Your Opinion on maternity clothes?

I had an epiphany one night at 2.30am (pregnancy insomnia can be a good thing!) and I am now working on some designs for super comfy, flattering AND most importantly, affordable maternity items and would be forever grateful if you could help me out with some answers to the following. :pray:

If you were to choose a maternity item that you are most comfortable in and love most, what would it be (i.e. skirt/pants/dress)

How much did you pay for it?
If it is second hand, what label is it?
What colour is it?

Would you still be happy to wear it for a while after baby is born? (i.e. adjustable waist/doesn?t look too much like a maternity item)

If it is bottoms of some description, what sort of waist band does it have? (i.e. fold over, over belly, underbelly, adjustable, wide waistband etc)

Was there anything common that you found annoying about maternity clothes (i.e. I find cap sleeves with a hem too small around my arms annoying when the rest of the top fits perfectly, or a lovely dress with the boob bit too small etc etc)

Where have you put on most weight other than your beautiful belly (i.e. bum, hips, legs, hooters, all of them - like me LOL)

Did you stay the same or go up a size, (i.e. if you were a 12 pre-preg, did you wear size 14 maternity clothes by the last trimester)?

Was there any particular maternity item that you wanted but was difficult to find or just too expensive or both?

Do you shop at all on line and if so are you more likely to Google maternity clothes websites or look on eBay?
If both, which would you look at first?
Which did you buy from?

Thanks so much, I really appreciate any answers you can give to help me :)

Belly Rubs!! :loveshower:

oh my....lots to cover, i will do my best.

I love pumpkin patch maternity jeans . I bought 2 last pregnancy and they have lasted me this pregnancy too. I wore them well after bubs was born too....prob for the first 4 weeks post baby.....

I love skirts....i dont buy maternity skirts, i simply buy skirts with an elastic waistband. e.g i bought a big w skirt for $10 the other day, sz 10. Fits perfect, will do me till the end of the pregnancy and beyond.

I have shopped online for mat clothes....but TBH i find them (mat clothes) wayyyy over priced for something i know i would wear for a short time. Im also a fashion victim...i tend to buy this seasons clothes, and by next season are over them so i give them away. So dont see the point in spending hundreds of dollars on clothes im never going to wear again.....i am a sz 8-10 and usually will buy maternity pants in a smal or sz 10 and tops sz 10, maybe sz 12 as i get into the last few weeks.....

I dont know....for me, having a few essential items for the bottom - jeans, black slacks, black skirt, jean shorts, and the rest (tops) i can usually get away with just buying babydoll style, a style of material that has stretch in it, or singlet tops with a cardy or wrap....i find some maternity clothes daggy and old fashioned, reason i stick to mainstream but just buy bigger size.

I dunno if this has helped. Prob not, just me rambling again...

Good luck..

ETA; i sew, and have recently made 3 x tops that are simply just a baby doll style. I made sz 12 though, not a 10 like i normally am. They've come up great, and cost sooo little. IF you sew, its worth looking into......

I'm a size 8-10 on bottom and could never ever find pants/jeans that fit. They were always too huge! I found some jeans online but they were sooooo expensive I couldn't justify it :(

I think the thing I'm looking for now is breastfeeding stuff - I hate lifting up my shirt...

Will think of more tips for you and come back ;)

I have had so much trouble finding clothes to wear!! I'm a fairly small size- 8 up top, 10 down bottom, seems like all the stores here only stock sizes 12 and up... Found some nice pants in Target though for work. They were what I considered "expensive" though, about $45, but they are really comfy, look good for work and I'll probably wear them afterwards too. They have a fairly wide elastic fold-down waistband, no buttons or zips or anything.

With tops I prefer to have kind of a "divider" between bust and belly, so that it doesn't look like you're wearing a sack, even a seam or a ribbon is enough, just something to make the top look a little more fitted.

I've noticed I've put a lot of weight on around my waist/hip area, but towards the back (I have big "love handles" now! :( ), not really anywhere else, although my boobs have grown a little (yay!), they were a 12B, now a 12C. Lol.

Apart from the pants at Target, I bought a couple of tops from Big W, although they weren't actually classed as maternity wear, the rest I've bought off Ebay. Most I have paid for tops is $20-$25...but I'm stingy! LOL

Cool thanks girls. I wasnt going to worry about tops as i think they are dime a dozen and as you all mentioned, you can get away with baby doll styles or long stretchy styles maybe one size up from your usual.

You now its funny that you are all small sizes and have had trouble with pants as I was thinking of starting the sizes at S being a 10-12 because I thought smaller sizes would be easier to get. Also I know from selling stuff on ebay that size 14 & 16 sell the most.

Keen to hear from more sizes :)

BTW thought I would mention too that I buy most things off ebay and have bought heaps for this pregnancy as I hate having only a few things to choose from. Problem is I have already gone up a size DOH! Need to exercise...

I'm a size 18 on the bottom and I have 1 decent pair of maternity pants. I got them second hand. They are dark brown short pants (not quite a 3/4 not a normal trouser length!) and they have a roll down waistband. They are super comfy and make me feel attractive! They have no tag on them but they are similar to a Ripe pair that I have that aren't as good (the colour is wrong and the material is a not as heavy so it shows off my cellulite :sick:). I have a pair of jeans from target and they are good but not great. They fit well in the leg (I have very large calves) but they could be cut a bit lower in the belly area cos when you sit down they kinda dig in. They also have the roll down top (my fave cos it covers you up!).
My mum made me some nice skirts which are nice and wide/flared and have the roll down top, I wore them after birth as well.
As for tops...well...the booby area is always too small. I got a very nice top from pumpkin patch which is good in the bb dept! I have another one from PP which just has a bit of a gather between the bb's which is nice.
Never even looked at dresses.
I'm a cheapskate so if bottoms are over $50 I will not buy and if tops are over $20 ($30 if it is a bit special) I will not buy.

I am normally a 16-18 and it is so hard to get maternity clothes for the bottom 1/2 (I have some pants and a skirt from Room 4 2 from my last pregnancy in 16 that swim on me, and now 18's from the same store won't fit :cry:)

Anyhow, I can easily get tops.

I never know where to look online, so not my ideal choice, however I may be tempted if pointed in the right direction..

I think the most useful item I have at the moment is 3/4 pants with a fold down waist. They are uber comfy and not even maternity pants but still sit very comfy over or under the belly - depending on how I feel. From taget and only about $20 - they are green and I am going to go back and find the other colours they had stocked. I was a 12 but am now a 14 and may need to go 16 :-(

I agree on an opinion above that some of the tops make us look frumpy and a detail under the bust would be really nice. I prefer the tops that are also tight at the bottom so I can really show my bump off, I want everyone to see it!

ATM I am really struggling to find a light pair of shorts that don't make me look like i'm wearing a sack. It is still hot over here and I don't want to wear the long pants that I have as I get too hot in them. I love skirts but as my thighs are currently too close together i'm getting heat rash in a place I really don't want it.

Maternity clothing is soo expensive and we only get to wear it for a few months, my bubs have 6 years between them so I had already given away all my old clothes years ago. I don't like to spend more than $30 or $40 on anything and a lot less if I can help it. The clothes I have got is a mix from Target, pumpkin patch on sale and from ebay.

As for where the weight is, mostly on my thighs and bum with a bust that has gone from a 12D to a 12E (yikes!) The clothes I have a pretty boring so I'm starting to accessorise with a lot of necklaces that I have to make things a bit more interesting.

Ok, can't think of anything else, hope this helps!

PS just started a facebook page that is going to try to organise 'baby clothes swap meets' for us girls in Adelaide who have babies and want to give away clothes that our bubs has grown out of. I'm looking to extend it to maternity clothes to help out with the mums and mums-to-be to have a wide range of outfits. With many of us not being able to afford a full range of clothes ourselves it seemed like a good idea.

I only bought one pair of maternity pants for work and they were from Target.

The rest of the time I wore jersey dresses with leggings. I didn't really mind the fact that the dresses were shorter at the front because of my bump.

The best leggings I found were some really cheap ones from Kmart because they were really soft and not too elasticated.

If you were to choose a maternity item that you are most comfortable in and love most, what would it be (i.e. skirt/pants/dress)? All my maternity clothes are comfortable but I will go with the jeans I bought recently.

How much did you pay for it? $110 for one pair and $80 for the other
What colour is it? Jeans

Would you still be happy to wear it for a while after baby is born? (i.e. adjustable waist/doesn?t look too much like a maternity item) Yes, but mainly because of the price I paid.

If it is bottoms of some description, what sort of waist band does it have? (i.e. fold over, over belly, underbelly, adjustable, wide waistband etc) $110 have an adjustable waist at the back part of the jeans, and the $80 pair have a thin fold waist band

Was there anything common that you found annoying about maternity clothes (i.e. I find cap sleeves with a hem too small around my arms annoying when the rest of the top fits perfectly, or a lovely dress with the boob bit too small etc etc) In general I find it hard to find anything I like the look of. Like mbear said, alot of them are daggy unless you want to pay a fortune! Some tops dont fit in the boobs (ie are way too big or small), jeans I found I had to go to the maternity store to buy them because cheaper stores like target and kmart just didn't fit well (too big in the thighs or bum but perfect fit elsewhere).

Where have you put on most weight other than your beautiful belly (i.e. bum, hips, legs, hooters, all of them - like me LOL) So far I would say my breasts LOL. I haven't noticed any other weightgain other then there and my belly. With DD I think by the end of the pregnancy I had put on my thighs and bottom a bit.

Did you stay the same or go up a size, (i.e. if you were a 12 pre-preg, did you wear size 14 maternity clothes by the last trimester)? With DD, I went up a size but that was due to my eating 1kg of cheese in a month, pmsl. It made me gain 4kg. ETA: sorry I read that wrong. No I managed to stay in the same sized maternity clothes throughout the whole pregnancy.

Was there any particular maternity item that you wanted but was difficult to find or just too expensive or both? Again jeans and tops.

Do you shop at all on line and if so are you more likely to Google maternity clothes websites or look on eBay? No I don't but only because maternity clothes vary greatly so i like to try them on.

I think there is a big market for mid-maternity clothes! It is so hard when you are 4-5-6 months pregnant to find clothes that highlights your bump but fit well. The non-preggo clothes seems to just fit weird, and the preggy clothes are just huge!

I am most comfortable in a pair of under-belly black pants / jeans, and a stretchy cotton top that gathers under my belly. I also like tops that have a divider between boobs and belly, cause I'm not a fan of the tent.

I buy a lot of maternity clothes new from ebay.

I mostly put on weight in the boobs. I started at a 12C and am now pushing it to fit into a 14EE (ok I look like a muffin LOL). Pre-preg I was a size 10/12, now a size 12 maternity is quite comfortable, some pieces of size 14 fit.

Last pregnancy about halfway through I went up a size from normal, but I did gain a lot more than the "average" amount of weight.

This pregnancy I have stayed the same size in maternity clothes as regular clothes.

I am not a skirt person - I love pants, and as I work in a corporate environment thought I would get some for work, with horrendous results. All the "work" pants are made from a disgusting synthetic fabric that feels yuck to touch, makes loud swishy noises when you walk and is near on impossble to iron unless you have a Laura Star in the laundry.

The best pants I have are plain black cotton from pumpkin patch, like a stretch interlock fabric. I also like their jeans, but I ADORE my egg maternity 9 jeans. They have a regular waist at the back, and an elastic waistband at the front only. I dont like the pants/shorts that only have the hidden elastic/button type mechanism, I can never get the adjustment right and they are forever falling down.

As for tops, I would die without maternity tops - I cant just wear empire line regular tops becuaseI am so long in the body to begin with, once you factor in larger breasts as well, my tops sit somewhere around the top of my ribcage and even with a belly band they are unwearable.

I hate maxi dresses (yes I know Iam probably in a minority here) Im pregnant yes but I dont want to hide my body - I prefer clothes that are shape defining without looking like they're been painted on.


As far as brands go, I love belly basics for tops/jumpers and cargos, pea ina pod for work tops (but NOT pants) and semi -formal ish dresses (2 weddings to go to this pg) and EGG maternity for jeans.

I hate - with a passion - mixed sizes - 14-16. Its one or the other and I generally wont buy an item if its not a standard size.

For both of my pregnancies I wore the same pair of pants almost every day

Black stretchy boot leg cut pants from Pea in a Pod - size 12 (was a size 12 pre-preg too) with a fold over waist band that could be worn up or down.

I still wear them now - they are so comfy and versatile

If you were to choose a maternity item that you are most comfortable in and love most, what would it be (i.e. skirt/pants/dress)

I have a couple of tops that I LOVE. They are soft and stretchy material, dressy enough to wear with a skirt, and casual enough to wear with jeans. They have a tie that goes under the bust, and around the back, so they are not too bulky, and show some "shape" still. They fall straight down from the belly, so they show off the nice bump, without being too clingy on a belly that's not so firm... yet... :redface: I got one second hand, but they are both from the Canadian store "Thyme Maternity". Not so helpful maybe. But they do have online stuff, so you could look at their pics if you wanted.

I also just got a sweater which I am falling in love with. It is 3/4 sleeve cardigan, basic black, a little longer than average, and has one button under the bust. It is really great, I'm discovering, for helping my wardrobe cover multiple seasons. I can wear my summer tops with the sweater, and it looks nice. :) Again, works for dress or casual. It's from the Canadian store "Ricki's" which has just started carrying maternity clothing called "Ricki's Expecting"

By the way, if you want to know what I hate, it's most of my maternity pants. They WON'T STAY UP!!! No matter what waistband I try, and no matter what size, they just don't stay on. It makes me insane. In my last pregnancy, I pinned my full panel pants to my bra. I haven't gotten that desperate yet, but I can see that day coming. :rolleyes:


How much did you pay for it?

Um, favourite shirts.... one, second hand, maybe $6.99... one new from Thyme, a tank top, $30? (On sale. Was $39, I think. Thyme is expensive, I find. But then, I'm not used to paying too much for my clothes.) Sweater $20 (hurray!) from Ricki's, on sale from $50 or so.

If it is second hand, what label is it?
Thyme. I've looked at Gap Maternity online, and they seem to have a lot of nice stuff too. But I haven't bought any yet.)

Would you still be happy to wear it for a while after baby is born? (i.e. adjustable waist/doesn?t look too much like a maternity item)
I do have a number of "now and after" items, but honestly, if I wore it when I was pregnant, I don't want to wear it after. By the time I'm done, I want my OWN clothes back on. Even if they don't fit quite right.... :redface:

If it is bottoms of some description, what sort of waist band does it have? (i.e. fold over, over belly, underbelly, adjustable, wide waistband etc)

The waist bands that I have on most of my pants that do better than some are ones that can be folded over - so they can be full, mid, or under belly. I do not like the ones that have a "normal" waist with elastic adjustments. They just get bulky, I find, and don't look good on me.

Was there anything common that you found annoying about maternity clothes (i.e. I find cap sleeves with a hem too small around my arms annoying when the rest of the top fits perfectly, or a lovely dress with the boob bit too small etc etc)

Well, I'm really full-busted, so I find that most of the "empire" style tops have a waistband that sits right over the fullest part of my boob. Not very flattering. Also, the shirts that are gathered around the waist, above the belly, often make me look really wide. I like shirts that are smooth and slimming above the belly, and then fall straight from the belly down.
The other annoying thing, is, as I said previously, pants that don't stay up. :wall: I don't want to pay $70 for pant that sag constantly.

Where have you put on most weight other than your beautiful belly (i.e. bum, hips, legs, hooters, all of them - like me LOL)
Fairly evenly all over, I think. Boobs a little more maybe.


Did you stay the same or go up a size, (i.e. if you were a 12 pre-preg, did you wear size 14 maternity clothes by the last trimester)?

I'm finding that I generally stay about the same size. But I've only got small, medium, large, and extra large sizing on most of my maternity clothing, so the sizing covers a little more ground.


Was there any particular maternity item that you wanted but was difficult to find or just too expensive or both?
I would really like to find a nice dress that comes just below the knee. Most are just above and I have terrible veins on my one knee, and I want those covered! I can't find something like that anywhere. Except sundresses, but that's not the kind I'm looking for.

Do you shop at all on line and if so are you more likely to Google maternity clothes websites or look on eBay?
I look at e-bay regularly, but I have not purchased anything yet.




Hope that helps a little Netty! All the best with your designing! Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Excellent thanks girls :)
I am definitely on the right track with my design ideas and from what I have seen, my designs are going to be fairly original.
Stay tuned!!!!!

If you were to choose a maternity item that you are most comfortable in and love most, what would it be (i.e. skirt/pants/dress)
I love my maternity singlet (am actually wearing it right now!). It's just a singlet top, with elastic in the side to accomodate a preg belly, and its long. AND it has elastic in the top bit th accomodate boobies too! BUT it doesn't look maternityish.

How much did you pay for it?
If it is second hand, what label is it?
What colour is it?
Paid about $20 I think, new, its black.


Would you still be happy to wear it for a while after baby is born? (i.e. adjustable waist/doesn?t look too much like a maternity item)
Am wearing it RIGHT NOW ;-)

If it is bottoms of some description, what sort of waist band does it have? (i.e. fold over, over belly, underbelly, adjustable, wide waistband etc)
N/A

Was there anything common that you found annoying about maternity clothes (i.e. I find cap sleeves with a hem too small around my arms annoying when the rest of the top fits perfectly, or a lovely dress with the boob bit too small etc etc)
YES the boob bit, I'd try on tops and have my boobs fall out but the belly was lovely, so most of the more fancy stuff I'd have to buy for my boobs which meant the belly bit was loose. Which I hated cos I loved showing off my belly! I also hated FLORAL! Everything was solid colour or FLORAL. EEEK!

Where have you put on most weight other than your beautiful belly (i.e. bum, hips, legs, hooters, all of them - like me LOL)
I have more size on my love handles, am very curvey now LOL! My boobs are bigger but I'm still bfing so I guess thats a given. My legs and bum are pretty much the same though. it's mostly just my belly.

Did you stay the same or go up a size, (i.e. if you were a 12 pre-preg, did you wear size 14 maternity clothes by the last trimester)?
I was a 10ish pre-perg, now I am a 10-12, I still have some weight on though, got to lose a little to get back down to my pre-preg size.

Was there any particular maternity item that you wanted but was difficult to find or just too expensive or both?
YES, a nice pair of jeans. I found some but at $100 they were jsut too expensive. I just wanted a normal pair of jeans that would accomodate my belly. I didn't want stretchy jeans (UGLY) or anything like that I just wanted a pair of jeans that fit nicely and that I could do up! LOL

Do you shop at all on line and if so are you more likely to Google maternity clothes websites or look on eBay?
If both, which would you look at first?
Which did you buy from?
I mostly bought from Kmart/Target/Big W, because I found I needed to try stuff on. Most online ashops weren't specific enough with their sizes. If I was going to buy online I would have needed measurement for belly, boobs, arms, hips etc, but they just said 10 or 12, and I just couldn't be sure. i wasn't paying a mint online for something that didn't fit!

One other thing I was thinking of the other day....I hate pants with huge elastic bands that are supposed to sit over your bump..it's really uncomfortable for me and constricting, I much prefer a wide band that can be folded down, or a thinner band that sits under my bump. And pants are always too long!! I'm short but small framed, so prefer if I can buy "short leg" length rather than "regular leg" length for long pants. 3/4 pants on me often end up looking like 5/6th pants...lol

I have a 2nd hand pair of bub2be denim shorts I got off ebay, they are so comfortable, except the elastic inside the waistband has all twisted so it's a bit uncomfortable, but I love wearing them...too bad I only have one pair! I too hate the "stretch" material, all I need is something with a stretchy waistband, the rest of the fabric can be "normal"

ive had ALOT of trouble finding bottoms to fit, i already had probs pre pg because i have size 12 hips but skinny size 8 legs (e.g. buying jeans that fit me on the hips were baggy on legs when they were supposed to be tight, if they fit my legs i couldnt get them done up, which became worse since i got pg and had to give up wearing leans/pants altogether after about 20 weeks.
tops have been fine cause i wear long tops or normal tops with those belly bands to cover up any gap between the top and bottoms...
since about 20ish weeks ive lived in 3/4 black leggings, but still same prob, ive had to buy size 14 so the elastic doesnt cut into my bump, but then are baggy on legs...would be great if you could get 3/4 leggings that have adjustable waistbands (somehow)...
i bought a few maternity things but they are so daggy (for my style anyway) the only piece i love is a kmart bub2b black 7/8 flowy skirt, its really soft and has a foldable waistband so you can wear it over or under your bump, sortof like yoga pant waistband....it doesnt look maternity and it goes with most of my normal tops....theres a pic of me in it in my gallery if u wanna c it. (26w4d photo)

not sure if thered be much market for it but being into goth/alt style clothes, all ive pretty much been able to wear is black thru my whole pg, would love more animal prints, skull designs etc in maternity stuff!! they make baby stuff like that so why not mat stuff? :)
HTH

I hate over the bump stuff too- much prefer under. Another thing with mat clothes is that I detest them (all clothing actually) in non-natural fibres. A bit of elastane mixed in is okay but I just don't buy acrylic/polyester stuff as it feels yuk on the skin and is unhealthy. So I love cotton, linen, wool, hemp etc
Also, I don't expect to be wearing mat clothes long after baby is born- just until Ifit into my regular clothes.

i'm a size 8-10 normally and during this pregnancy i've only gained a belly, and slightly more around my thighs. i have found it extremely difficult to find some bottoms that fit, all the size 10 at target/kmart are huge, and the only place i could find sizes to fit me was online but we're way too expensive.
i bought a beautiful pair of 3, 1/4 white cotton stretch pants that i've lived in the whole pregnancy. they are size xs from pumpkin patch, with a midrife waist - sits under the belly, and the sides are stretched with the ajustable elastic inside. they we're $70 but i got them from the factory shop sale for $29....bargain. yes i would definately wear them afterwards also.
i also bought a pair of shorts size s from pumkin patch that are brown. i wish they we're black but they were on sale too so can't complain. both are of excellent quality and wash up beautifully. also i can see them lasting subsequent pregnancies.
i too can't stand the maternity pants that fit over the belly, i love to dress up nicely and feel a bit ackward with a big belly, let alone wearing ugly pants etc that feel unflattering.
i would have loved to have bought a nice summer dress, but the only ones i could find that i liked we're $150-$250. ridiculas...and i didn't buy them cause i will only wear it for a couple of months.
i have loved to wear singlet tops, and just bought some that we're bigger sizes to accomodate my bump cause they we're only $10 and i could buy a few and with lots of colours yet the proper maternity ones are up to $39 and only limited to black and white.

I didnt end up buying much in the way of maternity clothes at all.....mainly because I couldnt find anything locally that didnt look old fashioned, that actually fit, or that came in colours other than white or black.....so I just bought up afew sizes of regular clothes.
But of the few things I did try on or buy.....I much prefered the under-bump pants, otherwise I felt like I was being cut in half. One big problem with fitting I had was my boobs never got huge, and most of the tops that would fit the rest of me had excess fabric where I should have boobs lol not a good look at all!!