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Too small for maternity clothes - what to wear? Help!

40 replies

CurrantBun · 23/10/2006 16:32

Spent a depressing day yesterday trawling Oxford Street looking for maternity clothes that might actually fit me. I'm 6 months pregnant and still very small (pre-pregnancy I was a UK size 4-6 and I'm only 5'1" tall which also makes life more awkward). I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes but they're all starting to get uncomfortable round the waist, although they fit fine everywhere else.

I was really demoralised by the lack of anything small enough to fit me. The only maternity range that even stocks a size 6 is TopShop, and I have to say that the selection in the Oxford Circus branch was terrible: hardly anything in my size, and what there was seemed to only come in a 34" length. Dorothy Perkins was hopeless (the smallest size is 8 and it drowned me) and likewise H&M. I'm getting really desperate - I can see myself having to come to work in my tracksuit bottoms at this rate!

Even online companies don't seem to go smaller than a size 8 and most start at a 32" leg length as well. Short of leaving all my trousers unbuttoned (which makes them stick out under jumpers) does anyone have any suggestions? I just wish Gap would ship to the UK - their sizes are perfect for me but sadly they don't stock maternity wear in their UK branches and online orders can only be delivered to the US.

GRRRRRRR!!! (Sorry, just needed to rant!)

OP posts:
TheBlonde · 23/10/2006 16:36

Did you look at Formes?

notasheep · 23/10/2006 16:37

Rather than buying maternity cant you buy bigger size clothing

SoupDragon · 23/10/2006 16:38

TopShop sell online but still may be too long.

KathyDCLXVI · 23/10/2006 16:43

Have you tried New Look? Not sure how small they go down to, but at least they're cheap....

Agree about the leg length - all my pregnancy trousers need to be turned up by about 8 inches (of course, being pg I'm wearing flats not heels) and when you cut this much off it ruins the line.

SoupDragon · 23/10/2006 16:44

I had the opposite leg length problem

How about Next?

SoupDragon · 23/10/2006 16:45

No, Next appear to only go down to an 8...

Ebay sometimes have Gap maternity for sale.

IdrisTheDragon · 23/10/2006 16:48

I've heard of some sort of extender thing that means you can wear your normal clothes. I'll try and find a link to it as that isn't a very good description .

LIZS · 23/10/2006 16:49

Benetton maternity ?

IdrisTheDragon · 23/10/2006 16:51

Here's a link to what I'm thinking of

Mercy · 23/10/2006 16:52

Try Reet Petite, shall I do a link for you?

geordiemacminx · 23/10/2006 16:53

ebay seems to have a few bits on in a size 6.. mainly jeans and the like, some GAP stuff as previously mentioned, p&p is about £8 but if you buy a few items from the same seller then they will probably combine the postage?

Mercy · 23/10/2006 16:53

Here you go Reet Petite

blueshoes · 23/10/2006 17:13

I am a size 6 pre-preg and 5'. Tops should be easier in that you can wear non-maternity tops provided they are loose and swingy. I've got one from New Look I wore almost all the time.

Must say Top Shop worked for me - maybe try again? This time round, I found dresses so much more practical and Top Shop has an excellent selection - at least when I was there 6 mths ago.

Trousers are a nightmare. I had only one, a non-pregnancy very stretchy black pair which I wore into the ground.

Indith · 23/10/2006 17:40

Hmmmm Topshop online may be the way to go but I found they size very big.... Trying to imagine the nightmare for you I find it hard enough at a size 8! All the Topshop stuff I found seems to think you need loads of room at the back aswell as the front! Have you tried looking at the tall sections in Topshop and DP for tops? Won't be any good for trousers etc but for tops it means you can buy your normal size so it fits properly over the shoulders etc but has the length to go over your bump.

orangina · 23/10/2006 18:02

seraphine and formes do clithes for teeny french women... both have websites, but are a bit more £££ than topshop...
otherwise, I would definitely go for gap maternity on amazon.com.... the us$ exchange rate is great, and most of the main sellers will ship to the UK. I did it last time, took my chances with what would fit/suit, and although I had to ditch about 1/3rd of what I cought, it was STILL good value....

orangina · 23/10/2006 18:03

sorry, meant to type CLOTHES....

orangina · 23/10/2006 18:03

and BOUGHT (will learn to check before I post...)

incy · 23/10/2006 18:56

I had the same problem last time and am pregnant again and so I can sympathise - I am a size 8 so your situation must be awful being smaller. Last time I was pregnant I just bought wrap skirts and dresses/floaty tops and bought a size bigger in the last three months - you may be able to get away with a top shop 8 in those last months. This time round I am buying some seven maternity jeans from e bay (which do come in a 6 - 25)and having them taken up and buying jumpers in the next size up. I know how depressing it is and so I sympathise - I would say if you put in a lot of work you may find bits and bobs - look forward to a big shopping spree next summer !

normalness · 23/10/2006 20:19

Go to NY to buy clothes! Or get things sent to a friend/friend of friend/relative of friend in the US who can send it on. I did this and got some v.nice things from GAP.

I also had loads of things made by a dressmaker the first time round - do you know anyone handy with a sewing machine? Or you could always buy some things and have them adjusted.

taffy101 · 23/10/2006 20:26

I sympathise completely - i'm 4 foot 10!!!
Some of next are ok lengthwise. I found petite fitting at funmum.com, but still ended up taking up a pair of trousers (we could have been blessed with sewing skills hey).
I seem to think H&M were ok too but it was summertime and I was mainly buying skirts so may not be so good for you.
Definitely try Ebay - if you buy something and its no good you probably didn't spend much and could resell it

CurrantBun · 24/10/2006 11:23

Gosh, lots of good suggestions here - thanks ladies! Have looked at Formes but they don't seem to go down that small and are quite pricey.

Am thinking of splashing out on a pair of 'designer' maternity jeans - found a shop called Push in Islington and emailed them, and some of the makes they stock (Seraphine and Juicy I think) go down small enough but only come in a standard 32" leg, so would have to be shortened. I don't know why, but jeans are the one item of clothing I hate to shorten as you lose the 'jeans hem' (even if you get the stitching done the same) and they look shortened, if that makes sense. But beggars can't be choosers I guess.

NotaSheep, I have tried on a few things just in a bigger size, but the problem with that is that although they fit round my bump (at the moment) they hang off my hips and bum as I'm no bigger anywhere else. There's also the not knowing how long something just a size or two bigger will last - if it's only a matter of weeks it's a bit of a false economy.

My mum is going to New York in two weeks' time so we're going to trawl the Gap website so she has some ideas on what to get me. Of course, there's a risk that stuff won't fit but I work with a couple of American academics who will no doubt be heading to the US at Christmas so I could maybe beg them to take stuff back that doesn't fit if need be (must tell my mum not to use her credit card). Didn't know you could order Gap stuff through Amazon - will look into that.

Indith, I found that with TopShop. I tried on some size 6 trousers (about the only pair they did actually have in a 6) and they really gaped at the back as well as being way too long. I've found the same trousers on their website in a 30" length so will order those - if they're a bit big round the waist I can always wear a belt for the time being. That's a great idea about looking in Tall sections for longer-length jumpers and tops - will try that, thanks.

I'm not a skirt/dress person at all, and I don't see why I should have to abandon trousers just because I'm pregnant. It'll only make me feel even more self-conscious if I'm forced to completely change my style and wear clothes I wouldn't normally choose, so I'd prefer to avoid that route if I can. I might go for an A-line knee-length skirt with long boots and a sweater, but that's as 'girly' as I get unless I'm going to a wedding or something.

Taffy, poor you - you must have even more problem than me at 4'10". Normalness, how nice to be able to have things made - sadly I don't know anyone who's handy with a sewing machine and can't really afford to have things made for me.

Mercy, thanks for the Reet Petite link - will check that out too.

OP posts:
incy · 24/10/2006 14:10

Currantbun, I was told that citizens of humanity maternity jeans come up very small so these may be worth looking at. The best place for shortening jeans IMO is selfridges - costs £10 (the item doesn't have to be bought from there) and is on their 3rd floor (alterations dept). Know how you feel about going a size up - I did find last time in the last couple of months this was ok - before this I just bought my usual size and chose carefully. There are a lot of long length tops in the shops so hopefully you will find something. Good luck

CurrantBun · 24/10/2006 15:24

Thanks for that, Incy - didn't even know Selfridges did alterations: will definitely check that out as I usually just take pot luck with a dry cleaner if I need anything shortened.

Did you just buy 'normal' clothes a size larger than usual? My bump is still really small at 6 months but obviously I have no idea how much bigger I'll get, so I'm worried that if I buy a bigger regular size I'll 'outgrow' it in a month or so and will then have to buy more stuff. I'm keen to avoid spending too much - would rather splash out on some nice new clothes once the baby's born and I'm back to my usual pre-pregnancy size (that's assuming - optimistically - that I'll ever be that slim again!)

OP posts:
incy · 24/10/2006 15:42

You sound a similar shape to me in my last pregnancy and to be honest I never fitted any maternity wear (and I am much bigger than you - a pre pregnancy size 8). Last time round (it was the summer though) I bought a couple of wrap tops/lycra v necks and drawstring linen trousers in my usual size which were fine up until about seven months. In the last two months of pregnancy I wore size 10 jumpers and drawstring linen trousers from New Look and they were fine. When shopping I just used to buy enough for the next couple of months and I didn't buy anything expensive (hence New Look). I do completely sympathise because it is really difficult finding things to wear but I think a nice pair of maternity jeans (probably have to buy designer for them to fit) and some normal size jumpers with a bit of stretch should see you through. For what it is worth I lost the pregnancy weight really quickly (in fact I am even smaller than pre pregnancy) so it is not all bad news !

normalness · 24/10/2006 18:51

currantbun, I lived in Asia, so the tailors were cheap and cheerful as can be! Would send you the clothes but I'm 5'10"

Have you been to H&M? Very cheap.