ThelifeKim Kardashian West has responded to critics of herSKIMS maternity solutionwear line.- In an Instagram story on Sunday, the fashion mogul said her new products are meant "not to slim but to support" pregnant women.
- Kardashian West also said she "personally needed" maternity solutionwear when she was pregnant, and is now "proud" to offer the products to others.
- Speaking to Insider, gynecologist Alyssa Dweck said it's perfectly safe for pregnant women to wear maternity solutionwear, as it can provide comfort, support baby bumps, and make it easier for them to go to the bathroom.
Kim Kardashian West has responded to critics of her SKIMS maternity collection.
On Sunday, the fashion mogul shared a note on her Instagram story addressing "anyone who has an issue with maternity solutionwear."
"If you haven't been pregnant before you may not know the struggle of what it's like carrying all of this weight the way I did along with millions of strong women," Kardashian West wrote. "@skims maternity line is not to slim but to support."
Kim Kardashian West said on Instagram that her SKIMS maternity line is made with comfortable materials that provide support
According to the brand founder, the fabric used to cover the stomach "doesn't slim your belly," as it's made with a "sheer and thinner, layered material compared to the rest of the garment."
"It provides support to help with the uncomfortable weight being carried in your stomach, which affects your lower back — and the compression on the leggings helps with pain relief caused by swelling," Kardashian West wrote.
According to Kardashian West, her latest SKIMS pieces are also beneficial to women after they've given birth and, in particular, women in recovery after a cesarean procedure.
"We launched this category in response to the tens of thousands of pregnant women who wrote us requesting it because it was something I personally needed when I was pregnant myself," Kardashian West wrote of her new
Chrissy Teigen also commented on the criticism via Instagram
Chrissy Teigen — who is pregnant — shared videos of herself via her Instagram story on Sunday while she was wearing SKIMS' newest products.
"Hi guys — actual pregnant person here," Teigen said. "Just wanting to show you and maybe talk a little bit about what pregnancy
"When you're pregnant and you're sitting down a lot, or on bed rest like me, you tend to just sit there," she continued. "And if you're wearing regular, basic-a-- underwear, all it does is roll inside of folds I didn't even know I had."
Teigen, who said she wasn't being paid to talk about the line, added that she's a big fan of the SKIMS solutionwear and wears it as a form of support.
"Most importantly, this is not about creating a body that we don't know we have," Teigen said. "Like we're not trying to do anything to trick you — we're pregnant. We would just like to feel good about ourselves in a time where mentally, it can be really challenging."
"Spanx has been doing this for a long time, SKIMS is doing it, and honestly, like what's the big deal?" she said. "I don't think I have some f------ magic waistline now. Do you guys think that? I'm not doing it to get a waistline."
"If you don't like it, don't wear it," Teigen said. "But trust me, we're not idiots. We don't think that we're giving you some magical, hot body now, okay? Thanks."
Previously, Kim Kardashian West received mixed reactions after announcing the line
Kardashian West is set to release her maternity garments on September 16. The line includes a nursing bra, tights, bodysuits, and more, all of which will be sold in nine, neutral tones and sizes XXS through 5X. Products from the range were also designed with unique maternity features in mind — like the nursing bra, which has clasps that are said to easily open for "convenient feeding."
As Insider's Zoë Ettinger previously reported, "the SKIMS Instagram account noted in a comment that the Maternity Mid Thigh Bodysuit, as well as the brand's similar maternity pair of briefs, include an open gusset, or slit in the fabric, so pregnant wearers do not have to take off the shapewear when using the restroom."
According to another comment from the brand on Instagram, its new products are safe to wear during all trimesters of pregnancy.
While some people expressed excitement after the announcement, others criticized the line, saying people shouldn't feel pressured to "shape" their bodies during pregnancy.
—Proenca P (@brownythefirst) September 12, 2020
A gynecologist told Insider it's perfectly safe for pregnant people to wear solutionwear like the items in SKIMS' new line
Speaking to Insider, gynecologist Dr. Alyssa Dweck described Kardashian's new solutionwear as "ingenious" from a medical standpoint.
"I think that supportwear makes perfect sense, and there's been garments such as maternity belts and maternity underwear that have been available for years and years — I don't ever remember seeing any social controversy," she said.
According to Dweck, SKIMS' garments could particularly benefit people who are "carrying low," those entering the third trimester when they're often most uncomfortable, and people who have given birth before. She said they could also help manage varicose veins, and provide confidence and support to those with diastasis recti, a condition that causes a bulge to form in the abdomen.
She also noted that the brand's variety of sizes could make it easier for people carrying twins or multiple babies to find a garment that fits them. Dweck says SKIMS' open-gusset design also stands out.
"There is nothing more miserable than having to peel off your shapewear to have to go the bathroom — and we all know pregnant women are going to the bathroom literally once or twice an hour," Dr. Dweck said. "To have an open gusset is literally ingenious."
Ultimately, Dweck says people should remember that wearing maternity solutionwear is up to them.
"If people are not interested in feeling confined or supported, or have some social issue with this, it's a choice," she said.
Representatives for SKIMS and Kim Kardashian West declined to comment.
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