Where to find maternity ball dress?

[elliedragon]

I have to go to a black tie ball when I will be 5 months pregnant and as my tummy is already expanding I really don't think I will fit into my other one. Any ideas?

Some here (and doesn't look too hideously expensive).

lol at the hats at the bottom of the second page, though. Maternity hats...??

I went to a ball at 36 weeks and wore a seperate skirt & top - I reckoned being pg meant I could get away with being slightly less poshed up!! It's a lovely skirt though, got it in a maternity boutique in London (back in the days when I earnt money...).

ask local good dressmakers - i had something made when 5 months preg and it cost less than a good off the peg outfit!! or try that french boutique that does maternity stuff.......can't remember the name...will post it in a sec...

formes!! or www.IsabellaOliver.com

I got one from jojo maman bebe when I was pregnant and it was ok (only wore it once)

oh and I think there used to be a mumsnet discount for Jojo maman bebe

JackieNo love the hats.

I am a usual size 12 but have large bum so bias cuts are out. I thought maybe an empire line dress would be ok in a larger size, as long as the bump doesn't lift the length up and look silly.

There are a few nice full length maternity dresses here (scroll down for the long ones) but they are not cheap!!

And more here but still not cheap

Elliedragon, I had a lovely floaty empire line dress from Monsoon for a wedding I went to at 4 months (and tragically sat in some red paint so I had to bin it!) - maybe try there?

I'd go with a 'normal' dress with strech for being 5 months pg - you'll get away with it and it will show of your neat little bump beautifully! ANd you can keep it for another occaision - just buy a size bigger than you are now!

I went through all of the hoops on this one over the summer, as I got married at 5 months pregnant, and didn't want a conventional wedding dress.

I don't know if you're near London, but by far the nicest stuff I found came from La Conception in Battersea who had all sorts of nice dresses and weren't as pricey as some. (the shop has way more stuff than is on the website...)

But if I hadn't bought something from there, I was going to try this shower who have a fantastic range of maternity evening wear to hire - they send it out by post and have got some good labels. That might be the answer for you.

Not sure I want to ask how you managed to sit it red paint Kathy MCM! That reminds me of my poor mum at my brother's wedding. She wore this lovely cream suit which when she got out of the car had a massive reddy brown stain on the bum - from the indian takeaway that had leaked the night before - my mum handled it very well.

We went from the ceremony to the reception on a barge, Ellie, and I think the owner had spruced it all up in preparation and somehow had got some drips of red gloss (totally impossible to remove!) on a bench on the boat, which managed to get smeared all over the skirt in the course of the journey.
Good for your mum in taking it well! When I told one of the secretaries at work about it the next week she said, 'Well, anyone else would have cried and made a fuss, so it's just as well it happened to you,' which I thought was a lovely thing to say. (In any case I probably wouldn't have worn the dress again as empire line doesn't really suit me normally).

drusilla, your first link is to my friend's shop

i got good discounts when i was pg

Tutter - your friend has a fab shop! I bought some yoga pants and a wrap dress from there.

If your friend is the owner she is also very nice and friendly...

Phil - yes, she is the owner (one of two friends who own it together)

even with a discount i spent waaaay too much in there when i was pg