Moms-to-be on Long Island are ditching maternity clothes

A new wave of stylish, expectant mothers on Long Island are snubbing standard maternity clothes. For them, there's a big-time focus on the highlighted — rather than hidden — baby bump.

The catchphrase for Gabrielle Sunshine, 32, due in early September with her first child and owner of the trend-driven fashion boutique Penny Lane in Huntington, is, "Rock your belly and be proud." And she's not alone.

Take the Grammy winning singer-songwriter and actress Ashanti Douglas, 43, from Glen Cove, who is expecting a baby with rapper-singer Nelly, 49, in early August. "I was absolutely not into maternity," she says. "We’d go back and forth trying to be comfortable and cute at the same time. In the beginning, I wanted everything to be concealed and then . . . you embrace."

That said, there's still a bit of a stigma attached to maternity-wear despite the market's attempt to do "fashion." Think flashbacks of muumuus and tent dresses. Because these particular moms-to-be possess style expertise, and are browsing non-maternity racks, they manage to look fabulously on-trend through the late stages of their pregnancies.

Sunshine, who’s been plucking larger sizes for herself from her distinctly non-maternity inventory, says, "Stretch is my new best friend and I find that body con silhouettes flatter me more. I have not worn one piece of maternity clothing."

Sunshine asserts that, "every pregnant woman wants their bump to show. It's so ‘in’ right now," she says, reflecting on the change from when her mother had her and wore, "baby doll tent dresses."

At seven-months pregnant, "Today Show" lifestyle and fashion contributor, Katie Sands Bochner, 31 of Locust Valley, echoes Sunshine's sentiment: "I haven’t worn any maternity yet."

Sands, who shared her infertility journey with her almost 500,000 followers on Instagram (@itskatiesands), explains, "I did IVF and I’m reveling in my pregnancy and I’m definitely rocking my bump." But being pregnant wasn’t yet in the cards when she was tapped to launch a bathing suit collaboration — Katie Sands x Ricki Beach Club — earlier in the year. The collection, inspired by her parents’ home in Sagaponack, boasts loads of gingham and includes sweatshirts (sold out), pants, sarongs, bikinis and maillots and there’s even one little boy bathing suit for the little fellow who will arrive in September. Although she’s usually a small, Sands feels comfortable in larger sizes from the line. "They just work for my body type."

Known for her wide array of frocks, she says, "I’m lucky that it’s summer time, and I’ve been wearing looser, a little more flowy dresses that highlight my bump such as empire waist styles."

It's a similar song of summer for Ashanti who says she's rocked a slew of body-con designer dresses, body suits and custom wear for her performances by just sizing up. "I absolutely love summer and sundresses," which, she says were easy go-tos. More recently, she’s discovered a new source of fashion inspo courtesy of Nelly’s closet. His reaction? "He’ll just shake his head." The only real style change she's had to make is when it comes to shoes. "I started with super-high stiletto boots, then went to sky high heels, then to lower heels, then to kitten heels and now I wear sneakers," she admits. And even those can be problematic. During a recent performance, she noticed that the shoelace on her Gucci kicks was untied. "I stopped the show and asked the security guard at the front of the stage if he would tie my shoe," explains Ashanti, noting her belly prevented her from bending down. "It was really cute and I was genuinely grateful."

For Samantha Viola Wilson, 34, of Massapequa, fashion is an important aspect of her lifestyle and travel blog @shesgoing_ that takes followers to destinations around the world. Due Dec. 13 with her first child, she says, "I want to feel my best during pregnancy and look back at photos without any fashion regret."

Wilson says she's shopping with an eye for purchasing budget-friendly pieces. "I did my best not to spend too much money buying bigger sizes that I may not wear post-pregnancy," she says, noting that some her best resources include Zara, Mango, H&M and Forever 21. She might splurge on accessories. "Items such as hats, jewelry and sunglasses really elevate an outfit and can be worn with or without a bump," she says.

Budget conscious decisions don't compromise style for Mercedes Gonzalez Mayo, 27, a recipe and lifestyle blogger (@styleitwithtrix) of Hauppauge, whose pregnancy style icons include Sofia Richie and Hailey Bieber. Mayo is due in December and announced her pregnancy on Instagram to her 998,000 followers in a flowing maxi dress. Since then, she’s shown off her burgeoning bump in a body-hugging dress from Amazon that cost around $55. At the moment, she admits that when it comes to buying clothes, "I don’t have any game plan yet." But, she’s anticipating a focus on her belly. "I 100% can’t wait to show off my baby bump, and I’m hoping I can get away with wearing normal sizes, just bigger." But no matter what happens, she says, "I’m not complaining."