Maternity Maxi

My beautiful sister, Elizabeth, is pregnant; at the end of October, she will be giving birth to a lovely baby girl and I could not be more excited to become an aunt. With a tall and thin frame, she carries the baby exceedingly well; she is one of those rare and fortunate pregnant women who has, when viewed from the back, completely maintained her original figure. The other day, she sent me this picture, a long empire-waisted maxi dress with an Impressionist-like watercolor pattern, the purples, violets, lavenders, blues, and golds seemingly bleeding into one another, reminding me, a strange analogy, to the rainbow conglomerates of algae on a lake or small pond, individual particles stretching and stretched to make an organic whole. Finding an type of formal wear is difficult on a number of counts, from locating a proper size and shape, to knowing that in a few months, the dress will be irrelevant. I believe this type of bold pattern and the sweeping length would be unflattering on a number of pregnant women, especially depending on their height and how far along they are, but Elizabeth's lanky legs and subtle, adorable baby bump would fill the dress, without creating the illusion that she is covered by some large circus tent. The long length and silky texture are quite glamorous; if she decides to choose this piece for her upcoming event, I hope she sends over some pictures.

(image taken from Isabella Oliver)