Maternity Chic

By Melissa August, Val Castronovo, Matthew Cooper, Daren Fonda, Lina Lofaro, Benjamin Nugent, Desa Philadelphia, Julie Rawe and Alain L. Sanders

Moms-to-be will be flaunting their figures this Mother's Day. Emboldened by the stylish look of pregnant celebrities like Annette Bening and Cindy Crawford, body-conscious expectant mothers are clamoring for hip, clingy garb that will show off their burgeoning-but-still-sexy silhouettes. Designers and retailers aiming at this market are burgeoning too. Barneys New York launched a maternity line in January, and A Pea in the Pod, a maker of upscale maternity wear, has exclusive deals with designers Nicole Miller, Vivienne Tam and Lily Pulitzer. Business is expanding quite nicely. Mothers Work, the world's largest manufacturer of maternity apparel, saw earnings jump 26% in the first three months of 2000.