Anyone hate maternity clothes..?

[mlbear]

Although was nervous about buying any clothes so early on, I had no choice, I was wearing my skirt unzipped!

I work in Leeds city centre so thought there would be plenty of options to look around the shops for a work skirt/ trousers... nope!
H&M sell maternity - none of it is appropriate work attire & then there is Topshop!
I got a tube skirt from Topshop, needless to say I returned it the next day, I am not 12 weeks yet so dont want anyone finding out, but this skirt clung to me, it would prob make the slimmest of slimgyms look pregnant!

A friend recommended Next & showed me her proper looking trousers with a cute hidden maternity stretch in the side. Next doesn't stock clothes so I had to order a tonne of stuff online.
It arrived today - but these are awful too!

The trousers are fake trousers, fake pockets, fake zip, elastic band running all around the top... size 10 feel too tight, size 12 are too big & falling down.
Couple of skirts, size 10 is too big in these! Each item making it obvious there is a bump there, which I'll just have to tell people is fat...

I asked before for suggestions & was recommended wrap dresses, think I'll have to do some more shopping!

[mrspaddy]

I think you have to go to seraphine and the like to get anything decent. I managed to get formal work shirts in H&m but they are no longer in stock. Try jojo mama too.

I got a lovely dress from Crave Maternity.

But you are right.. None of it feels good. What ago some of the wraps tops from jojo and nice accessories? I didn't like next maternity.

[mrspaddy]

Meant to say jojo clothes come up very big and one of the blouses is only suitable now at full term

[Hopelass]

Red Herring Smart Black Maternity Trousers from Debenhams saved my working life from about 17 weeks until I finished last week at 34 weeks. They are fantastic, I ordered 3 pairs after finding the first so good. They fit perfectly in my normal size 12. They were a bit long though, I am 5'6"with about 30" inside leg and I think these must be 32" so needed to be taken up but I did this with the iron on hemming stuff you can get from supermarkets. They don't have pockets though. Just plain black bootleg trousers. Loved them!!

[mlbear]

I'll have a look :) I dont want to be spending too much on it either... I'm going to see if I can find some loose, long tops too - I just want to be comfy :) Luckily my work have a smart/casual approach so tops aren't really a worry - yet!

[Summersun1983]

New look do maternity clothes, the dresses seem to be ok. Mothercare do too but not keen on them as it seems over priced but then I guess we just have to make the best of what's available. Good luck

[colleysmill]

My problem with maternity clothes is that they are just not my style. Not so much work stuff but casual stuff - I'm very much a dress down hoodie, cords, flares, band t-shirts person and most maternity stuff makes me feel like I'm wearing someone else's clothes.

This time I've bought my style stuff several sizes bigger (and the old bit in men's clothes particularly hoodies) in order to keep feeling a bit more like me. And I've my eye a fab looking pair of maternity flares on eBay.

[callamia]

Pretty much all of my stuff has come from asos, with some from more expensive places either in their sale (Jojomaman's outlet bit of the website is v. good), or on ebay.

I've got one great dress from Next, but it didn't work until I was pretty much in third tri - it looked baggy until then. Gap also does some fairly ok stuff, and better if it's in the sale too. My favourite gap top was a fiver

H&M was awful, TopShop ditto.

[enormouse]

I hate maternity wear. I just don't feel like me in it.

[FraggleRock77]

I've tried to avoid the Maternity ranges. I've been lucky enough, up to yet, to just go up to a size 12/14. Maternity clothes as yak x

[juicyjuice]

I'm wearing maternity jeans and trousers with a normal top a size bigger than I would get pre pregnancy. Is working so far (19+4) though I do feel a bit frumpy...

[EeyoreIsh]

I hate the way they tend to be made of horrible fabric, bear little relation to what's fashionable, and they're in styles I'd never normally where.

I found some good basics in new look. a wonderful dress in the Isabella Oliver sale, and an ok dress from jojomamanbebe. I've got some clothes on order from asos.

basically, clothes have to be bought online. Some of the more high end retailers do offer free returns (I think seraphine did).

I haven't found going up sizes on normal trousers works, as they fall down!

[Ginformation]

Seraphine are good for work stuff, I found some stuff in the sale which works for me. The sizing is quite generous though. Isabella oliver looks good but too pricey for me to justify for a temporary wardrobe.

Maternity trousers are really tricky, they are usually that hideous shiny synthetic material. I am keeping my old topshop ones going from theed last pregnancy.

Have you tried the old hair elastic looped through the button hole trick? Bump bands from new look help to hide any flesh.

[colleysmill]

Maternity clothes make me feel like I'm a kid dressing up in my mums stuff.

Atleast my docs and converse are still workable. Every cloud :)

[Carole803]

I have bought some clothes from eBay.

I share your frustration. I thought maternity clothes would be more readily available on the high street, but I was very wrong.

[Ginformation]

...all the ASOS stuff I ordered got returned as it all looked cheap and poorly cut. Similarly wasn't impressed with Vertbaudet maternity (but love their kids clothes).

[MunchkinJess]

I bought all my maternity from new look and then just bought bigger sized clothes from primark. .. really dont rate maternity clothes out at the moment. ..either far too expensive or cheap and nasty and ucomfy ...I live in maternity leggings I got from ebay for cheap

[mlbear]

I can sense a fortune being spent on delivery! The rate Im growing I'll prob have to buy more if I get further along., someone mentioned the hairband to me but I don't have buttons on my pants. Might keep one disgusting skirt for now, then treat myself as soon as Im past 12weeks!

[suntodayplease]

I really rate Gap maternity although its annoyingly only available online and also Isabella Oliver. I ended up buying a few hard working bits of maternity wear and added the odd bit from the high street (non maternity) in a size up.

[EeyoreIsh]

I got my Isabella Oliver dress in the sale and it was a bargain, I think it was £35. The quality of the cut and fabric is way above anything else I've bought so far. I did have a little weep when I looked at their clothes at the weekend without the sale prices. ouch!

[maggiethemagpie]

I got most of mine from red herring at Debenhams. Its one of the only ranges where you can try it on instore as well. My strategy has been more or less to live in leggings with tunics (some maternity some just a bigger size) which has worked ok for me. I will probably continue this after giving birth as I don't think I'll be returning to my pre pregnancy figure for some time!

[BroodyAndMoody]

Have to say George at ASDA has been great for me, and matalan as well

[Essexgirlupnorth]

Yep they are rubbish. I can't wait to get back in my normal clothes.
Mama and Papa's have some nice stuff but is pricey but keep an eye out for discounts that they seem to do regularly

[HumptyDumptyBumpty]

Dresses. I don't like maternity jeans - spent ages finding a pair to fit, but they are itchy as fuck, and have no 'side' pockets, only bum pockets, which annoys me every time I wear them.

I have two black empire line dresses (both maternity, one Next, one Asda), both 'wrapped' at boob part but not below empire line IYSWIM, and the same thing, but a nice neckline in dark green from New Look. I live in those and two maxi dresses (neither is maternity), with occasional skirts from JojoMaman worn with stretchy tops. Dresses just seem to be cut to flatter, esp when bump arrives. Everything else, I just look fat in.

Maternity wear is generally hideous, three sizes too big or small, or impractically cut for overinflated boobage - I bought one dress which I swear to god would have shown off my nipples if I'd worn it.

eBay is your friend - everything I have, I bought from eBay.

[nocarsgo]

I bought a lot of maternity clothes from Dorothy Perkins, surprisingly. Never shop there normally. ASOS are also quite good.

[Rockchick1984]

The thing is, maternity clothes will emphasise your bump - they are cut to help you look pregnant rather than just fat! Buy some non maternity clothes in the next size up for now, they will come in handy once you had the baby while you're shrinking back down!