INGRID AND ISABEL: FASHION THAT GROWS WITH YOU—MATERNITY, POSTPARTUM AND BEYOND
By: Prachi Khatri
Pregnancy and postpartum are times of transition as women rebuild a relationship with their bodies. Many women also struggle to maintain their personal style as they go through new sizing stages. Along with physical changes, Pregnancy and the months afterwards can bare emotional changes with undermining self-confidence as clothes don’t fit the same and women struggle to find their new style as a mom. Clothes become more than superficial details during this time for identity prevention and personal need.
Ingrid and Isabel's brand journey began when Ingrid Carney, the brand's founder, was pregnant with her daughter Isabel. Ingrid could no longer button her favorite jeans during early pregnancy days and decided to improvise the outfit by pulling her tube top over the jeans. This hack eventually became the brand’s first patented product, Bellaband. Thanks to this innovation, many expecting mothers can wear their pre-pregnancy clothes seamlessly as the band expands with their bodies.
Source: Ingrid and Isabel website
A woman's body feels, grows and changes at every motherhood stage. Ingrid and Isabel (I+I) clothing pieces provide them a sense of normalcy amidst the rapid transformation. Originally founded in 2001, the brand was officially launched in 2003 and made its first sale. Since then, I+I has continued to produce new items—dresses, leggings, jumpsuits, and many more—for the past 22 years.
Each item is deep-rooted in real experience, as its products are not just mom-founded but mom-driven. Ingrid & Isabel's hero product, the Bellaband, became the cornerstone of the company. Its stretchy and comfortable material made with a silicon strip makes the knit band stay in place, allowing expecting moms to wear pre-pregnancy jeans longer. Breathable material and soft fabrics are scientifically developed to align with the lived reality of healing, feeding, and postpartum fatigue.
Over 20 years of Bellaband innovation, I+I remains the independently owned company and the largest maternity retail group in the US. With a wide variety of products from nursing bras designed for feeding to breast pumps, the brand has really thought of it all. The emotional intelligence incorporated in its products celebrates women in a unique way. It emphasizes that maternity clothes shouldn’t be temporary and disposable and can offer longevity and sustainability. Every product is tested on real pregnant and postpartum bodies so that it can be curated with care and last from day one through the fourth trimester.
Source: Ingrid and Isabel website
The website quotes, “Our fit experts take a scientific approach—knowing where you might get bigger and where you might not. We are obsessed with you feeling good in your clothes.”
Ingrid and Isabel provide long-lasting wardrobe solutions with or without bumps so that clothes may function better and be passed on to other moms in the community. The brand provides a Bump swap resale program where customers can resell their products directly on the website. Buyers can see the projected resale value of the items while making a purchase.
A pregnancy body is constantly changing; studies show the well-designed maternity outfits can influence a woman’s self-esteem and sense of comfort. Ingrid & Isabel supportive and fashionable clothes are designed to make mothers feel cute and confident. Many clothes can be worn beyond pregnancy, making their pieces versatile and sustainable.
Source: Ingrid and Isabel website
The brand is helping new moms feel like themselves as their bodies recover. From light compression leggings with a high waist panel to bump-friendly compression underwear, the brand has thought of it all.
In a market saturated with fast fashion and fleeting trends, Ingrid & Isabel emerges as a thoughtful brand that speaks to the complexities and unexpected changes of a woman's body during pregnancy and postpartum. Not just fashion, the brand provides support at a time when women need it the most, both physically and mentally.