Flirtatious fashions for moms-to-be

There's a decidedly new trend influencing maternity apparel this spring, heading into summer.

Instead of everything being designed for an under-the-belly look, more pieces are designed to go over the bump.

That means a new generation of moms-to-be might opt for styles more reminiscent of what their own mothers wore. Or we could just look at old footage of Lucy Ricardo's and Laura Petrie's pregnancies on TV.

Certainly, comfort is still key, especially in the latter stages of pregnancy.

Women often are shopping for different needs: work apparel, weekend wear ... and even that hard-to-find outfit for, say, a spring/summer wedding or cocktail party.

Designer Liz Lange, who has both a high-end maternity collection and a line exclusively for Target, offers five tips for finding the perfect evening dress.

-- Wear something that makes you feel beautiful and comfortable. That translates to confidence.

-- Jewelry should be strategic. Wear it only where you want to draw attention.

-- You can never, ever go wrong with a little black dress. Why? It's slimming!

-- Keep the hemline a little above the knee for a balanced look.

-- Wraps are the perfect accessory because they provide added coverage.

And a new product, the Yummie Tummie, just hit shelves. The line of tank tops was designed by Heather Thomson, a New York City mother of two, who wanted a shaper for her post-pregnancy "lumps and bumps."

The Yummie Tummie comes in 10 colors and five sizes, and is super- comfortable -- for during and after pregnancy.

(Contact Leigh Grogan at lgrogan(at) sacbee.com)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)