Where to start?

[K-Bear]

I'm 16 weeks and need to start purchasing maternity tops. Where will be a good place to start? I don't want to spend too much money as I think I'll probably outgrow these tops in a couple weeks.

Should I just buy bigger-sized "normal" clothes and some small maternity tops?

[Rachels]

Well, most maternity tops are actually pretty roomy, so they fit for most of your pregnancy. It's a better bet than spending a lot of money on bigger normal clothes, which you'll certainly outgrow. I'm 12 weeks and in maternity tops, too (second pregnancy). I've had good luck with some of the stretchy ones from Mimi and Japanese Weekend (got the latter on sale). Motherhood's are probably the cheapest, but that's true in more ways than one. I hear that people really like Land's End and Gap, too. I'm buying stuff now and expect to wear it for a long while, even though my belly is expanding noticeably every week.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
New baby coming in October!


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Two years and counting!

[wookiemouse]

I would buy summer clothes only for now - you'll be much bigger for when fall comes, even tho some things might feel huge now. You'll also likely wear them longer than you think - I would avoid anything that buttons up the front, I outgrew those fairly fast. I'm 32 wks now and still wearing stretchy tops I bought in October! I avoided oversize things - they only made me feel bigger and less attractive. Things that fit and make you feel good will brighten up your worst pregnancy day, trust me!

Good places to try: Target, Old Navy, Gap (on clearance), JCPenney, Motherhood, Kohls, Mervyns. Some places don't have a lot, but finding that one really good top can definitely make your day! Also check out online - I think Chadwicks has maternity online in clearance but not in their regular catalog.

I stocked up well on basic tees. I found I could make them work great with scarves, accessories, and my non-maternity jackets (just don't button them). I work in a professional office, and the tees can be dressed up easily.

[smilla653]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that early on, I bought a FEW tops one size up at the beginning of my pregnancy -- they were about 8 bucks each at the Gap, on sale, and were stretchy t-shirt material... also bought 2 camisoles one size up, and did the "layered look" thing. I still wear some of those tops to yoga class layered with a maternity camisole.

It's not too early to buy a few maternity camisoles. Surprisingly, they were one of my favorite items -- they have a built-in bra (great for 1st trimester sore BBs) and can be layered with clothes, worn to exercise classes, worn to bed..... they fit tightly enough that they work even when you're not showing yet. One of the few true first through third trimester items for me.... bought them in my normal size at Old Navy, Gap, and Mimi (ONLY thing I bought at Motherhood/Mimi/Pea in the Pod)... no good values there. Also a fairly seasonless item that can help stretch out your regular wardrobe!

I agree with the PP that button-down shirts don't last as long.... if you need them for work, buy a few now, and see if you need more your last tri.

I bought most of my maternity clothes from Old Navy and The Gap, almost never at full price. Maternity stuff goes on sale constantly... even at higher-priced sites like babystyle.com and bellydance maternity (my two faves for special items).

Good luck!

[sidmand]

I vote for Old Navy myself--you can check online to see which stores carry the maternity line and you can get some good deals online too.

I actually needed maternity pants WAY before I needed maternity tops. Even now I'm getting away without too many true maternity tops, but I suppose that's different for everyone. I wore my tops fairly loose before and found I was/am able to wear most of them even now--at 30 weeks! But I felt uncomfortable in my regular pants long long ago--around 10 or so weeks. And I haven't started to outgrow those original pants until now. And it wasn't until now that I really needed a bigger size in anything and everything.

Old Navy is definitely one of the least expensive stores I found and also has one of the largest maternity selections I've found (other than a maternity only store). I've also had a decent amount of luck at Motherhood Maternity. Fashion Bug also has a maternity line that can be inexpensive but I don't have much from there and can't really attest to the quality.

Debbie
http://lilypie.com/days/050619/0/8/1/-5/.png (http://lilypie.com)

It's a boy! Now we just need to come up with a name!

[tinkerbell1217]

Mimi, JW, and Gap are my favorites and I wore most of my tops throughout my entire pregnancy. Tees with stretch and JW tops were the most comfortable, but I did buy some smocked tops also that were great! Mimi has some of the cutest styles right now, but they are a little pricey. However, the quality is great. Much better than MHood. All I bought from MHood were some tanks and 2 pair of jeans that I ended up hating. You won't outgrow them in a couple of weeks. They are made to last through your pregnancy. Gap runs great sales and EBay always has Gap maternity too at great proces. I got some great deals from EBay on stuff new with tags still attached!