The term maternity “fashion” is a bit of an oxymoron, really. I don’t know many women who necessarily feel fashionable during their pregnancies, especially in the later stages. I’m currently 32-weeks pregnant with my second child and I feel as though I should be shopping exclusively at sporting goods stores looking for the biggest tent for me to wear! But for some reason, this time around, I’ve managed to find some cute clothing options that I didn’t know about a few years ago. Disclaimer: I don’t claim to be a fashionista, and as I write this blog I am wearing an almost-daily uniform of maternity sweat pants and a stretched out t-shirt! But…here are a few maternity brands and options if you’re in need:
Old Navy: When I was pregnant with my first baby, my cousin gave me some great advice. She suggested I buy all my maternity clothes at Old Navy and the Gap because they were cheap. Besides, she said, when I gave birth I’d want to burn all the clothes anyway. Ha! Yes, the clothes are pretty cheap, but I did refrain from burning any of them, and have actually ended up using some again this time around. Old Navy is great for basics like maternity tees, tank tops, and sundresses. And for any moms in the Stamford area, the Old Navy at Ridgeway Shopping Center now has a maternity section! (This didn’t exist 2-years ago when I was pregnant with my first).
Destination Maternity: There are a few locations in Fairfield County…a small section in the Macy’s at the Stamford Mall, two locations in Danbury, and another in Westport. The Westport location is one of my favorite stores, mostly because they have a section where my toddler can play. The back of the store contains the more expensive brands like Pea in the Pod, Seraphine (amazing wrap dresses), BCBG, and Rachel Zoe, to name a few. But the front of the store has the entire line of Motherhood Maternity, and that is a pretty reasonable option.
Consignment Stores: Let’s be honest, how many times in your life are you going to wear your maternity clothes? Consignment stores are a great option because odds are, if they have a maternity section, you can find some cute items that were worn once, maybe twice. And usually for a fraction of the original price.
Diapers.com: Okay, you’re probably thinking I have pregnancy brain and completely lost my train of thought. While you’re halfway right, stick with me and log onto diapers.com, click on clothing, and then click on maternity. That’s where I discovered one of my new favorite brand of maternity clothes: JoJo Maman Bebe. It turns out the website famous for diapers also has some pretty great maternity and nursing clothes!
Loft.com: I never knew Ann Taylor Loft had a maternity section, but now I do, and I’m a few hundred dollars in the hole because of it. Very cute stuff.
Pinkblushmaternity.com: Definitely some unique clothes! And I feel like they’re always having some sort of a sale.
Asos.com: This website also has some great options!
Zulily.com: This is one of those sites where you have to sign-up with them in order to shop. They have crazy deals, and the other dangerous thing is that they have really cute baby stuff too.
While I do think it’s important to find a few cute items that you really like to boost your confidence during pregnancy, the truth is you won’t be pregnant forever (unless your last name is Duggar). So my advice is, don’t go too crazy! And if you plan on breast-feeding, definitely get a few basic nursing tops and bras. (Those I would definitely keep cheap– because they WILL get stained.)
And even if you are feeling like you only fit in a tent, be sure to take lots of pictures. Maybe one day you’ll look back and think, wow– I really was glowing!
What is your favorite store to shop for maternity clothes?
