There isn’t a single woman who’s been pregnant who doesn’t groan when you bring up the subject of maternity wear. As the months go by, it is without a doubt, an outright challenge. And then you come across a brand like Clary & Peg which makes you wish you were actually pregnant all over again! The great thing is the vintage-inspired clothes look just as good on whether you’re pregnant or not…

Who?

A partnership between two friends, Edwina and Johanna, who wanted nothing more than something decent to wear when pregnant they decided to take things in hands and come up with their own designs. A small operation based in east London, Clary & Peg designs have been worn by the likes of Rosamund Pike and theatre director (& wife of Benedict Cumberbatch!) Sophie Hunter. Oh, and Cara Delevingne…  What, Cara’s not pregnant! No, but she is Edwina’s cousin and for a laugh they dressed Cara up with a bump and the pictures on social went down a storm.

The Designs

Having grown up with a passion for vintage clothes – Edwina’s model and artist mother Caroline Delevingne had an incredible wardrobe of dresses including ones by Ossie Clark (who she modelled for) and Zandra Rhodes – Edwina and Johnanna (who design together) reimagine these looks for maternity wear retaining a sense of elegance and freedom, which is what I love about the pieces. The collection is built around 60s short dresses, 70s maxi dress and an 80s jumpsuit and all made at a small factory in the UK.

The Jumpsuit

It was the 80s inspired jumpsuit in denim that first caught my eye. And is something I’m very keen to wear, despite being a non-pregnant person! This piece has been in high demand since its launch and unsurprisingly so, I mean, it’s awesome. It comes in a lovely striped fabric too – keep an eye out for an outfit post with this coming soon!

The Name

Originally the brand was called In Pig. Which is what The Mitford sisters called being pregnant in their invented language. A wonderful reference to a bygone era, but with the brand being more and more worn by women not pregnant it didn’t feel as relevant, so the girls decided to rebrand with a new name, combining family member names – Edwina’s granny’s nickname and Johanna’s grandmother’s name to come up with Clary & Peg.

Sourcing Vintage

A lot of the fabrics used, especially for the kids bloomers, are vintage sourced from anywhere and everywhere: “Markets, charity shops, vintage shops, flea markets in Paris, people’s attics and grannies! I’m constantly asking people and then finding an attic full of old buttons and lace,” says Edwina.

Which is lovely since I find that getting older I’ve kind of lost my vintage vibe – rummaging in charity shops and discovering treasures to store or sew up into new things was something I’ve loved doing as a teenager and in my twenties. I love how Clary & Peg make this the cornerstone of their brand. For one-off vintage fabrics pieces, check out the ever-so-sweet unisex bloomers for tots… just £15 and the perfect baby present, no?

claryandpeg.co.uk

All photography by me on the Olympus Pen E-P5 & E-PL7