Table of Contents
My Journey to finding comfortable and stylish maternity clothes.
Chapter 1: Buying non-maternity clothes for maternity wear.
{above: maternity style shoot we did for one of the Selfie Saturday.
These photos were taken by my hubby.
I posted the ones I took on my photography blog here.
Note: the dress is not that see-through.
I pulled the lining up to let the light come through and show the shape of my baby belly}
Those that have been following me from the beginning might remember that I started this pregnancy with a massive aversion to maternity clothes. As a newly pregnant girl who likes to look cute, I just couldn’t come to terms with the fact that being pregnant had to mean suddenly having to buy clothes at Old Navy or something equally tragic. And while some might argue that Old Navy isn’t the epitome of cheap unattractive clothing, their maternity line is definitely nausea inducing. {note: I do have admit that Old Navy has improved greatly since last time I’ve been to their store/website, which was about 5 years ago, but their maternity line is still pretty horrible).
So not knowing any better ( and I’m sure it’s going to be a recurrent theme, now that I’m on my way to mommyhood) I swore to NEVER buy/wear maternity clothes, except for when absolutely necessary. I figured I’d continue to wear my pre-pregnancy clothing as long as I can and then buy only a few pieces.
So I was pretty excited to buy a few non-maternity items in my “new” size that I can hopefully wear post-partum. One morning while obsessively checking the new “offerings” at MYHABIT ( a 50-70% off designer and non-designer sale site by Amazon), because the damn things sell out faster than Zulily, I saw a maternity line as one of their sales. I don’t even remember the name of the line, but it was cheap enough and I was curious enough to try it out. So I quickly added a few items to my cart and hit check out.
To make a long story short, I had to return 4 out of 6 items. Why? Because it was exactly what I expected. The pattern that I thought “maybe maybe maybe” could be cute in person was, in fact, exactly what makes maternity clothing so horrible. The shorts that I assumed just looked “funky” on the model were, in fact, the typical “mom shorts”. The dresses made me look like a whale, a whale covered with the most unattractive old lady pattern.
So needless to say, this cemented my decision to NEVER EVER look at maternity clothing again 🙂
Fast forward to today, and I gotta tell you, I did manage to find a FEW maternity clothing companies that I actually get excited about! And I finally see the reason to buy actual maternity clothes, especially if you’re working during pregnancy. I cannot wait to hold a few giveaways for all your pregnant and TTCing readers and share these discoveries with you. So stay tuned!
But for now, I’d like to show you, guys, what I bought on my quest to find non-maternity maternity appropriate attire.
Before we proceed, I have to tell you, I’m obsessed with dresses. When I go shopping, I buy dresses. I don’t know, whether it’s my lack of styling abilities or the girl within me but dresses are my favorite things to wear. They’re comfy, easy to put on, and easy to match up, no mess and easy to fit in when you’re pregnant ( seems like easy is what I am digging these days). So you’ll be seeing a lot of dresses here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Dress #1:
Ok, this is not an everyday dress by any stretch imagination. My hubby bought it for my birthday for several reasons.
- I LOVED IT and showed it to him ( and he actually remembered)
- It’s so feminine…
- It will accommodate my growing belly
Once I received the dress, I quickly realized that there will be very few occasions where I’ll get to wear this one during pregnancy and only with leggings, but it doesn’t mean I don’t still love it. And the bonus is I’ll be definitely wearing it post-partum.
Dress #2
You’ve seen a little bit of this one before. My friend Elena sent me a gift card to VS for my birthday and I bought two non-maternity dresses that I’ll be able to wear during pregnancy. This was one of them.
Dress # 3
Dress #4
Dress #5:
Are we seeing a pattern here? A lot of red, right? Why am I drawn to red all of a sudden? I don’t know, probably compensating for lack of stylish clothes that fits.
So super cute dress… very loose and romantic. I love it.
Dress #6
Dress #7
Maternity Shirt:
Non-maternity shirt and jeans :
Shirt: After ordering it, I realized i had a similar shirt from a NYC designer I worked for who paid me in clothes (yeah, how fair is that?), but yellow is just such an irresistible color, I HAD to keep it. It makes me happy.
Jeans: I got these as a part of a non-maternity order, they were cheap- I figured I’d throw them in, for the time when I am so big I need them or so cold I have to wear them.
So maternity jeans, huh? I’ve heard a lot about them! I gotta tell you though…. Do you think it’d be weird if I wore them when I am not pregnant?… and… Why don’t they make jeans with stretchy bands for non-pregnant people?
More red:
And finally,
UPDATE: As some of you pointed out, none of these options are breasfeeding friendly ( except for a dress or two), which is not something I even thought about in early pregnancy when I was buying these. I’m definitely planning on breastfeeding and have found a few companies with great maternity outfits for that make nursing easy.
I can’t wait to write more about it and, like I mentioned before, we’ll be having a few maternity giveaways, so don’t forget to subscribe (on the sidebar) and if you want to make sure you stay in touch and get all the updates, LIKE our Facebook Page {I’ve been a lot more active on it lately}
You look great and I love your choices! I will tell you, the bigger you get, the higher the front of non-maternity clothes will rise. So short dresses will become super skimpy fast. You may end up adding leggings. I loved long tight tanks too. I lived in them when pregnant. I know you like higher end brands but Target (Liz Lange) makes awesome tanks and they are cheap enough that you won’t care about tossing them after. Altho I will tell you a secret, I still sleep in mine and my daughter is 2! ha. They are soft and have help up awesome in the wash. Not sure if you are planning to breastfeed but you may want to start thinking about tops for that too. I found cute tops you can nurse in even harder to find that maternity clothes!
Hahaha Yeah that first dress is soooo going to need leggings, if I even get my big belly into it. The lining is pretty tight. But my hubby was so excited about it, that I didn’t have a heart to tell him it’s not really a dress I can wear during pregnancy much 🙂 haha
Also, it’s not that I prefer higher end brands ( of course I do, but who has money for them), but I don’t like CHEAP LOOKING clothes. It can be cheap, that’s fine, but it’s gotta look nice.
I’ll check out Liz Lange, tank tops is definitely a go to item for me.
And I totally see how it’d be hard to find nursing friendly clothes, harder than maternity. I found a few companies that make really nice clothes for that, so I’ll write about that as well.
love dresses #4 and #5- they are so pretty!
you are looking great!
mindofmr.blogspot.com
TY, love!
1. You are barely showing so you have the luxury of talking about non maternity. I am a petite woman who gave birth to a 9 pound 11 ounce baby. Toward the end of my pregnancy I didn’t care if it was made of trashbag – if it was comfortable and gave me coverage I was happy. So this post, while I know you think you are being cute, is really hilarious because you are NOT showing to the point where you need maternity yet (and that is normal for a first time pregnancy at your gestation on a tall woman)
2. Maternity clothes are cheap becuase they are “throw away” temporary clothes. Very few people want ot spend thousands of dollars on clothes they will wear for 4 months and then toss in a bin in their attic. I have a very nice wardrobe, but I refused to spend $100 on a maternity sweater because I knew that it would get worn a handful of times. I bought a nice pair of jeans and several basics and just got by.
3. Maternity clothes are made for comfort more than style. You will see why in about 3 months. For now, you can get away with non maternity and should just do that.
Those hemlines on those mini dresses will be LAUGHABLE to you in about 3 months. You will wonder what the heck you were thinking. Seriously.
1. Yes, agreed. But that’s exactly why I am talking about non-maternity clothes. Because I can ( for now).
2. It’s not the cheap part that bothers me. It’s the horrible looking one that does. Patterns, styles, fabric. I like a cheaper price tag, but it’s virtually impossible to find cute maternity clothes, especially on the cheap.
3. Re-read my last paragraph: “I feel there will be fewer options, the bigger I get and the colder it gets and I will have to make new purchases and re-assess my maternity clothing status. And I have to tell you that after trying out some true maternity clothing designed to be comfortable and stylish and support my growing belly, I am starting to come around on this whole “no maternity clothes” issue.”
4. re: hemlines. One word: leggings.
I love dresses too! It is hard to find cute ones though. Skirts are nice for post partum as most dresses don’t accomidate breastfeeding as well (if you plan on BFing). I also love leggings for layering. I get hot a lot during pregnancy and post partum so layers are great for me. I also wear tanks with cardigans when it’s cooler. I love maternity pants! They are so comfy, I dug all mine out as soon as I found out I was pregnant again!! Plus I wanted to get as much use out of them as I could. Another thing too, if you start growing out of some of your “maternity” clothes don’t be afraid to buy more, at the end not a lot fits you and it’s really nice to have a couple cute things to wear. It can definitely make you feel a little better.
I totally plan on breastfeeding but nursing didn’t even enter my mind when I was buying these. And considering, I’m planning on spending a year breastfeeding, I really need to get myself to remember about that aspect of clothes.
Like, I said, I did find a few maternity companies that I actually like, so I’ll be definitely getting a few things..if not for maternity than definitely for breasfeeding.
I love your posts! You look fantastic and I love the dress you wore for your gender reveal. So girly and perfect!
I will have to agree with the 1st poster…that orange dress? When your belly REALLY pops, you wont be able to wear without leggings because your crotch is going to show. You may also find that you HATE wearing super snug clothing when you get to be 8/9 months along….it just gets uncomfortable. Also, remember that anything “stretch” (like the red dress…) may not unstretch once you have worn it a couple of times with a larger belly (and you will have to pull it down every time you stand up because it will ride up when you sit)
Hahahahaha! I know, right? When I tried it before I was even showing, I looked at my husband and said:”I can’t wear that! It’s too short!”. He convinced me it’s fine, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen during pregnancy unless I wear it as a tunic. It looks really cute with a pair of heels though. as long as I don’t have a belly.
Good to know about snug clothing, and stretchy stuff. We’ll see. I like tight things, and i like how they feel on my belly, but you’re right I don’t really know how things will change.
Seriously, mamasita, what’s with the red ;))
You look beautiful!
Hey girl! I read your comment about the “nursing” friendly-ness of your clothes. At this point DO NOT worry about it. The best thing I found when nursing our son (especially out in public) was a nursing cami and a normal top over it. You pull up the normal top and rest it on baby’s face and unsnap your nursing tank and bra. Super easy. Don’t worry about getting these items now, because your breasts WILL grow after Alexis is born. I know if probably feels like they can’t get ANY bigger. But some how they do.
You look beautiful. I’m 17.5 wks and still not showing with my SECOND and I love getting away with wearing normal clothes. Also I wore very stylish clothes up until delivery. I was also back in my pre-preg jeans leaving the hospital though. So to the naysayers that think you can’t be stylish while pregnant. I say “Yes you can! You just can’t let yourself go”
I second the nursing tank! I love mine! I have the Glamourmom tanks and you don’t need a bra with them, they have enough support. They are excellent!
The problem with a nursing tank under normal clothes is we live in South Florida. From about February to November, I can’t layer things- it’s too hot.
Amen, sistah!
You look beautiful in all the dresses- and the soft pink one is not my style, but one of my favorites on you! Perhaps it is because you’re glowing with excitement! Beautiful!
I had terrible luck with maternity wear as well. I tried relentlessly to wear non-maternity items, but found it impossible. Eventually, I got to a point where I couldn’t stand a waist band touching my bump. I found the most luck at the Gap. I bought a tight, stretchy black dress and wore it all the time! I would accessorize with belts, jewelry, scarves. I loved that dress! I had terrible luck at Old Navy. Every now and then I would find something tolerable at Target. And, surprisingly, I found a few items at Kohl’s (admittedly, they were frumpilicious, but I was comfy). In the end, I didn’t have a large wardrobe, and did laundry quite a bit!
I am still nursing my 12-month-old. Dresses don’t work very well for nursing, so I have been doing more tops/bottoms. I learned that underwires can cause blocked ducts, so I always wear nursing-specific bra’s or tank tops with bra’s built in (I am normally a 32C, I kinda think I may have shrunk to a B by now). I have never had a blocked duct, thankfully. Unfortunately, I have not found a nursing tank top that has the fabric, support, and the neckline that I would prefer, so I do a lot of layering and get my tanks at Target. For bra’s I recommend Bravado!
You look fab! I also bought a ton of dresses, but was very limited because I have to dress a certain way at work, and I was/is super pregnant during the very hot summer months. The biggest pain in the butt for me was buying a bathing suit. I’m a swimmer, so wearing “cutesy” tankinis with gigantic print is really new to me, and I don’t feel comfortable in a bikini.
Now that I am 9 months, I can’t wear my “non maternity” items, because the front goes up about 5 inches higher than the back, so, that day will come. The pink dress is totally my style though- super cute!
Have you looked at Gap maternity and Motherhood maternity? You can find some nice things there. I never used my maternity clothes after pregnancy. You can always sell them on Ebay or take them to consigment store to sell.
By the way I love your dresses 4 , 6 and #7!
Motherhood maternity is definitely one of the better ones. Just looked at Gap- it’s nice. Will have to browse more…
I also don’t like the idea of spending money on something I am only going to wear for a few months. I found some maternity companies that make clothes designed to be worn after too. That’s perfect I think.
These are such cute transitional looks! One of my best friends is preggo (now 33 weeks) and has such a similar build to you – long, lean, tall, not that busty (no offense to either of you haha) – and she has gotten away with non-maternity clothes for most of her pregnancy! She has checked stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s for the flowy, room-to-grow dresses like you posted about and they are still working out for her even this late in her pregnancy, but she has been buying a size or two up from her normal size. But at those prices, she doesn’t care if she can re-use the outfits post-pregnancy, she will just save them to pull out for baby #2! But she has had some luck with Ann Taylor/Loft maternity clothes and Gap for some of the “nicer” items she wears to work… and splurged on a pair of designer maternity jeans from Izzy maternity to get her thru these last few months. With a figure like yours, I think your non-maternity clothes will last you longer than you think – lucky you! 🙂
No offense taken to non-busty comment! I had small boobies before pregnancy and now they’re just normal 🙂 lol
I jsut checked out Gap and I do like maternity there. And I do hope I can still be comfortable in most of my pre-pregnancy clothes and maybe get a few maternity pieces designed to last after pregnancy. That’d be perfect.
I never wore a single piece of maternity clothing, but I find this post a little ridiculous. Celebrities have entire lines of maternity clothes (not all of which are outrageously priced). If they can find something, surely you can? Like I said, I never wore any but I honestly found myself browsing through maternity clothes last year just because I saw a lot of really cute stuff. Also, I haven’t read the comments but I assume you’ll be wearing leggings with some of these outfits? They’re cute but a lot of them are awfully short, even without a belly.
I know it might be hard to believe it, but the fact that YOU might find something cute doesn’t mean other people find it attractive too. There’s such a thing as difference of opinions and styles.
Also, I believe I mentioned in the post that I “started” pregnancy not liking maternity and that later I found a few lines that actually look good, which I’ll be writing about.
Finally, yes, of course to the leggings while wearing these during pregnancy.
i love that dress in the first picture! It’s so stylish! I think H&M has some really cute maternity stuff! Well i saw that they had a lot of cute winter maternity stuff, not that you would need it in Florida…
I realize people have different tastes and styles. For what it’s worth, I second the vote for Motherhood Maternity.
I don’t know if leggings are going to help when your belly and boobs are so big that your cute orange dress (shirt?) doesn’t even come past your belly button, LOL. Those leggings will have to go up to your armpits. I didn’t care what I wore the last few months. I didn’t want to move much, let alone dress up cute. None of my maternity clothes fit any more because my belly was so big (and I wasn’t much bigger with two than with one) Actually, my twins are 7 months old now, and that’s still kind of the case. The only thing I care about is sleep and how to eek some more out of the day.
I never did find maternity jeans that were comfortable. They don’t fit right. I wish I could have found a nursing tank that didn’t ride up.
Ok, to be fair that orange dress is in no way a dress I can wear past…well past about now. It doesn’t have any stretchy material where the boobies are and it’s already too tight there. But I still love it as a non-pregnancy dress.
I’m sure you had it much harder in the clothing department because of twins. I can’t imagine getting so big to be able to carry a full 7 pound baby in me, let alone two of them.
Oh I absolutely love the dresses 2, 6 and 7! 🙂
What’s that patch on your forearm?
It was a bandage from my flu vaccine I got that day at the doctors 🙂
Bright colors will really help you feel more feminine and sexy when you’re well into your 3rd tri, swollen and exhausted 🙂
I didn’t read the previous comments, so I might be repeating something, but wait until around your 8th month to buy anything nursing-wear related. That will give you a more accurate measure of your cup size. There are also different types of nursing tops, and you’ll figure out your personal preference. You’ll leave the hospital with a 5-ish month belly, so those leggings and yoga pants will come in handy. I also couldn’t have made it without my nursing nightgown (Pea in the Pod). When you’re stumbling back and forth to the glider 5 times a night, it’s the most comfortable thing ever.
I was very happy with a Belly Band for a good while into my pregnancy, as it helped me still wear my regular pants. Some people don’t like it, but I found that if I put it on, put pants over it, then folded it down over the zipper/button, it stayed nicely all day.
I also had great success with non-mat clothing at Forever 21 and other “teen” stores b/c loose and flowy is the style.
As you get further along and have more of a belly, you’ll need maternity specific clothes (tops/dresses) to be longer in the front than they are in the back. Otherwise, they ride up short in front due to the belly and you end up giving the world a crotch shot 24/7. GOOD TIMES!
Lastly, on a baby note, are you going to cloth diaper?
I love bright colors! And yes, you’re right when you’re big as a whale, bright colors is the only thing to cheer you up in outfits 🙂
Thanks for the info on nursing tops and nursing nightgown (gotta look that up, not sure what it is exactly, i usually sleep naked (sorry TMI))
I never liked the idea of Belly Band (though you probably won’t know until you try it), but if the need arises I might go to that.
And it’s funny you mention F21, because half of these dresses were ordered there, exactly due to their flowy nature.
Cloth diapering- a big yes!
We cloth diaper (started after baby boys bris healed) and continued part-time after he started daycare. I love it.
I’m sure that you have more readers who will answer your questions, but knowing you, I’m sure you’ll do your research.
My recommendation is a trial for a newborn. There are so many different types of CD’s out there, and you don’t know what your baby’s body type will be (and what preference you’ll have for CD type). What works for me might not work for you, etc. I know friends who had a lot of success with Jillians Drawers trial. I also like Green Mountain Diapers, and Kawaii diapers.
Picking the cute fluff is so much fun.
Also, nursing nightgown (It was nice to wear something pretty when I was sore, exhausted, still fat, and covered with various gross things) was helpful b/c it was December up north – pretty cold! You’ll at least need a sleep nursing bra.
Perhaps you don’t have an Old Navy with a large maternity section near you? While I don’t love everything, there were a couple of things I thought were cute… that said, I am into flowy, empire-waisted clothing (I think I’ve watched ‘Pride and Prejudice’ too much!), so perhaps that isn’t your cup of tea (not to be mistaken with trash-bag wearing… I just like feminine, drapey styles).
Have you tried H&M? They have some cute things that would probably work on your frame.
I think one thing that works for those with smaller bumps is buying regular clothing in a size or two larger. That doesn’t always work with jeans, but it’s a great idea for tops.
And yes! leggings are great to wear with all of those dresses that get too short 🙂
I haven’t been to an actual Old Navy store in forever, I was just commenting on the stuff online ( maternity stuff. I found their normal line much better than I remembered it to be).
I haven’t tried H&M, they don’t have a store here and yet to open an online store ( I prefer shopping online, since I get bored to death browsing stores and trying things on). 🙂
I did end up finding a few maternity lines that I liked, and I’ll be writing about. This post was more of a “this is what I thought about maternity clothes in the beginning of my pregnancy and what I bought instead of it” kind of post.
quite honestly I wouldnt buy anything nursing related until you know if you are going to like it and your boobs are going to cooperate (work the way they are supposed to) I planned to breastfeed….my boobs wouldnt cooperate. No milk=no breastfeeding. I also would warn you about buying a super expensive pump until you know for sure that breastfeeding is for you (or are able to do) because once its opened, you cant return it. You can buy it at a later date.
The maternity pants are made for 9foot tall supermodels. I never did find a pair that fit “right” I ended up settling on a pair just because I needed them and my mother had to hem them for me. She asked me “where did you get these? The amazon store?” she ended up cutting off 5 inches. FIVE INCHES!!!!! Be thankful you fall under the 9foot tall supermodel catagory….those of us that are 5’5″ have to suffer because the men that design maternity clothing think that everyone is tall and thin (Im not fat….Im just not thin)
Ahahahahahaha!!!! That is funny, because when I ordered those maternity jeans from F21, I didn’t even think about the length ( silly me), so when I actually received them, I was like “Shit! They’re going to be too short”. Because ALL jeans from normal stores are too short for me, I have to buy mine at alloy.com in 36″ inseam. So I was completely surprised when they fit perfectly lengthwise and sizewise(I didn’t know what my size was at that point, so I kind of guessed). So what you’re saying makes sense.
Also, i discovered that as soon as I got boobs, all my clothes stop fitting me right. Back when I was thin and lean, everything just fit perfectly, I never had to try anything on, and suddenly things were bunching up in places that I’ve never seen.
At the same time I always found certain brands ( the more mainstream ones, like Target and such) made shirts too thick in the waist and stuff like that. So I guess there are brands made with the assumption that everyone is a “9foot tall model” and others that design their clothes with assumption that they’re a pouch up front. You just gotta find the brand for you body type and stick with it.
Thanks on the pump advice! I am really determined to breastfeed no matter how hard it is or whether I like it or not and I seem to have normal shaped nipples and such, so hopefully there will be no trouble breastfeeding, but since the good pumps are so damn expensive, it’s smart to hold off, because you never know until you get there. Maybe I’ll get like a manual for the first week or so to see how it goes and then invest in an electric.
Speaking of pumps.
Medela Pump In Style. Worth the money for sure!
Have you looked at A Pea in a Pod? They are a little bit more upscale maternity clothes and definitely have some cute options. I think they are a sister company of Motherhood, but higher end.
http://www.apeainthepod.com/
Yes, it’s one of the better ones, that’s for sure! Not happy about their prints and patterns though, but it definitely beats most ordinary brands.
love dress #4! … you’re so cute with your beautiful belly!
Check out this line of maternity wear… it may be more dressy then you are looking for (and its a bit pricey), but it shows that maternity can still be gorgeous and glam:
http://www.vanessaknox.com/shop/maternity-fashion
I actually love dressy and yes, these are really cute! I almost feel like during pregnancy you NEED to dress even better, to sort of compensate for the whole beached whale look. 🙂 lol
Thanks for the link!
I like your collection but i think during pregnancy one should not wear the transparent clothes.This is for your comfort.The topmost dress is little bit transparent
Oh I agree 🙂 That dress isn’t really transparent, it has a pretty thick lining. In the photos I pulled up the lining for effect, so that the belly was visible through the fabric ( we weren’t taking the photos for this post,but just as a conceptual shot).
But even with the lining, it’s a bit too short, and unpractical. I simply included it because it was pretty and hubby bought it “thinking” that I could wear it during pregnancy, because it’s a babydoll type of dress.
I love the pleated dress very much. Pleats are the way to go for a preggie lady. I bought 2 pleated dresses when I knew abt my
pregnancy. I am 29+ wks along now and reading this post, it brought back memories of
my aversion twds maternity wear. First off, I live in Asia where maternity wear is limited in variety and they are super-expensive. Secondly, we dont have old navy and neither does gap carry a maternity line here. As I’m much smaller than u (5’2, 92 lbs pre-preg) I turned to local blogshops and bought a bunch of free-sized stuff instead. Free-sized clothes do not usually fit me before preg. As baby grows bigger, even those clothes are getting shorter and tighter! Horror of horrors- this means more $$ will be spent on clothes. I found that maxi dresses from target and old navy, (I shop a lot online), pleated dresses, long tunic tops (I love tops w capes) and leggings were essential! recently I received some gap maternity cropped pants n wondered y I never got them before! The belly panel is so comfy and soft! Previously I wore jeggings from uniqlo which were comfy but the waistband kept cutting in as baby blossomed… So yes, I share your pain but u can still look cute in affordable maxi dresses bought on a dime.
Btw, where’s the red dress w chiffony sleeves from?