Good Mama Style Edit: Brit Elkin

In our GOOD MAMA style edit, we follow real women providing real inspiration as they balance their professional endeavors and their pregnancy journey in epic fashion.

Brit ‘Elkin’ is half of the dynamic sister duo Elkin, stylist-designers who have captured the attention of the industry through their work with fashion favorites like Emma Roberts, Dakota Johnson, and Zosia Mamet, to name a few. Along with her sister Kara, Brit brings both day-to-day dressing and red-carpet styling to the next level with effortless creativity and an unexpected, but elevated aesthetic. This carries into the perspective of her own, everyday ensembles, and the baby-bump hasn’t halted her head-turning sense of style for a minute. Here’s how this force of fashion is doing it all, right up to her due date.

What does a usual work day look like for you, and have you made any changes or accommodations since becoming pregnant?

The work day in my first and second trimesters were really no different than my work days before I was pregnant. I still wasn’t showing, so it didn’t really feel entirely real yet. I was wearing my normal pre-pregnancy clothes, running around with a lot of energy, working long hour shoots, having late night fittings, traveling for work. I remember being five months pregnant in Paris for Couture Week and just going non-stop—no one believed that I was pregnant! I felt great, luckily, and had the stamina to stay up past midnight. It all quickly caught up to me by month seven though. That’s when I had to stop traveling and I had to start to slow it down. My belly grew a lot around month seven, which made it start to feel real. It also made things harder and caused me to change the speed of my daily routine. I’m in bed by 10 pm now!

What does the creative process of styling yourselves or a client look like, and how do you and Kara complement one another to achieve the perfect final look?

Fight, fight, fight until someone wins! Just kidding! Kara and I are very different, which ultimately works to our advantage and makes for a complementary work relationship. She definitely has much more of a colorful, editorial approach to style. I would say I have more of a classic approach. She’s also more introverted and would probably prefer to skip the work drinks. I’m more extroverted and will be there for any outing. She’s definitely the one with the overall picture. She’s super creative and can come up with an interesting story really quickly. I’m very detail-oriented, so I fine-tune the overall picture and tightly edit the story. In coming up with a red carpet look or doing editorial, Kara usually comes up with the overall vibe and we just go from there. We discuss what we want to convey on the carpet or in the shoot, and then we create the mood and accessorize.

It’s so special that your sister is there every step of the way—has she shared any valuable insight or advice about pregnancy or motherhood since having her little boy?

Yes! She makes it look so easy. She balances work and home life so well—I admire her for that. She’s super chill about it all. Her simple advice is always, “don’t stress,” especially during my pregnancy. She’s been really concerned with how stress can negatively affect the baby, so she has helped take the workload off of me and make sure I am not stressing. It’s been so fun to watch her with Leon [her son], and it’s crazy how the universe works with timing as our boys will be about a year and a half apart. We are really excited for them to be best friends. It also helps that we live four minutes from each other.

What have become your must-haves and go-to's during your pregnancy?

Easy dresses and cool sneakers have been a must. My entire pregnancy, I have been living in Isabel Marant, Zimmerman and Ulla Johnson dresses. Also, these Good American jeans have been a game-changer with my growing belly! All the different washes and cuts are so versatile. I just wear them with a vintage tee and feel so comfortable.

The Elkin aesthetic is known for being elevated while maintaining an effortlessly cool, California vibe. What are some wardrobe essentials and looks that really encompass this style?

We love vintage—vintage dresses like slip dresses or baby-doll dresses; just feminine, effortless dresses that we can wear with sneakers or a bold heel. We love vintage denim and a good oxford shoe. Also pairing that vintage slip dress over denim is always a look we love. A classic pea-coat for winter is crucial. A great pair of sunglasses too, since we live in California where it is basically sunny year-round. We love statement sunglasses ones from Karen Walker, Celine, or Oliver People.

Any styles or trends we’ll be seeing for the upcoming season are you excited about?

Neon wasn’t my favorite for a while, but I’m really starting to find myself attracted to certain styles and designers who are using it in a really interesting way this upcoming season.

What’s your go-to daily look? How about since you’ve begun to style around the baby bump?

Vintage tees and denim is always the easiest go-to outfit for me. And dresses with sneakers is another go-to daily look. Flats are great, especially since I do a lot of running around. Rothy’s makes a great flat that has the most comfortable support and comes in so many cool prints like herringbone, leopard, and houndstooth, and they're made from recycled plastic which makes you feel even better wearing them! I haven’t really changed my style since becoming pregnant, just sort of modified it.

What styling advice do you have when it comes to dressing during pregnancy? Any fashionable but still flattering silhouettes, styles, or looks you can recommend?

A fitted silhouette is super flattering when the bump starts to show. ASOS maternity has great basics that are easy to pair and great if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on maternity. Good American denim is the only denim I have worn; it’s so good. The fun of pregnancy dressing really is accessorizing. My advice is to keep the look as simple as possible and have fun with accessories. When it’s hard to fit into things, a great black dress and interesting accessories can go a long way. Plus, you don’t need to fit into accessories! They will elevate your look and you’ll never grow out of them during your pregnancy.

Can you walk us through the 3 denim looks you styled for your shoot—where you’d wear each, why they work…?

First, I styled a vintage pink slip dress over Good American denim with Celine shoes and my husband’s hat that he got in Aspen on one of our ski trips. This is a pretty effortless, fuss-free look that still looks put together. It’s a step up from your average denim with a tee look, so I would wear this on a work day that entails meeting with people like a fashion preview or lunch meeting.

Then I did the Sandro white blouse with Good American jeans and Gucci slides. This is a more casual look that I’d wear if I’m just running around going to showrooms, fittings with clients, etc.

The all-black outfit is a Commando bodysuit— Commando is so comfortable and stretches beautifully with the growing belly—Good American distressed denim, and Jimmy Choo heels. I’d wear this to a dinner. I usually don’t wear heels but this a thick enough heel that I could wear and be comfortable.

What aspect of motherhood are you most excited about?

Seeing the world through his eyes!

I think we’re most excited to see the epic style your baby boy is sure to have from day 1. Any outfits you already have ready that you’re looking forward to putting him in?

Well, in the beginning, it will be a lot of onesies I hear! I have about 232 different stripe onesies! I love a good stripe. My best friend was working in Spain for a couple months and came back with the most incredible little baby clothes for Henry. I’m dying to put him in those—lots of sweet little kit outfits and white linen rompers. I love Stella McCartney Kids, Petit Bateau, and Bonpoint. Kara has already bought me incredible stuff. She has also gotten me hooked of several cool brands that she buys for Leon from the site SMALLABLE, like Oeuf NYC, Rylee + Cru, etc. But best of all, we have a ton of clothes that my husband wore when he was a little boy that my mother-in-law saved, so I can’t wait to see him in those little vintage outfits that have so much history!

For more style and motherhood adventures with Brit, follow her on Instagram.