Clothes: Maternity and Otherwise

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

Anyone want to share their preferred place to shop for maternity clothes? Last pregnancy, I mostly stuck to Target with a few staples from Motherhood. This time around, my job is more casual so I can ditch the business wear and need almost an entirely new wardrobe.  Extra points for anyone who can recommend either a style of shirts or specific shirts to hide the bump before making the switch to maternity. I have another month or so before I want to announce at work and non-pregnant me looks 10 weeks pregnant. Pregnant bloated me has already moved into 2nd tri.

pshaortao

Most of my clothes from last time are either from Target or Old Navy. I do love Target maternity tank tops. I kept wearing it for the last two years and it has held up great. I prefer the non-ruche tops if I can get those, otherwisr theyre a dead giveaway. I aldo purchased two pair of khaki pants from Motherhood for work. I loved one of them from the start and the other I rarely wore.

Anyways what type of shirts do you typically wear to begin with? If you wear flowy/loose shirts already then that will help a lot! I have been slowly updating my wardrobe with looser top so I think it would be awhile before anybody notice. At least I hope so! Cardigan on snug fitting tanks or tees may help too?

livin541

I got a lot of my clothes at Target last time too, we don't have a lot of options in my town. This time around I might try one of the online "rental" type options... Similar to Rent the Runway but for maternity. I love the idea of having some cute things to wear without the huge investment. Has anyone tried any of these before?

One suggestion for hiding that early bump is the Irma shirt from LulaRoe. I find most of their leggings way too much for me (sorry if that offends anyone!) but that shirt is comfy and flows perfectly!

RissaAnnmaria562

Ross. I like buying cheaper jeans for work or just around the house. I come by cute shirts every once in a while. 

Jellybeanqueen13

Last time I liked getting maternity stuff from Kohls, because there is almost always a coupon of some form out there.

Jellybeanqueen13

Also, Ross has a maternity section. It was always very hit or miss, but I was able to get a few of my favorite shirts from there.

MrsOry5

This is my first pregnancy, but a girlfriend of mine swears by Pink Blush, H&M and Old Navy for items. I just ordered my first leggings from H&M so I'll let you know what I think!!

my guess is I'lol be ordering most of mine online. I've been scoping out ASOS and Zulily online too

WombThereItIs

I hid my first with dresses at work. Not maternity, just regular dresses in a tank style so it was nowhere close to my body. 

I actually already broke out my side panel maternity jeans from Pea in the Pod this one around because the bloat is crazy and I'm tired of ubuttoning after meals. Pea in the Pod is where I got a lot of my casual clothes last time and you can do really well with their clearance. 

bacorrea

+1 for LulaRoe I love their Perfect T. It's super flowly that can hide a bump (and compliment the bump later) and it's longer so it's perfect with leggings. I love Motherhood Maternity Leggings with the full panel. I just ordered two pairs today through Kohls so I could get Kohls cash! I also love Target's Liz Lange (right?) maternity tanks for layering. They are so long! 

CarmCeG

The Ross near me only has one rack of maternity shirts and pants [merp], but I was able to find some cute dressy tops for work at a pretty affordable price. & WHO DOESN'T LIKE AFFORDABLE?!

Side note: I knew I wasn't the only one that felt uncomfortable already in my regular pants. Yayy.

@MrsOry5 I haven't heard of Pink Blush, but just the name lures me in *heart eyes*

MollyandD

Jellybeanqueen13 said:

Last time I liked getting maternity stuff from Kohls, because there is almost always a coupon of some form out there.

This is why I shop at Kohls regularly anyway. I've never needed to browse maternity before, but I plan to take a gander when it's time. 

MrsOry5

I just got my H&M leggings....amazing!!! I got a plain black pair for $13 and a pleather front pair for $30. I'm in love! 

MrsOry5

Oh and I was told to watch for sales at Pink Blush - they turn over inventory quickly. 

tumbleweed-1

I bought maternity pants at H&M weeks ago because I was so bloated (and I may have just gained some weight over the summer. When it was time to pull out pants for fall, only 2 pairs still fit) and frustrated. I'd went to 3 shopping centers that day and couldn't find pants that fit in the waist/hips and the legs. I found the maternity ones on sale for $10 so they were the winners. 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

This is awesome.  I forgot about H&M.  I had a few good pieces from there last time too.  I've been drooling over PinkBlush since before we started TTC. I have a few Lularoe consultant friends I've been ignoring.  I'll go check out these shirts.  My cousin gave me 2 pairs of their (super patterned) leggings.  The patterns are NMS.  I wish I could find a pair of them in black, but I hear that's near impossible.

SKZW

@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot Thx for starting this thread. All these great ideas are reminding me that I don't have to dress schlubby or baggy for the next 7 months (year? two years?) and that maybe some retail therapy will help take my mind off my symptoms for awhile. Thx everyone!

Shopaholic

The newer brand that target has____ (have to get back to you on the name). Their flowy shirts are good at hiding a pre and post bump. I also like pink blush, old navy and motherhood maternity.

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

Shopaholic said:

The newer brand that target has____ (have to get back to you on the name). Their flowy shirts are good at hiding a pre and post bump. I also like pink blush, old navy and motherhood maternity.

Knox Rose? I have a few of their things.  Great idea!

Shopaholic

Yes, Knox Rose!

ETA just to say I'm looking into H&M. 

Luckyu317

I need full panel, super petite, skinny maternity jeans. Is this too much to ask? Lol

emilyalso

I got many basic tees and a few pair of jeans from Old Navy - their prices were probably the most reasonable that I saw. I got a few things from Gap (on sale!) and a few from Motherhood Maternity. I splurged on 1 dress from Macy's that I used for showers and any time I needed to look 'fancy.'  

I'm a little worried this time around since we will have to weather WINTER. I am definitely not interested in spending money on a maternity peacoat or anything, but I don't want to look ridiculous with my too small outerwear and belly sticking out. : /

Squirtgun

Luckyu317 said:

I need full panel, super petite, skinny maternity jeans. Is this too much to ask? Lol

Try Anne Taylor! Or possibly Loft? I get those two confused. But they have a lot of petite maternity clothes. 

Luckyu317

@emilyalso, I was always so hot in the winter with both of my previous pregnancies, I hardly ever wore a coat. Invest in a few good, comfy cardigans. *I'm in OH so we definitely had some chilly days.

Abby7

I found Target maternity clothes were way too long/large last time - but that was 5 years ago - do they have a better selection for smaller women now? I am 5'3", so not tiny.

Last time I spent some money at Pea in the Pod for work clothes and did not regret it. I was actually sad I couldn't wear the stuff post-pregnancy.

Shopaholic

I agree with @luckyu317. I'm from FL but live in MN =freeze baby. I didn't need a winter coat with my 2nd. Also think about a consignment stores. MN has clothes mentor which is nice.

arels483

I am so glad this thread was started! Thanks, @NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot! I just ordered my first pair of maternity jeans. I ordered them online from H&M and I'm nervous about it. I've had trouble with their sizes recently on regular clothes, so I went a size up. My jeans currently still fit at 8 weeks, but I'm starting to get less and less comfortable. I also bought a WSU shirt from the dude section of Fanatics so that I have a Coug shirt to wear on game day. I can't believe that at 8wks I'm already looking at maternity stuff. My body was lumpy before, but bloated lump isn't a good look in my clothes!

thistlenweeds

Ann Taylor has maternity?? I'm totally hitting that!

ETA: why are they all just online? How are you supposed to try stuff on? Sheesh.

LeilaD123

I second targets maternity tanks I still wear mine from my previous pregnancy. I love the length. 

bacorrea

LeilaD123 said:

I second targets maternity tanks I still wear mine from my previous pregnancy. I love the length. 

I don't wear anything else. I buy them even when I'm not pregnant! I will never go back to regular tanks.

vrj0522

Old Navy was my go to last time. First pregnancy I got everything at Motherhood Maternity because I got a gift card to it for Christmas but I liked the fit, options, and ON prices better. 

MamaMiller

I have had luck finding nice clothes at consignment stores/ consignment stores. The biggest plus of being pregnant during the winter/ spring is leggings! This will be my go too! If you are buying tank tops and planning on nursing buying some nursing tank tops are a nice option/ get more use out of. 

MrsCPALeslie

When I initially read this post, I thought it was way too early talking about maternity clothes. A couple hours ago, I was at the mall with my sister looking for a cute shirt for a concert on Friday and nothing was flattering around my belly. My belly just looked so big. So now im thinking I should start looking at maternity clothes. 

sarah0985

FTM but all my friends who are already moms have said buy shirts that will work for nursing as well. No sense in having to buy multiple new things. 
Also, if anyone finds good deals or sales, let the rest of us know. I know Destination Maternity is having a sale right now on leggings. 
Where I live, there's not a wide selection of stores for maternity so I'm tryin to keep an eye on clearance and sales for online and will also update. 

clebl24

contrarationem said:

Ann Taylor has maternity?? I'm totally hitting that!

ETA: why are they all just online? How are you supposed to try stuff on? Sheesh.

I've had decent luck with Ann Taylor (online). IMO, the dresses were a little tight in the bust and I'm not that top heavy. 

clebl24

Luckyu317 said:

I need full panel, super petite, skinny maternity jeans. Is this too much to ask? Lol

I have a pair that are super comfortable. AG brand from A Pea in the Pod. A splurge, but lucky me bc they were a hand-me-down. However, I plan to buy a second pair this pregnancy since I have most of my staple pieces. 

Edit: typo

clebl24

No one mentioned the Gap. My local store just removed its maternity section, but I plan to shop online. I really like their dresses and shorts and I LOVE their ribbed tanks. They are great for nursing, working out, and for being comfortable. Small confession: I bought new ones this summer, LO was almost 2 bc I liked them so much. 

Macy's also has a small maternity section. I found that it has decent sales for nursing bras (when you buy multiple). I also picked up a pair of maternity pantyhose for those miserable days that I needed them for work. And a few dresses for work and special occasions. 

I shopped Ann Taylor Loft online for work clothes. 

Motherhood for casual clothes and PJs. A Pea in the Pod boutique section for a few splurges.  I loved their maternity tights and AG skinny jeans. 

And my total random, Sears!  The quality doesn't match up to some of the others, but I picked up a few knock around tees and my favorite pair of maternity PJs. Confession 2: I never quit wearing them between pregnancies.  

This go around, I plan to let my Stitch Fix stylist know I pregnant and give that a whirl. 

kat81

I honestly don't know / remember which places were "best" in terms of where I got the most clothes from (probably motherhood?) Some brand -- I think old navy -- made the maternity shirt I got from them WAY too short. If you're tall, you should be wary of this as you get bigger. You need to make sure your tops are LONG to cover your belly. 

The one thing that I do remember about my maternity clothes is that I liked the clothing from Pea in the Pod the best. My very best items all came from there, including a winter coat, a warm sweater dress that was pretty formal (wore it to my Halloween shower for #1), a light rain coat, a winter sweater, and a plain long-sleeved shirt. The only problem is that Pea in the Pod is VERY expensive. I got some deal on most (but not all) of those items. The rain coat was massively on sale and for reason...I said it was one of my best but it weirdly had cropped sleeves! What is the point of that--your arms get wet! It was super stylish, though. Pea in the Pod was definitely the most flattering of them all. But you really pay. NOT the best value, but it's nice to have a few items from them, or perhaps get some used from friends/online/consignment, or just on sale. 

Kipperoo

Agreed with so many of the above posters about the beauty that is MATERNITY TANK TOPS! Specifically, the ones without the rouching, which I don't really think is necessary anyway because tanks are typically stretchy and fitted. It's pretty much all I wear now (pregnant or not)...the length is just fantastic. In terms of other shirts, I wear a lot of loose/not form fitting clothes anyway, so I'd say most of my unstructured/stretchy tops will work for the whole pregnancy. 

I had a REALLY hard time finding jeans that looked good. It turned out that the GAP's fit was pretty perfect on me, so I just bought a bunch of those and will wear again this time. 

Pink Blush is a new find, though...their clothes are adorable!!

bacorrea

Just a side note. I'm a "plus size" mom
and there are limited "plus size pregnancy clothes" I found that I just went up a size in some things (shirts from Lane Bryant, a coat from Target etc). I think I just ordered dresses from the plus size section from Old Navy online. 

champhe

Last time I was pregnant I loved Isabella Oliver staples for work. Super pricy, but beautiful pieces you can save for your next pregnancy or sell after. I also did a lot of gap and old Navy. This time around I work from home so I'm looking for more casual things. I plan to invest in a good pair of skinny jeans that I'll probably wear more than anything. 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

I'm also still wearing several maternity tank tops.  

I just bought several pieces at Loft and Old Navy sales. Many websites are having a sale for Columbus Day today.