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COVER FEATURE Mom Writer Skye Hoppus: Rock Star Momma on Hip Maternity Fashions
Is it possible for a mom-to-be to look hip while pregnant? The answer is most definitely. And the recent book, Rock Star Momma, by Skye Hoppus shows you how it is done. The book is an honest girlfriend-to-girlfriend pregnancy guide and focuses on fashion tips which will help you feel good about yourself the entire time. Skye Hoppus describes herself as a mom, wife, designer, stylist, writer, entrepreneur and real-life rock star momma. While Skye was a pregnant mom a short time ago (she has a four-year-old son), she experienced firsthand a gap in the marketplace for maternity clothing. For nine months, Skye struggled to find clothes that were flattering, attractive and comfortable. Any mom-to-be can relate to this problem, especially during the last month of pregnancy when she just wants it to be over. Out of necessity, Skye began creating her own clothing designs. She created clothes which allowed her to be comfortable, yet celebrate her body at all the different stages of pregnancy. After the birth of her son, Jack, Skye realized that she wanted to help other women feel good during this special time in their life. She wanted to be the answer to the problem she experienced. Even though Skye had no “official” background in fashion design, this did not stop her from creating her own clothing line. She took designs from her own maternity wardrobe and was motivated by her own sense of style. She launched her product line called Childish Clothing, which included both maternity and kids’ collections, in the spring of 2003. Her clothing line has been making famous women look good during their pregnancies ever since. And then she got the idea to take pregnancy fashion one step further. She decided to write a book which would include all of her fashion tips. She combined her own experiences with advice from her favorite celebrity friends and the book is now available to pregnant women everywhere. The book, Rock Star Momma, guides women from when they can no longer fit into their pre-pregnancy clothes through looking good postpartum. And it includes everything – tips on how to buy good undergarments, what to pack for a work business trip, what to wear for a big night on the town and every occasion in between. There is also a chapter titled, “Shopping Bag,” which lists Web sites for what moms-to-be need. When Skye was asked if People, OK and Us magazines launched the need to be fashionable during pregnancy, Skye replied that celebrity awareness is so much greater than ever before. She said, “A person can’t turn a corner without knowing who’s pregnant, who’s getting married, or who is practicing infidelity. It’s so bizarre, yet clearly the demand for all this info is there.” These women and others have taught us that a pregnant mom no longer has to give up her own sense of style for nine months. She can be sassy, fun and even sexy throughout pregnancy. But Rock Star Momma is more than just about appearance. It’s also an attitude which embraces pregnancy and all its parts. Skye believes that all women can look great (and that even includes the trip to the hospital to have the baby) and feel great during their entire pregnancy. When asked what Skye thought was the major turning point of maternity fashion, she said, “I cannot hold one moment responsible for this ‘maternity style revolution,’ but I can say that now more than ever, the options are there for great maternity style.” She goes on to explain that the market now offers beautiful clothes for pregnant women. And she credits Hollywood with helping to jumpstart this revolution. So gone are the days of tent-like shirts, panel pants and other clothing that made women hide that their bodies were working to produce another life. Today’s mothers wear clothes that call attention to their changing bodies. During pregnancy, moms can wear Childish Clothing shirts that say “Momma” on them, and after the baby is born, mom and baby can find matching nursing shirts – mom wears a shirt with the word “supply” on it and the baby’s shirt says “demand.” And have you ever wondered how famous pregnant women manage to look great every day of their pregnancies? You get a chance to see how they do it in the chapter “Swipe Their Style.” Heidi Klum, Gwen Stefani, Sarah Jessica Parker and Brooke Shields share what they did during their pregnancies to feel good. Skye also offered several personal tips for the mom-to-be throughout her book. She believes that a woman must learn (and she assures us it won’t happen overnight!) to embrace her body during these nine months. She explained that the body is set to do some pretty spectacular things and that means change. Women must give in to the process and embrace it wholeheartedly. And what is the one thing that every woman needs in her maternity wardrobe? Skye’s suggestion is a GREAT pair of maternity jeans. The market now offers many options…some of her favorites include Childish, J Brand, Paige Premium Denim and Maternal America. Many moms choose the convenience of shopping online at the Web site www.childishclothing.com. But for women who like the one-on-one shopping connection, they can shop at Nordstrom or at one of the 300 boutiques worldwide who sell Childish Clothing. When asked how she juggles being a mom, wife and business woman, she replied, “I thank God that I have a wonderful husband and a fantastic marriage as my life would not be possible without Mark. I also credit my son with being a constant inspiration and joy in my life.” Rest assured that Skye has plans for more books. And her fashion line has some exciting additions to the maternity collection that she can’t talk about just yet, but she says that the growth of her company has been so invigorating. Skye is a busy mom entrepreneur, but she doesn’t see her life as anything but normal. She said, “I don’t really wake up and think about being a real rock star momma. We lead such normal (well to us!) lives that I rarely think about it. When Mark is Her advice to moms-to-be is to enjoy your pregnancy. She added, “I know it can be tough at times (hello, morning sickness!), but being pregnant is the ONLY time in your life that you are creating a miracle, so try to enjoy it. Feeling good about yourself and how you present yourself only helps with this theory, so go out there and dress in style these 40 weeks.” Prior to launching Childish Clothing, Skye graduated from Pepperdine University and headed the MTV West Coast office. She spent ten years at MTV Networks as a Talent Executive for the West Coast Music and Talent Department. All of her work was behind the scenes and consisted mostly of booking talent for various programming outlets. Skye’s book Rock Star Momma is available from Atria Books.
Kathy Schlaeger lives with her husband and three daughters near Cincinnati, Ohio. She writes for The Pulse Journal, Cincinnati Woman, All about Kids and other publications.
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touring is when we really feel the difference in our lives from our friends.”
