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Welcome to Mumsnet's shopping board. Whether you are after a new family car or a great new coffee machine this is the board for you. Share product recommendations and reviews here. Related: Discuss clothes and fashion on our Style and beauty forum. Check out Swears By to find the products Mumsnetters love and our reviews section to see the best baby and child products put through their paces.
Shopping
Crap maternity wear! Just for fun...
Lupe · 25/05/2004 15:53
So what's the worst maternity purchase you've made? Mine were the hideously overpriced Isabelle Oliver 'under the bump' trousers which a) cost about £45 b) are designed for giants - I'm about 5' 5" and had to take them up several inches (and because of the delicate material had to pay someone else to do it) c) have to be dried flat so they don't grow again! d) apart from the first 10 minutes after being washed work their way down my bum giving me an extremely unflattering baggy bum and crotch effect combined with knicker tops showing (and that includes hipster pants!) e) have a special 'pet hair' attracting feature.
I would personally like to unrecommend Isabelle Oliver!
Other bad buys include JoJo maman bebe under bump jeans (okay if you're standing up, no good for squatting, sitting etc unless you want to cut your circulation off!) and huge pair of H&M trousers in bright orange (Medium too small and I'm only a 10/12 in real life so went for Large which make me look like a brick s*house!, or a binman).
Best buys have mostly been from charity shops (just bigger clothes with stretchy waists) and various items that have absolutely nothing to do with maternity wear (pleated viscosey dresses that were bought years ago are fab). Oh and the odd maternity top from Debenhams - I always wait for their numerous sales and pick them up for a few quid (you wouldn't want to spend any more than that on them!).
Have never bought anything from Mothercare whose clothes are overpriced and grim!
Love to hear anyone else's anecdotes!
motherinferior · 25/05/2004 16:00
Blooming Marvellous 'under the bump' jeans which slid down constantly to be under bum without the P. Also a pair of green Jojo trousers which were supposed to 'expand with me' yet somehow managed ALWAYS to be too big (?)...
Best buys like yours were drawstring trousers/stretchy velour tops from charity shops.
I did have a pair of Jojo trousers I loved, despite the vile 'apron' in front, because they were black PVC and very unmotherly. DP was terribly keen on them too
Helsbels · 25/05/2004 16:05
Top from M&S that I thought looked lovely until I saw a photo of myself!!
Best buy a pair of white cropped jeans from Dorothy P's and some M&S maternity knickers. All these things bought for 1st pg in 2001. This times best buys include jeans from H&M, worse include a stretchy vest top from Verbaudet that just looks vile
bundle · 25/05/2004 16:07
best were formes trousers, black slightly cropped, pricey but worth every penny.
worst top shop side-fastening (japanesey style) top thought it looked good for during/post preg, but hardly wore it as it's fiddly.
woodpops · 25/05/2004 16:31
Why do all of these clothes shops think you loose your sense of style because you're pregnant. It's virtually impossible to be pregnant and have fashionable clothes. You may as well hybernate for 9 months!!!
littlemissbossy · 25/05/2004 16:47
Worst buy - 2 pairs of maternity stretchy front trousers from Next, still too big at the end of my pregnancy (and I wasn't small I can assure you!!) Best buy - black dress and 3/4 sleeved cardy from Dorothy Perkins
gingernut · 25/05/2004 23:19
Worst buy - a pair of cotton twill trousers from JJMB which SHRANK - not good when you're getting bigger every day!
Best buys - elasticated waist trousers from DP's (not maternity) which were supremely comfy and lasted till I was about 28 weeks (which saw me nicely through the summer) and a lovely notch neck T-shirt from the John Lewis maternity range which sadly seems to have been discontinued. It was my fave top because it wasn't a huge tent but also wasn't skin tight.
kalex · 25/05/2004 23:22
Nest buy, M&S maty pants,, finally pants that did not roll down my bump, and it was huuuuuge
fairyprincess · 26/05/2004 00:26
Best buys h&m, c&A and formes. My formes tops & tousers lasted 3 pregnacies but I grew out of the tousers at 7/8 months!! H&M great as price good so could get a variety of outfits and also C&A which has a super selection.
fairyprincess · 26/05/2004 00:27
Also Laura Ashley extra large size - shirts and jumpers.
toddlerbob · 26/05/2004 02:02
A shiny pair of jeans which just rolled down my bump the whole time. Lovely if you stood still though.
Lupe · 26/05/2004 09:21
looks like 'under the bump' should be renamed 'under the bum' as that's where they all seem to want to end up!
And can someone please enlighten me as to what 'maternity knickers' are for? Am I the only person whose pants still fit?!
geekgrrl · 26/05/2004 09:47
everything I ever bought from Formes - didn't even last through one pregnancy and cost a bloody fortune. Mothercare stuff - several tops fell apart in the first wash (at least they had the decency to give me my money back)
Best was a JMB breastfeeding dress that looks good both during and after pregnancy and is very practical.
katzguk · 26/05/2004 10:01
worst buy during pregnancy....huge tiedie dress which made me look like a giant tent person!!
best buys during pregnancy...mothercare 'washed out' jeans, very trendy looking
worst buy for breastfeeding....cross-over top, was told were great for breastfeeding, the feeding part yes but unfourtuneatly you expose everthing whilst doing it not good during a registry office wedding when your sat at the front wtach mil getting married!!
marialuisa · 26/05/2004 10:04
Worst buy: a pair of gorgeous wool trousers from Prenatal. They were beautifully cut etc, but despite following the sizing guidelines they were always miles too big.
Best buy: black trousers from Benetton,think they were meant to be "under bump" but kind of rested on it and fitted well as normal trousers too. Sadly DH put them in the washing machine and ruined them.
SoupDragon · 26/05/2004 10:05
Worst buy - blooming marvellous pregnancy/breastfeeding shirt. Yes, it fitted me whilst pregnant but I lost 2 stone in less than a week when I had DS1 and it was huuuuuge!
dinosaur · 26/05/2004 10:17
This reply has been withdrawn
This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.
SamN · 01/06/2004 23:08
Worst buys - a pair of drawstring trousers from NEXT that I thought would be great in the hot months, but whatever they used for the drawstring rubbed on my back terribly. Plus some cord trousers from JoJoMamanBebe that fell apart after about 3 days wear (but I did manage to get a refund for those). Oh, and some tent-like breastfeeding shirts with fiddly buttons on the flaps - so much trickier than just lifting up my t-shirt.
Best buys - currently a pair of Formes jeans that I picked up for a fiver in a secondhand shop!! Oh, and a Monsoon dress - not maternity, needless to say, but has fitted around my bump up to about 6 mths pregnant. I bought it for a wedding last time I was pregnant and have worn to at least four other smart 'do's since.
Sam
eidsvold · 02/06/2004 11:33
best buy - george from asda - over the bump jeans - sooo comfy and great fit - grand price of £10. george - £6 for 2 tshirts for around the house. three quarter trousers from George also £10 - all of that for less than a pair of trousers that I got from mothercare - which were returned as they were horrible - just did not fit properly. Did get some lovely track pants from mothercare to wear on the plane ( fly to Aus) fit wonderful and feel wonderful. However - must have been made for a giant - not too short but still had to take them up a few inches.
worst buy - can't say I can think of any - last time just bought elasticated waisted skirts for work and some tops in a size or two larger.
CountessDracula · 02/06/2004 11:47
Worst buy - anything from mothercare awful except one black and white sleeveless shirt which was great.
Best buy - flowery skirt and pink tshirt from blooming marv. Very nice and lasted right to the end
Black H&M trousers.
LIZS · 02/06/2004 11:56
Worst buy a lilac jersey dress I bought from Next Maternity to wear to a Christening at 6 months pregnant. Was overly long and despite being a small and petite (normally a medium fits) and was still a tent at full term so never got worn and too late to return it. Also had C and A over the bump trousers from 1st time and they itched like hell.
marthamoo · 02/06/2004 12:35
Worst buy - and I'm embarrassed to admit this - was a white body that I bought on a whim in Mothercare (it was reduced). Bodies are an invention of the devil anyway (OK, I know it was Donna Karan really) and most people with any sense stopped wearing them in the 80s anyway. Ever tried reaching round an enormous bump to fasten crotch poppers? What was I thinking?!
Best buy, Blooming Marvellous overbump bootcut jeans - wore them to death.
Other worst buy - flowery skirt, lilac knitted camisole top with a pretty beaded edge and matching cardi from Blooming Marvellous. Had a wedding to go to whne I was 20 wks pregnant. And OK, I liked it, and OK I looked nice - but £120 for an outfit I wore once and will never wear again? Grrrrr.
slug · 02/06/2004 14:23
Best buys were: Pair of dungaree denim shorts which I STILL wear even though the sluglet is 2. DH says I look like a pregnant Lesbian in them but I don't care because they are COMFORTABLE!!!
My black, stretchy see through lace dress from Ghost which I wore to my wedding because I was very pregnant and very proud of it.
A black hooded sleeveless top thingy from M&S which was long enough to wear as a dress, or over trousers. It was wonderful as it hid all those trouser over/under the bump and tops too short problems. It has since graced the wardrobes of at least 3 other women.
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