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Where do you buy maternity clothes over a size 18?
My sister is about a size 22, we went shopping for maternity clothes but there was nothing over a size 18. She has grown out of her normal clothes and needs something other than trackies to wear. She ended up getting some size 26 tops from Kmart but she will probably grow out of them towards hte end of her pregnancy.
Surely there are funky maternity clothes out there for bigger girls? Does anyone know where?
Yeah "apparently" you have to be tiny to be pregnant :rolleyes:
I found it hard getting maternity wear and I'm a size 16-18...i could only ever find nice maternity clothes in sizes smaller it was so frustrating!!!! I know Kmart is pretty good with their clothes.... has she tried online?
Hope she finds something and reasonably priced. Sounds like there is a gap in the market there.... need more clothing for the bigger sizes.
good luck maybe try ebay or internet but could end up $$$
It's ridiculous! I'm a bashful size 18 :redface:, and I found it really hard to find clothes. I basically lived in a pair of black maternity pants I got from Target. They looked a bit like business pants, but were stretchy at the top with no buttons or zips. I was still wearing them at 41 weeks!:
As for tops, sometimes it was just better to buy the plus sized tops a few sizes bigger. Perhaps not overly flattering, but by the time I was full term I didn't care, lol.
You're right Renstar - there really is a gap in the market.
ebay has a few shops on there but not many. its depressing hey :(
I have ordered maternity clothes online and noticed that some of them do seem to have some of their range of plus size. Try searching for plus size maternity wear on the internet - a whole heap of hits came up when I did it just then with sizes up to 26 & 28.
Internet ordering is really good - there is soooo much more range than what you can buy in department stores at the moment (most of which is pretty dismal) and there are no other places to buy maternity clothes in Townsville so I had to. Most of them will let you return what you order if it doesn't fit and let you try a different size or go for a refund. You can also find lots of really good specials on the internet of end of range stuff in one or two sizes. I got a black satin maternity skirt in size 16 reduced from $90 to $15 in one of my orders. I love a bargain!
I hope your sister can find some maternity clothes - half the fun of being pregnant is dressing your bump :)
Twonsvillegirl - Are the sizes generous or small?
Give me a few weeks and I will be selling mine if she wants 2nd hand.
Have tops and bottoms I'll be selling.
The maternity jeans I have are a 24 from memory (but I can check) and have only been worn a few times.
Thta would be great. Let me know when you do. She is desperate for jeans especially.
I think it depends on the different brands of maternity clothes. Most of those clothing sites have sizing charts so she will need to have a tape measure handy so she can decide what size she needs. If the place she is buying it through doesn't have a sizing chart, she could probably look up the individual brand and go to their website to find a sizing chart.
I think that is the hard part about buying maternity clothes on the net. Because they don't have to be as fitted as non-maternity clothes, I find they are bit more forgiving if they are tiny bit too small or a tiny bit too big.
I've just bought some maternity jeans and dress trousers on ebay. They are Pumpkin Patch and their sizing is realistic and generous (at least for trousers). They have a measurement chart on their website.
Ali
Last pregnancy I got my "maternity" wear mostly from Autograph. Thankfully the fashion was very maternity like, so I would just grab a size bigger and look for stretchy clothes. I did pick up the odd item from Target that was an 18 and a few left over from last pregnancy. I found most actual maternity wear only did me for the first part of my pregnancy. I did get some work outfits online, but I found the quality awful for the price along with the style, they did not get worn second time around.
For jeans, definitely Autograph and look for the ones with extra stretch. Grab a belly band, I think ebay may have some larger size ones, for the last month or so.
Thanks Astrid, I'll check out Autograph with her.
Hopefully the ranges are suitable this year for maternity. I would often tell them they should have a specific maternity range, as the shop assistants would comment that a lot of pregnant women shopped there. Good luck!:
I am a size 18-20 in maternity jeans and fit into a Large in pumpkin patch jeans so maybe she should try a XL in there and see if she fits them. Very comfy too.
I find that I am a medium in Pumpkin patch skirts and pants but a size 16 normally. During my first pg I bought a skirt from pumpkin patch in a Large and it was still falling down by the end of my pg. Their clothes are VERY generous in the sizing. I am usually a medium in skirts and pants from there. I am still a large on the top though.
you can look at Autograph online - a lot of their stuff is shaped to be flattering to ladies with bigger bellies, so it cuts in under the bust and then flows - i have lots of Autograph stuff i bought pre-pg and have been wearing all the way through. love their stuff. they also have a newsletter you can sign up for and a "membership" card (which is free) - i think it's this week if you spend more than 100 you get a 30 voucher to spend later in May. and ummmmm, they have 20bucks off all knitwear at the moment too.... pants - the have lots of elastic waisted styles - so comfy. if you sign up for membership online you get a voucher to use in the next 2 months too. i can never remember the website but tend to google 1626 cos that's what they used to be known as....
if you're looking online - maternity revolution have lots of plus sized stuff and cheap=ish - but not sure if there is much in the way of dressy clothes or more just casual - really depends on what kinda stuff you're looking for.
i've managed to, as a plus sized girly, get through pregnancy without a single item of "maternity" clothing - i couldnt' see the point. the one thing i've had most trouble getting is plus sized bras - if you want pretty - well, it just isn't happening!
She's having maternity bra issues atm too :rolleyes:
Thanks heaps for your suggestions BG!
What size bra does she take? I may be able to help out.
mat bras - not glamorous, but oh so comfy - lovable suddenly shapely. they're "workhorse" bras in very basic colors - i would love to get something like the "pretty" hotmilk bras but i'm realistic - i'm big, and i need support! they're not ugly granny bras as such - still create cleavage - but they're practical and comfortable (and fantastic when you go to the doc with an unusual lump half way through pregnancy - just drop the cup lol) - one of the cheapest sites i've found them on was the maternity revolotion site (about $45 each). they have a fair amount of room to expand (i'd gone up a bra size by five weeks and this has continued to grow with me - and still has room for me to make straps longer to fit boobs in when milk comes in). comes in a few colors - and yeah, i live in them. they go up to a 20F or maybe a G. i'm, from what i've read here, probably on a par with your sis size wise (i lost a heap at start of pregnancy and have now put on just baby, so my clothes are all still prepreg items) - and am in a 20E at the moment.
i have seen it on other sites (and bought it) in a 22 back size - but that one is just my back up for when milk comes in - in case i grow tooooo much! got that one at blest bras online. i do agree with so many posters that it's best to get professionally measured for a bra if you can, but for this little country hick it was impossible so i measured myself and then worked it out! both stores offer exchanges if need be...
ooh, just looked at maternity revolution - plus sized (20+) navy dress mat pants for $10, navy skirts $10
another option is ebay - i think the seller i have bought from is annaleise fashions - sized up to 30, very flattering styles (kinda gothic arms, long flowing tops and things) - bought a few things off them couple years ago and still look occassionally now - the quality has been fantastic for very reasonably priced clothes
She's a 22-24 DD I think, but she hasn't been measured properly. We were talking about bras the other day and she said Myer didn't stock her size which surprised me. I told her if she had a fitting there they would find something to fit her. SH'e quite shy though.
I had a quick look on Maternity Revolution last night and they had some awesome bargains!
I would be careful of Myer fittings these days. Whilst they were once the place to go I found my last fitting was just so wrong. They had me in a 20DD, when I was actually a 16E! The damn bras were ridding up my back the whole time. I would recommend going to an independent lingerie store, sometime the ladies are a bit gruff, but they do a good fitting.
I have bought some stuff from Maternity Revolution and they are brilliant. Very easy to do internet orders with.
Bras are the one thing I am a bit nervous about doing internet orders with. I got some HotMilk lingerie from a shop locally (we have something in Townsville!!!) and I am a 16E and have found it very supportive and comfortable. I love HotMilk! Not sure what sizes they go up to though :think:
As far as regular clothes in plus sizes, Crossroads also sells sizes up to 24. I got a dress there last week and because of the style, even though it's not maternity, it is doing me really well at the moment. I don't think the clothes from there are the best quality, but the price is quite good for something that you would wear for a season.
I call them disposable clthes because they last a season and are cheap to buy. :lol::
I will take her to check out Crossroads. I haven't been there in soooooo long.
Looks like we're having a massive shopping day next week with all these suggestions :dance:
keep in mind that your sis may choose to BF and her boobs are going to expand - so buy clothes that are suitable to BF in as well if you can. maybe stuff that is button through and she can wear a belly band underneath for added modesty! i have an unused one here that i can send on (belly band) that i got on ebay - as well as (i think) the elastic extender thingy for button up pants. bought them, but managed to never use them!
ummm, just thinking what other clothes i'm wearing every day that are comfy! for at home, i have trackies from best and less - i don't care what i look like at home - cheap, and really good quality for trackies! they're not the fleece lined ones so i don't over heat. hubbies flannelette shirts - they're so comfy cos they're huge! you can get men's polos up to 7xl in target if you want something a little "neater" but still comfy. they're not too exxy so if they get stretched around boobs and belly who cares. think BIG W are the same kinda thing
with the bra, if she's only a 22 in general size, she may find that she doesn't actually need a 22-24 back size - it's probably just the bra size that she found in the shops that was comfortable and easy to fit into - she may be using part of the back size to accommodate the need for a larger cup. i used to think i needed the larger back size, smaller cup size til i was measured properly - my "standard" bra is an 18DD-18E. it comes down to where her size is - does she have a small back and large breasts, or smaller actual breasts and a broad back?
i also have clothes from postie and undercoverwear in my wardrobe that i've been wearing right through my pregnancy. postie have had some awesome elastic wasted pants that are really flattering. undercoverwear have some really flattering tops and things (i have some strapless boob tube type things that i'm intending to wear under button through shirts for "dignity" while BF!). i have bought one item of breast feeding clothing for when the time comes - apart from that, the clothes i have should be enough... well,that's the hope... lol
hey there, i know it might not help, but im a bigger girl and im living in the long tank tops that kmart and target have. during my first, i used to double them so they would sit over the bump towards the end. wasnt the most glamourous look, but they really did the trick!
also, i brought for this one those belly belts? they sit in your normal jeans and stretch out the buttons so you dont do the jeans up. ive also got one of those belly belts thats like a belt of material that covers that i dont have my jeans done up.
hope it helps :D
Lisa
Plus sized pregnant lady here too!
Bras - not sure where you are located but Lisa'a Lacies in Frankston, Victoria have a great range and are fairly priced. They can be bought online or from the store and have a fantastic return policy. It's the only place I buy bra's now.
Clothing - Undercoverwear has quite a few items that are stretchy and will go from pregnancy to post pregnancy with ease.
Maternity Revolution gets my vote too as well as Mums n Bubs Maternity, Just 4 Mums Maternity Wear and Ebay.
HTH's!
Well, she has found clothes she likes at that fit at MILLERS of all places.
Still got to tackle the bra situation though.
Thanks so much for all your suggestions.