Let's chat maternity clothes today. Oh, the joys! I never expected to have a problem shopping for maternity clothes, of all things, considering my track record with shopping during the last...oh...20 years of my life. Finding things that fit me in this stage and are affordable? Eh, not so easy!
That's why it's my duty to share the best shops (including my essentials that I think every pregnant gal needs to invest in) with you so you can go into it a little more prepared than myself.
Check these places first and save yourself a couple weeks of uncomfortable fitting pants and nothing to wear! (For those of you aren't pregnant, I do have a post in the works with my favorite fall items for you guys-I know posting a lot of pregnancy things isn't ideal for you, sorry! thank you for hanging in there with me!)
sweater (obsessed with this plaid dress for fall!) // nursing tank // the best maxi dresses // comfortable tank tops (buy in every color!) // tunic // jeans // nursing sweatshirt (comes in pink too!) // chic top // leggings (full panel for later on in your pregnancy, low panel for earlier on) // striped tee
Gap: Great maternity clothes that are cute and practical, but I've found the best selection is online. Our Gap's in store maternity section was tiny (in my opinion) and they are always out of sizes. Highly recommend buying online (and during a sale) with them. Specifically I love their sweaters, jeans, and plain tops.
Destination Maternity: Known to be one of the more expensive maternity stores, but they have good quality items and an amazing sale section. Everything I've bought from them have been on major sale...this tunic is only $15 and I know I'll wear it all the time with leggings.
Old Navy: Looking for pants for work? This is your place for black pants (I've heard Gap has some as well) because they fit cute and are inexpensive. I love the pair I just bought and plan to buy a couple more. Old Navy also has great maxi dresses and chic tops that won't break the bank, but again, I prefer their online section because they don't have the majority of the cute items in store (I'm noticing this trend more and more and think this needs to change, yes?!)
Pink Blush: The cutest dress options out there whether it be for a wedding, fancy nights out, or just casual ones to wear on the weekend. SO very comfortable!
Target: Target never fails me and this includes their maternity section. As you know, I swore by their belly band for the first half of my pregnancy and now I love their tank tops (these are so soft and best fitting ones I've found so far), nursing tank tops (I've heard they're the best!), and their leggings (thick and comfortable).
ASOS: While the other stores I just listed have a lot of good everyday essentials, ASOS has a wider selection of maternity clothes that are more stylish. Free shipping and free returns!
Marshalls/TJ Maxx: They don't have maternity sections per say, but I've hit the jackpot by just buying up a size or two in their tops. They have a huge selection of stretchy, cute tops that can be worn to work and I found just sizing up works out great for these. I'd recommend buying your everyday white and black tee's from here as they are inexpensive and they have a lot of brands to choose from! Not to mention, they don't have the ugly maternity ruching on the sides (not a fan) so they fit better.
Here's a list of must haves I'd recommend starting with and you can build outfits around these. Chances are you can make some of your cardigans and jackets work by just wearing them open for a while and of course, maxi skirts and dresses are pretty forgiving so I wouldn't rush to the store and buy those until you really need them (2nd trimester and beyond)...
Essentials:
-Black pants and capris (for work)
-A good pair of jeans
-Shorts with elastic waistbands or ties
-Pair of leggings (full panel for farther along in your pregnancy/low panel for earlier on)
-Seamless tank tops
-Plain tee's (white, black, gray, maybe a colorful one)
-A tunic
-Nursing tank tops or long sleeve tee/sweatshirt (depending on the season)
What are your maternity essentials? Share your favorites with me!
**The winner of the Freshly Picked giveaway is MaKayla Meredith! (also displayed on the giveaway widget!) I will be emailing you soon, MaKayla! Thank you SO much to those who entered, I wish I could pick all of you to win! I have another pretty awesome giveaway in the works in a week or so, so there's always next time! :)
I think I bought almost everything ON had to offer when I was preggo!! Seriously the softest most amazing fabrics ever!!! I also loved Motherhood Maternity stores!! Super cute options!
ReplyDeleteright now i am 23 weeks w my second. I live in my maternity jeans and shorts & tees or tanks.
ReplyDeleteI love when I see 'pregnancy essentials' posts! I am not pregnant and don't plan to be anytime soon but I love storing them away for the future. haha LOVE the blue striped maxi!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, and what I've found as well so far! I've picked up some sale items at Destination Maternity for the fall and have had really good luck with Old Navy/Target. I'm planning on sharing a post like this later in the fall as I keep discovering more maternity "must-haves" :) One thing I have really liked and would highly recommend is Maternity Spanx! I bought some from the Spanx store on our trip (but I think Target has a knock off version?) and they're amazing for wearing with dresses - you get the benefit of Spanx on your legs/butt, but then the panel over your stomach is basically sheer to accommodate the bump...and the great thing is that they provide support for your back! Hope you're feeling great lady!
ReplyDeleteYou should get a couple of bravado nursing bras!! They sell them at a la mode intimates, not sure if that's available where you are, but you could probably find them online too. The one that I like best has the word "bliss" in the name. They can even be converted to regular bras when you are done nursing. The target nursing bras left a lot to be desired, and I tried all of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm not pregnant but I have been accidentally lured into the maternity section while shopping at Target. They always have the cutest dresses and tops in such great patterns. Then I realize that I browsing a maternity rack and try and sneak away un-suspiciously. .
ReplyDeleteAnother place I had good luck with for maternity clothes (and baby clothes) was Zulily. They had a lot of brands that I never found anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I pretty much loved all the same things as you. One thing though, I love Old Navy clothes, I have some tanks/tees/maxis but don't put ANYTHING in the dryer. Sadly it wears out so fast that way. They're super cute but not built to last. I also was in the states this past weekend (from Vancouver) and I found some cute tops at Ross, they have a little maternity section. And I bought this shirt from Target, it is SOOO soft! http://tgt.biz/1tcvL9t
ReplyDeleteLove all of these!! I really need to get to Target to pick up some of those leggings!! When I looked online, every store in my area said they had "limited availability". Better get on that quick! Thanks for sharing this list!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing !I love the post!
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