Maternity clothes - anyone else pretty peed off?

[LuluFM]

Hi all :-)
I live in Brighton, self-styled shopping mecca of the south coast. And also home to lots and lots of mums and mums-to-be.

At 19 weeks pregnant with a reasonably obvious bump, I'm still just about squeezing into my regular jeans - because the choice of maternity wear actually in the shops is really, really awful.

Recently I've been into town, where Next, New Look and M&S all have large if not huge stores (two, three or four floors of retail space, with food and/or homeware sections). They've ALL told me the same thing: their maternity ranges are online.

This makes me really angry, because when your body is changing in an unpredictable way you really need to try the clothes on. More than non-pregnant people whose breasts haven't grown two sizes in as many weeks.

I feel ignored by these stores, despite being supposedly one of their prime target markets (ok, maybe not New Look). And I'm not going to shop in them while pregnant and maybe not afterwards.

Their social media responses have been woefully inadequate - they'll 'pass the comment on' to the relevant department. Or, in New Look's case, some unknown social media gimp will offer advice on what might suit me, despite never having met me, not knowing my age, size etc.

Thank God for Hennes, that's all.

Anyone else finding the same problem?

xx

[flyingsprocket]

Whilst it's nice to be able to wander around & try on clothes. I don't mind ordering a load from ASOS, GAP or Next, trying it on at home and using their free returns system to send what I don't need back.

Is there a jojo maman bebe in Brighton? You can try stuff on in there and H&M like you've mentioned.

[Trickytricky]

I've had the same problem! I can't believe so few stores have maternity ranges in the actual shop rather than online. I'm also a bit annoyed about it. My mum is making me some dresses for work! But other than that I've used Next and H&M.

[No1warnedme]

YES! I got really annoyed this last pregnancy (ds now 14 weeks), and had I not had some maternity stuff left over from previous pregnancy (in 2012), I would have been stuffed! As it was, I was wearing the same clothes day in, day out. Like you say, thank goodness for H&M. Everyone else seems to forget that mums to be will eventually be buying clothes for babies.. I know where I shop for my two.. H&M!

[sianihedgehog]

Yep, it's shit, isn't it? There is indeed a jojo maman bebe, and I think there's another maternity/baby specific shop. And mothercare has a few things. But I don't wear fucking jojo maman type clothes, or mothercare ones! And I'm working, I don't have time to wait in for deliveries! The big h&m is a total lifesaver.

[sianihedgehog]

M&s do have a decent selection of nursing and maternity bras, fwiw!

[CityDweller]

It is indeed annoying. But I ended up just sucking it up and ordering TONS of stuff online and sending back what didn't work. However, I now refuse to order from stores that don't offer free delivery and returns on maternity wear (I'm talking to you JoJoMaman Bebe!).

I've had luck with stuff from Asos, Vertbaudet (good for trousers and jeans, but order a size up) and Seraphine (expensive, but good if you need work stuff).

[BeforeIChangeMyMind]

Try White Stuff. It doesn't have a maternity range, but what it does sell is lots and lots of jersey dresses and/or dresses with ties, elastic panels etc. It's also smart enough for work.

Apart from some Next maternity jeans (Ebay) and some leggings, everything else I'm still wearing (at 40 weeks!) came from White Stuff.
I'm stretching the heck out of it, of course, but it's cheap enough once you've got a discount code (join the mailing list) to almost wear out 2-3 dresses over 9 months. Good luck.

[LuluFM]

Flyingsprocket - I've currently got three orders with ASOS, two arriving today (they had a sale yesterday) and one with 5/6 items waiting to be returned. They're not bad - but I don't look like an ASOS model, even one with a bump.

I don't have time for much wandering about about either - I've got a toddler (but couldn't drag him clothes shopping) and I work part time. So mostly I'm rushed and already a bit irritated when I go to town.

I just want to try on some chinos and jeans! And not skinny ones either!

[Becauseicannes]

Well, they are businesses after all and it is not in the best interests for their profit to sell to only a limited section of their customer base, using very expensive floorspace. Buy online and return or shop at places like Mamas and Papas which are specialist stores rather than a more general clothes retailer.

[SoupDragon]

It is a vast improvement on when I was pregnant with my first two! There was absolutely no choice at all. I think it was Mothercare, Dorothy Perkins and H&M.

With DD, Red Herring in Debenhams had appeared (and is still in my local store) and Next had some stuff in store.

[ChucksAhoy]

It's totally crap - ive had to go for click and collect at Next, Debenhams and New Look and it's such a faff traipsing round town to collect it, trying it all on then traipsing around town to return all the bits that don't fit again! I'm also pissed off with ASOS for selling cheap crap that shrinks in the wash - wouldn't recommend them at all.

[SoupDragon]

(I was about to suggest a look at Esprit.co.uk but, whilst their maternity range looks good and varied, I am stunned at the cost!! Much more than their standard range. Free delivery and free returns though.)

[Trickytricky]

Has anyone found anywhere that does good (not ridiculously expensive) tights. I need them for work and all the ones I've found are really pricey! Thanks.

[Trickytricky]

Has anyone found anywhere that does good (not ridiculously expensive) tights. I need them for work and all the ones I've found are really pricey! Thanks.

[chickenschicken]

Has anyone bought anything with pockets? It also seems we don't need them in trousers/jeans/shorts.

[Orangeisthenewbanana]

YANBU. This has changed massively in just the 3 years since I had DD. I ordered some trousers from Next the other day and the estimated delivery is 3-4 weeks! Red Herring in Debenhams have some nice stuff in store, and Mothercare and Mamas & Papas do as well. Totally agree with wanting to try stuff on before you buy it. Am going to try to mostly buy stuff from the shops that do maternity clothes in store.

Tricky I think I got my tights in Mamas & Papas last pregnancy, but sorry can't remember how expensive they were.

[chopsface]

Just come back from a wander around the mall in Bristol. Not one single maternity item in any shop! (apart from M&S bras)

I also work full time so can't accept deliveries at home of clothes, nor can I easily get to a post office to return anything! I do need to try things on too as it has to be comfy for me to part with my money! I'm a trouser person so would love some jeans with stretchy middles. I am sure there are a lot of dresses/tops in regular stores that will go over bumps, but its bottoms that's the issue. Even a couple of pairs of maternity leggings and floaty tops will do me for the summer. Our local aldi didn't have any in their baby range last week either

[SueGeneris]

I did the same thing in the summer at the mall Cribbs. Foolishly thought there would be more choice of maternity wear than in Chippenham! I was wrong!

I did get that they need to think about how they use floor space but you really do need to try maternity wear on. There was more in the shops during my first pregnancy in 2007 than there was in 2014.

[craftynanny]

..and when you do find some stuff in store, the only tops we appear to require are navy and white striped ones!

[Roseotto]

Think about it - I wonder what fraction of the population is in the second trimester of pregnancy at any one time (before then you don't often need maternity wear and after you are less likely to buy new gear for a couple of months' wear only). It stands to reason, with commercial rents as they are, that shops won't make nearly as much money giving over space to maternity wear as for normal clothing.
Anyhow I have survived four pregnancies and I can tell you the choices have infinitely improved over the past ten years!

[Skiptonlass]

I second ASOS, they're great.

And for delivery when you're working - I know where I lived our local corner shop/deli would let you deliver things there for a pound or two. They said it was a widespread scheme... Maybe look into that?

[contractor6]

Yadnbu, been shopping with my mum after complaining, she is really shocked by lack of choice, I just wanted some tops, it seems when we get pregnant taste and style is supposed to go out of window!!

[villainousbroodmare]

Poor choices indeed... I think I have managed to figure out what suits me though.
For me, over-bump jeans are the best. Under-bump or around-bump just slide down annoyingly.
The closer-fitting a garment is, the more flattering it is, especially if it hugs the underneath of the belly.
I bought a Seraphine knot-front dress that was nice on at 25 weeks but now just hangs from the equator of my abdomen and makes me look huge.
My best buy has been Mamalicious over-bump skinny jeans, available at Mothercare. They are sized like normal jeans, 29/32 or whatever, (though obviously at 34 weeks pg 29" is a distant memory!) so if you find them online, just try the size you would formerly have bought.
I also found a lovely t shirt from the brand Blooming Marvellous at Mothercare.

[Sleepybeanbump]

I don't need them yet but started looking thinking I might try to stock up as I'm bloody fussy about clothing so know I won't like most of the stuff available when I do urgently need it.

Virtually nothing left in my size on next or m&s websites, the two places I looked. Now this happens all the time, I'm used to it, so I'll leave aside the obvious issue of the fact that IT'S EARLY JUNE. THAT'S MID SEASON. No self respecting shop should be out of stock of any size across the majority of their range in June. But at least when you have 563 different things to chose from you stand a cat's chance in hell of being. able to find something half decent from what is in stock. But when I want a dress, and your maternity range includes about 20 dresses, it's absolutely no pigging use if about 16 of them are out of stock in my size and the remaining 4 are vile or just not what I'm looking for (maxi dresses when I want something suitable for work).

Grrrrrrrrrr

[yummymango]

I hear ya. I went to Westfield on Sunday (massive London shopping centre for those who live afar) with the intention of buying some maternity tops/dresses and it was the same story. New Look, H&M, Gap etc ALL of them said they only did maternity online. I came away with nothing at all.

However, I went to Zara today in Victoria, who don't do maternity wear but found 5 tops which are non-maternity smock type tops which fit my massive bump and a stretchy waist maxi skirt which will hopefully see me through the summer :)

Also, Next do some really nice jersey harem-style pants which I have 3 pairs of now and they are so comfy. I think I will be wearing them mostly throughout the summer.

They certainly don't make it easy for us though. And don't get me started on the sizes....jesus in H&M I can barely get anything on and Next stuff is massive!