Maternity Wear essentials? Advice please.

[rubyblueslippers]

Hi, last time I was pregnant I spent a lot of money on cheap maternity wear which by the end I wanted to burn. I never want to see it again. I will need a few smart casual bits for work and I can slob around in last time's gear when I'm at home.

Any suggestions for what to get? I started to show really early last time. I have loads of Boden-type tunics and some Isabella Oliver wrap tops which might do for the first few months but what about bottoms?

I would rather buy a few nice things than go mad on a load of cheap rubbish.

Thanks in advance.

Depending on when you're going to be enormous, I really loved my isabella oliver white linen trousers. I think they're called wrap trousers or something? But definitely not winter wear... Their jeans on the other hand, I hated.

Also found the JoJoMamanBebe stuff held up reasonably well, and a fair bit cheaper.

I liked Seraphine a lot. I found the Isabella Oliver trousers didn't stay up but I loved their tops and dresses. My best maternity buy was a pair of Seven maternity jeans, which I wore all the time and sold on eBay afterwards.

Thank you. I love the Isabella Oliver stuff but not sure I can afford it this time round! I have a JoJoMamanBebe near me which is a bit of a blow for my credit card but they might be the way to go.

I definitely need jeans and at least one pair of linen/smart-ish trousers.

Maybe a skirt but what doi skirts look like when you are v PG?

where are you based? There is a lovely shop off Grafton st in Dublin where I got the most marvellous trousers - they were so beautifully cut that I was sad not to be pregnant to be able to wear them. Nelo, I think the shop's called.

Generally, there's the maternity exchange website where I go some nice stuff. here. I used to keep an eye on it and jump on things that looked nice asap!

I'm in London unfortuntaely so Grafton St a bit far for me! Thanks for the web link- will have a look in detail when I get home from work.

I bought a lot of my Isabella Oliver stuff on eBay ... and sold it again afterwards. ;)
There is a really nice maternity clothes shop in Islington. Will try to remember the name.

I wore skirts until I got cankles!

Thanks, eBay is a great idea. Ugh, cankles, I remember them well!

Seraphine jeans are GREAT! They quite often appear on eBay as well. Mamas and Papas are great for casual tops, and Jojo have a sale on maternity wear at the moment. My best buy was this dress from Seraphine - really versatile

Try Zara maternity wear. I thought it was great, especially the jeans - I wore them so much through my pregnancy.

I hate my Seraphine jeans with a passion! I have them on now as I have no alternative, but they are a size 0 and still too big. they don't stay up and my 20 month old DD follows me around saying "mummy's trousers fall down!". I think you have to try on jeans when big enough to require them. I went on a maternity mission to London at 15 weeks, long before I was in maternity clothes, and it was a mistake.

I had a gap pair in my last pregnancy and they were good, but are now totally stretched and useless! I am very seriously considering buying a larger pair of regular jeans. Have also ordered an IO pair on sale to try.

Topshop has some good reasonably priced things (although their jeans also fall down on me).

While wer're at it, any suggestions for maternity jeans that stay on? Carciofi, where did you get your Sevens?

only jeans that stay up i have ever had - and on 3rd pg - are seven ones. expensive but best value i have ever got on cost per wear basis. got mine in new york.

also have next, topshop, gap, dorothy perkins ones and would swap all of them for 2nd pair of sevens!

I love the H&M maternity stuff but it probably depends whether or not you like them in the first place!

H&M for me 1 pair of jeans some leggins long vest tops and a few nice tops/jumpers.

I loved my H&M jeans,lived in them whilst pregnant and have now cut the elastic panel out and wear them as normal jeans

My best purchases have been a Gap black v neck t shirt and my bump bands to keep my jeans up!

I bought them from US eBay. They really were worth every penny.

hot tip from google-savvy DH - look at Koodos, who do end-of-line clearance stuff from the (v posh and pricey) Blossom Mother And Child.

and over-bump jeans are the only ones that stay up IME

Topshop maternity jeans are fab.

I'm still wearing mine and DS is 9 months old.

I'm loving my New Look skinny maternity jeans. To get them to stay up I just wear a belt under the bump - must of the tops I'm wearing are long enough that you don't see it anyway.

I am also getting loads of wear out of a couple of Topshop dresses I bought for DS (summer baby) - this time I am wearing them with polo necks or t shirts underneath, and thick tights (Blooming Marvellous purple ones are a nice muted colour and quite thick).

Oh wow, so many suggestions, thanks! (Well, I think thanks- I am going to be very skint.)