Input requested: Modest maternity clothes
I was wondering if you had any good resources for modest maternity clothes? I had a terrible time finding modest maternity clothes with my last pregnancy. I'm only 4 weeks pregnant, but this baby will be due in the summer (whereas my son was born in January), so I know that I'll need some cooler stuff in larger sizes and want to ask for it for Christmas. -NoahI don't have any great ideas, Noah. Last time I had a difficult time finding things and pieced together my wardrobe from various places little by little. I shared all of my clothes with my sister during her recent pregnancy and she added to my "stash" with things she found and is sending it all back to me soon, so I probably won't have to buy much. However, since this baby is due at a completely different season, I may have to come up with some more Summer clothes as well.
I'd love to hear from any of you who have great ideas in this regard. And, if any of you have sewing businesses and make maternity clothes, please tell us about it!
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:52 AM
36 Comments:
I am in the middle of sewing myself some maternity dresses for the winter and early spring - I'm due in April. I haven't found a ton of really great patterns, but I'm using Simplicity Pattern 5756 to make a few dresses, and it includes a pattern for a top and skirt and pants as well. Also it is very very easy, requiring merely thread, fabric and elastic and a few hours per dress. I hadn't seen any dresses I liked, and all the dresses I did see were madly expensive - this is by far a better alternative for me, and I can match the fabric to the season.
Gracie
Crystal and Noah~
I'm about 7 1/2 months along so I've been in maternity clothes for awhile now :-) I received alot from friends for this third baby, but I've also bought some from a couple of places. I don't have really any specifically "modest" websites, but here are two places that often have had a decent(if not perfect)selection. Just use your judgement when buying and remember since our bust size grows...things become much lower cut than they may look. Try stuff on if you can and give it the modesty check.
I really like www.motherwear.com, they have both maternity and nursing clothes and most is pretty modest. They do have some things that the neckline tends to plunge on, so just be aware of that.
I also have gone to Motherhood maternity shops. Again, use your judgement...there are always things you have to wonder about.
I hope this helps :-)
Sommer
Yardsales, Thriftstores,Ebay, & etc. You can always do the layer look , and add thin(not revealing) short sleeves over maternity or bigger tanks. I get 99.9% of my maternity clothes at yardsales and have too many!! If you would like I will send you my extra's and if you can't/or have them then you can put them up in a contest to give away. I have a long black Motherhood Maternity dress skirt (size L), In Due Time summer floral dress(w/out sleeves but still modest) (size L), & long Motherhood Maternity dress(M) that is w/out sleeves & can be used in winter/spring w/longsleeved or shirtsleeved under. All in good consition & very comfy. Just need a cute mommy to be to wear them.LOL... My e-mail is mrs.clark12345@hotmail.com, so please e-mail me Crystal & let me know if you would like them.Free of course..Mrs.Clark
I wore elastic waisted skirts and pants- not maternity at all, just elastic- and those nice cotton shirts from Old Navy. Our apartment manager and folks at our church couldn't even tell I was pregnant!
For tshirts and tank tops (wide strapped and spaghetti to go under everything or alone), I love Old Navy. It's cheap but durable, modest and plain in color/style (meaning you can hold on to them for future pregnancies and not worry about the trendy factor.
I haven't tried them yet, but I like the looks of http://www.7sisterssewing.com/maternity.htm They will make a maternity jumper for $25, with choices as to neckline, button bodice, regular or low armholes, gathered or flared skirt, etc. $5 extra for buttons down the skirt also and for plus sizes. I'll probably order at least one jumper this time around. They are not taking orders until January 1, however.
Heather (mom to 3 children 5 & under, #4 due in Jun)
I just checked out oldnavy.com. They had some very cute maternity clothes. The short-sleeved shirts were as low as $4.99 and all the dresses were only $30.
Imladris2: I had to smile at what you wrote - I don't think anyone is going to have a problem telling I'm pregnant no matter what I wear - atl east after 5-6 months. :) I'm short and short waisted so there's not a lot of room to hide my growing belly. :)
I second the Old Navy recommendation, though I don't like a lot of their clothes, I found some really nice maternity tops there for $1.97 each a few weeks back. I snagged all the ones left since I'd just found out I was pregnant. Those will definitely come in handy.
Mrs. Clark - thanks for the great offer! You're so kind! I usually wear smalls except for when I'm really, really pregnant I can sometimes fit into mediums.
If there is someone on here who could use them, email me or Mrs. Clark.
Same here Crystal about wearing Smalls. I am usually so sick with all my pregnancies that I only wear a Small maternity the last month. I am almost 5 months now(w/third) and am slowly gaining back the 13 lbs I've lost since I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidurum (basically couldn't keep any liquids or food down for weeks) I couldn't pass up the cheap prices for these nice namebrands at yardsales and hoped I or someone could use them one day. So like Crystal said, if anyone can use them I will gladly send them. I will be quite busy starting tommorow since my hubby is coming back from a 7 week Special Forces course. He's only in until Monday morning, so I will be enjoying every minute with him.But I can get them out to whoever next week. I hope all of you have a wonderful & blessed day! Mrs.Clark
Hello!
My sister-in-law and I were pregnant at the same time and we found some very nice denim and khaki skirts at Motherhood. They are a bit more pricey than making them yourself but if a person doesn't sew, it's a good place because they seem to carry quite a few different modest skirts. They also don't seem to be as pricey as other places, especially if you can get them on sale. Shirts were hard to find, I ended up wearing tank tops under almost all of them because it's almost impossible to find decent necklines these days.
Hope this helps!
~Jen
I'm now 8 months along and have been making do for the most part with a couple of skirts found at thrift stores and tops found in the Juniors sections at Ross & TJ Maxx, in a size extra-large. Extra-long and "tunic" tops (including sweaters) are "in" right now, so I have been able to pair them with my maternity skirts & pants without showing any skin. I found plenty of nice skirts & pants at the local thrift shops, but the maternity tops were for the most part atrocious- either too skimpy, too cheaply made or just plain hideous.
Another tip is to stretch your usual wardrobe for awhile by wearing extra-long tank tops/undershirts or camisoles under your normal shirts (in a color that matches either your top or bottom)- this enabled me to wear my usual blouses & tops for quite a while before I had to merge into larger or maternity-specific clothing, as it kept my growing potbelly hidden (indeed, no one even guessed that I was with child until the 5th month). This also helps with keeping that growing bosom covered up, as Sommer mentioned- some of my regular clothing would now be unnaceptable without the extra foundation garments, as my once-dainty bosom has been trying to fight its way "up & out" these days, much to my embarassment :)
For my latest pregnancy, I found some really nice skirts and jumpers at www.littletouchofelegance.com. Also, www.achristianhome.org has a page full of links to modest clothing sites, several of which sell maternity and nursing clothing.
My best advice for maternity clothes is second hand clothing; whether by thrift stores nearby or through ebay. Maternity clothes can be quite expensive, and you're only going to be wearing them for a few months before packing them away! Usually second hand maternity clothing is in good condition, and you're likely to find an ecclectic mix of styles at any one place, as opposed to a brand name store/shop where if you don't like the style, you probably won't like any of it.
Also, I really have made use of the bella band, which is a stretchy tube top looking thing that you put on over your tummy/pants and under shirts. This way you can wear your jeans, skirts, capris, etc longer.
And last but not least, if you're not too proud to ask, perhaps you have a friend who just finished being pregnant or who has a stash, who'd be willing to loan her clothes to you for a bit.
Hope any of that helps Noah!
Don't forget that many consignment shops for children also carry maternity clothes. I was able to get a beautiful dress for Easter for a fraction of its normal price.
I've been maternity shopping with both Brigette and Crystal during their pregnancies. I would definitely recommend the Motherhood stores. Brigette and I looked everywhere (seriously- everywhere) for nice-looking, modest skirts and the only place we could find anything of that sort was at Motherhood. They also had nice tops as well.
Another friend of mine made her own pattern by tracing around the panel on an old maternity skirt that she liked. Then she just used a regular skirt pattern but added in the paneling (from stretchy material) and took that away from the skirt. If you're an experienced seamstress- this is probably the best route to go. The skirts my friend made were very cute and modest.
My best deals have come from JCPenny.com. They have tons of sizes and lots to choose from, and OVERALL are very modest.
I was able to wear most of my regular clothes durning my last pregnancy. A lot of my dresses had empires waists and they easily covered my belly and were loose and comfortable. I bought several dresses with empire waists at thrift stores and garage sales. I was also able to wear elastic waist skirts in a larger size or by wearing them under my belly with a long shirt to cover it.
I wrote an article back in May about Frugal maternity clothing, if you'd like to view it, I just posted it on my blog at:
http://susangodfrey.blogspot.com/2006/11/frugal-maternity-clothing.html
Hugs & Blessings!
Susan
As another short small person that cannot imagine no one knowing I was pregnant..... the last time I got a couple of black knit elastic waist skirts. They stretched not only in the waist, but being knit, stretched to fit in the front. I found 2 second hand and bought one nice one new. I also found since I am short I cannot wear most maternity shirts (they came down almost to my knees, that a regular shirt usually too big worked well. I had some nice turtlenecks and long sweaters that worked well. Also sleeveless dresses that you wear a jacket or sweater with were nice also as usually they were roomy as they had a tie and I made and bought a couple and wore with different cardigans or shirts to vary them.
Check also local consignment shops. I got some really cheap there.
I second the reccommendation to check kid's consignment shops as they often carry maternity. Specifically I reccommend seeing if there is a "Once Upon a Child" in your area. I don't have one here as I live in Australia now but I visited one several times in the US and got some very nice maternity clothes there. They have both new and used but the used stuff was all in really great condition and generally they were "better" brands but very affordable. (The secondhand, that is. THe new stuff was very expensive.) Go to www.ouac.com to find a store in your area.
Thanks so much for the tips! I'm looking mostly for skirts. I can't really wear dresses unless they have a nursing panel or button since I'm still nursing my toddler. So that makes it more difficult, ever try to find a maternity nursing dress? I will check some thrift stores, that's a good idea. I also sew, so I may be able to do some work in that direction (it's just a matter of having time. Usually I'm too tired to get even my regular chores done let alone extras like sewing). Bu I really appreciate all the tips and ideas, they will help! I'm another short thin person. Last time I started getting a pooch at 10 weeks and had to get bigger clothes. I can't imagine how much sooner it might happen this time!
Its been six years since my last pregnancy so this may be horribly outdated information! JC Penney used to carry a four piece set (pants, skirt and two tops). All of it could be mixed-matched. If I remember correctly it was about $80. I'm sure its more now though. I got so sick of those clothes but they served me well and they were very modest. They washed well and I was able to sell them at consignment for half of what I paid for them.
I shop the Motherhood store online. They have some great stuff and the dresses are even attractive. My sister is pregnant and I am finding out that it is a great time to be pregnant. The current trend is "pregnant friendly." I see more longer, tunic shirts instead of those shorter shirts that I was always tugging at to cover my belly (I am not a fan of showing off your belly, pregnant or not). I think the baby doll dress with black leggings is so cute. Some of you might think it is immodest, but I don't.
I just checked and JC Penney still has the set. Unfortunately its only in solid black. I don't know about you but I don't think I would want to wear solid black so much of the time. When I had it, one top was striped and the other was a floral print. Anyway, its $79.99 to 89.99. I think the higher price is for plus sizes.
I do sew for myself and others.... and am willing to do something up for you. I am very reasonable, as I know how tight things can get when raising a large family.
I have always gotten better deals (sometimes better than making them myself) by shopping second hand, as well.
My email is:
christipresley@hotmail.com
Best Wishes!
Christi Presley
Helpmeet to Damon for 8 yrs
Mom to 4 littles, ages 7, 5, 3, 6 mos.
I'm 12 weeks into my second pregnancy, and finding that long (and high necked) tank tops are one of my best friends. I wear them under my shirts that just aren't quite long enough anymore, and they are also fantastic under maternity shirts that aren't quite modest enough. Old Navy sells them very reasonably, especially on their website, in a wide variety of colors. Walmart is also a good place to look.
I find that I am able to buy attractive and cheap maternity clothes by scouring thrift stores, consignment stores (children's, as well as some ladie's stores have a maternity section), and children's swap meets (many Mom's bring a box of their maternity clothes as well as kids clothes).
Personally, I find it most cost effective to watch for high quality skirts and pants to go on sale at my favorite maternity stores (Thyme and Motherhood), and then I pair those with my cheap shirt finds! I am also stretching my summer clothes to work for a winter/spring pregnancy by finding some tie or button up cardigan-type sweaters to wear over top of tee-shirts and tank tops.
Stephanie
Mom to one dd (who's 2 today!!) and another blessing due June 1!
I am currently wearing a calf length blue jean skirt bought from Motherhood for $19.99. That may seem like a lot for one piece of clothing, but I have been wearing it for two months now, and I still have three months to go, so I feel like the price was justified. Plus, I wear it at least 3 times a week. I have bought t-shirts from Target, and Ross now carries name brand maternity clothes at really great prices. Old Navy carries a nice selection as well.
Thanks for posting on this, I had thought about asking the same question! I'm 12 weeks into my second pregnancy and still wearing regular clothes, but most of the clothes I had for my first pregnancy were business clothes because I was still working. I'm also having the problem that last time I was due in Dec and this time I'm due in June so the sizes are flip-flopped (ie, I was wearing smalls in the warm months and mediums in Dec, but this time I'll need smalls in winter clothes and med in summer!) and also I'm still nursing my daughter!
I will say that last time I was able to find some great deals on the sale racks at maternity stores. For some reason, Mimi Maternity and Pea in the Pod (the expensive uplines of the Motherhood Maternity store) had much better sales than our Motherhood store had. I found that the things I got at Mimi or Pea in the Pod were of better quality and held up better than what I got at Motherhood, and since I'd like to hav several children, I thought it would be good to get things that would last. And with the sale prices, my finds there usually cost from $3 to $10.
I had bad experiences with the maternity clothes I bought on Ebay - some things look cute in the picture but arrive more worn out than you expected, and others just didn't fit well. I found I needed to try everything on.
I made myself a few dresses last time from a Vogue pattern - it had a dress, skirt, pants, and top included and I got it when JoAnn Fabrics had a 99 cent pattern sale. I don't recall the pattern number, but they still have it in the pattern book.
I remember shopping for maternity clothing for my sister a couple years ago. She found some really great deals at Old Navy, and found alot of her t-shirts there. I'm talking the clearance section at 2-3 dollars a shirt. Her shirts were NOT low cut at all, and were modest. Also, ebay is a great source because they will sell maternity lots (wardrobes) so you can get each item for around .50 cents a piece.
Not pregnant here but I do agree that it is the best time to be pregnant as more clothes I see are more pregnant friendly. I do agree however there are very immodest maternity clotes. Target have some really good maternity tops (and some really bad ones as well).
I really like the maternity clothes today than I did when I was pregnant as I felt like I was wearing a tent. ha ha
I have seen some really good ones at Lands End and Old Navy.
Another thought is to layer your shirt.
HTH
Holly
He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Hugs & Blessings,
Susan Godfrey
http://www.susangodfrey.blogspot.com
E-bay! E-bay! E-bay!
That's where I did half of my maternity clothes shopping. Get measurements from the sellers and you'll be sure the items are long enough and modest enough. Buy only from sellers with good ratings and your odds of getting good items are better. The other half I got from a high-end resale shop that only sold brand names, where I could try items on before purchasing them. I saved a bundle that way, and got decent clothes.
Just in case there are any other New Zealanders reading here, may I mention that I have recently started a small home-business making and selling modest clothing
Betheder Modest Clothing
http://www.freewebs.com/betheder/
I would be quite willing to sew maternity clothes to order!
Joyanne.
Not so much as the where, as the when: Buy NOW. Fall and early winter are you best times to find modest clothing for anyone. The sleeves are longer, the fabric a bit thicker and the pants usually hit the foot. :)
Also, I really good luck with Sears maternity clothes about three years back. I got the cutest shirts and capris ever.
you may want to check out some maternity clothes stores that cater to orthodox jewish women, such as Coming Soon Maternity, the url is http://www.csmaternity.com or http://csmaternity.storesecured.com
I know this isnt much "imput" but I thought Id give my opinion. I get so tired of not having any modest maternity (let alone ANY sometimes) choices. Even at the Walmart and the Magic Mart (like a cheap KMart) they have completely done away with the maternity sections. Pattern companies that are in the major stores like JoAnns or Walmart (the only two in my area)have maybe two or three patterns in the WHOLE book, and half or all of them aren't something Id wear. I am a mediocre to intermediate sewer and I dont have the money to go out and buy those expensive or online ordered custom clothes. And by the time the clothes have reached the thrift stores (if they do at all) they look like they've been through a war. I think the pattern and chain companies make a big mistake excluding the maternity lines. It disgusts me so much that I wish I could start my own business or website with information on or links to JUST modest maternity items.
--Jamie
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