All About the Bump: Angelina Jolie, queen of the maxi-dress
Angelina Jolie can work a sleeveless floor-length dress like nobody’s business. It seems like every time we see her photographed, she’s wearing one of her now signature maxi-dresses or caftans. The great thing about these generously skirted floor-length styles is that they can be worn both before, during, and after pregnancy. In fact, it’s great to hide an early pregnancy, but better stay away from wind because one gust on the SAG Awards red carpet and your pregnancy is revealed. Just ask Angelina! (How is it possible that a dress that covered so much could leave so little to the imagination?)
From that ombre vintage Hermes to the gorgeous green Max Azria Atelier she wore more recently, Angelina’s second pregnancy style is all about "soft, sexy, and romantic," as her stylist Jen Rade put it.
Click Continue Reading for Angelina’s maxi timeline and tips you can use!
Here’s Angelina’s maxi-dress timeline:
- January 27: Angelina wore this ombre vintage Hermes strapless maxi that pretty much confirmed suspicions of her second pregnancy to the SAG Awards (above) when the wind blew and draped the fabric across a belly that was without doubt holding a baby and the bustiness that rarely accompanies a strapless dress. (That, combined with the assumption that you must be pregnant if you wear a flowy dress!)
- March 4: Angelina loved this Gerard Darel style so much that she has it in three colors: mauve, sheer floral, and a print. The first time we saw her wear it was with Maddox at an Austin airport (right).
- March 16: She wore this Rachel Pally sleeveless cotton jersey caftan in dove to take the kids to the corner store in New Orleans.
- March 16: She wore her sheer floral Gerard Darel while doing disaster relief in New Orleans with Brad.
- April 7: She wore this Reem Acra maxi to the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards.
- April 8: She wore this unidentified chocolate dress to a speaking engagement at the The Washington Club for the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington D.C.
- May 4: She went to the beach in this Vera Wang striped gown.
- May 12: She wore her mauve Gerard Darel again on a yacht ride with her boys, Brad, Maddox, and Pax in Monaco.
- May 14: This mint green Alberta Ferretti (below right) is "pretty with Angie’s hazel-y green eyes," said her stylist Jen.
May 15: She wore this custom Max Azria Atelier maxi (below left) for the Kung Fu Panda premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.- May 19: Several days later, she wore this custom Reem Acra caftan for the premiere of The Changeling.
- May 19: Later that day, Angelina stepped out for dinner for dinner with Brad in this strapless stained glass Nicole Miller.
- May 23: She wore this unidentified caftan for a helicopter ride with Brad and Zahara in Monaco.
- For the full gallery of her maternity style, check out People.com’s StyleWatch special gallery called Angelina Jolie’s Classic Pregnancy Style.
- See also: People.com’s StyleWatch poll: What’s Angelina’s Best Cannes Dress?
Other celeb moms-to-be enjoying the max style include Gwen Stefani, Tori Spelling, and Jessica Alba.
Want to get the look for less? Check out these features on the tiered maxi-dress on ModernGearTV.com and Hot Mama Daily.However, if you’re not tall and thin like Angelina, there are someimportant things to watch out for. Because maxi-dresses tend to have agenerous skirt, you can wear non-maternity versions while you’repregnant (though the front will be shorter the bigger your bump) andmaternity versions when you’re not.
Another benefit ofmaxi-dresses is that there is less attention on your legs and feet soyou can keep your swollen ankles and varicose veins under cover and noone will pay attention to your flip flops and impossible to shave legs. Just be careful not to go-too- casual with your overall maxi-look because you may end up lookingfrumpy instead of chic! If you’re too tired for a full toilette, pullyour hair into a ponytail (or brush your hair and smooth some gel orserum over it if your hair’s not long enough), and apply a coat ofmascara and some tinted lip balm. Add a necklace or a few bangles andyou’re ready to go out for dinner. A handbag will dress it up more thana shoulder bag, but a simple tote is fine too, as long as it’s neat.
For more do’s and don’ts, check out this article.
Would you wear a maxi as maternity wear?
Photos: Doug Peters/PA Photos/Retna, Kevin Mazur/WireImage, Lydie/SIPA, Matei H-Dean M/Bauer-Griffin
