4 outheatre Announces its 1' 1995- 1996 SEASON of professional LIVE theatre at MUSIC HALL FOR AGES 3-6 YEARS THE WIGGLE CLUB (Children under 3 years not admitted) Ladies In Waiting Bargains and best bets for maternity clothes. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR I November 11 & 12. 1995 IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE March 9 & 10. 1996 AMELIA BEDELIA GOES CAMPING, ETC. December 2 & 3. 1995 TOM CHAPIN March 30 & 31. 1996 MAX THE MOOSE WAKES UP SPRING December 16 & 17, 1995 THE JACK FROST FOLLIES May 18 & 19. 1996 BABAR'S BIRTHDAY t's a strange phenomenon that strikes women within six weeks of their first pregnan- cy. Suddenly they begin wearing clothes 10 times too big. Fashion- conscious females who once donned only form-fitting attire now wear what are practically tents. Their waists vanish under the free-floating style of a dress that could fit a whale. The reason for all this, any mother can testify, is the excite- ment of a first pregnancy. Women are generally so de- lighted they can't wait to get into those maternity clothes, even when they haven't gained a pound and the baby is smaller than a pea. FOR AGES 7 AND OLDER IMOVIIM' UP CLUB (Children under 5 years not admitted) may or may not go away after the baby is born. So in addition to the fact that you'll be wanting low- heeled or flat shoes to help your aching back during the nine months, you won't want to buy any shoes that are really snug. One mistake some women make when shopping for mater- nity clothes is turning to stores that specialize in fashions for larger women. "Big" does not necessarily mean big in the area you will most need it, especially in the last months of pregnancy. So bypass these shops and instead head right for a store that features ex- actly what you need. A good place to begin is Twelve Oaks Mall, where you'll find three maternity shops and a number of department stores that have maternity departments. (It's a good idea to start mak- ing the mall your home away from home in any case. Once your baby is born, you'll discover and crawl and scream and oth- erwise go crazy — and not in the confines of their own home.) Mothers Work Maternity at Twelve Oaks is a terrific shop. First of all, the clothes are beautiful, and second, the sales consultants, like Camilla Harrell, are knowledgeable, pleasant and exceptionally patient. Ms. Harrell likes to point out the fact that Mothers Work de- signs and manufactures all its own clothing. It's both high-qual- ity and fashionable, reflecting the approach that "a woman shouldn't have to change her style because she's expecting." One of the store's most popu- lar outfits is a sleek jacket and skirt set in navy blue or black, which Ms. Harrell recommends using as a core outfit. (What ad- ditions don't go with blue or black?) Or, you can start with a suit and jacket and slipskirt, which sells for about $200, and will last the entire pregnancy. Mothers Work, which also has a catalogue, offers nu- merous jumpers, which every pregnant woman knows can't be beat for comfort. 214" There are plenty of floral print jumpers and stylish crepe ones, perfect, Ms. Harrell says, for even the fanciest of evenings. ■ Mothers Work carries a num- tzr ber of fashions in linen and ray- on blends, which Ms. Harrell wonder- recommends as these can be ful open areas in worn all year. the middle of the malls. At One of the most popular items Twelve Oaks, mothers fondly re- making the rounds at numerous fer to it as "the pit." There's no maternity shops is a basic three- place like it, especially in the win- or four-piece set, (with some ter when children can run around combination of a top, skirt, pants, dress, leg gings or jacket that come cleverly Some items you'll need to consider packaged in a box for your maternity wardrobe: or bag. Mothers Work's dresses Essential 4, made shirts of 90 percent-cotton fabric, has a black pants shirt, dress, leg- shorts gings and skirt. It sells for $148. a full slip Another popular underwear shop at Twelve Oaks is Mother- maternity and/or nursing bras care, where you can a bathing suit find stretch pants for about $20, a ca- maternity and/or nursing pajamas sual pant-and-top support and/or maternity hose set for $56, bathing suits for between shoes (if your feet grow) $46 and $56, and maternity bras (that provide elm \ ,r---- - - - - - November 4 & 5, 1995 THE LITTLE PRINCE February 24 & 25. 1996 ISHANGI'S AFRICA November 18 & 19. 1995 TREASURE ISLAND March 23 & 24, 1996 WHERE'S WALDO? December 9 & 10, 1995 HANS BRINKER & THE SILVER SKATES April 27 & 28. 1996 THE STEEL BANDITS ■ Season Tickets Available ■ Birthday Party Packages Scout Salute Days Drama Workshops for Children ■ ■ For tickets or more information call the Music Hall Box Office at (313) - 963-2366 - But the words "maternity clothes" mean much more than a cute dress or two to get you through the next nine months. It's an entire wardrobe, from hose to underwear to bathing suits, from pantsuits to slips to bras. (See "Mom's Shopping List" be- low for details.) And to think: Women in Vic- torian times didn't even go out of the house once they started to "show." The first and key issue when considering what to buy is corn- fort. The majority of women gain an average of 25 pounds during pregnancy. Most of it will indeed be right there up front, but it's very possible your arms, chest and legs also will grow. So don't pick a top early on that's com- fortable at the belly but cozy in the arms. Also, a number of women find their feet seem to lengthen dur- ing pregnancy — a condition that Mom's Shopping List )