Any ideas to save on maternity clothes?

Question

I looked on ebay and craigslist, people want $100 for 15 pieces of clothing that looks ugly. Plus, what if I buy them online and they are too small or don't fit right?

I don't want to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes, I want just a few pair of jeans and t-shirts. Should I just ask for gift cards to maternity stores for Christmas?

I have plenty of money, but I never like to spend a lot of money on clothes, especially when I won't wear them very long.

How much maternity clothes did you buy? Like how many pants, t-shirts, etc.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

With my first pregnancy, I had minimal amounts of maternity clothes (due to budgetary reasons and back in 2000 maternity and fashion didn't really belong in the same sentence... why clothing designers thought pregnant women wanted to look like they bought all their clothes at Georgia Tent and Awning, I'll never know, but I digress).

Second time I added more pieces, but they had style. Best deals came from Old Navy. I got several items online and at clearance prices. Shipping is $5 and returns are free.

If you choose carefully, many tiems can last throughout your pregnancy. Other items are more suited to earlier or later in your pregnancy.

I suggest pants with a wide band of elastic all the way around the top, as opposed to a front panel. These are better suited for wearing earlier in your pregnancy. They can be a bit frustrating if you get very big (they can slip down), but they will work. I work in an office and had a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black pants, a pair of gray pants, and some capris and shorts.

I had a few skirts, and several tops; though mostly in basic styles and colors. Everything tended to work with everything else.

The best "clothing" item I bought? Really comfortable shoes. I spent $98 on Born sandals (which next to my wedding gown made them the most expensive thing I've ever worn). I spend a lot of time on my feet and it was worth it. So worth it.

And I agree with you, I hated to spend a lot of money on clothes I could only wear for a few months. But I also took this as an opportunity to change my style a bit. I bought bolder patterns and cuts for some pieces (including a zebra-striped swing coat that I wish I could still wear... $13.00 from Old Navy). I felt that many of my maternity items were actually sexier than my regular clothes.

Clearance all the way! And try to get some variety, you will get sick to death of wearing the same few things every day.

Answer 2

I know what you mean! But I did a couple things that really helped. Seriously, do not be shy about asking friends or family members to lend anything they have. The other is depending on where you live, you will probably have a children's resale shop. They usually carry maternity clothes too. Take a look in your phone book for resale shops. I got a great deal of very nice clothes for very little. Also, don't be above looking at Goodwill or St. Vincents. You'll find a lot of basics in next to new condition.

Those are great for the staples of your maternity wordrobe. You may want to invest a little more for a few key pieces you'll get a lot of use from like black business pants, or a buisness jacket, or black sweater to go over a lot of shirts. I found a great pair of black buisness pants at Target for $25 and wear them all the time.

It also depends on when your showing. I'm already showing, and not due until June. So I bought some sleeveless button down shirts on clearance. The great thing, is I can wear those with a sweater over it for the winter, and still have them towards the end of the pregnancy when it's hot out.

I may sound like a cheapsake, (I'm really not) but don't see the need to waste money. You also start to look at money differenlty when your pregnant. The $30 for the new maternity shirt could buy a case of diapers instead. Ya Know! Good luck and Congrats!

Answer 3

If you go to motherhood.com, they have a starter list of items you will more than likely need. I made a list and am going from there. This is my second pregnancy and I'm currently 11 weeks, but I've got a bit of a bump already. You can always borrow maternity clothes from a friend who doesn't need them for the next nine months. I have several maternity/ baby stores in my area that will pay for old maternity/baby items and then resell at thrift store prices. Plus, Target has great prices on they're stuff. My friend just bought an adorable simple brown top for $2.84 on clearance, okay, that's cheap. Also, motherhood, really isn't that pricey. There jeans are around $20 to $25. My birthday is tomorrow (yay!) and most family and friends are buying me a maternity article for a gift, so ask for gift cards to your local mall that can be spent at anystore (not sure if your malls have those) so you can look at sears, j.c. pennys, motherhood, etc. I know exactly how you feel. I don't want to spend big bucks on a whole new waredrobe to wear for a few months then never again (at least for me- I'm done!!haha:) Good Luck!

Answer 4

I totally hear you! Money is tight enough when you're expecting without worrying about buying a whole new wardrobe to accomodate your pregnant self! When I need maternity clothes, the first place I look are garage sales - usually people scarecely use them, so they are always in great shape! Another great place to look is at some upscale second hand stores. Ebay sometimes has some great deals too! Walmart is starting to really carry some cute maternity clothes lines, and you might also want to check a JC Penney's or Herbergers at a mall near you - often they have "yellow dot" sales where items (maternity clothing included) is reduced to up to 75%, sometimes even more. Gordman's also has some super cute stuff for unbelievably reasonable prices! Good luck and congratulations! God bless you and your baby!

Answer 5

Im the same way. I just made sure i bought one really nice pair of Jeans..they were on sale at JC Pennys, and then I bought a couple shirts for church. On sale of course and mostly tshirts 2 for 10 dollars at places like Kmart, or Motherhood, etc..That is all you will really need. This is my last pregnancy so I tried not to get too much at all. I also had a friend that was just pregnant and I borrowed some capris from her and shirts. You can go to many garage sales too. I sold my maternity clothes at my garage sale a couple of years ago because I wasnt planning on getting pregnant again. All the clothes that I sold were very nice and in great condition. It never hurts to look around.

Answer 6

You can buy some nice looking bigger sized clothes on clearance. I've gotten some maternity clothes at Walmart, on ebay one pair of jeans I really liked I got at fashion bug, and I got over sized clothes on clearance. You have to prioritize what you need and when. Maternity clothes are so expensive every where. That sound like a great idea to let everyone know that you need maternity clothes and you'd like to pick them out and make sure they fit right. This has been one of my biggest frustrations this pregnancy, that maternity clothes are so expensive. We used to have a thrift store in are area that had maternity clothes and things for babies, and young children but it's gone now! If you have one in your area it's one of the best places to look.

Answer 7

Old Navy, Gap Maternity(a little pricier), Motherhood and Mimi are also pretty good. I found that having a few key items that could last my whole pregnancy was the key. Like, a great pair of demi-panel jeans. I have been able to wear them the whole time. Also a good pair of black stretch pants,(I found mine on the Gap Maternity sale rack for $20), because sneakers are a must and the pants are comfy to boot. I would ask for gift cards if you are only half way through! Good luck!

Answer 8

What I did was I wore alot of sweat pants and big t-shirts, these are things that you can still use after your pregnancy, and they don't cost alot of money. If you are going out and you want to look real nice you can still buy dresses that have the band around the waste so when your baby is born and you want to wear that dress you can , just wrap the band around so it fits your waste.Jeans you can buy the maternity jeans if you want but ask your self this am i going to wear them alot or just once or twice? I never bought them because i found that wearing a dress or jogging pants were comfortable around the house. When your going to work stick to the dresses it always works and you can still wear them after pregnancy is done. You can still look good save money and still wear these cloths later on. I hope that I helped you.

Answer 9

I got alot of my maternity clothes from my sister who just had a baby a year ago. But I also bought some of my clothes from the Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. These are great places to shop for cheap, used but like new clothes. You can buy tops and bottoms for $2 - $4 a piece. When your done with them donate them back or give them to someone you know that is expecting a baby.

Answer 10

I would invest in one good pair or maternity jeans and a pair of black pants. The gap has great one, they fit just like pre-maternity pants only with a little strecthy band. If you go to Gap.com you can find a store that has maternity. I bought a couple pairs of jeans there for $68 each and they fit great and are still sexy. It is worth the extra $$ to feel hot when pregnant.