Yahoo Lifestyle A-plus idea - Plus-size maternity magic
WHO: Nadine Newell, mum to Sahara, three-and-a-half.
WAS: A production manager in the entertainment industry.
NOW: Founder of Plus Maternity (www.plusmaternity.com.au), which makes maternity wear for women size 18 to 28.
When I was pregnant, I couldn’t find one single pair of pants to wear. Fortunately my mum sews, so she made me some. But when a store says they sell plus-size wear and you make the effort to get there only to find out their XXL is a size 18, it’s disappointing to say the least. When I wanted to do an antenatal aqua class, too, I tried to get a swimsuit but couldn’t, so didn’t do the class. It wasn’t a good feeling.
I realised something needed to be done…
When did the idea strike?
I had the idea when I was pregnant, but it wasn’t until Sahara was about seven months old and I was talking to some friends in my mothers’ group that I decided to act on it. The more I thought about it, the more it irked me that there was nothing out there for women like me.
Starting out
I spent a lot of time talking to fabric suppliers and manufacturers, getting patterns made from my drawings and having samples made. I started off with pants, because it’s easier to find tops.
Spreading the word
I set up a Facebook page and did a lot of expensive advertising in magazines. We only sell through the website because of wanting to keep prices down. We can’t compete with chain-store prices because our clothes are top quality and locally made. I like to think of them as maternity and beyond – I still wear all of the clothes in the range.
And now?
I still design all the clothes and they are made in Brookvale, Sydney, using Australian fabric where possible. I’m also really trying to raise awareness about the problem facing plus-sized mums-to-be,
as well as awareness of a number of other issues that plus-size women face – such as the fact that all my ultrasounds until about week 21 were transvaginal (I got a big shock when that happened) and that breastfeeding with big boobs can be completely different to breastfeeding with smaller A- or B-cup breasts.
How does your child fit in?
Sahara goes to preschool one day a week. The rest of the week I work around her in small bursts during the day and then from 7pm to 11pm most nights.
The best bits
The feedback from other mums has been great. Just knowing I’m providing them with something they can wear is such a good feeling. Lots of women email me saying how much they love the clothes and how happy they are to have finally found something that fits well and looks good!
The hardest part
There’s a lot of resistance in the media to featuring plus-size clothing and models. I’ve been asked if I can provide photos of the clothing on mannequins instead of on live, professional models!
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