Sooooo this week I've had 3 different people ask me about maternity clothes. Which I laugh at because I (okay my mom) bought a total of about 4 pieces of actual 'maternity' clothes and found other stuff that would work or borrowed from friends. But I do think it's worth talking about because as much as R&I wanted babies, I still meltdown when I have somewhere to go that actually requires dressing in something better than R's oversized tees and shorts.
Just yesterday, I was talking to my awesome friend about the reality of me not going to work while all my teacher friends are back at it (yup, it's surprisingly hard). She told me to get my butt up and showered and dressed and get going in the morning (in a much nicer way). My excuse for not putting on 'real' clothes each morning was that when you only have so many pairs of pants that fit, you hate to waste the perfectly good pair just for editing at the computer.
And so ends my excuses. By 10 am today (baby steps), I was showered, dressed and had eaten breakfast (twice actually). And by dressed I don't mean work out shorts. (Do you hear the angels singing?)
As I pulled out a pair of maternity capris I already regret buying. I thought it was worth mentioning some things about what to wear (or what not, actually).
First, go shopping before you need to. NOT to buy a maternity wardrobe. You have no idea how big that baby bump is going to get. But you can buy some roomier clothes that will be good pieces after baby's arrival. I suggest taking a friend that's been there, has a similar build to you, and is supportive. (Actually, just take Jaren. Even if you don't know her, just take her. Trust me.) My first trip (EARLY on, before most people knew we were expecting) was to Target (with Jaren) and I had a $50 budget. I picked out a few summer dresses (not maternity) in a size larger than normal. They fit great then and they fit great now. A lot of the styles right now have lots of room in the belly so they're the perfect substitute. Plus you can pair them with leggings and cardigans to get you through more than one season.
At this trip, Jaren also talked me into the belly band (or rather the knock off version of it that Target sells). I was totally against it. It looked uncomfortable and ugly. She told me to trust her so I did. I'm so glad I did. Not long after that trip, I couldn't fit into my favorite BR skinnies. Cue the belly band. (Amen.)
Adding these few pieces (along with leggings already in my closet), I got through the first 4 months no problem. At the end of May, I was still surviving with these things but we had a MN shopping trip planned. Forever 21 and H&M at MOA both have a (small) maternity section.
I found some grey skinny jeans, comfy pants (that I'll totally wear well past maternity season), and a tank and tee. I also got some jeans at Motherhood Maternity and some capris at Target. In a later trip (just to Jordan Creek), I got some Gap shorts. These are the only maternity pieces I own and each pair of pants is totally different. Let's compare.
First up: Forever 21 Grey 'Skinny' Jeans.
The good: They're cute if you work them right (see below). And they don't make me feel like I'm wearing maternity pants. The band is low but stretchy enough that it actually feels good.
The bad: I always feel like I should wear bigger or flowy tops or tunics with skinny jeans to balance things out. Bigger/flowy+baby belly=tent. Not attractive. Remedy: pairing them with tanks and 'flowy' cardigans.
The ugly: 'Skinny-maternity' anything might be an oxymoron. I'm going to sound like a nimwit here, but I was surprised by how big my legs got (and are getting). These puppies leave marks down the sides of my legs where the seams are. I haven't worn them for an entire day at a time since June. Evenings out are about the limit.
Overall: Love em. And totally recommend them.
The Target Capris:
The Good: Cute factor with the rolled cuffs/boyfriend jean look. And the 'real' button look (more on that in a bit).
The Bad: TIGHT in the waist.
The Ugly: I thought I could pull off the maternity pants with the stretchy sides/back and keep the button up look going. I was wrong. I CAN button them. And they fit when I do. But I cant sit down (or breathe for that matter) without it hurting. Hard metal pushing against the outside of your belly + little baby pushing against the inside of your belly is not a good combo.
Overall: I may have bought them too early but they are the same size as my other pants that still fit so I'm not sure even a larger size would have worked. I still wear them using the rubber-band trick so I've gotten my monies worth but I would not recommend this style.
The Motherhood Maternity Jeans:
The Good: They fit perfect and are definitely 'transition' jeans from early to later. They still fit great and even though I put them through the dryer, I think they should fit for quite awhile longer (hopefully the rest of the pregnancy). From the waist down, they are cute. And they are versatile as jeans or rolled up capris (at least in my mirror they are- I hope that translates to real life).
The Bad: I was opposed to the belly cover of these based solely on looks.
The Ugly: It's fun to wear them as capris on a hot day... but beware- this band (and the belly band) are HOT (and not in a good way). My belly sweats (yup, seriously) when I wear these in the summer.
Overall: Love 'em. Definitely recommend 'em. Other than the sweat factor, they are super comfy and cute. Even though I was opposed to the look of the belly cover, they are the most practical and comfortable of the lot.
The Mauve Gap Shorts:
I wasn't sure if the picture of these I found online (gap.com) were the right ones but I checked and they are. Mine were MUCH cheaper in the store than these are and apparently I bought mine big because they are not that small looking (and longer- though I don't roll mine up like that).
The Good: Cute and comfy. Even with the lower waist band, they are comfy (though I wear them under the belly- not sure if that's the intended style or not).
The Bad: Though the color is fun, when you're only investing in one pair of maternity shorts, it might be a good idea to invest in something a little more practical.
The Ugly: The length. Though they fit quite a bit longer than the ones pictured, I'm more of a bermuda shorts girl and wont wear anything shorter when I know I'll be sitting in public places. (Weird, I know.)
Overall: I like them so much, I'm sure my friends are sick of seeing them. Comfy, cute and clearance are three of my favorite words when shopping and these fit the bill.
Overall, the only ones of the lot I wouldn't recommend are the 'real front button' look. I found them to be really uncomfortable (if you had a different experience with them, let me know!).
I know this doesn't look like many bottoms (trust me, I thought of that when I was moving my 36 pairs of jeans to the spare closet), but these, paired with skirts, dresses, and leggings have really gotten me by okay.
Also, the borrowed pieces from friends have been a huge blessing. R caught me trying on a pair of jean shorts a friend sent my way and he said, "You do not do a happy dance in the mirror for jorts." He's obviously never had to dress a baby bump.
For the sake of not making this post any longer than it already is, I could do a separate post on maternity tops but the truth is, I only have two words for you: TARGET TANKS. (It will be a sad day if these stop covering my belly.)
Happy dressing!
