Rotten experience with Isabella Oliver - any other recommendations?

[frightenedmama]

Hi there, I am very new to buying maternity clothes but was recommended Isabella Oliver website, but does anyone know of better, more considerate companies? Buying maternity clothes makes me feel a bit awkward and self-conscious. Isabella Oliver has left me feeling like an inconvenient beached whale! I did ask them before posting on here but have not had any satisfactory response.
Sizing is all different depending what you order so beware if you want to order a few and try on at home. Worst of all I had to pay my own return postage! £11 to send back 2 dresses and 1 trousers? And once you do send it you have to wait two weeks for the money to be refunded! Also, in the last 2 weeks they have offered 0%, 36% and 15% discounts on the same clothing depending which day you log on which means you buy something one day and the next it is much cheaper. Plus the quality of their dresses (I ordered 3 different ones) is so different, some are like a baggy t-shirt.
Sorry to complain, I just wondered where else to try, I have not had a good experience with this company.

[123Jump]

Boden?

[HanneHolm]

read the small print wrt returns

i would do h and m or next tbh - not worth spending a lot on

[flatmum]

I agree. I bought everything in H & M.

[Supersesame]

Also recommend seraphine, good to deal with and I'm very happy with quality. Much better than some of my H&M clothes.

[frightenedmama]

Thanks very much everyone. Do wish I hadn't bothered with Isabella Oliver but it sounds like H and M with a bit of seraphine for special occasions! Appreciate your experienced advice.

[PenelopePipPop]

Topshops range was quite good for me, I'm short and just generally little and found many ranges too long for me.

Mamas and Papas were comically awful - worse customer care than your experience with Isabella Oliver. And the clothes were unexpectedly massive, I think they must have had labelling issues, size 8 trousers could easily have been an 18. Don't think I ever got refund. So bad I never bought anything baby-related from them on principle.

[LogonMounstuart]

The quality of IO clothes is far superior to the high street examples given. Certainly worth it if you plan more than one pregnancy, I wore mine through 2 pregnancies and then passed them on still good as new. They were also one of the only places who sold clothes smart enough for me to wear to work. IO returns are a pain but it is clear when you buy. I now like Baukjen (their non maternity line) and get great casual and work clothes from their- lots of breastfeeding friendly tops and dresses. Getting dresses from there before my 2nd pregnancy is a good incentive to shift all the baby weight before I go back to work! Seraphine is the only alternative that I encountered which was any where near as good in terms of quality. H&M and Mamas and Papas fall apart after a few washes and when you have a new born everything gets washed a lot! Bloomin Marvellous did some lovely good quality clothes, I had loads, but that was when they had their own shops I don't know what they are like now they are in Mothercare (whose clothes are awful).

[minipie]

Jojo Maman are good for trousers, bras and coats - though their tops are all a bit mumsy I think (so much bloody navy and stripes)

ASOS are worth a look - and easy and free returns

Topshop and Gap Maternity have smallish range but useful stuff

[PastaForRudolph]

Avoid Crave maternity. They are worse than IO if that is possible.

Agree Boden stuff is nice.

The service from ASOS is great with free delivery and returns so you can order several sizes. Quick to refund too.

[PastaForRudolph]

Oh, ASOS sell IO so if you do like their clothes you can buy with ASOS and benefit from good service and decent returns.

[rundontwalk]

I went with mainly h&m, some debenhams, some mothercare & the odd jojo top. All fine!

[KipT77]

eBay is great for maternity clothes. Lots of all of the above brands. Plus a second vote for Serraphine.

[amandine07]

I retuned some items to IO last week- waited with baited breath for a refund!

Had my baby last month but the IO website had an amazing sale so I couldn't resist some bargains.
During my pregnancy I bought a number of dresses & tops from IO website- luckily they all fitted so I didn't need to return anything til now.

Have found IO quality very good, it's v expensive but never bought anything unless it was at least 30-40% reduced.
Plus I an planning to continue to wear a lot of the clothes over the next few months...I feel good in them & they are definitely not frumpy maternity wear!

Re other brands...
Seraphine- found it on the big side & quality not as good as IO- returned everything I bought. Was tempted to try due to the Kate Middleton effect!

Jojo maman bebe- not particularly stylish dresses & tops, pretty frumpy- returned almost everything I bought.

Mothercare- v good value (got everything reduced in sale!). It's not high fashion but v practical tops, vests & maternity knickers, plus tankini!

[K8Middleton]

Asos.com. Good service, range of brands, free returns and a price match promise. They even sell overrated Isabella Oliver.

[TheJumped]

Asos sell French Connection maternity range - got a couple of lovely work dresses from there. FC shops don't sell it, annoyingly.

I actually like Mamas and Papas maternity wear - it's overpriced but in the sales, there are some bargains to be had.

And yes to IO for basics and resale value on Ebay once you're done spawning.

[HaveAQuestion]

Mothercare - gets slated a lot for service but I've ad nothing but excellent service and it's one of the few places where you can go and try on

[amandine07]

Yes I second that about Mothercare- you can actually go in & try the clothes on...and realise how frumpy the jeans are!
Have to add- got my skinny maternity jeans from Topshop, absolutely amazingly comfortable super soft material!

Mothercare service has even great re returning/exchanging items, plus looking at prams/pushchairs they were very knowledgable & helpful.
By comparison, Mamas & Papas in a large London shopping centre were positively unhelpful, struggled to even find someone to ask questions.

[Hopefully]

ASOS and topshop good for more interesting stuff, but IO is generally great quality for basics. Also, randomly, i got quite a few bits from Next this time, and I haven't shopped there EVER for anything else, too frumpy!

[TheJumped]

Ooh thanks for the tip about Topshop maternity jeans