dress your bump in subtly scary style without blowing the bump budget.

Choosing a simple black maternity dress, which can be worn again and again, is a great place to begin. A skater skirted style will add to the gothic look as well as giving a nod to to one of this season's hottest trends. Use this as the base of your outfit and style subtly around it.

Add a pair of statement cat ears or go for a pointed hat to give a nod to traditional costumes, or take it to an even subtler level using a range of accessories, such as skull earrings, printed scarves, and brooches.

See the gallery below for some maternity Halloween inspiration.

Start with a simple black dress like this one from Asos, £20

Keep it simple, adding accessories such as these skull earrings from Topshop

Give a nod to the Halloween Witch with this cute brooch from QVC

Or add a pair of cat ears like these from Amazon, £9.44,  for a more traditional approach.

We also heart this shopper from Suicide Blonde, which is perfect for that Halloween party and a nod to the gothic look for months to come.

Top five on-trend flat shoes for the later stages of your pregnancy

When I was pregnant the one incident that sticks firmly in my mind was when I decided to go to a business meeting at seven months.

Wanting to channel the smart trend I opted for a pair of midsized heels to go with my tweed dress, but what should have been an enjoyable day turned into a disaster when I experienced the dreaded feet swelling.

Walking down the Kings Road, I was struck down with pain in my toes, which was far worse than the morning sickness I'd experienced at the beginning stages of my pregnancy, and my leisurely stroll turned into a hobbling  nightmare and an expensive emergency stop at the first shoe shop to buy a pair of hideous flats.

Although my saviour shoes are now sitting unused at the back of my wardrobe, I learnt an important lesson that day - heels for a prolonged time at seven months pregnant just don't work.

A style expert at Kate Kuba agreed, telling Does My Bump Look Good in This: "We would suggest avoid high heels  and opt for comfort as well as style."

Thankfully the fashion world has moved along from boring flats, with a range of great alternatives to heels.

The flatform, which is hot this season, is a great way to stay on trend and stay comfortable, while the iconic penny loafer, once channelled by Audrey Hepburn, has made its way from the fashion wings onto the highstreet shelves.

Below are a few of our faves from the virtual highstreet.

Gibbran, £130, Pied a Terre

Leopard Print Flatforms, £49.99, Kate Kuba

Polka Dot ballet pump, Oasis at Asos

Stud ballet pump, Topshop

Bump crush:Madeleine Thompson luxury cashmere slippers

Every girl needs a little bit of luxury in their lives, and when you're pregnant this is even more important.

With the winter nights drawing in and a possibility of feet swelling in the later stages of pregnancy- we know all about that - then what better way to treat yourself than with a pair of these luxe cashmere slippers.

Forming part of the new Madeleine Thompson loungewear range, these little knitted delights are cute and practical, offering an extra bit of give to accommodate growing feet, as well as comfort and warmth for after the birth too.

However, there's a little catch, with these knitted numbers, available exclusively from Net a Porter, ringing up at £190. 

We know what's going at the top of our Christmas list.

Top five faux fur maternity coats and jackets to keep you warm in style

The catwalk was awash with faux fur creations with the likes of Burberry, Kenzo and Christopher Kane, to name a few, channelling this trend.

Appearing as a subtle trim on coats and jumpers or as a feature piece on 70s style gillets and short jackets, this is one must have look to have in your maternity wardrobe.

Go for an everyday take on this trend with a fur trimmed coat or show off your bump in style with a gillet, which looks fab layered over a maxi dress and accessorised with lashings of bangles for that boho look.

See our top five picks from the virtual highstreet in the gallery below.

Give a huge nod to the trend with this jacket from Asos

Emmie Faux fur lined coat, Topshop

Gillet, Isabella Oliver

Red Herring maternity at Debenhams

Quilted jacket, New Look