Top five maternity winter coats to see you through the snow

With the winter weather bringing us a flurry of snow, it's never been more important to ensure you have a good coat to keep you and your bump warm.

Although your normal coat may have lasted you for a few months, you may begin to find it harder and harder to zip up over your sprouting bump and thick maternity jumper.

Thankfully the virtual highstreet is full of maternity coats to suit every style and occasion, and with the sales still in full swing now is a perfect time to bag yourself a bargain.

Choose from a wool dress coat, which is great worn over that office outfit, while padded and duffel coats are great casual options and look great with a pair of maternity jeans.

See some of our faves below.

Wool maternity coat, £25 from £69, Jojo Maman Bebe

ASOS Maternity Padded Jacket, was £70 now £49.

Black Quilted Hooded Jacket
£39.99
New Look

Rosanna Wool Maternity Coat Jacket, £64, Yummy Mummy Maternity

Sophie Duffel coat
was £319 now from £159.50, Isabella Oliver

 

Maternity fashion tips: Tall, petite or plus size maternity styles and how to wear them

Finding styles that suit our shapes can be difficult at the best of times, especially if you're tall, petite or plus-size. 

Just as we've found those perfect staple pieces, that positive blue line comes along and challenges us all over again, especially once that precious bump begins to grow.

We decided to wave our magic wand to give you some maternity fashion advice on how to dress your body type.

Tall maternity fashion
Thankfully a range of designers and high street stores are waking up to the fact that tall women don't want to be left with chilly ankles when they pull their jean bump band up to where it should be, with Dorothy Perkins and Jojo Maman Bebe just some offering maternity jeans with 34" and 36" legs.
Team up with wrap shirts or empire line tops that will elongate your figure and show off your bump. Longer style cardigans or knitted maternity jumpers also ensure your bump remains covered.

Plus size maternity fashion
According to Baukjen de Swaan Arons, the Founder of Isabella Oliver, going up a few sizes to fit your bump will swamp other parts of your body, creating an unflattering look.

A ruched design, like this from Isabella Oliver, will create soft fitted pleats across your bump with extra fabric that can be adjusted as your body changes shape.

Wrap tops and dresses, clinched at the waist, will let you show off that new cleavage as well as allowing the rest of the fabric to drape effortlessly over your curves.

Petite maternity fashion advice

Tiffany Rose, a designer of evening and daytime maternity wear advises keeping it simple.

"Choose form-fitting styles with a smooth silhouette and choose fabrics with some stretch to give you the best fit.  Knee length is great for petite figures.  Avoid large or busy prints and opt for tonal colours, blocking or stretch lace," she said

"Emphasise the narrowest part of your body - your empire waist - by adding a contrasting sash.  Open necklines such as scooped and cross-over will flatter your décolletage.  Draw the eye up with a beautiful necklace," she added.

Also take advantage of the 60s turn up trend, opting for standard length jeans, which can be turned up to channel this, while maternity tops, made for "average" sized ladies, can also be worn as dresses.

Top five Oriental inspired pieces for your maternity AW 2012 wardrobe

The Far East made an appearance on a range on AW 2012 catwalks, with intricate floral prints, kimono styles and silks all giving a nod to the Oriental trend.

And this look, showcased by the likes of Balmain, Zac Posen and Dries Van Noten, lends itself perfectly to the maternity world thanks to the silhouettes it channels.

Wrap style kimonos, billowing sleeves and loose silk numbers are perfect for dressing that bump.

And you can be as creative as you like here. Keep it simple with a printed tee teamed with jeans or vamp it up on a night out with a silk maxi number, which will give a subtle nod to the trend.

See the gallery below for some of our virtual highstreet takes of this trend.

The AW 2012 catwalks were awash with nods to the Oriental trend

Maternity Hyacinth Tee,  £36.00, Topshop

Tree of Life dress by Paulina, Blossom Mother and Child.

Print silk maxi dress, Print Silk Maxi Dress, £254.15, Isabella Oliver

Think out of the Oriental box with this Navy Kimono Labour Wrap, which can also be worn as nightwear. Jojo Maman Bebe, £35

Black flower print maxi dress, £37, Dorothy Perkins

Fashion advice: Maternity style tips for tall women

Maintaining a fashionable wardrobe when you're pregnant can be tricky at the best of times.
However, if you don't have that average figure, shopping for maternity fashion can prove to be a nightmare.

This is particularly the case for taller women who after the initial few months begin to struggle to find clothes to fit their changing figures.

"I had to buy extra long normal tops and stretch them over my bump," and "jeans just aren't the right length," are two of the most common complaints we've heard.

A spokesperson for maternity fashion retailer JoJo Maman Bébé, which has a range of pieces to suit taller women, agreed, telling Does My Bump Look Good in This: "When you’re a taller woman It’s often difficult to find tops and cardigans to cover your ever growing bump.

"Jeans can also be tricky, when you pull the bump band up to where it should be you’re left with chilly ankles."

Thankfully over the past few years, designers and highstreet stores have woken up to these needs with JoJo Maman Bébé, Dorothy Perkins, Long Tall Sally and Isabella Oliver, are just a few of the stores that offer maternity jeans for the taller lady.

Choosing a wrap shirt or empire line top, which will elongate your figure and show off your bump is also a good option, while longer style cardigans, such as these from JoJo Maman Bébé, or a longer knitted maternity jumper, will also ensure your bump remains covered while you stay stylish.

Here's some of our must have picks from the virtual highstreet.

34 inch jeans, Dorothy Perkins £43

Opt for a longer style cardigan like this one from Jojo Maman Bebe

Take a belt off a knitted dress to allow for height. We heart this one from H&M

Wrap top, £29, Jojo Maman Bebe

Ruched long top, £75, Isabella Oliver

AW 2012 trends: The Polo neck - we pick the best styles for your bump

Christopher Kane AW 2012

Roll necks made a huge statement on the AW 2012 catwalks with the likes of Pringle, Christopher Kane and Erdem giving a huge nod to this trend.

Appearing in chunky knits, dresses and moulded into thin jersey fabrics, this classic trend was transformed into the styling tip du jour.

And the trend has filtered into the maternity style world this season, with a range of cute roll necks available for your bump. Choose from a playful striped number, teamed up with a maternity skirt or jeans for a casual look, layer a jersey number under a maternity shirt for a smart work look or opt for a block colour, to really make a statement.

See our faves from the (virtual) highstreet, below..

Black Turtle Neck Isabella Oliver £55

Stripe chunky knit, Jojo Maman Bebe, £29

Loose jersey grey polo neck nursing top, Mothercare

Grey polo neck £18, Next