Getting Sticky with Rachel Tashjian

Being pregnant is not often described as an “opulent” experience. And yet Rachel Tashjian, the brilliant fashion CNN Senior Style Reporter and brains behind the invite-only, hotly-coveted, delectably discerning newsletter Opulent Tips ((as well as a recently launched newsletter for CNN, Big Style), has never subscribed to the traditional definition of opulence. In her world, it’s less about literal wealth and more about approaching and engaging with life abundantly—whether it’s the kooky drape of a Yohji Yamamoto tunic, the act of writing in all caps (a quirk, Rachel taught me, that’s unique to Rick Owens, Diane Keaton, and Rei Kawakubo), or the surreal, wildly unpredictable experience of being pregnant.

For over a decade, Rachel’s been delivering fashion reporting that’s incisive, witty, and refreshingly candid. She’s held roles at Vanity Fair, GARAGE, GQ, The Washington Post, and now CNN—and where, during her first week, she learned she was pregnant. Did we mention the job is public facing?

Fashion has never been especially accommodating to a rapidly-expanding belly—a reality Rachel both recognizes and resists. She’s now nearing the end of her second trimester and, despite bouts of pregnancy brain and deep exhaustion, she’s thriving in her new role and finding her sartorial footing among a small but mighty group of designers, both emerging and well-established. Luckily, she’s never been one to gatekeep. 

Below, Rachel opens up about the designers and industry figures she’s leaning on, why she won’t be shopping in the maternity section (not least because there isn’t one), and the unexpected appeal of relinquishing a bit of control.

Photographs by Ruben Chamorro. Words by Rachel Hodin.

Beginning fertility treatment… 

We started trying and I remember going in for my annual and she said, because of the age you are, if you haven’t had any success after six months then let’s start exploring other options.

The amazing thing about trying to become pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant is that it creates this sudden intimacy with other women that can be really helpful and invigorating. In New York City, there’s not really a stigma around it. There would be people who I would casually run into and they would mention they did IVF and all of a sudden, we would have this really helpful conversation. I realized, so many women have done this. It was helpful to hear from these other women—whether they had thought about it, were going through it, or had gone through it—and it was helpful to know it’s a process that can be so overwhelming and confusing. There’s so much information about it, and then no information at all at the same time.

We found a wonderful fertility doctor who was right in our neighborhood, which I found out later was really helpful because you have to go in for these monitoring appointments all the time. In an interesting way, it provides a first kind of crash test. It’s not like being a new parent, but it is your first really regimented but totally unpredictable experience with your partner. “Interesting” is not enough of a word.

IVF TIME IS REAL  

I took time off to do IVF—it was my big summer vacation. I’m glad I did that. I remember thinking at the time, this is something that in the United States we should have medical leave for because I don’t know how women do that and go to the office. I mean, it’s just unimaginable to me.

Of course it was really difficult and it’s crazy how it does take over, but I had a positive experience with it. I know some people don’t. It was funny comparing notes with my mom. . I would tell her I had the worst morning sickness and she was like, I don’t remember that. Or I’d tell her Lloyd, my husband, and I are going to do IVF and she’s like, Oh I got pregnant the first time your dad and I tried. Everyone’s experience is different, even within your own family.

I’d wanted to have a baby for such a long time. I didn’t have a super long IVF experience, it was a little over a year, but when you’re doing fertility treatments, it can feel like a huge chunk of your life. To me, that year feels like it was longer than most of my early 30s, which flew by in comparison. So when I found out, I was just really excited and thought, whatever challenges that arise, I’ll figure it out.

It's funny: I found out I was expecting the week I started at CNN, and I was like, This is so great. I've been waiting for so many years for this to happen. And then I was like, Oh right, I have to be on camera all the time now. So I’m trying to figure that out while also knowing that my clothes don't fit me in the way they usually do. I was worried at first it would be emotionally challenging—I know a lot of women, especially ones who love fashion and getting dressed, have had that experience—but I guess because I've always liked oversized clothes, it hasn't been as tricky for me to navigate as I was fearing.

The fashion industry? Judgmental? Groundbreaking

Many women in fashion now have children, but there was a long period when it was sort of looked down upon. When I was in Paris for Fashion Week, I was talking to Cathy Horyn—the fashion critic of New York Magazine, who's a good friend of mine—about how, even 10 or 15 years ago, it was really looked down upon to even acknowledge that you had a child if you worked in fashion, which is ridiculous because it’s an industry for and populated by women. 

PSA: Pregnancy brain is real 

I’ve had that strange thing happen where you can’t remember a word. I was just texting a friend of mine to say, "Oh, did you see our friend so-and-so left their job?" And I couldn't think of “left their job,” so I wrote “retired.” This person is, like, 35 years old and my friend was like, "They retired? How are they retired?”

A lot of writers especially get worried or thrown off by these kinds of shifts in attention and the plasticity of your brain when you’re pregnant and in the months after giving birth. When you’re a writer, your brain usually works like a thesaurus in a way, so it’s confusing. I keep thinking, When will I get this back? Will I ever have time again to sit in front of my computer or notepad? 

During the first trimester, when I was really tired and really struggling with morning sickness, I felt like I couldn't even be funny, which is a huge part of my writing. There were days I felt like I didn’t even have ideas. It was really helpful to have these quick conversations with Cathy and find out she felt the same way, just completely confused and out of it. She told me she got this amazing wave of energy in the second trimester and, I thought, Okay, I can't depend on that, everyone's experience is different. But when I got to Fashion Week, I did feel really energized. There were all these exciting projects I wanted to throw myself into and write about.
  

Of course I could still feel that struggle, the lack of fluidity. Things weren’t coming out exactly as I wanted them to. I worked in a very deadline-oriented, newspaper setting for the past couple years, and was used to having only two hours to write a piece and make it as sharp as possible. I felt like I couldn’t access that muscle in the same way that I have in the past. Usually when I write, I have this insane, almost obsessive focus where I can tune anything out. My husband jokes that, when I’m writing, he can drop a hundred pots and pans and I’ll never look up. And that may be over for me—either because of my concentration or because I'll have other responsibilities. I really don't want to punish myself if those changes end up being more permanent than I expected.

Ed note: She’s doin’ a lot! 

I’m not used to being so tired from doing so little. I tend to walk everywhere, even leaving earlier for my commute so that I have more time to walk. And I haven’t really been able to do that because I’m just so exhausted. Pre-pregnancy, when I was tired I knew I could make up for it, sleep a little more tomorrow, and that’s just not the case anymore. During Fashion Week, it wasn’t easy for me to get up at five a.m. to write every morning, which is what I usually do—and that may still be the case the next time I go to Milan and Paris. I guess I’m learning more and more what’s out of your control.

“My pants not fitting anymore…is not unique to me” 

I’ve certainly noticed my body changing. There were things I packed for Fashion Week and, a week and a half later, they didn’t fit me anymore. I just kept trying to remind myself that this is part of the experience. Every person who has been pregnant has gone through this. My pants not fitting anymore or my skirt not fitting the same way isn’t a crisis that’s unique to me.

I don't want to say I don't think about my body when I get dressed because obviously I do, but I always try to be gentle with myself about bodily changes, even pre-pregnancy. It helps that my style is so oversized.

The female designers who get it 

The big one for me has been Simone Rocha. So much of her work is informed by her life as a woman and as a mother. It’s interesting; her clothing is very feminine, but when you think of the word “feminine” in fashion, you tend to think of that strict hourglass shape. But Simone’s clothing is so mutable. You can sort of pick which size you want to be in it. Do you want it tighter to your body? Do you want it more oversized? Do you want to wear it with layers? I’ve worn quite a bit of her clothing throughout my pregnancy—a lot of which I already had, some bought on The RealReal.

Another is Dosa, a brand I’ve admired forever. I’ve collected lots of their pieces throughout the years. Their clothes are meant to be layered and worn in lots of different ways—again, you can sort of make of it what you like. A lot of their oversized or elastic pieces that I wore pre-pregnancy are still working now, and I’ve figured out how to wear them in new ways, which is fun.

The other is Tory Burch. She’s just having so much fun with her clothing at the moment, which is very inspiring to me. She had this great look from the Fall ’25 collection that was track pants with a formal blazer and I was like, Wow, that’s exactly what I need to wear to the office. She’s someone who—and this isn’t true of all women designers—but she really thinks about how a cool woman wants to look in 2026 in a nonobvious way, you know? In a way that, I think, is very open and human and relatable and a little whimsical.

On maintaining style rituals post-baby

The two words that keep coming up for me are: pragmatism and being realistic. Pragmatism is actually something I think about all the time with my clothes. Even if there is sometimes an element of ridiculousness, I do really like to be comfortable. That being said, I feel like there are some pieces I have to get in now. Either because I won’t have the time for it or because I’ll have someone, you know, grabbing at it, there are things we’re going to have to put on ice for a few years. I went out to lunch with a group of friends this weekend and I wore this helmet-like hat with stuff flying off of it. Soon, that will not be happening, so let’s have our last moments with them.

What I keep thinking about is the act of getting dressed. Even if it’s not the perfect outfit, even if it’s not the greatest expression of me, just having that moment of transition—you know, brushing my hair, putting on something that’s not my pajamas, maybe putting on a piece of jewelry or at least my wedding ring—it’s a very important emotional transition for me. That’s really what I want to maintain, you know? Even if it’s changing into a sweatsuit, that transition is going to give me that sense of polish that I think makes me feel like myself.

Maternity clothes = still not a thing 

While working at The Washington Post, I developed this sort of anger on behalf of American women when it came to fashion. Walking down the street earlier this week, I saw a woman who was wearing a wrap dress and looked super elegant, but I could tell that the fastenings weren’t made well because she kept tugging at it. This makes me so angry. Women should not be subjected to this sort of thing. Our clothing should be beautiful and should work and should be affordable. And that is what we deserve.

It didn't shock me that there aren’t a lot of maternity clothing because—ironically—the fashion and retail industries today don’t prioritize what people actually need. They prioritize seducing people with flash in the pan, candy-as-clothing.
  

I haven't bought any maternity clothes other than two swimsuits. I live next to a Nordstrom, but to buy them I had to order 12 styles, have them delivered to Nordstrom, which I then picked up and tried on there, and then returned the ones that I didn't want. It's ludicrous to me that you cannot go into a department store and get a couple pieces of maternity clothing. 

Comfort reads 

I haven’t read or watched a whole lot of other pregnancy-oriented things. From time to time, I look at What to Expect When You’re Expecting and the app that’s like, “She’s the size of a spaghetti squash,” and I’m like, I actually have no idea what size that is. So, not really helpful, but fun to know. Watching movies and reading books are two of my greatest pleasures in life, and I am conscious about trying to do that as much as I can now because I know it’ll be harder after the baby.

Postpartum planning 

When we found out we were pregnant, my husband and I kept hearing from other parents the importance of a night nurse, that it’s a luxury if you can afford it. So that’s a huge part of our postpartum plan and something we’re saving for. My cousin who’s my age lives 10 blocks from me and just had her first baby a month ago, so she’ll be my primary walking partner. My parents live somewhat close by and having them be present, even to be in the apartment with me to just be like, Why don’t we go for a walk or Why don’t you go for a walk feels like an essential part of the plan. When my husband is off I think his parents will come and help him as well.

Why time off is actually kind of essential 

For my maternity leave, I’ll be off during September and October, which will be the first Fashion Week I haven’t covered or attended in at least 10 years. Even during the pandemic, I would get on Zooms with designers. I’ll still read Cathy and Vanessa [Friedman]’s reviews, and I think I’ll follow the shows I’m interested in, a new designer’s collection or something like that, but I’m actually looking forward to having a season off. A lot of journalists say that sometimes it’s helpful to take some time off of your beat and then come back with fresh eyes. You know, What does my newly adjusted mind make of all this? Are there things standing out to me that didn’t before?
 
Cute couples game alert! 

My husband and I went on a baby moon a couple weeks ago and we played this fun game on the beach where we went back and forth saying things we hope she’ll get from the other. My husband is really good at math and reading—he’s got both sides of the brain, which is pretty amazing—and he has such curiosity about trying new things. I hope she gets that. I think at one point he said I hope she has blonde hair. 

Rinse, relinquish, repeat 

I’m excited to see the world through another person’s eyes and perspective, even when she’s only a couple months old and we’re walking around New York and I don’t even know what she’s thinking yet. Or when she’s older and we’re in the Central Park Zoo and she’s pointing things out like the sea lions.

I love world building and creating strange environments—I love having dinner parties. I even think of outfits as a sort of mini universe. This might sound weird, but I’m excited to push myself to let go of that a bit. You know, you can’t control everything, so figuring out what are the things that you make time for or create space for.

I’m excited to share my clothes with her if she’s into it, but maybe she won’t be, and that’s fine. Maybe she’ll make fun of me and ask me, “Mom, why are you wearing these embarrassing outfits?”