Pretty Maternity Wear

Where did (or would) you shop for maternity clothes? When I was pregnant, I essentially wore a black Target shirt for nine months straight, but nowadays, I’d probably mix it up. Here are a few basics-with-a-twist…

Thoughts? Which do you like? Congratulations to those who are expecting, and thinking of all those who are hoping to have a child, too.

P.S. One thing that has surprised me about parenting, and a pregnancy survival guide.

(Top photo by Storq, another wonderful place for maternity wear.)

Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.

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Christina Freeman

April 21, 2021 6:48am 6:48 am

I adore the yellow striped shirt in your post, am currently pregnant and definitely need to find one like it! The link doesn’t work, do you know the brand?

Reply to Christina Freeman

April 21, 2021 9:10am 9:10 am

Hi there, pretty sure that’s the long sleeve stripe t from Hatch : https://www.hatchcollection.com/collections/tops/products/the-longsleeve-maternity-tee-shirt-1?variant=39256966430897?color=honey-mustard-ivory-stripe

I’m at 8 months and been living in exactly that top!

Melissa

March 26, 2021 8:20am 8:20 am

Thank you for these posts! I work as a gardener in North Carolina and am getting ready for a hot outdoor pregnant summer ahead. New post idea… best maternity overalls? Best maternity clothes to stay cool in the heat? Oooh! Best maternity swimsuits! (Anticipating needing to jump in the river every day after work). Thank you for all you do- I’ve read every day for years as I’ve grown up from my 20s through marriage and now motherhood- this community is like my big sister and cool older friend :)

November 5, 2020 11:47am 11:47 am

Hi there, I’m a long-term cup of jo reader and I love coming here for inspiration and advice. On my search for maternity clothing this was a natural first stop for inspiration. I noticed that you’ve done many posts about Hatch over the years. I really love their options, but they’re also very pricey. I wonder if you could point readers in additional (and more budget friendly) directions?
Also, as many others I’m tempted to try to avoid buying maternity-specific clothing. I’d love to hear from other (expecting) moms about how they managed their pregnancy wardrobes and maintained a sense of personal fashion!

Joanna Goddard

Author

Reply to L

November 5, 2020 12:33pm 12:33 pm

yes absolutely! I loved the maternity wear at Target, Gap and Loft. I’d love to hear from others, too!

Ashley

Reply to L

December 1, 2020 2:09pm 2:09 pm

You could also look for brands like Hatch and Storq secondhand. I use Poshmark and got a Storq midi dress for about $60!

As for personal style, unfortunately mine got completely flipped (literally). I would usually wear a tighter sweater with wide-legged pants, but have switched to prefer maternity skinny jeans or leggings, a tighter maternity t-shirt or sweater and an oversized jacket or blazer. I’ll also second Joanna’s recommendation for Gap maternity and also add H&M maternity wear as well!

Caitlin

June 29, 2020 1:52pm 1:52 pm

I have a 3 week old and I purchased 2 pairs of leggings (Pact and Storq), 1 pair of overalls (Asos), and 2 maternity shirts (Target). There were a handful of nonmaternity things I made work and I borrowed a jumpsuit for my Zoom baby shower (why invest in something only visible from the waist up?). I may have ended up buying a few more things if the pandemic hadn’t resulted in me living in PJ’s for the last few months. What’s been far more difficult is finding clothes to wear now– nothing in my closet fits as I’ve always been super good about not holding on to clothes in sizes I can’t wear.

Megan

June 29, 2020 12:37pm 12:37 pm

This hilarious article immediately popped into mind: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-extremely-pregnant-woman-has-a-few-questions-for-the-motherhood-maternity-customer-service-desk

A.V.S.

June 26, 2020 1:38pm 1:38 pm

I’m currently 6 months pregnant. Pre-covid, I ordered a pair of maternity jeans. And then COVID hit, and I have been working from home since early March. As a result, I have shopped for 0 maternity clothes since then, wearing PJs/leggings/shorts at home and a few go to dresses when I head out. Continue to wear Lululemon Align pants and they are supportive and so comfortable for more than just workout! Too hot to wear the jeans I bought in my first tri but if I need to dress up or have not waxed my legs (more the latter), I pull on the jeans and manage with existing tops. These outfits look great, but I did not want to spend money on things I would only be using for the year, and wanted to spend money on the ‘more investment’ type pieces on my wishlist. Will have to buy a few nursing tops and bras at some point in the next few months, but since I’m not really going anywhere (thanks Covid!), I’m not in a hurry to spend money :)

Noelle

June 25, 2020 11:47am 11:47 am

I’m 7 months pregnant right now, and in the first trimester I had some maternity clothes from my first pregnancy but decided to spent a little bit of money on some more modern pieces to supplement for work attire (corporate). This was right when covid was happening in Europe and we were all just starting to be careful / stay home. Now I’m working from home every day (no business attire needed) and staying at home on the weekends, and it feels like a complete waste of money. Just some advice if you are newly pregnant and not sure what to buy – get a very limited wardrobe for now unless you think you’ll really be out and about. It’s just a different world and our wardrobe needs in general are a bit different.

kara

June 25, 2020 9:58am 9:58 am

I already have 2 summer babies but am currently 9 weeks pregnant and due end of January! So it’ll be a totally different maternity wardrobe this time! Jo, please do a winter version of this soon :)

Kate

Reply to kara

July 1, 2020 3:56am 3:56 am

My tips from a previous winter pregnancy: all your pre-preg cardigans will work just fine over a lot of your summery maternity tops. I also never found a maternity coat necessary… just wore my normal coat without zipping and layered a big warm scarf over top! The most worthwhile investment for me was wintery maternity dresses/ leggings because at 9 months pregnant I did not always want to wear pants!

Cadence

June 24, 2020 1:54pm 1:54 pm

I had babies 18 months apart so I practically lived in maternity clothes for 2 years straight. My best bets: Madewell maternity jeans are spendy but worth it. I instantly felt more like myself every time I got dressed. I splurged on a few pieces from Hatch and the rest from from Asos Maternity and Target. Jumpsuits were (and still are) my go to! Also check out IG accounts like noihsaf_bazaar for Hatch and other more expensive brands.

Katie M.

June 24, 2020 7:59am 7:59 am

I have a three-month old, and when I was pregnant, I knew I didn’t want to spend lots of money on clothes I would only wear for a couple months. With that said, I have a job where I need to dress professionally most days (and I love wearing clothes I love!). So, I did a subscription to Nuuly (a recent start up from Anthro parent company URBAN) where I got six rented pieces each month (with an option to buy at major discount at the end of the month). They even started carrying maternity brands, which I found particularly useful once I started needing maternity jeans, etc. Because lots of the brands they carry err more on the side boho, loose-fitting, there was so much to choose from that fit great even at 9 months pregnant. I would highly recommend as a fun way to keep wearing clothes that make you happy, but don’t require spending an arm and a leg.

Lauren Foehr

Reply to Katie M.

June 25, 2020 7:45pm 7:45 pm

This is brilliant!

June 23, 2020 11:32pm 11:32 pm

Motherhood Maternity has some great seamless (super supportive) nursing bras that I just received and love at 19 wks. I knew I wanted an affordable maternity bathing suit for beach/lakes and (maybe) water aerobics if that comes back anytime soon- H&M has some cute ones that will work post pregnancy too. Gap, Old Navy & H&M have been good for basics/dresses and I snagged some cute Target tanks. With sweaters for cooler weather I feel like my pregnancy wardrobe is set. Pact also has a few items and they are all organic which I love. I splurged on one Rachel Pally dress :) One day all of a sudden nothing fit and I had to scramble! It’s been a hard time to figure out just what is needed but I feel much more like myself w/ some cute options that could lean professional-ish if need be.

Betsy

June 23, 2020 7:24pm 7:24 pm

Loft is the best for petite maternity! I’m 5 foot 1 and I could wear their pants without alterations.

Ceridwen

June 23, 2020 5:57pm 5:57 pm

Such great outfits! I wish I had worn better maternity clothes. Although I was massively pregnant on my wedding and I loved the dress I wore. Celebrated both of us.

Colleen

June 23, 2020 4:19pm 4:19 pm

Currently 34 weeks pregnant and have loved Seraphine; it’s a UK brand but their stuff arrives in a few days so they must have US distribution. I got a great tankini from them that is still hanging in there and 3 dresses I basically live in (one of which zips down the middle so will double as a nursing/maternity dress.) I can’t recommend them enough. I also bought a handful of navy and black tanks and tees from a Gap maternity super sale (they’ve made mail in returns insanely easy too, FWIW) and pair them with my 2 pairs of maternity pants when I can think of wearing pants. Working from home in the pandemic has it’s perks, certainly!

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