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1、Keeping momstobe on trend is to maternity success5700字 毕业 Putting on a few pounds can make a woman self-conscious about the way her clothes fit. And then theres putting on a few dozen pounds in a few months while the old hormones are bouncing off the walls. Ahhh， pregnancy！ The experience of buying
2、maternity clothes to fit a rapidly changing body can be daunting. But maternity shops are finding success selling a selection that closely resembles customers pre-pregnancy wardrobe. “Maternity isnt what it used to be?C thank God！” says Sarah Pollak， owner and founder of Moms The Word， a California-
3、based maternity retailer with three locations and an online store. “A grown woman shouldnt be wearing sailor tops. And professionals shouldnt be trying to fit their blazers over growing bellies. Were very often dealing with women who no longer know how to dress themselves. Some walk in and were like
4、， Oh， honey. Lets make you look good. And they leave smiling， not crying anymore.” The style mix at Moms The Word includes denim ?C from destructed skinny to boyfriend cuts ?C cropped tops to wear over a tank or form-fitting dress， asymmetrical skirts and vests， as well as dresses that come in mini
5、or maxi lengths. And DL1961， Laundry by Shelli Segal and Michael Stars can be counted among the designer labels. The industrys drive for comfort and true fashion has led to a $2.87 billion maternity business， with expectations that it will reach $3.67 billion by 2020， according to Global Industry An
6、alysts， Inc. （GIA）， a leading market research publisher. Todays Millennial moms-to-be have helped steer the course toward more ontrend maternity attire. Almost half （47%） of women age 18-to-34 describe themselves as “fashionistas” and are significantly more likely than other females to prefer buying
7、 new and different styles （67 percent versus 53 percent）， according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor？ Survey. The GIA reports there has been an emphasis on the quality of materials and fabrics. “Cool and comfortable clothes continue to dominate the market， irrespective of the season.” Th
8、e majority of women say cotton clothes are very comfortable （63 percent）， breathable （58 percent）， and soft （53 percent）. This is nearly double the responses for clothes made from manmade fibers like polyester and rayon， according to the Lifestyle Monitor？ data. These are among the key purchase driv
9、ers in womens apparel purchases. And according to the Lifestyle Monitor？ survey， more than 3 in 4 women （77 percent） prefer cotton-rich clothes and the majority （52 percent） say they are more loyal to brands offering apparel made from natural fibers like cotton. “There is something about the comfort
10、 factor that women just hormonally want，” Pollak says. “Wovens can work， but thats not really driving the business. Women want items that stretch with her body. And there are a lot of things that can make them look and feel good while theyre pregnant. And when you consider shell wear that top or dre
11、ss for those six or so months as much as someone who wears something for three years， when she factors in the dollars per wear， its worth it.” The GIA says factors such as reputation， brand name， customer service， quality of merchandise， ability to quickly respond to emerging trends and fashion， and
12、 to offer a broad gamut of variety play a major role in the success of a retailer. Destination Maternity， with a market share of 23.5% in the year 2013， is the leading specialty maternity retailer in the U.S.， according to the GIA data. Walmart and Target occupy second and third positions， accountin
13、g for 16.6% and 15.1% share， respectively， in the market. Some other major retailers operating in the market include Gap， Old Navy， and H&M. Maternity had long been an industry that generally left women with limited choices. But these days， the industry is following mainstream fashion in that it mor
14、e closely considers what the customer wants rather than dictates what she must wear. This all makes sense as todays moms-to-be have a wealth of platforms like TV shows， social media， and a slew of broadcast celebrity events in which to see whats new and trendy， as well as where she can buy it. Women
15、 under 35-years-old are significantly more likely than older females to draw apparel inspiration from TV （20 percent versus 14 percent）， celebrities （15 percent versus 8 percent）， and online （42 percent versus 30 percent）， according to Lifestyle Monitor？ data. Besides all the media influences， women
16、 lead more active lifestyles and more work away from home， according to the GIA. It states the number of working women in the U.S. has risen from 18 million in the 1950s to nearly 66 million in 2010. These changes created a great need for convenience in the maternity apparel market. But its transitioning from cost-focused toward convenient products that offer exte
