Maternity wear

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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.

I seem to be in a similar fashion crisis. I'm 15 weeks with no.2 and am wearing my jeans held together with a hair bobble. I ordered a couple of things from Next but they had to go back as they seem to think when you are pg you also turn into a heffer! My other problem is I'm petite (5ft,3in; size 8/10) so even harder. I didn't have this problem with no.1 as I worked full-time but now my uniform is jeans or cargo pants and trainers. It's now getting uncomfortable and embarrassing! I went into M&S the other day and, knowing that they no longer do maternity, asked the sales assistant to direct me to something which might be suitable. All she could produce were a pair of M&S finest polyester, elastic waist old-lady trousers and then told me she wore leggings through her pgs. No offence but I'm not really a legging type girl - prefer to be a bit more funky than that. Am rapidly coming to the conclusion that sweatpants will be worn on birthday, christmas, new year etc! Any ideas - have yet to try Mothercare, H&M etc, but fear everything will be too long and drown me. I want to start showing off my growing bump but not via open flies and hair bobbles

Tigerfeet, you have my sympathies re the fitting problem - being tall I had the opposite problem though with trousers swinging round my ankles!

tigerfeet, I'm 5'3" (but more like a size 14 than 8/10!) and bought some trousers last time around from Formes which were the perfect length & didn't have too much fabric to 'drown' me in during the earlier months (I'm still trying to get them back off someone I lent them to after pregnancy - grrrr) they were £60 so not cheap but i literally wore them nearly every day. they were tapered, black trousers with a little slit at the side seam. nothing flash but you could dress up/down and were very comfy. I'm 15 weeks this week - my due date is 8 april!

Tigerfeet - Dorothy Perkins do black trousers with an elasticated waist that come in different lengths, which could be a bit more funky for you!

Tigerfeet, I am a short size 10 - you sound a bit skinnier than me, but here are my experiences. H&M come up narrow but long (so you will have to take them up). Vertbaudet are quite "small" fitting. Jojo Maman bebe weren't bad, they are quite adjustable. Forme if you are feeling rich - I actually found them a bit small around the bump after a certain amount of time. Mothercare are very big, I found Dorothy Perkins also quite large. Blooming Marvellous are biggish, esp in the hips, but come in a size 8, and also have a short length pair of bootlegs which I lived in - almost every other pair of trousers will need taking up if you are petite. Also saw a kind of belt gadget which you can attach to your old jeans - you can get it at PHP and Grobag. But remember you will get bigger - what seems huge now will be just right by 38wks!

At least you have the option of taking things up (growl growl, rant rant ))

Blooming Marvellous seemed to offer some trousers in short, regular and sometimes even long lengths but I actually found them a bit snug fitting late on in pregnancy compared to, say H&M which I didn't find narrow at all!!?? You'll learn nothing from this thread if you take all our advice Mothercare were just ugh - apart from some really nice PJs I got from there. Never tried DP trousers (only regular lengths I think) but tops were good. Debenhams has a very limited range of maternity things.

Drawstring trousers in a size or two up were useful - I got mine from Monsoon which isn't much use if you're on the shorter side as they all seem nice and long. Low waisted/hipster trousers may fit for a bit longer and I found that stretch denim jeans in a size larger than normal did me up to about 5 months. Both these were also great after the birth for the Fat Months.

Just remember - once you become pregnant, all sense of fashion disappears from you rbrain and you fuind stretch crimplene sezy. At least, that's the impresioniI gt from Maternity ranges.

I am sure you have seen them, but I got a hold of - I know I will describe it badly - basically elastic with a button on one end and button hole on the other, with different coloured panels to tuck into to your 'normal' clothes.

Worked well in that too fat for clothes but too small for maternity. Got it through a mail order place, will try to find which one. It was only £10, and would recommend to anyone.

Hope this helps

Tigerfeet, snap! I am 5'4" and a size 8/10 and find it hard for clothes too. Blooming Marvellous, even 8, swamped me but their tops are OK. DP's were OK and I wore quite a lot of normal clothes which had drawstring waist and bought one pair one size up which lasted me until past 5 months. After that I got a pair of Formes trousers which I wore to death.
I'm 15 weeks and my Formes catalogue just arrived this morning and has several pages turned back! It's so expensive though so have to cut it down to maybe 2 pairs of really good trousers. Formes are online, www.formes.co.uk, where you can order the catalogue too. To me they are worth investing in one good pair of trousers but you are talking about £60, which is steep.

hi i got this great smock type of top in lovely cotton in wallis it was the last place i would have looked for tops i will be wearing leggens or trousers now as the weather has got cold and i needed tops but i find all the tops realy short i dont like shirts hecause of my expanding bust how ever big they are they always gap at the bust i got some trousers in next and normaly i am a size 14-16 and i have given up looking for clothes to fit before i got pg there clothes stop at size 12 well they seem to think that you a huge i got a size14 in there trousers and you could fit two people in it and i am fat it madness

I think Formes has a discount shop at outlet village, Cheshire Oaks. It may be worth finding out if there is something similar in your area. I know these designer villages are cropping up everywhere now. Next to Nothing also had maternity clothes. Wish I'd known I was going to get pg again when we were over there. Going to have to organise another shopping trip now

Tigerfeet - I found John Lewis maternity clothes good - nearly normal looking trousers with stretch panels at the sides - I am only 5ft2 and found Next and DP too big - Formes was also good but a bit pricey - good for a few basic items

Joy and rapture - I bought a pair of jeans today from DP. They have a normal fly with elastic at the back and adjustable elastic/buttons inside. I decided to give up on their short as it looked like my cat had died so went for standard and in heeled boots its ok. Maybe my legs are longer than I thought yippee! I can now put my other jeans to pasture until next year and the hair bobbles can go back to their original purpose!

Good idea about Next to Nothing. We have one in West Lothian so I might take a wee drive out there tomorrow!

Can anyone suggest maternity clothes shops in Bath, apart from Blooming Marvellous, which I already know is there. I'm looking for a smart shift dress with matching knee length jacket for a couple of very posh work dos. Am 18 weeks, and but have tried next size up option in normal clothes and I just look awful - all hips and stomach sticking out. BM did have this dress/jacket combo last summer but not sure if they are doing it now hence advice from Mums-to- be in Bath or surrounds for suggestions of anywhere else. Will obviously phone BM anyway to see if worth making trip. I actually live in London but my only shopping opportunity before the first do is this weekend and I'm going to be in Dorset/Somerset on holiday. Thanks!

Dorothy Perkins do a reasonable maternity range. I got an outfit at 20wks pg from Monsoon though which was fine. I don't think they're any other "just" maternity wear shops in Bath? Good Luck.

I second the monsoon recommendation, I wore an elasticated waist skirt and a linen 'peasant' top from there all the way through my pg.

You could try Hennes in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, depends whereabouts in Dorset/Somerset you are.

Do you have an East - I got lots of normal clothes with elasticated waists that lasted me until about 7 1/2 months. Otherwise try BM online - just order lots to try on, its free postage for returns

thank you everyone

thank you everyone