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2nd Trimester
jcath
member
Do you have a strategy for your maternity wardrobe?
jcath
member
I'm not liking any maternity clothes I see and am trying to be strategic about what I buy. I work fulltime in a fairly dressy office but I can get away with separates. Maternity suits don't really do it for me.
I bought a great pair of maternity trouser jeans (but need to get them hemmed) and will wear that on Fridays and weekends. I have two pairs of those NY and Co stretchy pants I'm hoping to wear for a little while longer and some great J.Jill elastic waist pants that might work for some time. I bought a white and a black long sleeve t and a white cami from from Gap maternity and hope to wear open cardigans over them. I've got a couple of sweaters that will get me through the winter (I hope) but most of my regular sweaters are already getting too short.
I'm going to have to get a dress for meetings but can't bear the thought of pantyhose so am holding off.
Anyone else find good staples?
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Re: Do you have a strategy for your maternity wardrobe?
I bought two maternity dresses and a few sweaters from Old Navy and Gap for work. I work from home mostly so I don't need a full work wardrobe, but I do quite a few events so I had to have some work wear.
My mom bought me a pair of trouser pants from Motherhood that I love. I can still get away with some of my loose pre-pregnancy blouses and sweaters as long as I wear a maternity cami or tank underneath.
while i don't work and thus do not need a lot of nice maternity clothes (and i don't like them anyway), i have found that buying extra long maternity tank tops in a variety of colors and layering them with non-maternity cardigans and some long necklaces makes me feel like i did before i was carry a beach ball. i also wear lots of long sleeve tshirts, fitted, with pashminas. if things from my pre-pregnancy wardrobe still fit unbuttoned/shorter, i just wear them with something longer underneath. cotton jersey dresses with leggings or opaque tights, and flat boots would be good for work. honestly, i think accessories can be your best friend when clothes aren't cutting it.
it sounds like you're doing what i'd do if i needed even more clothes (and hell yes to the ny&co jeggings)...so i'm not sure i've been any help
I did not want to buy maternity clothes!
My work is quite formal, we have to wear suits or at least a suite jacket. So I bought 2 paris of materniity dress pants. I still have a bunch of dresses and skirts that I can wear because they are strechy or have an elastic waist and I just went to the GAP last week when they were having the "buy 1 one top get the next free" sale, I bought 4 blouses in bigger sizes and I can wear my suite jackets unbuttoned. I also bought 2 suit jackets in bigger sizes that I can have tailored when I lose the baby belly.
sincei t's going to be chilly for most of my pregnancy (even in the beginning of June - boooo!) my strategy is layers for the most part, 2 pairs of jeans and 1 pair of pants for work that will last until June.
Dresses have become key already, and tights are my favourite right now! Mix and match seperates are great, and I'm looking forward to getting the wardrobe next week while on vacation
The assets tights (and presumably the hose) that they sell at Target are great. I HATE regular panty hose and tights, but I love those, because they go up over your belly instead of cutting into your stomach like normal ones. And I started wearing them really early on, when I had a small bump (like 16 weeks or so).
Otherwise, I'm not much help. I told myself I'd just get a few essentials, but I'm getting worse as I go. I did buy a TON of sweaters for the winter at JC Penney's when they were having a good sale--I think I ended up paying about $10-$12/sweater. My personal opinion on it is that while I can skimp on the pants (I only have one pair of "maternity" pants, and one work skirt--though I still fit into my regular pants ok too since they go so far below the waist), I need the different sweaters and shirts to give myself a fresh look.
I also fell in love with the velour sweatsuits at our Motherhood Outlet so I bought 2 of them, and I love wearing them over the weekends. I have one pair of Gap jeans that I love, and I snagged a really nice maternity suit jacket at a consignment store for $12 (I'm mostly business causal but I need the jacket for when I go into court).
I love my trouser pants from Gap Maternity..... I supplemented with some nice sweaters I found at Kohl's from Motherhood (they have made it through 5 washings so far and haven't shrunk.....so I'm pretty happy with them so far). My friend loaned me two a-line skirts from Motherhood that are actually pretty nice. I've been wearing tights underneath them, because frankly, they are far more comfy than pants. But now I need maternity tights because my regular tights are sitting right on baby and squishing him.
(So I say, I know he can move!)
Good luck....it's hard to be a working woman and have a nice wardrobe. I don't know about you, but there's nothing pleasurable about wearing acrylic pants!
Wrangling babies since 2010
I actually really like the secret fit belly dress pants from Motherhood Maternity. I'm doing the cami / open cardigan thing at work a lot too. Someone gave me some maternity button-down shirts, but those look awful IMO - very tent-like.
My favorite go-to outfit is a sweater dress and leggings. I have sweater dresses fro Gap and Old Navy, and the BE brand leggings from Target. They are super comfy!
I'm still in most of my regular clothes. (I had to cave on a pair of maternity jeans.)
I intend on wearing my regular clothes as long as I can, and purchasing some clothes that I would wear not pregnant in a larger size. (That I'll continue to wear postpardum.) I also look for "regular" shirts that can accommodate a growing belly. I already have a ton of cardigans, I intend on continuing to wear those, just open.
When I need to I'll hit up ebay for some maternity pants and dresses.
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
I'm in 90% maternity and have been for months. I couldn't imagine psychologically bracing myself every morning as I tried to wedge into pp clothes.
My MIL went sort of nuts in a good way in A Pea in the Pod, she was so stoked to have a grandbaby on the way. I was treated very, very generously by her! I think they have great stuff. Sleek clothes, and a lot of people have wanted my clothes and are shocked to see they're maternity (two skirts and a couple of pairs of jeans in particular).
Anyways, I know A Pea in the Pod is pricy but they did have a lot of excellent sale items that I adored.
For a long time I was able to get a way with wearing a Bella Band (Target brand) over my regular jeans but I hate how they roll up when you sit. I'm also really glad that tops are longer now so it covers the band. Though my bump popped last week and I fianaly caved and bought some preggo clothes.
I am LOVING maternity pants! I may nevevr go back to wearing a regular waist band again!
I have a pair of GAP jeans that I basicaly live in now. I'm also really excited b/c Old Navy was/is having a HUGE maternity sale. I ordered a bunch of stuff from them. (Shirts for $7!) Their clothes look like altered versions of their regular stuff. I hope they look as good in person.
Shmoo is growing up!
I hate maternity clothes but I have been in it for a while. I got big quickly because of the twins and I was super small before. None of my clothes could fit if I tried.
I splurged on 2 pairs of designer maternity jeans that have been a godsend to me. I live in them. I have a pair of yoga pants that do wonders and I love. I bought a lot of blouses, tanks, t-shirts, and sweaters from Pea in the Pod. I have 2 pairs of maternity dress pants that I wear to work from Thyme. I couldnt find much maternity clothes that I liked anywhere really.