Affordable high street maternity clothes at the moment are drab and awful

[openerofjars]

I don't need many sequins or day glo but I'm trying to find something to wear for a couple of meals out and a work evening do, and I've been reduced to buying a very, very ordinary black lace panel tshirt from Next which I'll probably end up wearing it with jeans or black trousers. Again. Boring boring boring. Dull.

All I want is a shift dress or similar, with sleeves, that isn't a knitted dress or glorified tshirt, and I don't want to pay squillions of pounds for it. I just want to look nice and festively glam, without looking like I'm either about to take the bins out or host the Oscars.

I'm only just starting to show, as well, so shaped bodycon looks weird. And I'm 34 so want to look like a grownup.

Too much ask?

Have you check ASOS.com? I used it to find a dress fir a wedding Shen I was breastfeeding. They have quite a lot of nice maternity and nursing wear. mamalicious is one brand they carry that do nice, not horribly expensive dresses. Check the sale section too!

How about this one:

www.newlook.com/shop/womens/maternity/mamalicious-silky-top-jersey-dress_235826750

Sorry: www.newlook.com/shop/womens/maternity/mamalicious-silky-top-jersey-dress_235826750

or this

Mmm, not really what I was after...

I think I want something with a bit of sparkle if I can get it. You know when you've looked at too much and you've lost the plot a bit?

I'm stalking a couple of dresses on eBay and probably just need to face up to the idea that I don't really have a smart option for a bit. Not usually a problem as I normally live in jeans, but it'd be nice not to have to on a night out, you know?

I will probably take the top back to Next as well at this rate, grumble grumble.

Thanks for your help!

You would not be living in either France, Belgium or Luxembourg, by any chance?
This website has lovely stuff but it does not deliver to the UK...

I wish! No, I am in Blighty.

Plain black shift

sparkly

embellished

lace

Hey OP, have you tried topshop.com? They have a good selection of maternity dresses you could accessorise to dress them up for the festivities. They seem to get new stock every week so worth keeping an eye out.

Have you also tried non-maternity 20s/ flapper-style dresses with no waist? I got a fab black silk dress from Zara in this style that has seen me through from no bump to 8.5 months so far. Still fits!

Finally another shout for asos which has quite a good selection.

Happy shopping

All good ideas, will keep looking. I know the shops can't have as much stuff in the maternity ranges as in the rest of the ranges but I don't see why it all has to be black, navy, grey or beige. Or sweatpants.

I think I might have been into too many shops with too little blood sugar in my system today...

By the way, has Dorothy Perkins entirely stopped having maternity gear in its shops? Not one of the Sheffield shops has a maternity range and I like trying stuff on, especially with a weird podgy changing shape.

Jojo's has a few nice ones last year when I was pregnant. For a black tie event I went to I chose a H&M dress in a size bigger but since I was 8 months pg it was quite obvious. Earlier in my pregnancy (4-6mo) when I wanted to make sure I looked pregnant I wore empire line tops and dresses to emphasise my bump.

I have just ordered a black lace maternity dress from peacocks.
www.peacocks.co.uk/product/index.jsp?productId=5489951&prodFindSrc=paramNav

prefer a coloured dress but this one was £17.50 so couldn't resist

I really liked this one from Marks & Sparks but they were already out of stock on my size, but they might still have yours. I am also looking for something a bit sparkly for Christmas, the serach goes on...

oh and the link would help: www.marksandspencer.com/Short-Sleeve-Sequin-Embellished-Jersey/dp/B005FU1YRI?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_42&nodeId=533512031&sr=1-42&qid=1322679795

Well, I got this but I may take it back if I can find e Peacocks one! Thank you all for your brilliant ideas.

Ebay, Ebay! I got a sea-green floor-length beaded dress from there for £10 when I was pregnant, and sold it on for more than I'd paid for it after I had the baby.