To rant about maternity dresses

[SPR1107]

I'm 5ft 5, which I'm sure is the UK's 'average', yet every maternity dress is so long!

Can't get any in shops anywhere, went shopping at the weekend and either got 'we don't do maternity' or 'we only do it online'. I don't know how to dress this body yet.. how does online help me!

Even Asos, have that weird not short, not long, but too flouncy to look like a decent midi length thing going on.

Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I don't just want a nice simple, above the knee dress!

Just needed a little rant... (Christmas party struggles!)

Jojo Maman Bebe generally stick their maternity bits in store. If you're anywhere near London or Leeds Seraphine have a few shops.

I agree it's frustrating!

It was the most frustrating thing ended up in leggings and stretchy dresses. Also struggling find any nursing bras without pads.

I'm with you OP! I'm 5,3" and I look like a terrible frump in any maternity dress I've tried on!!! So currently in maternity jeans/leggings and maternity tops or long vests that cover my bum.

I also hate the fact loads of maternity dresses right now are covered in frilly bits!! I'm putting on weight (obviously) but I don't want to look like a short,frumpy, frilly, mess! The frills just add an extra stone!

I had the opposite, I want a maternity dress I don't have to wear leggings with, I'm five eight so things that are above knee on you are actually indecent on me, especially when it's for work and I sit down. My other issue is that not all of us grow huge boobs in pregnancy!

@Cantfindausername1 H&M they do have pads but removable ones. Super comfortable, these are the ones I have but they're out of stock online, the black and white are available though

m2.hm.com/m/en_gb/productpage.0325027001.html

How far along are you? IME they can never be a consistently perfect length as the front hemline rises quite a way as you get bigger. Something I realised a little too late with some of my dresses

Isabella Oliver is also worth a look although more pricy

It's really hard to find good dresses. I'm short and had a bit of luck with topshop tea dresses in my last pregnancy. I had to track them down on ebay but they were by far my favourite maternity wear. I even sold them on for half of the price I paid for them , I hope the person that bought them got some good wear out of them.

I found a lovely black bodycon dress at Next too. Really nice for work.

I got an above-knee skater dress from the Katie Piper selection here - www.wantthattrend.com/maternity-dresses-1/ - which is really nice and unfrilly!

I agree, though, I hate not really being able to go to a shop for maternity wear. You'd think it would be the one time you'd need to try things on as your body shape is changing constantly!

Meant to say, I'm 5'1 and the dress is a good length, too.

Gap, H&M, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and M&S have instock all the time. No ideas on styles but they will have something

Thanks MrsStrowman I'll check them out

I’m 5’4 and have dresses from phase 8, Dorothy Perkins and red herring, all fit really well and recently bought. Phase 8 was cheap off eBay and the others were from Debo’s. The DP one is just below the knee but getting shorter as the weeks go by.

I haven’t yet bought any leggings which fit but I’m in normal Matalan tights which stretch over the bump.

Also wearing new look jeans which are great.

Sponge new looks have them in the store, if you message them on Facebook they'll let you know the closest one. Most h and m seem to have a small section.

*some

I found nice maternity stuff in:
Jojo Maman Bebe
H&M maternity
Mamas & Papas

Oh and Freya nursing bras were my favourite!

I totally get this. Also ASOS Is so weird because it'll have a load of frumpy frilly stuff then also like maternity leather mini skirt and it's like ???

My favourite ones are from Seraphine. I'm 5ft4 and have two just above the knee dresses from them.

I wanted some jeans but could only find jeggins, I was massive. Strugled with socks not sure how I would have got them on

Red herring was brilliant for maternity dresses when I was pregnant, and they lasted well throughout two pregnancies and have now been passed on to others.

For quite a bit of mine I could also get away with ordinary dresses that have a ruched stomach area, usually my own size, sometimes going up a size. I didn't think this would work when it was recommended to me, but it did!

I second @LittleScottieDog’s recommendation for the Katie Piper collection. I am 5’6” and the skater dress is above the knee on me, there’s a few different patterns to chose from too. The quality isn’t amazing (mine went a little bit bobbly/fluffy after a few washes) but they’re good value for the price. I liked the midi length ‘pencil skirt’ style ones too as they were fitted and more flattering than some of the tent-like dresses out there. They all fitted comfortably right up to late pregnancy.

I also had dresses I liked from Jojo Maman Bebe and Seraphine but they were all on or just below the knee for me.

I found at the beginning, maternity dresses were very long (I'm 5'3"). However as the pregnancy went one they became the perfect length as the bump caused them to shorten. Might just need more time to fit into them properly? H&M had quite short ones - some too short for my liking.

Loads of places seem to have moved stuff online lately - DP, Asda, H&M. Very frustrating. I find Dorothy Perkins most flattering.

I’m 38 weeks and my OH bought me two Mamalicious dresses which still fit perfectly, give them a go. Otherwise I’m just wearing mat jeans and sizing up in normal range high street blouses and tops tbh.

I find most maternity gear unbelievably depressing - particularly on ASOS. you can have Kate Middleton flowery stuff or Kim Kardashian pleather miniskirt stuff and not much in between.

And what the hell is with all the horizontal stripes?! I already look like an oil tanker thanks.

I really only discovered online shopping when pregnant. I never realised how easy it is to return stuff. I used to buy loads so I'd have loads to return - if I only had one thing to go back I'd probably be too lazy. Order a bunch of stuff, try on in comfort of own home, drop into post office the next day with returns.

Most of my stuff was H&M, JoJo and Seraphine. I'm 5'2" and had several Seraphine dresses for work that were knee length. Top Shop stuff was nice, but stopped fitting me by around 25 weeks.