This suggests that there is a lot more of the market there to take for speed-conscious Hong Kong manufacturers. Another large retailer says that the strengths of Hong Kong and Mainland China suppliers are design service, cost-price benefits and a wide range of fabrics, with the only limitation being high minimum order quantities. Cathy Erasmus of Great Expectations says that trousers are now more important than skirts. We are buying on a ratio of three pairs of trousers to one skirt. Key looks also likely to filter down to the wider market include simple silhouettes, lots of tailored jackets instead of the tie jackets which have been popular for a while and garments with six or eight vertical seams to provide some shaping.
Knits are important, either in cotton cardigans or tunic shapes.
Sizing in the UK is always the same as the pre-pregnancy size. I am suggesting grey flannels and wools in very supple weights and often with Lycra, updated by using grey tonal embroidery or flashes of metal or beading. If it is not comfortable, it's not wearable. If a pregnant woman buys a style that's comfortable then she remembers the brand. There is a strong loyalty in the maternity wear market because the choice is a lot more limited.