I’m now in the seventh month of pregnancy (!!!!! – I keep wanting to say things like ‘of being knocked up’ or ‘being preggo’ but I really hate that terminology outside of joking with the hubs) and I’m pretty sure my pregnancy wardrobe is just about complete. How long I’ll be able to wear my favorite lululemon leggings aside, I’ve got a replacement set that should be arriving today. I figured since there’s so many bloggers out there expecting (see I almost typed knocked up again!), I’d share my favorites and where I got my inspiration from because let me tell you….maternity fashion is a learned skill and if you don’t try, you may think that you’re destined for frumpy garb from the likes of Motherhood Maternity – a store that made me stabby with the many shades of emerald and fuschia they carry(ied).
OK, that was snobby and I know some people really like Motherhood but I found their clothes ill-fitting and frumpy looking and over priced for the quality. Yes I know that not everyone shops at JCrew but jeez. Give us more than long sleeve ruched t-shirts and oversized sweaters if you call yourself a maternity store.
I’m not a fashion blogger by any means so don’t take what I say as “fashion know how” necessarily, I do try to put myself together and be classy though, and I don’t wear pearls with t-shirts so I consider that all a big win.
1. Target 2. Gap 3. Gap 4. Gap 5. Gap 6. Gap 7. lululemon
Color me unoriginal with the Gap stuff, BUT I’m not a guru with Polyvore, and they didn’t have my favorite H&M tops on there – one of which you can see in my 29 week update. Gap happens to be my favorite maternity line since it’s inexpensive (seriously, they run 30% deals every other day, you never have to pay full price with them). Old Navy would be but I find that they need to put a little more effort into their maternity line, they have some super cute non-maternity clothes but their “new additions” look an awfully lot like their old ones but in short sleeve. Their dresses are too long, and their shirts too blah. Old navy, fail.
Maternity pieces I was not a fan of? Some of the Liz Lange line at target – mainly this top and this dress which I wanted to love oh so badly but they were just…ill fitting. Really, just bad. Not fit for a pregnant woman. Maybe the same as a shrunken muu-muu. Without the stretch. The quality of Motherhood Maternity, I find to be shameful for the price. I am pleased to say that for all of my maternity pieces I’ve bought, I have not paid full price. I have two sweaters, one pair of jeans, and six-seven tops. I’ve been able to use a lot of my longer cardigans/sweaters, and my lululemon cool racerback tanks make for good tanks underneath sweaters that might otherwise be a smidgen short.
Shoes? My feet haven’t swelled yet, but given I work at a Physical Therapy clinic heels are out. Wamp wamp. I do wear flats (though those are looked down upon by my therapist as well – mostly because they’re bad for my back/posture/feet/whatever…), and my Sperry’s. Weekends, I usually wear my uggs, and leggings. Seriously, I will wear leggings until I can not wear leggings any longer. Yes I’ve ordered legit maternity leggings. Yes, I’ll share my review when I try them out.
My tips for buying maternity gear
- Get things on sale. With all the sales out there – especially with Gap, Old Navy, Ann Taylor Loft and H&M there’s no reason to ever really pay full price. I mean, with ATL, their maternity clothes are so expensive that even on sale, they’re still way out of my budget but if you’re willing, you know the quality is there so go for it!
- Read reviews. I always read reviews on sizing, most are true to pre-pregnancy size – so if you were a size small before pregnancy, you’ll probably be size small after.
- Read blogs. I was inspired by a few bloggers – Jaclyn has some great posts about maternity wear, and so does Julie (another longtime fave). Also, check out Hellobee (I love their message boards!!) – they are a great resource for all things maternity and such!
- Check out the consignment shops. This I haven’t done nearly as much as I should, but I did browse a couple of shops, and just didn’t see much in my size that I liked.
- Hand-me downs. A friend of mine in the league offered up her maternity clothes to borrow, as did a friend of mine. Unfortunately, sizing is so hit or miss and nothing really fit me (fail) but if you have a friend who’s the same size you, take that to the bank!
- Make do with what you have. I wore my beloved Jackie Cardigans by JCrew until they looked far too small. I bought a bella band to make my regular jeans work as long as possible. There are some tops and sweaters that I can still wear while layering, it’s all about being creative.
Like I said I’m no fashionista, but I do like to look put together and think I have a little bit o’ style. Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to look frumpy and over-sized, in fact, I find it to be just the opposite. I love my baby bump and I adore styles that are classic and let me flaunt it. Don’t feel like you have to give up your style just because you’re pregnant.
What are YOUR favorite maternity must-haves in your wardrobe?
