Maternity Shopping
So far I've hit the following stores. Have I missed anything local? I can't believe there's only one maternity boutique in the whole DC Metropolitan area. Are there any others I missed? Hope this is helpful for anyone else who is starting their shopping.
Target (Potomac Yards)-BUST
Appleseed (Alexandria)-Pricey but picked up a couple of items
Macy's (Motherhood & Pea in a Pod)-Small area but large selection and great sales help-Picked up about 4 pairs of pants and tops a winter coat and a bunch of tanks, a couple of cute tops for dressing up
Online Old Navy & Gap-Returned everything but will order a new bunch of items now that I've actually tried stuff on in store and know my style
Online Nordstrom-Bought & returned one dress, but will order a few more options. Most were pricer but had a few items on sale.
Re: Maternity Shopping
I found a lot of cute things with the tag still on them on eBay :-) Mainly Gap pants but they were all under $15.
Also, I think Ann Taylor Loft has maternity clothes back online.
Kohl's has a tiny section but I was able to get some good basics from there.
I way, way overbought in maternity clothes. If I were you, I'd wait until you have a bit more belly to really get in to buying things. I bought a lot of stuff on clearance before I needed it and barely wore it when the time came. Plus, it was frustrating to try things on that were intended for big bellys and just looked schlumpy before you had said belly.
Both JC Penney and Kohls have small but useful maternity collections.
My most comfortable maternity jeans are from JCP (Full panel, straight leg, dark wash). I like my ON skinny jeans and Gap for work pants.
H&M in DC has a decent maternity section. The one at Dulles isn't as good. Though they have a lot of tunic length stuff that works in their regular women's. I also got some cute shirts from Charlotte Russe that are tunic length.
At this point in my pregnancy and when I was pregnant w/DD, anything on my belly that feels tight is super uncomfortable. I can only tolerate full panel pants or dresses. I have a few ON dresses that I can mix and match with colored tights and heels or tall boots.
TTC #1 Cycle 14 - IUI#1=BFN, IUI#2=BFP | TTC #2 Cycle 8=BFP!!
I got a lot of my pants from Unique Thrift or Value Village - if you are willing to dig, you can find brand names for super cheap, and very gently used. I even found a pair of Gap maternity pants with the tags still on for $4.99.
Otherwise, I stuck to Target, and treated myself at the Gap Maternity store when I was on a business trip to Chicago.
But like PP said, don't overshop now. I've been amazed at how I can get by with such a small/limited wardrobe.
Wiggle Room in Bethesda is a great maternity and baby consignment shop. The price tags also have the date when they'll mark the item down again and the price it will be so if you like something but don't want to spend quite that much you can wait (and hope it's still there). They had everything from casual to work stuff and I thought it was really helpful when I needed hard to find or more expensive items like a dress for a black tie wedding. I also got a gently used Baby Bjorn there for $15.
Ditto PP on Old Navy, Kohls and Target - that's where I found most of my tops. I got a few pair of work pants at Gap and Motherhood - once I knew my size I'd be on the lookout for online sales and got much better deals that way rather than in-store. Don't forget to google for coupon codes!
Bellies and Babies Consignment in Del Ray, VA was great! I got a bunch of pants, shirts and sweaters when I was in my 2nd trimester and I'm still wearing everything. They just opened but their selection was really good. The owner was very helpful and I was in and out in less than an hour. I got some really nice, expensive brand maternity clothes for about 1/3 of the original price and everything was in good shape. https://www.belliesbabies.com Oh, and you can browse through their inventory on their website too.
More Green For Less Green
I was going to suggest this as well. Never been inside since I am not PG, but I walk past there frequently, and I usually think the stuff in the window is cute.
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I got some nice things there the other day
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