Thursday, April 25, 2013

My Favorite Maternity Wear (so far...)

Come Saturday, I will officially be 20 weeks pregnant!  So far, I feel great, I'm not too big, and the baby has started to kick (all the time!).  Since maternity clothes can be expensive, I wanted to be able to wear my regular clothes as long as possible.  Up until now, I've gotten away with wearing a maternity shirt (or a long-waisted top) and a pair of regular jeans with a rubber band around the button hole.  But as my belly gets bigger and bigger, I find myself fidgeting to keep my top down and my rubber-banded pants up!  Clearly, these rubber band days are numbered.  :)  So off I go, shopping for stylish and affordable maternity wear.

When shopping for maternity wear, there are a lot of options (A Pea in the Pod, Motherhood Maternity, Target, ASOS, Gap, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, etc).  Since I will be as big as a manatee during the hot summer months, I decided to buy several sundresses, tanks tops, t-shirts, and blouses.  I also invested in a few pairs of jeans, a pair of leggings, and a couple pairs of shorts.  I work for myself (and don't go into an office), so I really don't need a ton of professional wear.  Most of the time, I dress pretty casually.  Here are some of my favorite things (so far...).


Dresses:

cheap and easy, these are perfect with flip flops... or paired with a cropped jacket, a belt and wedge sandals.
Target (here, here, and here)
 
 
 
fabulous maxi dresses-- love these!!
 

ladylike & tailored, perfect for daytime or dinner.



  

Blouses:

very cute, especially with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of jeans (love the gold buttons)


love the loose fit and contrasting collar



adorable little tank, perfect when paired with skinny jeans
 


Jeans, Pants, & Leggings:

thumbs up to ALL of these-- they fit so well (the white jeans have expanding side panels, so they look like regular pants at the waistband-- love that!).  I wear the Gap pair almost everyday now.
 

black leggings-- a definite staple.




Shorts:

 
Both of these are great (they're so comfortable, I wish elastic waist shorts were more socially acceptable so I could wear them forever)
 
 
 
 
Tees & Tanks:
 
In my brief experience as a pregnant girl, I've realized that I really DON'T like tees/tanks with side ruching.  I know that the ruching is supposed to be more flattering, but I feel like all that gathered material only makes me look like I have a beer belly.   :)
 
 
My absolute favorite piece of maternity clothing BY FAR-- this striped tee from ASOS.  I LOVE THIS SHIRT.  Sadly, it is out of stock, but this navy & red option is still available:
 
 
take my word for it, this shirt is the best.
 
 
perfect for layering, these tanks are terrific (fitted and long).
 
 
simple and comfortable, goes with everything
 
 
simple.  I bought this tee in three colors.
 
 
 
...
 
 
I would love to hear from the other Mommys out there-- did you have a go-to piece that you loved wearing while pregnant?  Or, what was your favorite resource for maternity wear?  I would love to know!
 
 
...
 

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Meagan said...

When pregnant with my first, I loved wearing cozy sweaters and leggings during the fall/winter months. For my second pregnancy (tomorrow will be 16 weeks) I had to wear maternity tops/bottoms VERY early (before 10 weeks) and have been like capri pants a lot.

I recommend not buying new (whenever possible) because of the high costs for something you won't wear much. Check out consignment stores, ebay, craigslist, etc for inexpensive maternity clothes (with the same brands that you listed in your post)

Brooke @ Blueprint Bliss said...

I'm with you on the ruching. Not a fan. Or the shirts that tie in the back... they look old school maternity to me.

I've lived in white maternity jeans with all three pregnancies. I ordered a few things from ASOS last week... can't wait to get them in (including that boyfriend tshirt).

stephanie at Stephanie Kraus Designs said...

Congratulations to you! You should try Isabelle Oliver maternity as well. Pricey but AMAZING, here is the link here... http://www.isabellaoliver.com/maternity-clothes/us. Loved her stuff while i was pregnant.

Brooke said...

I have been living in my jersey maxi skirts from Old Navy and Target. Cheap, cute, and as comfortable as pajamas!

Anonymous said...

H&M Maternity
http://www.hm.com/us/subdepartment/LADIES?Nr=4294928857

Topshop Maternity
http://bit.ly/YWKIcC

Studio Yuko Jones said...

I liked Old Navy maternity line. Their pants fit me the best. I also got a long black halter dress (also from old navy, but not maternity) during my first pregnancy for a wedding, and I've been wearing it ever since. Hope you and your baby boy are doing well :) Happy weekend!

JBB said...

I also recommend Isabella Oliver. The Runched Maternity Tshirt Dress was worth every penny. It also comes in a tank version for summer.

Sam said...

Congrats on your pregnancy - such a wonderful time in your life!

I lived in the long maxi skirts from Old Navy. I wore them with the slim fit tanks, some cool jewelry and espadrille wedges or cute flat sandals. They were great for post baby as well. I wore mine afterwards for about 8 weeks and you couldn't even tell they were maternity. I also loved maxi dresses in a solid color so I didn't look bigger and I could easily change my jewelry, bag or shoes to give it some spark. Honestly, the more unrestrictive and comfortable the piece was, the more I wore it!

Hope this helps:-)

Erica said...

Isabelle Oliver is worth the price, especially if there is a chance you are going to wear this all again...

Boden has a maternity line too!

Dayka Robinson said...

OMG, I didn't even know we were having a Baby High Street!!!! So excited for you, Kelly. Boy or girl, I believe a baby decorator/architect is stewing in your belly and how could it not be?? Fabulous design is clearly in your DNA!! :)

Best wishes for a safe & happy pregnancy!

Xo,
Dayka

Amy Williams Hall said...

I have a 6 month year old and can share sooo much! But I'll just start with maternity clothing advise... :) I loved my GAP black tee, as you said with your tees, it went with everything and was simple and flattering. It screamed pregnant, vs beer belly...lol! I also lived in sun dresses/jersey dresses! I highly recommend the "Be band" (target has them). Its a white band that fits around the top of your pants, better than the rubberband trick once you get a little bigger, and it just looks like a white tank. My biggest advise that /i was soo happy to have been told: Don't fall for the "Eat for two" thing. I tried not to and was so glad after birth that I didn't have a ton of extra weight to stress about, theres plenty to stress about just with sweet baby:)! Enjoy!!!! So pleased for you!

Unknown said...

Check out H&M! I love your picks--I'll definitely be referencing them in the near future :) The only issue I had with shorts like the ones you posted (so cute) was that I found that as my pregnancy progressed, I really favored a full panel (as opposed to the small band). I didn't get very big, but for whatever reason the full panel was more comfortable for me. Thanks again for sharing your favorites!

Unknown said...

Congrats on your pregnancy! I had a difficult time finding nice and cheap maternity clothes when i was pregnant with my baby. There were a few good deals i found on our local store and some on the internet as well. Maxi dresses were my favorites at that time.

- NineAndAHalfMonths.com

Alison said...

Thanks for sharing! The maternity clothes I saved from 8 years ago are SO dated and had to be pitched. ASOS, Target and Old Navy have saved the day! You might try Shade Clothing? Found some cute fitted T-shirts for layering.
Congrats on your pregnancy!

Kelly Christensen said...

Congrats on your baby! I found Gap had some fabulous maternity tanks that were thick, soft and didn't stretch out...it stayed fitted all day beautifully! Good luck shopping.

Unknown said...
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maternity jeans said...

Yes, you really said truth because at pregnant time also use this maternity jeans and its wonderful and i also suggest to everyone use the maternity wear.

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