Is it possible to find maternity clothes that don't look like a freaking tent?!

starlettedir

I'm not showing yet and I plan on getting away with wearing all my dresses this summer as long as I can.

I've just been casually looking at a few maternity clothes and some of them just make me want to cry. The shirts just look like tents with a bow on the back.

I hate bows on the back with any kind of clothes to begin with so I refuse to wear those. The same with dresses with bows.

So, where did you get your clothes sans big bows.

 

ayersfam20

I'm with you on this too!  Not only that, but even the Smalls are huge.  I got a few "nicer" t-shirts from Old Navy that are ok, and one from a retail shop that was Gap maternity.  What I've been wearing lately are the ribbed tank tops from Gap and Kohls and Old Navy.

PAGAS

None of my clothes had bows at the back.  Most of my maternity stuff was from OId Navy and I mainly wore dresses.  I also wore a lot of non-maternity dresses in a size or to up (ones that were free flowing at the bottom).  For work I wore a lot of tees/tanks/dresses with cute-ish cardigans over top.

Cardigan (I actually own this in non-maternity)

Dress (I own this in non-maternity as well...lol)

Dress

Tank great under a cardi 

I have a one time use only Old Navy code for 20% off, let me know if you want it.

KelleyA

I like Gap Maternity's cross over top...super comfy and I wish I bought it in more than one color. 

Honestly I've had more luck buying stuff that's non-maternity.   I just bought a few dresses/tops from Charming Charlie.  I can't pull off the "tent" tops even at 33 weeks.

trishaggie01

You and me both! And then the dresses that have the wrong type of neckline make me look like a milk maid! AGGHHH!! 

I found some dresses at Sears, Target, Motherhood (though not many), and then at the Just Between Friends sales.  I also found I liked skirts as well.  You can also find dresses that are not maternity that work well that dont have bows.  I found a couple at Macy's that worked for me.  My biggest problem with everything I found was that it was black or dark colors, and that drove me nuts. 

Also look and see if the dress has enough structure so that your mom can take the ties off. (I think she sews right??)  I had a couple of dresses that I took the the things that tie in the back out, just have to be able to sew the sides back up when you do that. 

Goodluck in your search! 

starlettedir

I'll admit I cried to DH that I'll look so ugly in tents

 

I never cry and the poor guy just didn't know what to do.

 

Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming!

LaciLeigh

It has been hard for me to find maternity shirts that look right!

 

I found a few at the Motherhood Maternity Outlet in Conroe. Some of them do tie in the back but what I did was buy them in my "normal size" that way they are more fitted, but the material stretches with your belly. I like the more fitted style personally so I think this works for me.

 Target I have not been able to find anything...they have such a small selection.

But I have been wearing some of my normal shirts that have stretchy material as well. Hopefully they are not all stretched out when I have the baby!

I am not much of a dress or skirt person but I did see Target has tons of non-maternity dresses that will fit a tummy. And they are really cute.

kreeper611

I found a few good tops at JC Penny that were not "tents."  These were for work and I bought them toward the end when I was so big I needed a tent.  They were fitted though.

I wasn't a fan of many dresses and couldn't pull off the look in them.  However, I can't wear them non-preg so I didn't expect to be able to.

Most of the casual stuff I had was borrowed but came from ON and Gap, with a few Target things thrown in. 

almostjones

I have loved the Liz Lange stuff at Target.  I have jeans, casual capris and several fitted tees from this line. 

I also have a skirt and a couple of dresses from Old Navy that I really like.  Take the advice you'll see all over the internet and order a size down from your normal size when ordering Old Navy maternity. 

Old Navy maternity also has some nicer tops that are sans bow. 

Those two places are really where all of my stuff has come from because I have a real issue paying $$$$ for stuff I will wear for such a short amount of time.  And if we have another baby, who's to say I'll be pregnant in the summer again?  So, I am just buying basic pieces that are inexpensive and can be mixed & matched.

 

almostjones

Also, I recommend getting a BeBand or Bella Band if you haven't already.  I was able to wear my pre-preg jeans until 20 weeks with this and my pre-preg slacks until 24 weeks. 

mom2ll

I loved the Gap with the runched sides.  I found a few at Target.  They just seemed more fitted.  Pea in the Pod had them too...

starlettedir

almostjones:

Also, I recommend getting a BeBand or Bella Band if you haven't already.  I was able to wear my pre-preg jeans until 20 weeks with this and my pre-preg slacks until 24 weeks. 

I think I'll actualyl be able to skip on this...I hardly wear any pants...the only time I wear jeans is on *jean day* at school. Past that I'm always in a dress

rayskit10

i only wore those clothes when i was really big, like the last month.

luckily, tops don't need to be wide, they need to be long. long is in style right now so you should be able to wear regular knit shirts almost the whole time. i did and i am bigger than you to start. for "real" maternity, i was very faithful to Target, Gap and ON. for special occasion and a couple nice going out outfits, i went with Pea In The Pod brands like Velvet and bought one kick ass pair of jeans. i also splurged on a couple Isabella Oliver tops which are totally cute/sexy, great for post partum and have a good resale value. 

Suzi-G-

I am too short to wear the tent tops, they come halfway down my thigh and it just looks funny.  I wore a LOT of shirts w/ the ruched sides, they were much more flattering and transitioned from a little pregnant to giant-sized belly well.  (Though I did have to buy some in a bigger size towards the end because I was HUGE).   I also had a number of shirts like this (not this specific shirt, but ones w/ the band around the hem).  I thought they were very flattering until at least 7 months, then they just didn't work on me any longer. 

E&RMommy

You will need maternity pants (which I find are much more comfortable than reg pants).  I started wearing maternity pants at 14 weeks (so that's roughly the equivalent of 18 weeks singleton) and the comfort was awesome.

But as far as tops are concerned....you'll be amazed at how long you can wear your reg clothes.  I am 27 weeks with twins (measuring 34-35 weeks) and I can still wear some of my prepreg shirts.  Mainly t-shirts and such - but hey - it's summer time so who cares?  This week I think is the last week I can get away with it.

For work/professional clothes I found that buying a size bigger shirt worked well for at least 3-4 months.  They looked better than the typical maternity tent.  I also agree with PP that old navy maternity / gap maternity are usually just longer and slightly bigger shirts that look great.  What you will find is that length is the biggest issue esp as your belly expands - you just need something longer to fit over your belly.

 

MrsMGR

LOL, I bought one "tent" shirt in my last two months of pregnancy and never even wore it....I put it on when I got home and HATED it. I think it still has the tags on it and it is in my maternity box of clothes. LOL.

 

I usually wore maternity tanks with a sweater or cardigan over it. I had a few nicer shirts for work or I'd wear tanks underneath my maternity suits.

cali_girl92504

rayskit10:

i only wore those clothes when i was really big, like the last month.

luckily, tops don't need to be wide, they need to be long. long is in style right now so you should be able to wear regular knit shirts almost the whole time. i did and i am bigger than you to start. for "real" maternity, i was very faithful to Target, Gap and ON. for special occasion and a couple nice going out outfits, i went with Pea In The Pod brands like Velvet and bought one kick ass pair of jeans. i also splurged on a couple Isabella Oliver tops which are totally cute/sexy, great for post partum and have a good resale value. 

This. I only wore maternity tops the from 7+ months on as my pre-pregnancy tops that were long still fit. I favored Old Navy and Gap tops - our Target sucks for maternity so I don't have a single thing from them. I found one of my shower dresses from Motherhood Maternity (on sale for $20).

I did splurge on 3 pairs of jeans (Gap not Sevens but at $70 a pair for just a few months it was a splurge for me) but I LIVED in my jeans so it was well worth it.

Quizzle

I favor fitted knit shirts, especially with the rouched sides. They're so much more flattering on me. Seriously, it's only been in the last month that non-knit maternity wear doesn't make me look like I'm frumpy and wearing a tent. You need a belly to wear the stuff that's less fitted.

And interestingly enough, I've been wearing a couple of maxi dresses I bought last summer as well, no problem. I've taken to looking in non-maternity for dresses, since a longer one works well. I also have a couple of pre-pregnancy shirts that still fit.

Now that I've finally popped I'm all belly, but I can still wear some normal shirts with a maternity tank beneath it. I LOVE those tanks, I think I won't be getting rid of them any time soon. 

 

melissa0312

did i not tell you about bella bands? they allowed me to stay in my regular pants (when i wasn't wearing my dance pants) until i was about 7.5 months. not to mention they covered enough that i could wear regular shirts until they just got too tight.

old navy has pretty good maternity stuff online. the p-land store has a section, but its always better online. i got a few things at target and motherhood maternity (in front of target).