By Manda
Welp, here we go again! I'm expecting our third baby this summer, and at 14 weeks pregnant I'm already starting to show. I can still fit into my regular jeans, although most of my shirts (with the exception of my long tank tops) are pulling in all the wrong places. I've gotten out my bin of maternity clothes and most of them are either worn out, the wrong season, or just plain out of style. Thankfully I got some new maternity clothes for Christmas, but I'm going to need to round things out as the months go on.
And so, this is where you come in, dear readers! Where are the best places to find cute maternity basics that I can wear the crap out of until July? My specifications are that they be cute, versatile, affordable and for heaven's sake comfortable. Also I'm a not a big fan of anything that gathers or ties under the bust (empire-waisted). EASY, huh?
Here are a few of the pieces I've found that I really like. All of them are from Old Navy.
Maternity Chevron-Striped Maxi Skirt
Maternity Long-Sleeve Scoop Neck Tee
(And of course I had to throw in a new pair of shoes because, well, they'll be the only thing that fits for the next 6 months! And they're on sale!)
Where is your favorite place to shop for maternity clothes? Any tips for basics like jeans, tunics, and basics like t-shirts?
(Photos via OldNavy.com)
My last pregnancy, I got a lot of mileage out of clothes from Forever 21. They have a small maternity line, but so much of their regular stuff was long and flowy and while not cuts I would have chosen in "real" life, they were great for maternity, and I felt somewhat stylish, to boot. Cheap, and I didn't worry that it was all basically disposable clothing.
Posted by: Auntie G | January 11, 2013 at 11:05 AM
I loooooved the Gap maternity stuff. Wore the crap out of it, too and it lasted through LOTS of washings.
I didn't know this until I stumbled in by accident, but the Baby Gap in my local mall has a maternity section in the back! (they even have a padded belly you can wear to try on- it's super creepy.)
I got my work pants from there and a pair of jeans too. I only get to wear jeans on the weekends so one pair was enough for me. I also got a bunch of solid v-necks from there and, that, plus a cardigan, was pretty much my maternity uniform.
Posted by: Erin | January 11, 2013 at 12:00 PM
I 2nd the comment about Forever 21. I got things there like their knit striped "mini" dresses (size L) and wore them as tunics over leggings. They are like $12! The rest of my stuff is from Old Navy; they have some good sales from time to time. You really have to read the reviews though; their sizing isn't terribly consistent.
Posted by: Jen | January 11, 2013 at 12:32 PM
My go-to for jeans, dress slacks and basic shirts was actually Kohl's! Motherhood Maternity has great tanks and shorts (when it gets warmer out), and ASOS Maternity is wonderful for the dressier items.
Posted by: Cari | January 11, 2013 at 12:45 PM
When I was pregnant I got most of my maternity clothes from Old Navy online (my local Old Navy doesn't have a maternity section). I also got a few things from Kohls and JCPenney, but they both have very small maternity sections. And I got a few work clothes from Motherhood, but they're just so expensive! I recently stumbled across Shade Clothing online and they have a really cheap and cute maternity line. I haven't bought anything from them, but I plan to with my next pregnancy. Good luck!
Posted by: Kelsi | January 11, 2013 at 02:14 PM
Old Navy for me, too. I just bought a two pack of leggings (which I swore I would never wear again, yet here I am), two dresses and a long-sleeve shirt similar to what you have up there.
The dresses (over the leggings) are awesome.
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=48687&vid=1&pid=366128002
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=48687&vid=1&pid=269832012
Posted by: A. | January 11, 2013 at 02:38 PM
Sears and JC Penney were the two surprises for me. Online had more than in-store.
I also bought stuff on ebay. I found the one style of gap stretchy t-shirt that I liked and then bought a bunch of them.
Posted by: cate | January 11, 2013 at 02:45 PM
I got a pair of skinny jeans (my first!) from Old Navy, and my favorite clothes this time around are actually the camis I already had in my closet along with regular cardigan sweaters (no buttons) from Target. I figured that it was hard to justify spending money on maternity clothes since this is probably my last go-around, so between what I had and a wide array of camis and sweaters, I have gotten by. And I should be able to wear most of this stuff later. The good news is that so many things are so long now that they're normal length for maternity clothes!
Posted by: AmyRyb | January 11, 2013 at 10:22 PM