Cheerful Frugality Wears Maternity Clothes
Here's to hand-me-downs!
The fabulous Mrs. Fussypants passed along her Fight-the-Frump-approved maternity shirts last week. As I mixed and matched in my closet, I wondered why her clothes look so much better than mine.
I'm going to use Mrs. Fussypants' inspiration to guide my pregnancy wardrobe. She obviously knows some secrets about getting the most for your maternity money!
CRISP COTTON BLEND SHIRTS:
- Do not pill or shrink like knits. This is why my Target peasant top is no longer fit for the public, despite its measly 5 wears.
- May need ironing, but make you look 100% more polished than knit.
- Come in bright colors which resist lint. I'm banishing black to the bottom half and highlighting the face with pink, turquoise, and periwinkle.
BASIC BOTTOMS:
- Separates give you more overall wear. So that's why I wear the black capris twice as often as the tropical print!
- Black is slimming and sophisticated, just when you need it most.
- Larger non-maternity sizes are available in stretch fabrics like Chico's traveler knit. Check your thrift stores for these and post-baby sizes.
I'm sure we have dozens and dozens of pregnancies between us.
Will you share your secrets to a great maternity wardrobe? What was your best investment? What clothing washed well and felt fabulous, wear after wear?
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19 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality Wears Maternity Clothes”
June 16th, 2008 at 9:33 am
I am a very plus-sized girl (read “fat”) and my pregnancies have been in winter so far. My best purchases have been wrap dresses. They are adjustable, they highlight the baby belly well, but skim the… ahem…bulges, elsewhere. I layered mine over a pair of black maternity pants from Lane Bryant maternity or wore them with tights from Catherine’s in a larger size than usual. They always looked nice. In the winter I used a sweater over the top for extra coverage, but I also had a couple of tank tops that worked well underneath for more modesty. And I found a sparkly tank top for Christmas-time that was perfect for the few parties we attended.
Can’t wait to read more tips, as I’m praying to use this advice again soon!
June 16th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Yah for cotton!! I totally agree. I am on my third wearing for several of my cotton shirts and pants, and they were loaned out between the last time and now. So they have been used, but still look good. However, I always have trouble with maternity pants. They always either squeeze me or want to fall down. LOL!
June 16th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I stuck with basic colors and classic styles. Things like khaki, black, and denim bottoms and solid colored tops. The things that were really trendy did not make it through multiple pregnancies, but some pieces just were always in style. I also found a fabulous dress that I didn’t like on the hanger. Out of desperation I tried it on and it was fabulous. For husband’s office party I was two weeks from giving birth. I wore a non maternity size 1X cocktail dress. It flowed from the bust area. I got so many complements on that dress.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I found skirts and tops fit much better (and are more slimming) than dresses. They’re also much easier for those doctor’s appointments. SKirts are cooler in the summer than pants or capris, too. Another plus with the cotton blend shirts is that they hide an outie bellybutton (if, um, you know anyone whose blellybutton, ahem, does that) better than knits. I stuck to neutral bottoms that were well made, flattering and comfortable. Nice comfortable shoes are something that people don’t really think of as part of a maternity wardrobe but they are sooo important. So is a great bra. After all, bellies aren’t the only things that change shape:)
June 16th, 2008 at 11:24 am
I am not sure what you guys think about this one and it came out AFTER my pregnancies but the BELLY BAND has been rumored to be AMAZING!!!
June 16th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I agree with all the tips so far. I would add that I liked to wear form-fitting maternity tops as opposed to loose, tenty ones – I felt more chic, less big, and got more compliments.
Overall, being pregnant helped me realize how few clothes I actually need because I was too frugal to simply buy a whole wardrobe. I relied, instead, on clothes that I REALLY liked and that all coordinated. I had three bottom colors that went with my shoes: khaki, black, and denim. Now that I’m post-partum, I have weeded some stuff out of my wardrobe that I just don’t need enough to justify its space and care.
June 16th, 2008 at 11:44 am
This is a really helpful post! As of tomorrow, I’ll be at 12 weeks. No need for maternity wear yet, though I’m guessing that time will be here before too long.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I got one great pair of maternity jeans with the adjustable elastic in the waist band made out of a stretch denim. They were the most expensive thing I ever purchased for maternity wear, (30 on consignment) but I wore them almost every single day and they looked great with everything else in my wardrobe. They were a crisp looking darker denim and made me feel so much more put together than the yoga pants I usually wore when we were going out somewhere. I don’t suppose that would work so well for summer pregnancies but we lived in Canada at the time.
I also have one pair of khaki cotton weave capris that I wore all through my last pregnancy, which was summer, and saved for myself in case there’s a next time.
I’m also well stock in peasant blouses made from the above mentioned cotton blends, and I wear them still, even though I’m no longer pregnant, because they are cute and comfortable. And they last forever.
Fabrics are the first thing I examine when shopping. I finally learned that lesson. And I don’t have a bunch of pilled shirts any more.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I am currently 26 weeks with #3 and it is my first summer pregnancy… I’m finding that some of the new styles (flare shirts and more peasanty type shirts) that aren’t fitted are working out just great! Also, since they’re not ‘maternity’ they are less expensive.
I’ve also found Old Navy maternity jeans to be the BEST! They fit wonderfully and they come in longs!! I do think they run a bit big though, because I wear a size smaller in those than any other maternity pants.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I’m 18 weeks into my second pregnancy–fortunately, I started this one at a healthier weight than the last one, but this means NOTHING fits me right now. I dumped my fat clothes, kept the maternity clothes. Meaning I’ve got nothing in-between my healthy non-baby weight and 8 months pregnant!
My neighbor, though shopped mostly in the juniors department for her blouses, finding lots of cute shirts that looked just like maternity shirts with a baby belly under them.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I don’t know what I would do without my Old Navy maternity tanks that I wear under everything. They have adjustable straps, have a shelf bra for extra support, and are long enough to cover a 40-week belly. They also help to smooth out lumps and belly buttons and such under knit shirts (I happen to love my knit shirts and they stay nice longer if I drip dry them) and they provide more coverage up top for those maternity shirts that tend to show off more of “the girls” than I am comfortable with.
June 16th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I did well the past two summers (yes, I was pregnant the past two in a row) with a khaki A-line skirt, khaki pants, jeans and a pair of stretch waist non-maternity khaki shorts. I also had one pair of black dress pants from previous pregnancies. The Old Navy knit tops lasted through wear after wear and wash after wash with little to no pilling, but are finally starting to look a bit faded, so I’m in trouble next time around! I had these in coral, spring green and navy blue.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I am 34 weeks now but I was DETERMINED to make it through early spring without buying any maternity clothes for the cooler weather, I wanted to spend my money on some nice things for hot weather (which we are having in abundance now!)
I got one of those stretch bands from Motherhood Maternity and have practically worn it out! By using that and wearing looser fitting or longer shirt-tailed tops I made it to the capri/shorts weather! It definitely saved us money since we didn’t have to buy any maternity pants for just a month or so.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I’ve found that this pregnancy has been my best yet for maternity bargains- probably only half of my maternity wardrobe is ACTUALLY maternity. With all the empire waist styles out right now in dresses and tops, I’ve been able to buy regular clothes and then should be able to wear them after baby and beyond- making them even more of a worthwhile investment! Just the other day I got a few different summer dresses from Marshall’s for about $14 each- plenty of room in the belly and nice and cool for summer.
Steph
June 16th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I love the bella band! I used a khaki one with my last pregnancy. I am sure they could easily be made. If I have any future pregnancies I plan to make them in several colors. The key is finding the right fabric and making it the right size for your belly (the wrong size will roll down). It works great at covering those outies. It also works great at covering pants that are undone in the early and post pregnancy days. Buy it or make it – it’s a great addition to the maternity wardrobe.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:33 am
I found a couple maternity wardrobe “rules” that worked great for me:
–Keep it to one color pallette, black coordinates or brown coordinates: it’s so much easier to match and keep the wardrobe small.
–Bella bands rock! You can use your normal pants alot longer.
–That being said, elastic waist skirts are better than pants and shorts. More flattering, more comfortable, and I wore non-maternity skirts my entire pregnancy. They sit well below the bump.
–Don’t be a tent! Fitted tops are prettier.
–Also invest in maternity shoes and maternity jewelry. I felt so much better with new, cute, comfortable shoes. As for the jewelry, well….
June 17th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I went to the half-price sale at the end of our local semi-annual babies & Kids consignment sale run by our church. I got some very cute and recent maternity fashions for only a dollar or two per piece. Some were brand new and others almost.
I liked my Motherhood jeans the best–so comfy and versatile. I was working during my first pregnancy, and tended to wear cotton Old Navy shirts and blouses which looked nice and held up surprisingly well.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Personally, the best thing for me was having lots of friends loan me clothes. I spent less than $50 total on maternity clothes, and was able to find some nice things on consignment… but it was the bags and bags of loaned clothes that made it really fun to get dressed!
Ladies, save those maternity clothes! Your friends may need them! I think it would be really neat to get a rubbermaid tub specifically for maternity clothes to be passed around in a circle of friends. I have several friends pregnant and I know that they’ll be blessed by the maternity clothes I returned to the lenders, who will no doubt offer them again to others!
June 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I know I’m repeating a lot of what other commentors have said, but here are two new things I’ve learned in the last of 10 my pregnancies:
* Skirts are much more flattering than dresses; elastic waist skirts are forgiving enough that you can wear non-maternity styles throughout your entire pregnancy. Just let it ride low, below the bump, and use a men’s tank style undershirt to cover the gap.
* Try a men’s undershirt (tank style) under your top to provide more coverage above and below with today’s revealing styles. I picked up this tip from <a href=”http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com”>the Headmistress</a>, and I love it! Much cheaper than buying ladies’ tank tops, and much better coverage, especially below since they are made super long. If only they came in more colors…
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