Well here is where I tell all my secrets!  How to dress for work, kids, dogs and a busy life!  Read all about it here:

http://sassymamahk.com/my-mama-wardrobe-melanie-of-sono-vaso/

The exhibition finished today and we are very happy with the result. Some very good orders and some incredible contacts to work on going forward AND talks started with a French agent, fingers crossed. Tomorrow we are off to Rotterdam to meet with our Benelux agent who we met at Playtime in January and between then and now, we have finalised all the details. It will feel great to hand over the collection tomorrow knowing they will now start their selling season. Wednesday will be rather long for me, train at 11.00am Rotterdam to Paris then train to the airport saying goodbye to Lena who returns to Sweden. I then have about 7 hours wait for my flight at midnight, I think I will sleep well on the flight back home to Hong Kong! Here is a photo showing some of the scenery from our daily walk to and from the fair, how nice is that?

Today was if possible even more beautiful outside, which made it very uncomfortable inside, too hot and the customers obviously preferred to lie on the grass in the park! I dont blame them. However, we did have a good day and our contact book is filling up. When we left the show today, the park and the whole area looked as if all of Paris had come here to enjoy the fantastic weather. Here is a photo of the trend area of the show, our red TARA jacket was chosen to represent the red theme the stylist had created.

This morning we were up bright and early and walked to the fair, again loving our beautiful 15 minute walk in the early morning Paris sunshine. All the stands looked fantastic and our co-exhibitors looked as excited as we felt. Then begins the wait.....and wait..... We had a good day all in all, some orders, some very exciting possible customer whom we hope will come back and talk some more tomorrow or Monday. There is a fantastic feeling of friendship amongst the exhibitors (bar a few!) and of course some of them we have seen several times now over all the Playtime fairs we have participated in around the world. Our closest neighbour is a French maternity and nursing lingerie company and we had to call on their help a few times to help and translate as our French is only good enough to order food and wine basically. In return, we shared our US contacts with them which they were thrilled about so we have several browny points for the next few days to use as translation services. The day ended with a cocktail (or champagne rather) party thrown by the fair organisers, where we were entertained by an apparantly very famous jazz band, I am sure they are very good! We had a very interesting introduction made by our Isreaeli friends from La Robe Bleu......hopefully more to write about this tomorrow. Watch this space! Just to give you an idea, today we have talked to people from: France (of course), Holland, Belgium, UK, Israel, Jordania, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Norway & India, some customer material and some not, either way,  we love it!

Paris greeted us with wonderful sunshine and was looking its absolute best. So good in fact that a trip to Montmartre was called for in order to stand of top of the world and see the sprawling Paris in all its glory, utterly beautiful and well worth the exorbitent tourist prices at the restaurant, it is great to be a tourist sometimes. Today though, we were back in business and when the business is conducted in Parc Floral, there is no need to complain. Tha Playtime exhibition is a boutique style fair with quality vendors and the venue is set in a beautiful park and at this time of year, one may wonder if the buyers will even bother to come inside! Today was set up day and here is a photo of what our stand looked like after we had just started, tomorrow, I will post a photo of the finished booth.

Just wrapped up our Spring/Summer 2012 shoot, so glad we were shooting inside as the heavens opened up outside!  SS'12 will be bursting with colour and texture, inspired by a "Tuscan Holiday".... you'll just have to wait to see what we've designed!!  

A big thank you to Peter our photographer, a true gentleman as always!  And to our beautiful model-mum-to-be Marloes!  She is 26 weeks pregnant and just so great - she didn't let the hectic schedule phase her and glowed all thru the shoot, well we did make sure she was properly fed and hydrated!!

M&Rxx

 

10 Maternity Designers have submitted a style from their current Spring/Summer collection. Pregnant women vote for the designer's style they like best.  Each designer will award a $200 shopping spree to one random person who votes for THEIR SPRING/SUMMER STYLE!

All 10 shopping spree drawings are held on July 1st!

Feeling The Heat - Part 2











Stay cool in natural fibres, Modal (from regenerated beech wood) and Cotton are your best options for these hots days.

MELITA swing tank, MAURA black/white stripe pleat front top and CAMEO spaghetti strap tank are our recommendations for keeping your cool.

We know it's way too hot out there, but don't worry we've got the cool styles to come to your rescue!

During pregnancy, a woman’s core body temperature rises leaving her prone to becoming hot and uncomfortable. Wearing lighter, natural-fibre clothing allows the skin to breathe, creating the conditions for coolness and comfort, both day and night.  

Our CARI Cropped Legging (in Modal/Spandex) and SIMONA City Short (in Cotton/Spandex) are perfect for beating the heat.  All shorts feature our signature Modal/Spandex fold down waistband for super comfort!

The GiggleGuide has featured us for Mother's Day, thanks Giggle Guide!

http://thegiggleguide.com/features/2011-05/moms-be-expect-be-remembered-too

Sono Vaso is Thoroughly Modern Maternity

Sono Vaso

Who could resist beautiful maternity wear with an Italian definition that means, “I am a vessel”? Since 2007, Sono Vaso has helped moms delight in a modern approach to maternity and postpartum fashions that focus on the mom-to-be in every detail. Sono Vaso takes a lifestyle approach to maternity dressing that includes everything from loungewear to work wear and special occasion.

For essential pieces, the exclusive label Essenziale brings the whisper of Italian fashion houses to the pieces every mom-to-be needs: tanks, dresses, skirts, pants, leggings and nursing tops, all in sizes XS thru L. Sono Vaso clothing pieces aren’t just stylish options; they also address the body temperature changes in pregnancy with light, natural materials.

Bring some new life into your maternity section with Sono Vaso by browsing their collection at www.sonovaso.com or by contacting Rita Yaworsky at rita@sonovaso.com

My Designer Tip for Today:

We all saw how great Victoria Beckham looked at the Royal Wedding last week, I personally think she really did herself proud, styled impeccably in a great simple shift dress with the boat neck, very in right now!  

Our Bettina Oversized T-shirt dress lets you keep up with VB's look, it's in 100% luxe Silk Sateen, cool and comfortable in the summer heat.  You can wear it with the self belt as shown, or for my "Designer Tip for Today" - snip the belt loops off (carefully) and wear it loose like Victoria.

Mel x

We love Sassy Mama HK, it's a great site for chic mums by chic mums!  Read about our new Vacanza line here:  http://sassymamahk.com/sono-vasos-new-vacanza-line/

According to the ChicagoTribune.com “when couples marry, they traditionally go on a honeymoon.  Now many parents-to-be take it one step further and go on a babymoon.  Almost 60% of new parents take some sort of babymoon, enjoying a “last hurrah” trip.  Defined as a special trip for couples who want one last fling before their new baby arrives, the babymoon is designed to help expectant couples spend what remains of their quiet time together and to reconnect, relax and rejuvenate."

We make shopping for your Babymoon wardrobe a breeze with our Spring/Summer 2011 “Portofino Summer” Collection.  We focused on the coolest fabrics in super comfortable styles, the classic tunics and shift dresses... go on tell hubby it's Babymoon time before Baby arrives!

CARMELA tunic and CARA leggings, GINATA boat neck dress, ORIANA sequinned tunic and ZIA white jeans.

With thousands of fully categorized business profiles covering the entire spectrum of today’s children’s and maternitywear marketplace, The Giggle Guide™ is a veritable “who’s who” of the industry.  See us featured in The Guide on our NYC trip to Playtime.
 http://thegiggleguide.com/shows/2011-03/playtime-new-york/report/playtime-ny-back-school-event-was-classy-show-and-tell





 

Inspired by the long hot days of a Portofino summer, the Sono Vaso Lifestyle Maternity  Spring/Summer 2011 collection reflects the metallics of ancient bronze artifacts and the nautical stripes of Italian coasts.

The season is light and airy, using our signature Modal/Spandex jersey and lightweight Cotton/Silks. 

Black/White stripes are on right on trend in our new summer Evelina Maxi dress and pleat front Maurizia Magyar dress and Maura top.

The colours are faded Charcoal teamed with Khaki, Nude, and Black, and embellished with Bronze, Gold and Silver matt sequins.  The collection is popped with Peach and Electric Blue in strong solids.

The focus is to bring comfort and style to the modern pregnant woman, we have taken the trends of the season and morphed them into super chic and easy-to-wear styles such as the Ruby Sequinned Tunic, Geonna Shift Dress and Evelina Maxi.

Wishing you a cool, comfortable and fabulous Spring/Summer 2011
Melanie x
 

We are featured in the new Maternity360 trade magazine, read about my inspiration for our new AW11-12 collection; "The Streets of Marrakesh", tunics and sheath dresses taking cues from Morrocan style...

We're so excited to see the first issue of Maternity360, the world's first retailers' resource dedicated to maternity wear.  We've teamed up with Maternity360 to give our insights on AW11-12 trends and inspiration, check it out on www.maternity360.net.

Just started Playtime New York and already have met some like-minded maternity retailers who "get" our range... we love their slogan from "Bump" in Brooklyn; "Give up wine, coffee, sushi - not fashion"!  Exactly!!!

We have taken inspiration from our best selling tunics and interpreted them into easy chic resort wear, and the best thing is all styles work perfectly for maternity too!

Sono Vacanza Resort Wear
for all women anytime

Metallics are key for Spring 2011 and our Ruby Tunic is perfect for fashion-forward maternity style.  Available in Charcoal/Bronze sequins and Black/Silver sequins in our signature Modal/Spandex jersey... shop online and get Free delivery in Hong Kong and HK$100 webshop voucher for every $1,000 you spend online!

Last night was press night at the show, we'd had a long day but it was great to end it with meeting loads of Japanese press and fellow maternity wear and kidswear brands.  Playtime Tokyo showcases the funkiest new brands for the region and there are some amazing new collections coming, here's a sneak peak of some great new trends out there!  www.playtimetokyo.com

Playtime Tokyo - today's been a better day than yesterday...!  Started set up yesterday thinking we were so well prepared with our 2 garment steamers and what do you know; we had not planned to bring a transformer so we spent many hours hot and sweaty steaming our garments at half steam, lucky it's cold in Tokyo!!  So that took us right up to dinner time and a bottle of vino... more blogging tomorrow!  Sayonara!!

If you're in the maternity wear business, we'd love to show you our AW'11-12 collection at Playtime NYC, 5-7 March 2011; BOOTH B05.
www.playtimenewyork.com

Visit us at Playtime Tokyo next week 22-24 Feb to see our AW'11-12 collection... Booth C04.
Go to www.playtimetokyo.com for more information.

Sandra our model was great today - she embraced the Sono Vaso Lifestyle Maternity look and her new belly!  Our photographer Peter was a star!  Tokyo here we come!

Paris in January is COLD! I was very much aware of this on set-up day. Just below 0 degrees, 2 big bags with over 40 kilo of stuff, very unsuitable ballerina shoes, no gloves and dropped off at the wrong end of the big park that held the exhibition hall! Our distributor from Sweden who was arriving that morning from Gothenburg calls me from the airport to say that the box containing our mannequin and half our hangers had not arrived…….Not a good start to say the least. However, it got better as the day progressed and by the end of it we had a nice looking stand and felt very deserving of a bottle of wine!

The fair was held just outside of Paris city centre in Vincennes, in the big park there called Parc Floral, very nice and I can’t wait to see it again in the summer. Our little hotel was within walking distance (without luggage!) and the route was through the castle itself. We had 3 very productive days, met lots of people and most of all learned a lot! This was the first time we participated and there are most certainly ways to do things and for a first attempt, we did not do too badly. And after a long tiring day, flogging ones wares, it does help to be in Paris!

We will be exhibiting at Playtime Paris 29-31 Jan 2011, if you are interested in representing our brand in retail / distribution or as an agent we would love to meet you at the fairs!
www.playtimeparis.com
www.playtimetokyo.com
www.playtimenewyork.com

Playtime Tokyo 22-24 Feb 2011
Playtime New York 5-7 March 2011
 

Great styles now reduced in our Winter Sale, find them in our OUTLET section!

 

You'll feel beautifully warm in our breathable lambswool blend sweater knits, new stock has just arrived in time for the colder days; Natalia cardigan, Nicci sweater dress and Gina wrap cardigan.

Yummy Mummies and Yummy Mummies-to-be, get professionally fitted by our Bralicious Bra Docters at our
Festive Morning Tea and we'll make sure you have an uplifting Christmas!

Please join us on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th December at the Conrad Christmas Gift Fair
(Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong).  Our first 20 CUSTOMERS will FREE Mummy or Daddy Nappy/Daiper Bag with Changing Mat!

Over 4,500 shoppers visited the Conrad Fair in November, so don't miss out on
the next great 2 days, Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th December 2010!  Shop
from our Preview Sono Vacanza Spring/Summer 2011 Resort Collection; "for
all women, anytime" in our signature uber-soft Modal/Spandex & get a real bargain
at our Sono Vaso Maternity Outlet Sale, all outlet styles HK$200 each - up to 70% off!

Lots of Xmas gift ideas and looking forward to the next one in
Dec, 13th and 14th...
Thanks to everyone who came to the Conrad Fair!
from Rita and Melanie
Sono Vaso

Come and get a real bargain at our Sono Vaso Maternity Outlet Sale, all styles HK$200 each.
And preview the new Sono Vacanza Spring/Summer 2011 Resort Wear Collection;
"for all women, anytime" in our signature uber-soft Modal/Spandex.

2 great fairs:
Conrad Fair - Monday 22 November 2010
Christmas Gift Fair - Monday & Tuesday 13 & 14 December 2010 (2 days!)
at the Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong.

Design Inspiration:  Venetian Nights
Our inspiration for AW’10-11 comes from the light of Venice on a cool Autumn evening; colours
reflect off the calm water and bounce up into the night sky.  The rich and captivating colours and
textures of Venice are highlighted in the AW’10-11 collection through the use of opulent glamour;
deep dark colours, sequins, flowing bishop sleeves, textured tweeds and supple knits.
o Colours:  Venetian Red, Midnight Black, Charcoal Grey.
o Embellishments:  Dark tonal sequins reflect the light.
o Fabrics:  100% Wool tweeds, Modal/Spandex jersey knits, Lambswool sweater knits,

AW’10-11 TRENDS AND KEY STYLES:
o Maxi dresses
o Wrap tops and dresses
o Cape jackets
o Wrap jackets
o Sweater dresses
o Red, rich and dark
o Tonal sequins, tonal stripes

The fashion highlights of the season:
o Sequinned tops, tunics:  Aida, Jasmine, Astrid.
o Tunics:  Jasmine & Astrid, Camilla & Rita; tunics play a big role in our line every season,
we feel that they are the perfect style for the pregnant woman to look good in – effortlessly…
so we offer the tunic style in several lengths and fabrics, to suit all figures and tastes.
o Cosy sweater knits in soft lambswool; great to dress up for career wear, or casually on weekends.
o The must haves cape jacket Amalia, and wrap jacket Aletta, in soft wool, breathes naturally.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle said “we are the sum of all of our actions. Therefore it is our habits that make all the difference”.  A habit can be defined as something we do on a regular occasion, so if we apply this simple formula to our health and fitness, energy levels and longevity we can keep a common thread and say Simple things done very well on a regular occasion have the greatest influence over these integral parts of our lives that greatly influence how we look and feel, how we perform as a parent, partner, friend, an employee or employer. If we can attain and more importantly maintain good levels of physical fitness and support that with adequate nutrition, sleep and hydration, we create the platform for greatness, and then all the other areas in our life take less strain. 

In this blog entry let’s look at water.  The Human body is 30% solid matter and 70% water. Brain tissue is said to consist of 80%water. It is our primary component! It stands to reason that an integral part of the formula for insuring health, well being and sustainable levels of being able to perform above and beyond our capacities is to maintain a steady supply of it!  Experts conservatively estimate one third of the population is dehydrated. In his landmark book ‘Your Body’s Many Cries For Water’, Dr Fereydoon Batmanghelidg, M.D. links chronic dehydration to chronic fatigue, depression, hypertension and even asthma. When we exercise a lack of hydration will increase muscle soreness and will literally change our muscles from what should look like a fresh uncooked steak to a dried out piece of beef jerky.

On the flip side a recently published study showed us that drinking two glasses of water before every meal was an incredibly effective way to shed unwanted body fat.  The equation for water is simple - Drink half your bodyweight in ounces daily of pure water and add if possible add a pinch of organic unrefined sea salt to every litre to maximize absorption.

Following this equation of half your body weight in ounces of pure water daily:-
My weight is 170 pounds (77kgs), half of 170 = 85.
Therefore I need to drink 85 ounces of pure water daily.
To convert that to metric – 32 ounces = one litre.
85 divided by 32 is nearly 3. So I need to drink nearly 3 litres of pure water daily. More when I exercise. 

When pregnant your hydration levels are key to both you and your baby’s health. Dehydration is a particular risk if you are suffering nausea from morning sickness. Ask your physician for some advice on pregnant friendly electrolytes which will aid in keeping you hydrated during those early months and when possible sip on water to the extent your system can accept it. My wife during our first pregnancy (ours?...more hers than mine, but I was an excited partner in the whole process) could only take small sips all day as she felt even drinking water would be difficult to keep down. It was the bet thing she could do to stay hydrated. Stay well away from coffee and caffeine as they can also interfere you’re your body’s ability to hydrate. Also because the hormonal responses to extracellular dehydration are known to increase salt appetite, if you find your cravings have increased for salty foods take that as a gentle reminder to drink the correct amount of water for your bodies needs – drink half your body weight in ounces as mentioned above.

When exercising it is important plan your hydration strategy. Know that you will need approximately 750ml of a carbohydrate electrolyte beverage (such as Nuun) an hour to keep you going and maintain adequate hydration when training at moderate to high intensities. Drink 240 to 500 millilitres (depending on intensity of work about to be done)of water or electrolytes about 10 to 15 minutes before exercise to stimulate fluid delivery from the stomach and then keep the stomach volume high by drinking smaller amounts every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Drink enough to minimize the body weight you typically lose during a similar type of training session or competition, but do not drink so much that you gain weight. After your workout check your rehydration needs by stepping onto a scale and weighing yourself. For every half kilo lost, you need to drink half a litre of additional fluid. To periodically check how you’re doing, look at your urine. It should be clear or a very faint yellow. We live in a time when we have never had more access to information of health and fitness.

We have never had more products, pills, potions and formulas for optimal health but we have never been as unhealthy as we are now. Experts such as Dr Dean Ornish, author of the book ‘Eat More, Weigh Less’, tells us “this generation born now is the first generation that is expected to have a shorter life span than that of their parents”. This is due to the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, with poor nutritional choices and inadequate hydration. The formula for health and well being is not as confusing as it can appear to be in our 24/7 world. Simple things done very well on a regular occasion, such as drinking the right amount of water, and even drinking at strategic times, is a huge step towards creating and maintaining the health we are by design supposed to enjoy.

Stay tuned for exercise and nutrition. Till then move well, eat well and think well. Andrew Cox – www.innatefitnesshk.com

I’ve found that a quick way to make people feel uncomfortable is to describe myself as an Image Consultant.  It’s almost like announcing that I am a mind reader or psychiatrist and then the person starts looking uncomfortable, fidgeting and eyeing me up and down warily.  So I began to think about how I explain what I do do and why I love it so much….

My primary focus when working with my clients is to find out who they are on the inside – their likes, passions, personality and dreams – and to overlay this onto their outside.   This forms the basis of their style ‘recipe’ and armed with this info I am then able to put together ‘looks’ for my clients that represent their own sense of style. I love my work because it can really help people to express who they are and in doing so discover a new confidence.  Gone are the days of peering into a closet crammed full with clothes and thinking “I haven’t a thing to wear”.

This of course can be particularly hard in pregnancy (I’ve been through a couple) when your body is morphing into something that you don’t recognize and you feel tired and irritable.  However I’ve found, from experience, that we feel much better when we know we look good and can get on with the important business of the day.  So in pregnancy you can still focus on who you are and a great way to do this would be try and think of 3 words that relate to you e.g. dynamic, edgy, elegant / calm, cozy and vibrant – if you find this hard get a friend or your partner to help you out?  Whatever your ‘words’ try and dress with them in mind; it could mean fun accessories, funky shoes or a unique way of wearing a scarf.  I promise it will make buying maternity clothes and getting dressed so much easier and it will also help to remind yourself of who you truly are (aside from all this ‘Mommy’ stuff).

On the other hand if you would like me to help you put together your unique sense of style during pregnancy (or at any other time) you can contact me at claire@imageunlimitedhk.com. 

Mention this article and you will get 10% discount on your personal style appointment with Claire at our showroom and 10% discount on any Sono Vaso Lifestyle Maternity clothing purchase during your style appointment.

Claire Edwards is a qualified image consultant with a diploma from the Academy of Image Mastery/London Image Institute and the Body Beautiful Institute, USA. She is accredited (FLC) with the Association of Image Consultants International. Claire also holds a graduate diploma in counseling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology.
www.imageunlimitedhk.com

Sono Vaso was welcomed to the US at the Atlanta Apparel Maternity Wear Show.  "We were so excited to see our designs on the catwalk where Fall/Winter 2010-11 collections of fashion forward maternity brands were being showcased to the buyers."

Pregnancy - that wonderful, amazing state of being, where everything is new and you learn crazy things about your body everyday. What I wasn’t prepared for was how absolutely sick of being pregnant I would be by about week 38! I also wasn’t prepared for how absolutely sick of my modest array of maternity clothes I’d be within 4 months of buying them. 4 months doesn’t seem that long to the happily unaware non-pregnant person who has a full wardrobe of years’ worth of clothes to choose from. But 4 months of wearing the same few basic items is just depressing. At about 35 weeks I caved and had to do a bit of retail therapy, damn the cost, to stem the boredom.

Unfortunately, I live in Beijing and when I had my first baby in 2006 there was no maternity clothing available here except for the ubiquitous smock dresses that all Chinese mums-to-be step into immediately upon learning they are pregnant. And of course, radiation aprons designed to stop radiation from your computer causing untold damage to the developing foetus. There was no way I was going near any of that stuff – my husband was teasing me mercilessly about my huge belly anyway, I wasn’t going to give him any more ammunition. What to do? A tailor, brilliant! This is what China is great at – making clothes! So that’s how I found myself 8 months pregnant in a tailor’s shop with a few A4 pages of printed designs from Gap Maternity for them to try and copy.

Having clothes made at the tailor is an unpredictable experience at the best of times – sometimes things turn out brilliantly, other times the best place for them is the bin. I think this is true everywhere. But nowhere is it more difficult than in a country where you haven’t yet mastered even the basics of the language, where people laugh at the unusual sight of a heavily pregnant foreigner venturing into the real world (shouldn’t she be at home in bed?), sweating in the 38 degree 95 percent humidity day, and when it’s maternity wear.  But suffer the laughs and strange looks I did, choosing lovely brightly coloured linens and office-worthy pin-striped cotton for some tops and shirts. My tailor tried to up the price when she found out how much material this was all going to take and I felt a bit sorry for her, so didn’t bargain too hard. Finally, it was time to try the new outfits. Needless to say, the results were not glamorous. After the 4th fitting I was getting a bit cranky to be honest, but to her credit, my poor stressed tailor did manage to make a few decent pieces to get me through the last 5 weeks of crazy heat until July 7 when my daughter was finally born. And it was a relief to finally wear something different to brighten up my days.

Now, in 2010, things are improving for pregnant mums in the capital. One or two foreign brands of maternity clothing are now available here, and fashion conscious Chinese mums appear to have discovered a couple of Chinese brands turning out some cute and quirky designs. Sono Vaso has revolutionised maternity wear for the Beijing business set and those wanting something glamorous for those very regular evening events, ever since my store, BabyGro, started importing it a few months ago.  We hope to further assist Chinese and expatriate mums to look their best at all times of the day or night with Sono Vaso’s fabulous new winter 2010 collection. On the other hand, I am certain Beijing hasn’t seen the last of the smock dress – or the radiation apron!
Johanna Selth
BabyGro, Beijing
www.babygro.com.cn
johanna@babygro.com.cn
 

This is a very interesting article from Kidspot.com.au - it's information we all need to know about the link between artificial food colouring and hyperactivity, to read more click here:
http://www.kidspot.com.au/familyhealth/Family-Health-Healthy-Living-The-artificial-food-colouring-and-hyperactivity-link+3545+190+article.htm
 

It's great to be mentioned in the South China Morning Post newspaper today, read on....

by Nicki Perry, Lingerie Specialist, www.bralicious.com.hk 
Finding the perfect maternity and nursing bra…
Congratulations on your pregnancy or the birth of your little one.  This time is exciting and filled with many changes … one of those changes are your breasts!!

If you are pregnant you may find that your boobs have an explosion in size in the first few weeks…this is perfectly normal and some women can even increase up to 3 cup sizes throughout their pregnancy. It is also perfectly normal if you do not explode – every woman, every pregnancy is different. You will also expand in the back as your ribcage expands due to the growing baby – don't worry this goes back pretty fast after!  It is extremely important to be wearing a correctly fitted and supportive maternity bra throughout your pregnancy and while nursing. At bralicious we stock the range of HOTmilk maternity lingerie and sleepwear . The HOTmilk range is non underwired and has clipdowns for easy breast feeding and even without the underwire they provide excellent support and also the materials used allow flexibility for breast size fluctuation. The importance of wearing a non underwired bra during pregnancy and feeding is recommended – firstly you will feel much more comfortable and secondly underwired bras may cause blocked milk ducts therefore restricting milk flow. I have seen a number of women also that have been bruised by underwired bras – so I highly recommend to stay away from underwire!

The HOTmilk bras have soft cotton lining and the seam construction ensures that you have absolute comfort and support of tender areas. Another great feature is the back of band has six rows of 2 or 3 hook and eyes to allow for expansion of the ribcage. 

When we fit bras we make sure that the whole breast is encased in the cup – spillage over the top or out the side is not a great look but it is also not giving you the best support. We make sure that the band is also firm as you should take most of the weight of your breasts around your back rather than taking it on the shoulders as this can also lead to major back problems.  

We also recommend that you wear a bra to bed at night to support your breasts – both during pregnancy and after. We have a range of bedtime bras from another range called Nearly Nude that I myself lived in! they are soft and supportive and comfortable! 

We recommend that you visit us for a professional bra fitting at the 3 – 4 month mark to ensure that the right bra is chosen for you. The depending on the development of your bust size you should be fitted again at 36 weeks , though if you feel at all restricted, have a fitting straight away.

Our range of HOTmilk maternity and nursing bras are tested on pregnant women and nursing mothers which ensures they meet all criteria before entering the market. 

The collection is available in cup sizes B to G (H to be released in September) and bands from 30 to 44.  The HOTmilk range is completely different to anything else on the market…it is feminine, sexy, sassy and best of all comfortable! Who said you had to wear boring nude, black or white and feel like you are wearing your grannys undies whilst pregnant or feeding.

The HOTmilk philosophy is to empower women, to remind them that they are beautiful, confident and SEXY.

To arrange a professional fitting appointment with bralicious contact Nicki on 97723864 or email nicki@bralicious.com.hk

Whilst I was pregnant with my third child Charlie, I totally lived in my Sono Vaso wardrobe. I was very busy promoting my books at the time and did numerous interviews, radio and TV appearances as well as fairs and seminars around Europe which of course involved a lot of travelling. The schedule is usually quite gruelling when I am on promotion tours and normally I get whisked away straight from the airport to the first interview and then it goes on to the next one through the day and finally a late dinner! This is hard work at the best of times and wearing clothes that can work through all this at the same time as looking ones best, is not always easy. The Sono Vaso stretchy modal dresses were my absolute life saver during these events, together with styles like Camilla (yes, named after me!) and Cara leggings. I love tunics and their fashion tunics at the time appeared in several magazines and TV shows. I adored these tunics and I remember one time when I was doing a photo shoot and interview for a big fashion magazine and the topic was being a famous mum and all that. The stylist had chosen the clothes (as they do) and I had asked if we could use some of my favourites from Sono Vaso and she reluctantly allowed me one item for the last shoot. I chose my favourite tunic and make-up artist, photographer and all other staff all commented that they loved this tunic and wanted to know about the brand. The stylist was not too happy as nobody had commented on the clothes she had chosen!

During my previous pregnancies I hated buying maternity pants as there was always something so frumpy about them but the Sono Vaso pants are just great as they are a comfortable pair of stylish legs and what goes around the tummy is just soft and comfortable. The Sono Vaso jeans and, yes, a tunic was what I wore for casual days. Now, I have to admit that, as glamorous as I need to look when I work, you would not recognise me at home, I just love lounging in total comfort with no make-up and my hair in a ponytail. Again, the Sono Vaso basic modal styles are just comfortable bliss and I still wear those at home. Ok, I still wear some other things too, they just don’t look like maternity wear so that’s fine.

I only have one complaint, where were you when I was pregnant with my other two children?  Camilla x

Spicy colours, embellished tunics and flowing silk, naturally...

This season we bring draping and natural fabrics to life in flowing tunics, tops, long tees and dresses. Inspired by 1960’s A-line silhouettes and vibrant colours, highlights include embellished tunics and silk dresses in hot, ethnic colours - spicy cayenne red and warm violet teamed with the season’s must-have nude, black and white.

Today’s schedule: 3 client meetings followed by a night out with the girls.

You want to look stylishly professional for the day, and casual glam in the evening.

And do it all in comfort. We have just the thing for you in 5 great options:

1.  Camilla Tunic + Cara Legging

2.  Melanie Tunic + Ella Capri Pant

3.  Bettina Dress

4.  Hannah Shirt + Nicoletta Pencil Skirt

5.  Vanni Jacket + Cameo Tank + Elena Skinny Pant

We love Modal!  There we've said it!  It's made by a very smart company, called Lenzing, from 100% beech wood pulp; a natural raw material.  It's the perfect fibre worn next to the skin as it breathes naturally like cotton and is incredibly soft.  Long lasting, it's designed to be washed again and again yet retain its softness and colour.  Best of all the fibre is a bi-product of the timber industry from sustained forestry plantations and produced in the highest environmental standards.

When you’re pregnant your appetite changes along with your food preferences.  Maybe you used to be crazy about cheese – and now you can’t even intolerant the smell.  Or you never get hungry at meal time – just at every other time of day and night.  With your growing belly, you are likely to be a lot more conscious of what you eat and how it affects your health.  Our philosophy is to eat what you want – but all in moderation and with a mind to the ingredients.  A balanced diet is the key.  Here are some tips to eating healthy through your pregnancy: 
1.  Maximise the good by eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
2.  Make your own fresh juice – it’s an excellent source of vitamins.  And you can bring raw carrots or other fruit and veg to work to eat as snacks through the day.
3.  Minimise the amount of foods containing preservatives.
4.  Try to choose organic where your budget allows so that you minimise the toxins you eat.  This is most important for soft skin fruits.

Renee's Grandfather's recipe from Australia;

1 ½ cups brown sugar

Pinch of salt

½ cup (125g) butter (salted)

3 eggs, separated

2 cups self raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

½ cup (125 ml) sour milk (cream)

1 cup of mashed bananas (old and black)

Method:

- Cream sugar, salt and butter until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

- Add alternatively flour sifted with the bicarbonate of soda and the sour milk to the creamed mixture.

- Add mashed bananas.  Mix until well blended.

- Beat egg whites until stiff.  Gently fold in the cake mixture.

- Bake in a 180 c (350 f) oven in a 18 cm (7 inch) cake tin or a loaf tin for about 30-40 minutes.  Enjoy!

Our "Rita" Tunic is one of our best selling styles because it's an amazingly flexible addition to your wardrobe.  it's in our signature Modal spandex jersey with 100% silk sateen trim, resulting in a stunning look and super comfortable!  Dress it down with Ella capri, Cari legging or Cecelia lounge pant with flat shoes.  Or dress it up with Donata wide leg pant, Elena skinny pant or Zia jean with boots or heels and large pendant necklace!