Good maternity clothing?

[esgill]

I have been looking in some high street shops (well, I looked the one day I didn't feel sick) and didn't find much. I don't want to go crazy buying, I'd rather keep things minimalist, but some functional clothing e.g leggings would be lovely. I'm only 8 weeks in but already feel so bloated and uncomfortable in my current clothing...

There’s barely anything in any high street shops anymore. For leggings I’d highly recommend love leggings, they’re online but the only ones I didn’t find end up see through.

If you don't want to splash out ridiculous amount of money I suggest Shein. I have ordered some leggings, trousers and jeans, all good quality 5 pairs for under £50. I'm only 12 weeks so don't need much, but will be definitely ordering some tops and dresses on Shein when needed. I checked love leggings, but £22 a pair of cotton plain leggings is a bit over the top, you get better choice on Shein.

Please don’t buy off Shein their workers had no defined working hours, one day off per month and worked 18 hour days earning just 3p for each garment produced.
They’ve also been taken to court time and time again for ripping young designers off.
ASOS isn’t the most amazing either but scores significantly better than Shein across the board for workers rights, sustainability, D&I etc.
They also have a wide range of affordable maternity wear.

If you aren’t tight on budget try
www.uk.isabellaoliver.com/collections/outlet?page=2

@firsttimelondonmummy if it bothers you don't buy on Shein. I personally don't really care and I bet most people look at cost v quality those days, when everything gets so expensive. Besides all high street chain clothes are made in China anyway, so doesn't make difference.

@Moni81 that’s a very ignorant comment that simply isn’t true.
I’d advise you to read the fashion index and have a simple google as you can find in depth reports on all of the high street brands (they differ significantly).
You’ll also find most people do actually care about other humans being exploited.
Even if you personally lack empathy for others you should consider the world you are bringing your child into.
Shein’s carbon footprint is a disgrace and the pollution they cause is obscene.
Also if we are talking cost vs quality the pieces that are double the price also last twice as long because of the quality of the garment.
Fast fashion never saves you money in the long run.

@firsttimelondonmummy I guess we are generations apart and I different outlook on life. We can disagree which is completely fine but I would appreciate you refrain from such judgemental generalised comments. Talking quality, as mum of 2 teenage daughters I buy on Shein a lot, quality is very good and it's much easier to pick up good items than via other online retailers, as there are lots of reviews and photos. I also buy more expensive items, as I'm used to certain brands when it comes to coats, shoes, lingerie. I often buy joules, white stuff, Next, M&S, Adidas, Nike, victoria secret....but I do it wisely and always get good deals. I'm just smart about money and no I'm not poor I just grew up to respect value of money...as I said different generation.

I would keep it to a few keys pieces rather than buying loads of crap from cheap brands, particularly if this is baby number 1. Spanx maternity leggings are amazing. High quality, thick and supportive, not see through, wash really well and you'll use them post pregnancy too.

@Moni81 it’s not a generalised comments you literally wrote ‘I personally don't really care’.
Shein is a disgusting business and supporting it supports horrific labour practices and environmental pollution.
Fashion is actually one of the largest polluting industries globally.
I would never support a company that has such abhorrent practices to save a few quid.
I’d rather shop with my conscious and save in other areas that aren’t as socially and environmentally negative.

@firsttimelondonmummy Just because I don't care about all third world country problems doesn't mean I have no empathy for people in general. I'm sorry but I have no time for some woke lefty preaching, you should find appropriate platform to perform this kind of activism. Attacking women on Mumsnet is not going to take you far in that matter.

Completely agree with other comments on here; I would avoid fast fashion as much as possible. Frugi are a good brand, they use organic cotton so no nasty microplastics, and have a much better sustainability rating - I've been getting some of their stuff secondhand on Vinted.

Loads of people will say to you ‘oh just make do and get a few bits’ but I find that’s a bit of a false economy as I just ended up uncomfortable towards the end and bought a few extras but then only got a few weeks wear out of them.

Loads of people recommended Love Leggings to me and at first I loved mine but a few months of wear in now and I have found they’ve not washed well at all. I liked the jeggings I got from them though.

Buy some maternity pjs - again I bought pjs a few sizes up from primark but now they don’t fit me either and I wish I’d just bought a few pairs of maternity pjs.

I love this dress, it’s super comfy and looks nice - www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/knitwear/maternity-black-stripe-ribbed-knit-long-sleeve-midi-dress/p/849596309

I like these too - www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0946613006.html and have been able to wear lots of my normal jumpers etc with those

Comfy sets like this are good for just round the house/pj substitutes

www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1085849002.html

h and m also have some jumpers with slits up the side so they kind of expand with your bump and could still wear them after.

For work I’ve lived in jumper dress type things but possibly getting a bit warm for that. Not maternity ones - but they’ve stretched nicely.

These trousers have been brilliant for work - www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/trousers/maternity-black-zip-over-bump-slim-long-trousers/p/803503901

Cotton/slightly stretch midi dresses have been good too, this sort of thing - direct.asda.com/george/women/dresses/floral-print-jersey-midi-dress/GEM1007795,default,pd.html?cgid=D1M1G20C1

direct.asda.com/george/women/dresses/black-button-up-midi-dress/GEM1008186,default,pd.html?cgid=D1M1G20C1

Asda, new look etc all do maternity ranges but it’s online. The h and m and primark in our local city had small maternity ranges in store

Lastly get yourself some knickers, I got some big full size briefs from M and s a couple of sizes up. I also like these as they are really comfy and gave my bump a nice round shape in the early days haha Gratlin Women's Seamless Pregnancy Shapewear High Waist Shorts Mid-Thigh Underwear amzn.eu/d/b76fbv5

Ive found it’s a bit mix and match, some stuff you’ll order and hate and some stuff will be great, you just have to accept that it’s a case of ordering bits online and trying them. I do love Vinted and got a gorgeous maternity black pinafore that I’ve lived in, but I also got a couple of maternity jumpers that I didn’t like really and then I’m stuck with them so it’s hit and miss.

@AnotherStory23 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@Moni81 I can’t ever imagine being so wrapped up in my own small word like that.
You never know when poverty will land on your doorstep and I hope if it ever does people don’t turn their nose up at you like you do at people struggling in the third world.
You don’t have to be a ‘woke lefty’ to care about the world your kids are growing up in and to set a good example for them.
As for your far fetched activism comment most people I know don’t see improving their personal carbon footprint and caring about those in poverty as activism they see it as common sense and having empathy for others who haven’t had the same opportunities they have had.

Why people buy Shein and other similarly shitty brands when there's so much choice in the UK is beyond me. I second Vinted for maternity clothes. It's a much better cost-benefit option for clothes you'll probably only wear for a few months in your life. I already buy most of my clothes second hand, mostly from Vinted but also charity shops. Have found great quality, durable and unique pieces throughout the years that I simply wouldn't have found in cheap fast fashion retailers or couldn't afford new in upmarket ones. It saves money and the environment, it's a win-win.

@LaVitesse2022 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Well said @firsttimelondonmummy ! Fast fashion is a false economy anyway so it doesn’t even make financial sense in the end. Definitely not woke leftie to see this.

I've got a few nice bits from Vinted too and keen to get more. Has anyone got any recomendations of good brands to search for? The general maternity clothes pages is just bringing up lots of primark, shein, boohoo etc that I would prefer to avoid, but I don't know what nice quality brands I should search for.

@Blueberrywitch @Gizzymac great to see the clear majority of mums/ mums to be don’t believe in fast fashion & do care about the implications it has on people’s livelihoods and the planet. 🙌🏻

@Gizzymac as silly as this sounds I always find google really helpful.
Search terms such as ‘sustainable maternity clothes uk’ and ‘planet conscious maternity brands uk’
The fashion index is also helpful in guiding you towards the better brands.

Thanks so much everyone. I would rather avoid fast fashion if I can help it, so Vinted, frugi and spanx all sound good. I usually keep a capsule wardrobe, so don't want to overdo buying anyway. Any other brands to search for?

@esgill 👏🏻
I do exactly the same ☺️

I've bought most, if not all, my maternity clothes on Vinted this time around. There are so many brand new items there, and the second hand clothes tend to be in good condition too from what I've seen, plus also it solves the issue of needing to know what shops sell maternity lines as they're all just in one place.

I search for Isabella Oliver or seraphina or JoJo mama Bebe on Vinted. They are good quality clothes that look nice and generally wear well over time. I buy second-hand and it keeps pricing cheeper than fast fashion. You can filter by brand so you are not endlessly scrolling to find the brands you want.

I'd highly recommend H&M's maternity wear, I have some second-hand and new and it's lasted really well. First pregnancy I lived in Germany and ordered some basics from Zalando (tops, dresses) which were great too: www.zalando.co.uk/maternity-clothes/

Gap used to have some decent maternity clothes but seems like there's less choice now than a few years ago, maybe still worth checking out tho. I ordered some stuff from Seraphine in the sale and was shocked at how poor the quality was so it got sent straight back and I went for H&M instead!

I found H&M quite good for well priced reasonable quality maternity stuff and also just brought some things like jumpers in bigger sizes.

Even if you don't care about the workers conditions I wouldn't buy from Shein and other direct from China sites as not all products meet EU standards and a significant number of products have been found to contain toxic chemicals. At least European brands should be better regulated even if working conditions are probably still not great in a lot of cases.

Beyond Nine for deliciously soft jumpsuits and Clary & Peg for dungarees.

beyondnine.co.uk/collections/jumpsuits

www.claryandpeg.co.uk/collections/all