Maternity wear

[Slug]

Does anyone know where I can get a nice maternity dress to wear to my wedding in July? I'll be 6 months pregnant by then, and I was never a small girl to start with, though morning sickness has done wonders for that so far. I'm not too keen on any traditional wedding gear,(please, no meringues) I quite fancy green actually but so far I can find nothing at all.

[Tigger]

Try Next, they do really nice Maternity wear, without looking like a walking meringue or a Rousos lookalike!

[Suew]

Slug, any chance you can get someone to make something? There was a piece in one of the sundays before I left the UK about dressmakers around the country and although some were horrifically priced, others were very reasonable.

I'm not exactly slim myself and sometimes I wish I were less reluctant to admit to my size and get my fantastically-talented-with-a-sewing-machine mother to make me a wardrobe! I think the last time she measured me for a dress my hips were about 34 inches. Now I dream about that!!!!!

[Kate71]

Slug I agree about Next. If you have a 'designer outlet'with a Next to Nothing near you could get some real bargins as they usually have a maternity section. I bought some 'normal' draw string trousers there that lasted all 9 months.
I found I could wear 'normal' clothes just bigger sizes. I borrowed a couple of my Mum's shirts for work!
Have a great day.

[Ems]

Depends on how big your bump is Slug and whether you really need maternity wear or bigger clothes; Monsoon do some lovely things that could hide a bump and lovely accessories to go with it, little bags, flowers for your hair, jewellery etc. Pretty little one dresses - are you having flower girls/bridesmaids?

Blooming Marvellous have some pretty coloured things this season (sorry cant find number).

Expensive is FORMES, in Guildford and London, think they do mail order. (again no number, long time since I was wearing these!) Hope this helps.

[Jac]

Blooming marvellous have branches in Bath, Chester, Cobham, London, St Albans, Winchester and a clearance shop in Cockfosters. Web site is www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk

Have a wonderful day.

[Emmagee]

Ghost? Floaty dresses and elasticated waists? but pricey

[Croppy]

I'm a huge fan of Ghost for maternity wear. I found it the most comfortable and the most flattering right through until the end. They have some lovely stuff for weddings. It is pricey but they do have good sales (usually 50% off). Also, of course you can still wear it when you're not pregnant and it is also timeless so lasts forever.

[Spring]

Where is 'Ghost'? Do they have a catalogue/mail order

[Pj]

I married last year, nearly 8 months pregnant and huge with it. I found an outfit in Formes, London. It was a really nice tobacco coloured strappy dress with matching longline jacket. I searched verywhere before Formes butit was the only place I found something suitable and huge! There is a website you can look at if the thought of rushing around puts you off Formes.co.uk I thikn. Best of luck

[Lil]

theres an outlet for Ghost in Matches in Richmond, if you live near there. I must own up to a floaty pink number - not normally my style but bright colours for a change!

[Croppy]

Ghost is in Selfridges, Harvey Nicks and also has a number of stand-alone stores in London. The website ghost.co.uk gives details of other stockists and also the limited mail-order service. They have lovely colours at the mo (yep guess who took the opportunity of their husband being in the states to indulge in some SERIOUS retail therapy at the weekend).

[Cos]

Slug are you near nottingham?
there is a great maternity shop/hire shop . I found a great maternity evening dress there which has been passed on to many friends but they also do lovely dressy daywear

[Spring]

Cos, I'm in Nottingham!! Where is this maternity shop????? This is making me think, after I get made redundant this might be an idea for a small business..............

[Slug]

Thanks everybody, I spent a lovely day in ghost yesterday marvelling at how their size 14 dresses stretched over my size 18 frame making me look pregnant and sexy at the same time. Worth the money as I'll be able to wear it after the bump has gone.

[Croppy]

You won't regret it Slug! Their clothes are fab and you never get bored of them...

[Bugsy]

Slug, I went to a very posh wedding when I was 7.5 months pregnant and I wore a long bias cut velvet dress which I bought in Debenhams. It was not maternity but because it was bias cut it drapped itself around my bump without any problem. I got loads of compliments, which I'm hoping were genuine, and everyone said how nice it was to see someone pregnant not wearing a tent.
I hope you find something lovely and have a great day.

[Sml]

Slug, that recommendation for Ghost is irresistable!

[Bugsy]

OK, so can all you mums out there who have been pregnant through winter tell me what you did about coats. My last pregnancy was during the searing heat of summer '99 and I have had to buy almost an entire wardrobe of winter stuff for this pregnancy. However, I cannot bear the thought of having to cough up for a winter coat. Yet, I'm going to have to wear something as any day now my current coat is going to burst at the seams!!
Any top tips???

[Ems]

Bugsy, I felt so overheated most of the time, I never really needed a 'full-time' coat. If I went out I had a fantastic maternity fleece jumper, bright red, with a big scarf and loads of layers and that did the trick. Cant remember where I got it, friend has it at the mo, but was somewhere like BM or Dotty P's.

[Inkpen]

Yes, menswear did me as well. You need a large husband/partner (brother? friend?) with a penchant for baggy clothes though ... Also fleeces and huge sweaters (had a great one from Long Tall Sally) with a coat open over them ... Mind you, I never had to look too respectable (as you can probably tell!)

[SueW]

I was only pregnant until December but I found that I didn't need a coat during the autumn months. I used to wear a hat and a thick sweater.

Even now, I tend to wear layers (long-sleeved t-shirts, covered by thick sweater, covered by body warmer/gilet) through the winter rather than a proper coat and we walk to school every day.

I wasn't in the UK last winter though and it's a long time since I remember a really cold winter.

[Dannie]

I bought a swing coat from Nicole Farhi while I was pregnant with ds, in the days when I had a proper salary and still went to shops. It's a bit too stylish to fit in with my current jeans wearing, buggy pushing, grocery toting persona, but I keep telling myself that one day soon I'll go back to wearing clothes I've selected for their look rather than their machine washability.