Maternity Clothes

[theTramp]

Where is hot and where is not. Online stores worth checking out. High street stores worth visiting. Good for petites. Good for giantesses. Second hand e-bay bargains - worthwhile? Views and reviews of the maternity gear you have bought.. all for the benefit of everyone who is desperately looking.

Most of the places I've been to say their maternity stuff is all online - a few larger shops might have one or two things in store.

I've found eBay to be invaluable, and bought most of my capsule wardrobe from there, including some bargain smart clothes for work.

I've also discovered the "hippsy PRE" (www.hippsy.co.uk/). It's a bit pricey, but SOOOO comfortable, and has extended the life of some of my favourite clothes, in the midtrimester.

To the OP - Long Tall Sally does maternity trousers and jeans. They don't have a huge selection, but the quality is decent and they are certainly long.

Giraffe - I would hugely recommend Rigby and Peller. I haven't been for maternity bras yet, but I intend to go. Went there in the spring to be fitted for my wedding underwear (honeymoon baby!) and they were amazing. The choice in store is waaaay better than that which they have online and the customer service is lovely.

Thetramp- I found it very different. I'm a real hourglass shape ad it was the only place I found suit maternity trousers to fit and jeans. Also there work tops have been fab as really long where others haven't fitted once I went past 5/6months.

Pikz - hour glass being long legs & short torso yes? In which case I'm surprised Gap works for you, although I suppose I always think in terms of 33" legs and forget long legs not always longer than mine :)

Interesting, I really do find Gap the most useless of all high street stores for my body shape, even when I'm svelte, but of course lots o people look marvellous in Gap, I'm just one of the unlucky ones.

The lack of maternity wear to try on without postal ordering is bloody annoying isn't it. Makes everything a bit hit & miss. I was hoping to pop into H&M today but so tired can't face it - so Friday it is.

I'm wearing Jaeger bargain dress today - size bigger than I'd usually wear. Camels point about ugly underwear and wraps is spot on. I'm going to need some slightly higher necked vest tops to hide away the parachute based tit support. Ah well.

I'm finding it's going so quickly, I'm only really needing two or three pairs of decent comfy jeans/trousers, (one pair from Next, one from Topshop, some old ones from God knows where) and long tunic-type tops to cover the waistband a bit.

I don't normally do tunics but I think they are possibly the easiest option atm.
And it will all be over in a few months anyway.

I did buy a dress from asos but already it is too small over the boobs and just hangs all wrong. And I'm not really a dress person anyway.

So I've dug out my old top shop dressy tunicy things (couple of dari meyer ones, anyone remember those?) which do the job fairly well.

I looked online at the start and found Isabella thing and all the mama la mode and the ones on here really expensive. So I didn't bother with them. There's barely anything available locally either.

Good jeans and long tops is my top tip.

Sadly good jeans and long tops aren't work suitable for me. Plus, I like wearing dresses and skirts and skinny jeans. I don't think I need much - I'm just in that annoying in-between proper bump and looking fat stage and the weather changing so not knowing where you are generally.

Bon Prix online is pretty good sizes 6-32, reasonable prices, not too frumpy and floral.

I'm 24 weeks and have so far survived with a pair of topshop mat jeans that were terrific from 10 weeks to 20 weeks, but now don't fit (though expect to wear after given birth), and a couple of skirts. Normal tops so far ok. The Oxford street Topshop store has a decent size maternity section, although much of it is not to my taste. I don't work in a corporate environment, but like to wear skirts/dresses too, and really don't like the big tunic / long top / leggings look and prefer even a rather clingy pencil skirt because at least I look pregnant not fat!

Just ordered some IO stuff in the sale (quite good bargains, though they seem to be selling fast). I did get a skirt from there earlier but it was wrong size, and had to return, but will give it another try, given the positive comments on here.

What I need are recommendations for maternity tights, if anyone has any? I usually live in skirts or dresses with tights and boots/brogues over the Autumn / Winter, but have found my existing tights so painful after an hour or so of wear. Glad its warmed up again today so can survive with bare legs a little longer! Here's to an Indian summer...

Tramp - I'm hourglass eg busty with small waist and fairly large bum for me dress size, also tall, and Gap is rubbish for me. Except for their ribbed basic vest tops which are my favourite as they are long, but they are super stretchy so fit is less of an issue!

You lucky thing, hour glass figures are marvellous!

Lemon - I am wearing XL tights right now, but have heard mamas and papas opaque tights are good.

Where else (in London) are there maternity clothes you can actually try on? I've heard of good things about H&M for example for casual clothes but haven't seen any in the actual stores...

Thanks for this thread - great idea and very timely... I am 17 weeks, kids are back at school, autumn season is here... time to shop!

Like Bona I am looking for shops where you can try stuff on!

I'm going to try H&M and possibly Seraphin out Friday so I'll report back.

Great, thanks!

Incidentally, Mamas and Papas have a sale on at the moment, with 50% or more off maternity clothes, free delivery and 14 days to return sale items. So, I've ordered a pair of jeans and a pair of slouchy trousers.

They had some little vest tops for £3 / £4 and I think M&P is supposed to be quite nice quality.

Bona - I'll be interested to see what you think when they arrive. I went to the store and wasn't very impressed. I bought a pair of mat treggings from them, which aren't all that comfy. I suspect this is because I am between bump sizes so should really be the next size up but they were huge so went for the smaller size.

Just ordered some maternity tights from mojo maternity which is the plus-size sister of tall maternity. They had free delivery on tights. Will post back on here once they arrive. I am really hoping to see this pregnancy through in stretchy dresses I already have, with flat boots, but needed some tights or leggings for when it gets colder.

According to a mum to be on another thread voucher codes have 25% off Dotty Ps today & they're good for mat leggings..

Can I join this thread and ask a silly question... how soon is too soon to start looking for/wearing maternity wear? I am only 12 w but at that awkward stage of felling/looking like I have had a very very big lunch rather than actually looking pg.

Therefore all my usual clothes, even if they still fit, look rubbish and make me very self-conscious. I can't wear my usual jeans because I tend to wear them v tight and low-waist and worry they are crushing my baby-to-be!!

Luckily I don't need 'work' clothes because I work from home but I am already tired of flopping about the place in the only pair of (grubby, white) trousers that currently fit me and a T-shirt that makes me look fat!!!

Are maternity jeans silly to invest in at this stage and will they just be too big on my tummy? Ditto trousers.

Also does anyone have any advice on when is too soon to buy maternity bra...?

Thanks so much in advance!!! :)

emeraldgirl not a silly question at all! Buy maternity stuff as soon as you feel you need it or start feeling uncomfortable. You sound like me - I was feeling very uncomfortable in most of my regular clothes by week 12. In fact I couldn't wear any of my normal jeans by week 8!! I was/felt quite bloated in the first trimester, and the waistband/button of jeans around that area made my nausea worse. I felt bad that I was needing maternity gear already, but in hindsight that was just silly. Your body is going through a huge amount of changes right now. Every woman is different. I know some people don't need maternity gear till like 25 weeks or something, but I was NOT one of those women - my body wanted to bloat and expand from the moment I got that BFP!

One tip though, don't buy very expensive stuff right now - New Look, H&M stuff would be fine. I'm at 33 weeks now and I find that lots of my stuff I bought around the 8-15 week mark doesn't fit me anymore.

I had a bit of difficulty finding maternity trousers that I really liked (but I have that problem with trousers anyway non-pregnant) - I found an alright cheapish pair for work from New Look, and a way nicer pair on sale at BoobDesign.com. As for jeans, got some FAB skinny jeans from New Look (now waaaay to small for my bloated legs) and some good skinny ones from Mamas & Papas too. H&M do excellent black stretchy lyrca pant things - they are not really trackpants or leggings, nor are they "proper" black pants but they're pretty good for most purposes really! Sounds like maybe something that would be good for you? I actually bought a pair of these at 7 weeks because I was flying longhaul and needed something comfy - they have been BRILLIANT! They are over-the-bump but that part can be folded down to hip level IYSWIM, so really versatile in the early stages. They were about 15 quid I think.

Unless your boobs really swell up you should be fine with tops for a while. I got good basic tops (tees and camisoles) from Next, New Look and BoobDesign. On the boob front, don't be scared to go and get yourself measured for a larger bra size ASAP if you're finding your current bras uncomfortable. Such a relief to be in a comfy bra.

Get thee shopping!! You will feel so much better and more comfy. :)

I havent got much tbh (36w) but what I have got gets good use!

Tops x 3 - Mamas and Papas
Jeans x 1 - Mamas and Papas (had to take them up but was not a problem!)
Dresses x 2 - ASOS (via ebay), I also have a few maxi / lose fitted dresses from pre-pregnancy which work fine.
Coat x 1 - Non Maternity, Next - via ebay! At £5 was a bargin!

Love some of designer stuff but really can't justify it!

Thank you Zara!!!
I will most certainly get shopping this weekend, I'm not a massively appearance obsessed person but I have started to feel really depressed as I put on the only trousers and only three t shirts that I feel confortable in yet another day running... I feel I need a bit of a lift, not to mention a bit of draping to disguise my bloat... Great advice thank you, especially re H&M trouser thingies. Will have browse on Saturday morning... Joy!!!

Emerald - you will probably feel much better just for having something you look good in again.

Took me at least half an hour to get dressed for work this morning as everything looked or felt awful on! Off to John Lewis this evening after work to investigate...

This seems like a great thread. I'm searching (in vain?) for short maternity leggings. I checked the Mon Prix website after seeing it on this thread. They have a 3/4 leggings but the waist looks uncomfortable. Anyone bought these or tried them on? Any shorties like me who've bought long 3/4 leggings - would this work? The other problem is I have to order online and have no way of trying them out beforehand. Would very much appreciate some sharing of experience!

BonaDea - I think you're right... it can be depressing to feel you've entirely lost your mojo (at least, whatever mojo I may once have had). Bad enough that I've been feeling so wretched for the past 6 weeks ever since the near-permanent nausea kicked in, but I don't think I can carry on looking such a fright, too.
Am happily planning a mini spree this w/e. Haven't shopped in 12 weeks (a miracle for me) and getting itchy fingers again now I'm letting myself think about it...

You've described my problem precisely there. I'm away to get a pair of trousers & a skirt tomorrow if I can