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View Full Version : Maternity clothes are driving me insane!!!



jojo2324
02-28-2002, 07:54 PM
Okay, I know I've posted a zillion things relating to maternity clothes, but am I the only one having trouble? My main frustration is the fact that all of my shopping is done exclusively by internet. (I live nearly two hours away from the nearest maternity store.) I am also a little disgruntled by the fact that everything fits me like a tent, even the smalls in some companies. I am not that tiny, and I can appreciate room to grow in, but I want to show off my belly, not hide it. I am getting quite tired of excitedly accepting these packages from UPS, thinking finally! something to wear, only to have to trudge to the post office the next day to send everything back. I am thinking that I am going to bite the bullet and drive the two hours to the nearest mall...Does anyone know if maternity clothes are sold at Lord and Taylor or Macy's? I tried to find stuff online, but to no avail. And does anyone know if bras are sold there? I have two bras from Maternity Motherhood that fit great in the store and now are like crap after I washed them. And I just got some in from babystyle (OK and Hug, both from Japanese Weekend); the Hug is nice but I feel like it offers no support and I don't want to help the stretch marks come in! And the OK fits so strangely! It makes me looks like I have I don't know what for nipples. Perhaps I should have posted this under the bitching topic, but AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!! I can't even remember what the point of this was, but I need to get it off my chest and my husband does NOT have the patience for this type of diatribe :) Thanks to those of you who do.

GreenIZ1971
02-28-2002, 09:15 PM
Well, I don't think Macy's sells maternity clothes. You MAY find some Playtex maternity bras there. Have no clue about Lord & Taylor. I know JCPenney sells them, so does Sears. Maybe one of those are closer?

I bought lots of stuff from Motherhood - 2 jeans, 2 overalls, and 4 3/4 sleeve shirts and the shirts shrunk unbelievably to the point they don't cover the maternity panel in my pants. And the jeans (and these were the ones with the panel all around) cut across my belly in the worst way (after 1.5 months of wear)so they're now unwearable. I found their design to be very inconsistent because one did that almost immediately, and the other it took 1.5 months.

What I've done is resort to Target, Kmart and Wal Mart. No kidding. The 100% cotton tshirts at Target don't shrink like Motherhood, and cost less. They also have some cute jeans/capris. I found the pants run small, though. KMart has some stuff, I'm not really crazy about their shirts, but I did find some maternity shorts there on sale for $2.50 (stretch cotton/poly) to $4 (denim) and they work great. I bought some plus size stuff from WalMart (sweats, long sleeve t's) and that may work for you most of your pg.

I also found a GREAT shirt at Lane Bryant. If you want to show off your belly, go there! If I didn't already have enough long sleeve stuff (and live in San Diego so I already need short sleeves) I would have bought some.

I don't know what point you're at in pg, but you will grow into those big shirts. I know I thought I was swimming in them at first, but woke up one day and POP! Another thing is that you'll need those big shirts to cover up the maternity panel in pants/shorts (unless it doesn't have a panel, like leggings, etc.). Or, if you buy some of the more expensive and dressy maternity clothes, some of those don't have panels (but I'm a really casual dresser, and cheap :)).

I bought some maternity bras from http://www.birthandbaby.com. I already got the Inkababe (like Bravado) and the fit is pretty good. I'm waiting on a Medela. The customer service is great - call them and tell them your concerns and they can match you to a bra. You can order Bravado from lots of places - people are generally pretty happy with those.

Good luck,

suzska
02-28-2002, 11:50 PM
I also got some really nice knit maternity things last year at Target. I have a couple tops from KMart that were your typical big maternity shirt, but at the end I didn't care, I just wanted something to fit. I didn't shop at WalMart while I was pregnant, so I don't have anything from there. Pretty much everything else I had that was maternity came from Penneys. But I was lucky that I could dress "casual" at the office. So I had a half-dozen of their maternity leggings (that don't have a panel, just big and stretchy), a pair of jeans, and a pair of khaki pants (w/o the panel), plus a couple maternity flannel shirts and mock turtlenecks from Penneys, all in a medium/size 10. I'm sure there was something else from there, too. But the rest of my wardrobe was made up of regular turtlenecks (from Lands End) and T's, as well as flannel shirts, all in a size large. I had always bought my stuff big (long story), so up until the end I could still fit into most of the shirts. Oh, and I had a pair of denim overalls from Penneys that when I first got them I thought they were huge, but I appreciated them 45 pounds later. I recently looked at the Penneys maternity stuff that they have now, and I don't like it as much as the stuff I bought 1.5 years ago. I can't help with the bras. Somehow I managed to get by with the camisole type with the shelf bra--didn't have much before I was pregnant, and that didn't change toooo much during. And I can't stand, or wear, underwire ones. Honestly I can't remember what I wore. But I did get one nursing bra from Penneys, which I wore at the end of my pregnancy.

Sorry I can't help with any info about the "better" department stores.


--Sue B.
SAHM to Evan Jeffrey 03-11-01

mommymaria
03-01-2002, 09:45 AM
Have you tried Gap or Old Navy maternity? They are only available online but returns can be done at the stores. I had good luck with both of these.

Oddly enough, one of the few bras that I could wear throughout my last few months was a Gap full support cotton bra (I think it is called cotton comfort).

Most everything I bought at Motherhood turned out to be a mistake. Their sister store, Mimi Maternity, sells better quality. And I found their shirts to run a bit smaller than Motherhood, so they may work out better for you.

Maria

jojo2324
03-01-2002, 10:10 AM
I am nearly six months...I lost a fair amount of weight in the the beginning and am just finally getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I guess if I am going to be so picky, I am going to have to pay the price. I shop the gap website nearly every day, the sale section, but even their XSMs and SMs seems so big! I know that my tummy is going to take on a life of its own any day now, but I do have a rather big bump. (so cute!) I really haven't had much trouble with Motherhood, other than a bra that shrank on me and jeans that constantly give me plumber butt; I am yanking them up more than I breathe!!! I like the mimi stuff, but to spend $40 on a sale shirt just seems like so much! And forget a pea in the pod. Of course I just got some shirts from babystyle in MED, based on their size recommendation, and I have to send those back for a LG. Some continuity would be a little nice. I tried Target, and Walmart had a rack about the length of a ruler. The KMart I have near me keeps nothing in stock. Ok, I am stopping now I swear!

momathome
03-01-2002, 11:07 AM
I'm pretty sure that most Macy's sell maternity clothes, although most of it is Motherhood stuff. The section isn't huge and you can't use Macy's coupons on maternity wear, but at least it would be an option. Good luck!
-Lauren

suzska
03-01-2002, 11:23 PM
Do you have another Target you can go to? I know around here different store locations have different quantities of maternity stuff. Some have a nice selection. Some have nothing.

Good luck!

--Sue B.
SAHM to Evan Jeffrey 03-11-01

stinkerpie
03-03-2002, 06:42 PM
I totally agree with whomever recommended shopping OldNavy.com. I'm due in three weeks but would have never made it through this pregnancy without their maternity clothes. I got really good deals on everything from long-sleeved t's to sweaters and the quality has been excellent (I do wash everything on cold and hang it to dry). Every order has arrived within 2 days, and their exchanges are free by mail. They also tend to have specials often ($10 off $50 or more, etc.).

caroliner
03-04-2002, 07:28 PM
I just posted this under your old navy post, but I have had good luck with estyle, particularly their own brand. I like their "essential tee", which is a 3/4 length tee shirt. It is form fitting, but grows with you. I was able to wear it like a regular tee even before I started to show. At 6 months, it still fits great. I have a small frame and have these shirts in medium and large. Neither is like a tent. I also love the keyhole cotton/lycra tees that they sell. I forget the name, but they are really great. They also sell a pair of pants called "lounge pants" which are fantastic. They are so comfortable, but are a boot cut style that are nice enough to wear out. I wear them to work with a pair of short boots. Also, they don't have that panel, and I could wear them before I even needed maternity clothes and they did not look maternity, but have plenty of room to grow. As for bras, I have had to go up sizes twice now, and have just bought on sale bras at Victoria's Secret. It is probably a waste of $$, but they fit and are pretty comfortable.