Morning Line: The Ever Collection

Jan 30, 2015

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M.M. Lafleur Annabel Dress ($195)

Every week, I receive dozens of “Ask Belle” e-mails.  Over the past few months, the number of readers looking for advice about maternity attire has grown exponentially.  This is not my area of expertise, but I know it’s a challenge.  So I was really excited to see that M.M. LaFleur has created a line of dresses that women can wear before, during, and after pregnancy.

The Ever Collection contains item that can stretch and flex to fit and flatter your changing shape in every phase of your life.  Of the three versatile dresses, I like the Annabel, with its ruched details and asymmetric neckline the best.  They also offer the Georgia, an a-line shape, and the Claudia, a classic shirtdress shape.  Many of the dresses are machine washable, but they’re all perfect for travel and made in New York.

Also in the collection, my favorite sweater, The Morandi.  It’s a great chunky knit that is incredibly warm, making it perfect for chilly offices.  It comes in your choice of oatmeal or charcoal.

Whether you’re currently pregnant, struggling to find flattering post-maternity wear, or just looking for a flattering, forgiving dress for every day wear, give The Ever Collection a try.

Disclaimer: I own four MML dresses–two I purchased, two were gifted to me.  I love their mission statement and their designs.  All opinions in this post are my own.

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  1. Anne says:

    Just curious, when you say “two were gifted to me,” do you mean given to you by other people or given to you by the company?

    • Belle says:

      Gifted in a disclaimer means gifted by the company. I wouldn’t need to mention it if someone else gave them to me. Also, I purchased a dress months before I was ever given one. We worked together after an initial post that they had nothing to do with.

  2. D says:

    CorporetteMoms is a good website for professional women before, during and after pregnancy. It’d be great to see a round-up of fashion-oriented blogs for women who are becoming or are moms and also are professionals who need office-wear.

  3. Kate says:

    What do you think about the quality of MM LaFleur dresses? A colleague recently ordered four and was seriously disappointed that they were not lined and disappointed with the quality of the fabric. Their designs look great. However, I am concerned about the investment when I can find more affordable dresses elsewhere. As someone who has had babies, I prefer the way lined dresses hang on my *new* hips.

    • anon says:

      I got my first MM La Fleur order last week. I too was quite surprised that there was no lining in the dresses at the price point. When I tried them on, however, the fit was CRAZY flattering. My guess is that the lack of lining is what makes them machine washable. The high price point is maybe due to the fact that most things are made in NYC, which I do support (or just a high margin for the business, what do I know ?).
      Bottom line: I kept them and will wear them will have the chance to wear my slips. Definitely planning to buy more.

      • Mpls says:

        The lack of lining is because you don’t line knit dresses – it defeats the purpose of having a knit in the first place.

    • Belle says:

      I think the quality of the fabric is great. It also depends on what kind of fabric whether it’s lined. The jersey-style material is not line, both crepe dresses I have are lined.

    • Phoebe says:

      I only have one MM LaFleur dress, but even though it’s not lined, it’s nice fabric and it’s not just one thin layer of fabric in the skirt. It’s doubled up, and I honestly didn’t even notice it wasn’t lined until you mentioned it!

  4. RLS says:

    I really wish they posted the length (in inches/a unit of measure) of their dresses.

  5. KateO says:

    Just FYI for moms-to-be – if you are thinking about your post-baby work wardrobe and plan to pump, pullover dresses are not the easiest outfits.

    • pilates princess says:

      I came to post the same thing. Ugh. You can make a back zip work, if you’re flexible, but I don’t like to do it myself.

  6. Monica says:

    Too bad there is only one that is breastfeeding friendly, kind of defeats the purpose of being able to wear them post-baby!

  7. Jessica says:

    So I find it weird that they would offer a line of “Maternity Friendly” dresses but then not have any pictures of pregnant women wearing the dresses. I need to see them on a pregnant women to believe they are actually “Maternity Friendly”.

    • Belle says:

      There are more pics in different places on the site, and in the PR materials, of women with baby bumps wearing them.

    • D says:

      I think, having had 1 child and more than halfway through another pregnancy, that “maternity-friendly” does not equal maternity.

      I am thinking first trimester, or “mummy tummy” like they called it with Kate Middleton, not for those weeks when the baby is about to crawl through your skin and your heartburn is acting up.

  8. Sarah says:

    Being through two pregnancies, the before/during/after clothes never fit the same in the after, ever! My advice, go to Target, GAP, etc and buy clothes that work well and flatter during pregnancy. Then post pregnancy go back to those stores’ outlet locations and buy the ‘in-between’ size from where you are now and where you want to be. I returned to work 6w post delivery both times and didn’t fit in my pre pregnancy clothes yet and needed just a few short months to get there.

    • D says:

      This. Plus, styles change, even in those few weeks and months. Your body is changing, this is not a time for investment pieces. Also your life is changing – wear what fits and is comfortable and convenient.

  9. Emma says:

    Given Belle’s raves about M.M. Lafleure items in the past, I tried to order a box recently. No one responded to my request for several weeks. Then I got an email asking for more information about my style preferences and sizing – information that I had provided in their order survey. After a bit of back and forth, I found out that they only have some items in a 14 and nothing bigger than that. I wan’t shocked but I was pretty disappointed. Their stuff looks beautiful, but it’s clearly not for everyone. To make things weirder, about 3 weeks after I cancelled my order, I got another email thanking me for my interest and asking for information about my style preferences and sizing!

    • Belle says:

      One of their people mentioned to me that they were selling out of the boxes quickly and that caused some problems. I too have had trouble getting sizes because the dresses are so damn popular. I waited 3? months for the Alex dress to restock, and it was not ideal. I try to cut them a little slack because it’s a small comp. experiencing the typical growing pains, but I do hope they get it sorted out shortly.

  10. Pam says:

    I own a skirt and 6 of their dresses – all in size 14 and have 2 more on the way-including the Anabelle that Belle mentioned. Some are lined some are not. The Emma in the print jaquard is my absolute favorite – the ones that are jersey are a very thick fabric, and are cut and seamed to be incredibly flattering (like the Rachel and the Narie and Karen).I’m surprised to hear the customer service comments as they have been super attentive and even let me return a dress after the “do not remove” tag fell off while I was trying it on. Michaella is terrific and responsive. I also went to their DC pop up store. I own the Etsuko in two colors and always get complements. i usually wear suits, but since their dresses are so comfortable you will find me in one a couple times a week now.

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