SERAPHINE MATERNITY RETHINKS THE WAY WE CLOTHE PREGNANT WOMEN
By: Erica Commisso
“There has long been a perception that maternity fashion is something to endure rather than enjoy, often driven by the idea that you can just ‘size up’ in regular clothes,” says Briony Garbett, the Chief Marketing Officer of Seraphine Maternity. Her brand aims to change that, offering design-forward, maternity-focused pieces intended to make a woman feel her best during every stage of her pregnancy.
Pregnancy is such a powerful, transformative time - emotionally and physically and while so much is changing, Seraphine Maternity believes style shouldn’t be something you have to let go of. It can actually be a real source of confidence. They believe that women should feel like the very best version of themselves - not just comfortable, but genuinely excited to get dressed.
Source: Seraphine Maternity
Seraphine was founded in London, England, in 2002, and the brand has spent the past two decades since its inception ensuring it can deliver what pregnant women are looking for in terms of style and wearability. Garbett says the in-house team regularly hosts focus groups to take feedback from current and potential shoppers, listening to opinions about functionality and the way the clothing makes women feel. The process, she says, informs every Seraphine collection and allows the brand to feel confident its designing for real women, real lives, and real bodies. It allows the brand to deliver on its promise.
Over the years, complaints about maternity clothing have ranged from having a waste problem to being frumpy and expensive, with options most often including sized-up, shapeless dresses and tops and virtually nothing to accommodate post-pregnancy adjustments. Seraphine uses its process to ensure that these gripes are addressed within the brand’s ethos to combat the traditionally negative experience of shopping for maternity wear and post-pregnancy clothing.
“Designing for pregnancy demands a deeper level of thought, precision and care. At Seraphine, we don’t just adapt fashion, we reimagine it, ensuring every piece works with a woman’s changing body while still feeling modern and trend-led,” Garbett says. “Fashion should work with you, not against you, especially when pregnant.”
Seraphine also offers a post-baby collection, with pieces that provide built-in shaping and compression, a nursing-friendly collection, and even accessories like baby carriers. The pre-baby collection is offers lingerie, hospital bags, denim, and more, ensuring that all of the little details throughout the nine-month experience are accommodated. Bestsellers include pieces with shapewear and built-in nursing bras as well as skin-to-skin tops.
Source: Seraphine Maternity
What’s more, Seraphine stands apart from traditional maternity wear with its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility - every piece is designed to last, combating the waste issue in maternity wear. A WRAP report suggests that increasing the cumulative wears of each garment by nine months reduces the footprint of the resources consumed and the waste generated to create it by up to 80%. In another waste-reduction move, Seraphine’s focus group efforts also allow the brand to reduce the sampling process and, therefore, its waste.
By and large, each Seraphine garment is made with natural fibres, and the cotton used is always responsibly sourced. Synthetic materials are used when absolutely necessary to increase the longevity, performance and durability of the product, but recyclable fabrics are used whenever possible. Even the packaging and labeling is all recyclable, made with plastic-free resources and or recycled or recyclable-alternatives.
While there is still a negative stigma attached to maternity dressing, Garbett says non-pregnant people can help transform the way a woman feels while carrying a child and after giving birth, and that a woman’s clothing - the way it fits, the way it looks, the way it feels - can make a big impact in her mood.