[[[Well-rounded NY, July 2013]]] Fashion Find: In Pig

Ever try Googling “vintage” and “maternity”? Us too. There’s not a whole lot there, with the exception of a few oversized muumuus and some big-box brand names circa 1998. That’s about to change thanks to In Pig. Created by prenatal yoga friends Edwina Gieve and Johanna Kociejowski, the line takes inspiration from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Vintage elements (and you know we love vintage) include bell sleeves, and feature collars and pockets, but the designers also use structural details and accents like sashes to give shape to the loose smock styles. It’s gotta be a pretty special something to get us to pony up for an international shipping fee, but In Pig is that special something. Here, the designing duo gives us a few more reasons to take our maternity shopping spree overseas.

How does this line differ from some of the other lines in the marketplace? What makes In Pig so special for a stylish gal?
When we were pregnant we struggled to find things to wear that were as stylish and unique as our pre-pregnant everyday clothes. Mostly we felt that we had to compromise and make do, so we wanted to create a collection that allowed women to enjoy dressing when pregnant and to feel fashionable regardless of how big their bump was. We wanted to create clothes that women want to wear even if they are not pregnant.

What kind of a woman does In Pig appeal to?
The woman who wants to retain her sense of style and self throughout her pregnancy. We think it is important for women to enjoy dressing their bump — it shouldn’t be seen as a sartorial chore.

Tell me about the intersection of vintage and maternity. Why is it so elusive and how does your line address that niche?
We’re both vintage-lovers and our everyday wardrobes are made up of lots of vintage clothes. When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things I did was Google “vintage maternity” and nothing came up. We really felt that this was a niche that needed to be filled. Our line looks for inspiration from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Each piece incorporates details from those periods, but we wanted to make sure they were also wearable and appealed to women today.

How do your designs flatter the bump rather than just accommodate for it?
All our designs celebrate the bump in a way that is not restrictive. They draw the eye but not solely to the bump. We’ve also chosen high-quality fabrics that drape rather than hug. We wanted to make sure that you could wear In Pig throughout pregnancy and after — we’re still wearing our designs and both our bumps have turned into babies!

Talk us through some of your signature pieces for the capsule launch and what we can expect from In Pig for fall.
Our best-sellers are our 60s-inspired dress with bell sleeves and our 70s smock dress. Both pieces are very wearable and can be dressed down or up depending on the occasion. The vintage elements: the bell sleeves and feature collar and pockets on the smock dress make the pieces interesting and eye catching, as well comfortable and flattering. We are very excited about adding to our collection in the autumn. We’re currently designing a long sleeved smock to be worn over jeans or leggings.

Why would an American lady want to invest in pieces (and shipping!) from In Pig?
We very much see ourselves as a British brand, all our clothes are made in London and even our name “In Pig” is taken from the scandalous British icons the Mitford sisters (it means pregnant in their nonsense language). We hope that this quintessential Englishness appeals to pregnant women in the States and elsewhere. Also we don’t see the window to wear In Pig as being small. We have created clothes that genuinely can be worn even when you are not pregnant – we tested all our clothes on non-pregnant friends, too. Our dungarees, in particular (top photo), have been a real hit with women who aren’t pregnant!