why are maternity tights so rubbish

[emmatrev]

I know there was a thread about this earlier this year but just wanted to rant/see if anyone had come up with anything better in the meantime. I am wear dresses and tights to work all the time, last pregnancy was in summer but due now New Years Day - I have spent what seems a fortune on different maternity rights and all but one are just rubbish. Being short probably doesn't help but still. I have tried: M&S opaque, £6, sagged within 10 mins; Seraphine opaque, £12 at least, saggy and floppy; John Lewis, £2.50, both pairs laddered in one day; Noppies, £12, made for giantesses..The only ones that are work at all are the Mama Spanx which of course are £25 and only come in sheer (they are $28 in the US which is a frustrating mark up to have to pay here). I suppose I shall have to treat my Mama Spanx very carefully and/or go for the leggings/boots option that others mention. But if anyone knows of the elusive affordable wonder brand....

I suppose the market isn't big enough for anyone to develop anything good at less than £25 but it is frustrating, Wolford have all these fab tights in lovely colours but nothing for the pregnant. I wonder if they are missing a gap.

[Neeko]

not sure if this will be much help, haven't tried it myself but I've heard that normal tights in a bigger size but worn backwards works.

[Yikess]

I bought some from Mothercare and Im short too and they worked fine - didnt fall down nor sag, quite comfortable. They were £5 but were the 40 denier ones so will definitely be good for the winter.

Yikess

PS Im due the week before you - Christmas day!

[willallfallaroundme]

I am so glad I dont need these any more

[QueenOfFuckingEverything]

I had some lovely cotton maternity tights but they did sag at the crotch.

Much to DP's amusement I remedied this by wearing a pair of black knickers over them. He called me SuperPants but I was past caring by then - it was a freezing northern winter.

[blondieminx]

I have heard good things about Mothercare's ones so am going to try those soon. At the moment I'm wearing M&S normal tights but in Extra Large size worn, Simon Cowell style right up over the bump which is ok so far (but I'm a bit behind you, due middle of Jan!)

I tried the Next ones but they were beyond rubbish - 70 denier opaques which laddered on the first wear (I don't think I've ever had laddering with normal opaques) and they sagged horribly and were £8. Grrr.

[Kingsroadie]

I bought some Emma Jane (I think!) mat tights and couldn't bear them being over my bump - all itchy etc. Haven't tried Spanx ones but have heard they are the best (would hope so as they are obviously also the most expensive). I also am very fussy about tights normally and mostly will only wear M&S "silky soft" ones as I find them very smooth and not itchy. However, they don't often have them - perhaps other people have the saem fetish!

I am wearing them now just folded over a bit and under my bump and I am finding them fine actually so am wondering whether to even both buying specialist mat tights. (Am only 29 +1 though so I suppose when I get really big it might not be so comfortable!). sorry just realised that sounded really dull

[overthemoon2009]

Kingsroadie are you wearing them in a much bigger size than normal?

[Miia]

I buy normal tights but in hipster style and then take scissors to the waistband, fits under the bump and works brilliantly.

[Kingsroadie]

overthemoon - actually no just the same size as normal as otherwise I think there would be a lot more material to fold over at the top and they would be too big on legs?

[overthemoon2009]

good tips, thanks

[flyingcloud]

I have found this a real nightmare - as I need to wear dresses and skirts when I go out to work. I am tall - normally a size 14 so I wear the largest size of tights normally and they were too small from about 10 weeks into pg. I have found maternity tights nigh on impossible to get over here in France and have been told to wear tights for larger ladies - but even those are too small and I cannot abide the feeling of tights on my bump.

I think we should go into business!

[Walnut8]

Miia - thanks for your our tip! I bought some "normal" larger tights and have tried both pulling the tights right up over my stomach and also folding tights right down but they still irritated and felt too tight around my pelvis/belly area (and im only 15 weeks). I was also constantly hitching them up around my bum when i rolled them down.

But I had a pair of hipsters and thought what the hell, so gave them a snip in the font of the waistband ... and it works brilliantly. They feel so comfortable. Hopefully they don't now fall apart in the wash though!

[Longtalljosie]

I found M and S fine... but in earlyish pregnancy (up to 6 months) I just wore normal opaque tights with the waistband snipped front and back...

[DorotheaPlenticlew]

I found last time that if I wore them under the bump, they would simply fall down am I really the only one? Even over the bump, most of them would just work their way down and start to fall down. I once had them completely fall down around my lower thighs while crossing Tesco's car park, hugely embarrassing thought I could make it to the car without hoisting but that was not the case.

I ended up abandoning tights altogether and using Wolford opaque hold-ups. Unlike most brands, they actually do hold up, so it worked OK, though not ideal.

I am now in very early pg again and if all goes well I'll need some maternity tights in the winter months. I cannot abide the Spanx ones as they're sheer and that's just not OK (only use opaques normally). Every other brand I tried last time I was pg were utterly terrible.

Isabella Oliver do them now - £25 though. But if I knew they were going to be good, I'd probably invest in one pair and treat them like gold dust as I usually do with Wolfords. Anyone tried them?

[TheDuckSaysMoo]

Opaque hold ups were the answer for me too Dorothea. Boots own brand were surprisingly good and far cheaper than Wolford.

[Louise0212]

I still have some of my M&S tights from last time round, and found them fine. However, I am normally a big wearer of 'fashion' tights, which seems to be passing all tight makers by - who think we all want to wear 20 denier American Tan tights (yuk)

So I am going with hold ups.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but avoids the whole sagginess/fit over bump issues.
And I found a purple pair in M&S...

[pinkfizzle]

brill thread. so do hold ups actually hold up = my thighs have expanded to big tree trunks during pregnancy?

Also I am worried about thrush...sorry if tmi.

[Louise0212]

So far, yes, my holds ups are indeed holding up. It's better to pay a little more than get the absolute cheapest ones, and do pay attention to the instructions on not using body cream etc. Other than that, M&S ones are doing v well (btw - I don't work for them, it's just one of my all time favourite shops!)

[DorotheaPlenticlew]

I don't mean to be a tights snob about the Wolford hold-ups, it's just that they had loads of the sticky bands around the top (4 strips instead of three IIRC) which for me made a big difference in terms of holding up long-term. I will def try Boots own brand or M&S as well this time though, always worth following up a tip.

And pinkfizzle, I found it comfier to get the size up from what I technically was supposed to need and that was a good decision -- it meant they were a bit longer and so they came right up to the top of my thigh instead of hovering around the -fattest- middle point.

[DorotheaPlenticlew]

damn, I was trying to strikethough

fattest

there we go

[MamaLazarou]

I've got some lovely woolly ones from Mothercare.

Hope this helps.

[TheDuckSaysMoo]

I was terrified at the thought of hold ups not holding up and had always been a tights fan but they really did hold up. I was really impressed. I adhered to the no body cream rule too, which may have helped.

[pinkfizzle]

ok thanks for the tips re holdups - I will try them for work - even though my thighs are like a pair of inverted pyramids so I do feel as though I walk around like John Wayne.

I suppose if they don't hold up I could try a beth ditto inspired suspender belt.

[ViktoriaMac]

I wear these every winter and will continue to do so this year (baby due 18th Dec). They are utterly fab and wash really well, are really warm and last forever.

store.americanapparel.co.uk/rsaskth5.html?cid=204

[Dizzyclarebear]

I'm due a few days after you OP!

I've gone for the hold up's option - M&S ones are good.