Maternity clothes-- interesting email with Ingrid and Isabel

danieleandwayne

I emailed them because I like a fair number of their clothes but they don't carry anything larger than a size 14. And their bathing suits are ridiculous-- unless you're a B cup, their coverage and chance at holding you in are laughable. Not to mention they're all halter tops, which pull on my neck on a good day, let alone with my "new and improved" pregnancy rack o' hugeness.

The response was kind of annoying. Basically, the rep said that they are a small company and "there is not enough demand for sizes larger than 14." Hmm... Since the average American woman of child-bearing age is a size 16, I wonder what we all like to wear when we get pregnant. Personally, I like to either just go naked or wear a huge, floral print moumou because I know that I'm too fat and curvy to look pretty anyhow. So why would I want to bother trying to dress in a way that flatters me or makes me look like something other than a table wearing a tablecloth?

I've asked them what kind of research they did to determine this "lack of demand" but haven't yet gotten a response yet.

I won't even mention the ridiculous explanation of the bathing suit top options. It was clearly explained by someone who has never actually tried to swim in a halter top with F cup boobs.

*sigh* I think I'm more peeved than normal because I'm getting tired of wrestling myself in to maternity clothes that don't cost much and therefore lack quality and rip/tear/lose their shape-- because why would I spend $$ on clothes that aren't really my style? I have a few items I really like, but I'm starting to run out of new ways to put them together so I don't look like I'm wearing the same 3 outfits!

lovelyday39

Old Navy, JC Penney and Target usually have a nice variety of sizes.

Someone just handed you a plate of BS with that answer. Boo.

danieleandwayne

Target is full of crap with their sizes. In any other brand of maternity clothing, I'm an XL-- a XXL if it's a "slim/junior cut" item sometimes. I tried on a few tops at Target that were XXL and it was like trying to get a king size pillow into a queen size pillow case. And I wasn't all that pregnant at the time.

And JCPenney up here in Maine has zero maternity clothes (and I refuse to buy without trying things on first). Macy's and Kohls slightly more. I have managed to piece together items from Kohls and Motherhood, but it is slim pickings if I don't want to look like I'm wearing a tablecloth. And the quality is crap-- my jeans from Kohl's have already torn just above where the stretch material meets the jean material in the back.

It'll be interesting to see what the Ingrid and Isabel rep says about their research into demand.

As for average size of the American woman, check out this New York Times article from 2004 about a national study conducted then by a group sponsored by the Army, Navy, several universities, and a number of clothing and textile groups:

"For years, an average woman was thought to be a size 8, although some circles had bumped that up to size 12 in recent years. But even the women who came in on the small side in the SizeUSA survey look more like what the longtime clothing industry standards would consider a size 14 -- the size at which ''plus size'' clothing begins."

The entire article can be found here. It's pretty interesting all the way around (and includes men).

MT-Head

I think it is a "prejudice" in general, not just pregnant women, against larger sized ladies.  I used to be a size 16 before I started getting serious about weight loss, and the clothing options for me at the bigger size were nowhere near as varied or nice as they are now that I am about a 10 (well, was, pre-pregnancy).  Unless you really wanted to drop big bucks, the choices were crappy, like ginormous floral print tops and semi-shaped but not really so much sack dresses = BARF!

Even at a smaller size, I have a broad chest and large shoulders and still find a lot of tops and jackets are cut for a much narrower frame.

I think when they changed to the new pricing scheme, JCP went to online only for maternity clothes, and a lot of their stuff is kind of bland and a little too casual for my office.  I have never found a darn thing I liked at Kohl's, but did see some cute things at Macy's, although some of the prices were a bit high w/o a sale or coupons.  I ended up buying a few dresses there, and some career pants and tops at Motherhood for the work week.  I am still shuffling around in yoga pants and XL sweatshirts on the weekends.  I had saved all of my maternity clothes from my first (even though I started that pregnancy almost 15 lbs heavier than this one), but they are all summer clothes which are totally unwearable now in the cold winter.

I am just thankful that I only have to make do with maternity clothes for a couple more months, then I can start working to get back down to size.

ShellBear+

Yeah that is pretty crappy.  They are losing out on a huge part of the market by not offering bigger sizes.  I have not been happy at all with what is found in stores here.  There was some ok stuff at kohls and I got a few items from thrift stores.  I have resorted to ordering online from gap and I like their stuff alot.  Plus free return shipping if it doesn't fit.  I am going to try old navy too online, all they had in store was crap. 

ocho2002

PP, I'm a 16.  I bought all of my maternity clothes last PG at Gap, Old Navy and Motherhood. Mostly Gap and ON.  They are all good quality and I am an atty. The clothes are work appropriate unless I have to go to court. I have one really chessy suit that I weat if I absolutely have to. Fortunately, the judges and lawyers understand that its temporary and I'm doing my best. 

gundy21

I feel your pain!  I am an 18 and tall.  No fun shopping.  Most of my maternity stuff is from Motherhood (pants) and Old Navy (tops).

 I am lucky that there is a fab plus size boutique here in town and I have a lot of empire waist tops and cardigans that have worked well for me so far. 

letzgoracing81

I noticed the Motherhood store in my local mall has stopped carrying anything over XL or size 14.  I was a bit surprised.   I had to hit the clearance section in the back to get anything bigger...which is limited to whatever they have left over.

As for Target---I have found their maternity pants to be a little on the large side. Normally I am wearing a size 16....but with the maternity I had to buy a size 14.  As for their maternity shirts....those are just the opposite...tight and small   All their shirts have those gathered seams on the sides....booo!