Bando - the essential seamless belly band Stories

Special Fabric 01/02/2010 - by Mother & Baby Magazine

The special fabric of the Fertile Mind Bando is intrinsic to its successful design...

Seamless and supportive, it feels gorgeous to wear and helps you enjoy an active pregnancy. Perfect for layering under regular tops or teamed with a BellyBelt to hold up your regular pants and skirts.

How did they cope? 08/12/2009 01:12:00 - by Jacinta Tynan, News Presenter/Author/Columnist

How did pregnant women cope without the Bando? I don't know how I would get by without mine. I wear it almost daily over my regular jeans and trousers. It looks like it will come in very handy for breast feeding as well.

Stretch beautifully over my belly 08/12/2009 01:12:00 - by Jacinta Tynan, News Presenter/Author/Columnist

When not wearing a Bando I am in Fertile Mind 's black opaque Maternity Tights which stretch beautifully over my belly so I don't feel constricted. What a brilliant invention! I never imagined I'd get so excited by a pair of tights but they just make such sense.

An investment in life 01/05/2008 01:00:00 - by Australian & New Zealand Apparel

With Australia in the midst of a Baby Boom, The Oz Maternity Market is feeling a boom of its own.

There is a distinct change in the air. Pregnant women are now demanding to be considered as a viable market by the fashion industry. Director of Fertile Mind Peter Hooker says pregnant women no longer feel the need to look or feel 'dowdy'."Women want the cut and style that is flattering for their own body, while looking comtemporary and stylish. There is probably more diversity in a pregnant shape than there is in the non-pregnant body, so achieving a flattering fit is critical," he told Apparel.

Fertile Mind, based in Sydney, is the exclusive distributor of Seraphine - a brand founded five years ago by the Parisian stylist Cecile Reinaud. The first Seraphine collection received rave reviews by the fashion press and the yummy mummies of London, as well as many high-profile celebrities. To answer the huge customer demand for a mail order service, Seraphine launched its online store in 2003. "The brand ethos is to offer pregnant women clothes that look so good that you would want to wear them even if you were not pregnant. Trendy, well cut and with a classic touch of Parisian chic, the Seraphine collection captures the essence of being stylish with a bump. Cecile, who has a three-year-old-boy, designed her award-winning Seraphine jeans while she was pregnant." Seraphine jeans are available in three key styles that cover the main preferences of denim-buying women: Bootcut, wide-leg and skinny. Of these, the most popular style is the Paula bootcut jeans - now available in both mid-wash and dark wash.

Hooker says choice of fabric for maternity clothing is critical and an enormous amount of research goes into making the optimum choice. "Hand feel, stretch and recovery, durability, weight, drape and many other factors are taken into account. Comfort isn't seen from the outside, but it definitely influences brand image and repeat sales. A cheap fabric on the roll usually ends up looking and feeling like a cheap fabric in the garment." Fertile Mind's 6WayDress is another popular piece which follows the same philosophy. Well designed and cut, it is made to look gorgeous on any woman, pregnant or not.

"The idea of maternity clothes 'so good that you would want to wear them even if you were not pregnant' means that women are no longer looking for a clear distinction between maternity and non-maternity clothing. Just as some non-maternity clothes are suitable for maternity, some maternity clothes such as Seraphine Jeans and the 6WayDress are so beautifully cut, they will be investment pieces regardless of w woman's stage in life. Rather than swinging too much with annual fashion trends, Seraphine offers classic chic that looks great year in, year out," Hooker says.

Fertile Mind also supplies a great range of maternity accessories, from the ever-popular BellyBelt, to Bando (th seamless maternity tube) to gorgeous opaque microfibre Maternity Tights, to PerfectFit maternity undies and the BellyBra to relieve discomfort in the lower back. "For our brands, we find it's best to stick to classic style, which provides a great base fo

Miracle Buy 06/01/2007 06:00:00 - by Cosmopolitan Pregnancy Magazine

Fertile Mind's Bando is your maternity warerobe must-have! This multipurpose band extends short tops and doubles as a boob tube under strapless and see through tops. By using super-stretchy fabric, it holds up non-maternity jeans, skirts and trousers. With no annoying lumps or bumps from seams, the Bando is great for the modern mum-to-be!

Belly Good 03/01/2007 03:00:00 - by Practical Parenting Magazine

The new Bando tube from Fertile Mind is designed to help you get the most out of your maternity wardrobe. Wear it as a belt, a boob tube, under tops or to support your growing belly. It's made from seamless, soft and stretchy lycra, and can be doubled over for extra support.

Must-have maternity garment 03/01/2007 03:00:00 - by Pregnancy & Birth Magazine

The Bando is the must-have maternity garment. Stretchy, with a dash of support, it can be worn under strapless or sheer clothing, or pull down over the hips or tummy. It makes your pregnancy wardrobe go a lot further!

Market Place Review 02/01/2007 02:00:00 - by Practial Parenting Magazine

Slip one of these over your tummy and feel the comfort. Bando's high-tech stretchiness and softness feels extraordinary. A boob or tummy tube, Bando extends long tops and gives gentle support in later pregnancy.

Band your Belly! 02/01/2007 02:00:00 - by Mother & Baby Magazine

Growing out of clothes is no longer an issue and it's all thanks to the Bando by Fertile Mind, The Bando has the ability to extend short tops, hold up your jeans and skirts, and can even be worn as a boob tube. The soft, seamless belly belt comes in black or white and will stretch with your body while supporting your lower back.