Nike recently launched Nike M, its first-ever maternity collection, designed to support women through all the stages of pregnancy and beyond. This isn’t Nike’s first efforts towards promoting inclusivity in the sports industry, having launched a sports hijab and plus-size line while using its platforms to commit to being a driver of social change.
This collection features four pieces, including a sports bra, a tank top, a cardigan and leggings made with stretchy material intended to adapt to a woman’s body as it changes throughout pregnancy and postpartum, as these are forever pieces. This collection is part of Nike’s commitment to sustainability with pieces that range from 78 to 88 percent recycled polyester. The items will cost between $45 to $80 and will be become available on Nike’s website starting Sep. 17.
Designers for this line used data from over 150,000 body scans from both non-pregnant women and pregnant women to better understand the changes a woman’s body experiences throughout pregnancy. They also partnered with 30 female athletes to get insights on the fit, feel and function of the designs to ensure that their needs were met during and after pregnancy. This line modernizes maternity clothing and proves that you don’t need to sacrifice fashion for function.
“It’s the project of a lifetime to work in lockstep with all kinds of mothers to bring to life a capsule that truly supports women’s relationship with sport during such a transformative time in their lives,” Carmen Zolman, Nike Senior Design Director for Apparel and Innovation, said.
Motherhood is one of the most transformative events most women will experience in their life. It doesn’t stop after nine months. In fact, this period can last 10 years depending on how many children a woman has. Women are reported to feel unsupported during this time in their lives and find it increasingly difficult to maintain an active lifestyle with a newborn. Nike established that “it’s not always about shattering world records and winning tournaments. Sometimes it’s about ensuring moms feel comfortable enough to get to the starting line.”
This new wave of maternity clothing rides on the same wave as the athleisure trend. Athleisure promotes the use of workout clothing in all areas of your life as consumers want the comfort of workout material outside of the gym. Other brands along with Nike are joining in on this trend inherently normalizing exercise during pregnancy instead of discouraging it.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!