Isabella Oliver - can anyone tell me about sizing?

[electra]

Usually I'm a size 6-8. I am nearly 28 weeks and finally gong to have to buy some maternity clothes! Would I be a size 0,1 or 2? I don't know whether the clothes are generous or otherwise!

Also anyone have a view on their IO jeans as they are so expensive...

Electra, IO is quite expensive; as you are only getting round to buying clothes now as you'll won't really be getting much value out of buying their stuff. Because of work I needed to start buying mat clothes at 16 weeks, for example I wore an IO tunic (£100) nearly every day for five months.
If I were you I'd go for New Look or even ASOS. Next is good so is Seraphine (if you want to spend more go for Serphaine they have good work wear). On sizing IO clothes are quite generous, I'm a 10 and wore a size 1. Congrats too by the wayx

I wore one of their turtle neck tops for both pregnancies (and after )-- it was really good quality. One of their skirts was, um, pants! The a line is dreadful quality.

Seraphine is good.

Thanks both of you! Yes LA, I do agree - very expensive for less than 3 months wear... ASOS, of course! Had forgotten about them - thanks! I actually wanted a cardigan type thing from IO which looks as if I could wear it afterwards - but maybe it will be far too big.

I treated myself to a couple of things from IO when 28 weeks, and don't regret at all - especially beautiful Wrap Column dress for a friends' winter wedding.

The sizing is generous though - I'm a size 12 and bought size 3; my Mum had to take in my dress around the bust (didn't have time to return it before the wedding) and I'm currently 36F!

Totally worth EVERY penny for all the compliments I got though, and for just once feeling a little teeny bit like Angelina Jolie glowing in pregnancy.

NB. IO clothes seem to have a high resale value on eBay too - usually 50% - 70% of original cost I've found.

Thanks Katie - I did notice the resale value is very good on ebay

I am a size 10 - 12. I bought IO jeans in a size 2 and it has been a disaster. They fall down ALL the time. Because I hardly ever wear them I should get good resale on ebay though. I also have the over bump style in a some trousers, which are much much better.

I have 3 of their tops and two dresses - bought early on 20 weeks ish so I could get max value. They have been fantastic and I hope, because the dresses are a wrap style I'll be able to wear them after, so good value IMO. I haven't bought any other mat clothes (bar two pairs of trousers from H&M) and got the IO things with a sale so I think I've spent wisely - but as another poster said, not worth buying IO late on in pregnancy unless you are planning on being pg again some time or happy to sell on ebay.

I wonder what the IO range will be like for non pg women? It comes out soon.

Thanks pluto - just seen this I'm really tempted to get the jeans because I'm getting frustrated and they are the only maternity jeans I've seen that look stylish. But they are so much money I don't know that I could justify the cost (crikey you can tell I'm taking my medication! )

So far I have made do with leggings and a nice poncho from Topshop which is not maternity. I also have an IO top in a 0 which seems to fit right. Usually I wear skinny jeans but I don't think skinny jeans is really a look I want to try to carry off with a bump!

I had some black stretchy trousers from them a few years ago. They were ridiculously long so I had to have them turned up and then they fell down all the time - they were made of that special lycra-y stuff that only fits for about five seconds after it comes out of the wash and then just streeetches

oh no! I'm still getting away with ordinary Topshop ones but tbh, not sure if that will be for much longer!

I found the trousers and skirts were really small for the sizing. Non-pregnant me is a size 10, and I couldn't get into the skirts or trousers, even though equivalent sizes in other ranges were fine (and I can still fit my legs and bottom into my pre-pregnancy jeans, well I could at 30 weeks anyway).

Not only that, the skirt I ordered didn't even seem to be cut for maternity wear - held it up in the office and none of us could see where the bump was meant to fit! Just looked like a normal skirt. And not great quality for the price either.

Having said that, I bought two long-sleeved ruched tops, which have been fantastic.

hello, i am a size 6-8 and have found that size 0 seems to fit best - 1 was too big.
I got their tailored trousers, pencil skirt and bracelet portrait top and they have all been good quality and fit really well. Tempted to get some more items before their sale ends on Sunday!

Thanks, everyone. I did try to buy a coat from there - I think it was a kimono wrap. On the model it looked fab but kind of swamped me and did not look as stylish, so I sent that back. I'm hoping the jeans will look better.

I think it is important in pregnancy not to lose your usual style because it just paves the way for losing your identity when the baby is born - I've learned from it!

I have noticed that Isabella Oliver do a great job with their packaging, and send Molton Brown stuff too.....if that is important!

Well I think the IO jeans are lovely - they don't look like maternity jeans at all.

I've bought several items from IO - coat, hooded jumper, work shirt and skirt, couple of camis. I've thought they were great - delivered quickly, refunded/exchanged quickly if necessary, good quality fabrics, nice designs etc.

Sizing - I haven't found it skimpy. In fact I had to change a couple of items for smaller.

On pricing: I've come to the conclusion that it depends how much you'd spend on clothes in RL, really. If you like TopShop, for example, then IO comes out pricier, like the comparison between Top Shop and Whistles, say.

I agree with you Electra - good to look stylish! That's my motto too!