what's the best way to extend your wardrobe into pregnancy?

Question

i'm just starting to show & i can't afford to buy much right now, maybe $50 worth. i only have one pair of pants that fit without using rubber bands & keeping them undone (which i don't like doing!)
what can i do??
i have to wear pants & close toed shoes at work. it's casual. (nice jeans & polo-type shirts type of casual)

Answer 1

There is a thing called a bella band that I found super helpful durring the first few months and after having my kids:
http://www.pregnancystore.com/bella_band.htm if you want some info on it.
Also check out Target's clearence section I've gotten lots of great clothing there and thrift stores!

Answer 2

Target has a really cute line of maternity clothes, for $50 you could get a few staples that can last your whole pregnancy. I would start with a couple pair of pants that have the band under the belly, that way you can wear them through 9 mos. Luckily this year there are a lot of cute shirts that are stylish and baggy in the belly area. You wouldn't even have to look in the maternity section for those, and you could still wear them after the baby. A black wrap dress was a must have when I was prego, I wore it constantly, soo comfy and the perfect thing to throw on when you need to look nice but don't feel like putting forth much effort. Hope this helps!

Also, look on ebay, you can get lots of 10-20 items for $15-$25. They are usually gently used, but well worth it since you will only be wearing them for a few months.

Answer 3

Ask every pregnant woman you know where to find good deals. I did the rubber-band trick for a week or two, but it wasn't comfy. I went to a consignment shop and found some GREAT deals. I also ran into a few women that had just had children and wanted to get rid of their clothes - for free. I don't recommend buying clothes in bigger sizes. If you've got to spend $$ then, buy something that will fit you correctly right now and in a few months. they make clothes now that can go with you for the long haul. I am still wearing gauchos I bought at target for 6.99 2 years ago. They are so forgiving - they just roll beneath my belly and sit there.

Answer 4

I wrapped a hair tie through the button hole of jeans and hooked it over the button. That lasted for a while. As long as you have long shirts and aren't required to tuck them in for work.

You could also look into buying the belly bands. (Basically the same thing, but if you don't have a good deal of longer shirts then it kind of makes it look like there's another shirt underneath.)

That's all I can think of at the moment. Besides not buying maternity underwear! What a waste! Just buy bigger sizes - it's cheaper. Best of luck to you!

Answer 5

go to places like walmart and kmart and shop the sale/clearance racks. The style this year are the babydoll dresses and shirts so you can also check for those in other sections other than maternity, which will probably be cheaper. Also you can search on ebay they have lots for sale and craigslist.com or the local newspaper.

Another thing I did, I went to JC Penny's and shopped the clearance rack in the maternity section and was able to buy like 6 or 7 complete outfits for $65.00. (Jeans were like $3 and $4). Just look around.

I wouldn't spend too much on maternity clothes anyway especially since you will only wear them for a short period of time.

Answer 6

They make belly-bands, that you can use over the top of the waist band, to sort of "convert" your pants.

Also, consider shopping somewhere cheap like Walmart, and buying REGULAR pants a size or two larger. I bought a pair of $11 LEE brand jeans and wore them more than any maternity pants, and then I also wore them right after baby was born, before losing some more weight. I'm 5'10, and maternity pants were all major high-waters!!

Answer 7

There are these things that ive seen i dont know what they are called, but all the pregnacy online stores seem to sell them. It just looks like an extra long tank top that gose down over you pants and it is almost like an extender so you can wear shirts that might now fit with out it and it goes over your pants so you can leave them undone but still give you support.

Answer 8

I bought clothes one and two sizes bigger. And I also went out and bought something called the Tummy Sleeve. It's like the Bella Band, but you get it from Motherhood Maternity and it's a bit cheaper. I wear it around my waist to hold up my old pants that I wear unbuttoned. At first I thought it would be very uncomfortable, but now I feel naked without it. =)

Answer 9

check out target, their maternity clothes are priced like regular clothes. i think it is ridiculous that many maternity companies feel the need to outrageously overcharge for their clothes just because they are "maternity". also maybe you could borrow some from someone if you know anybody who has just had a baby?
also motherhood has jeans for as little as $15.
also you can try the clearance rack at a local ross dress for less or t.j. maxx and see if you can find some larger sizes of regular clothes that can hold you over until you can afford more.

Answer 10

I got a huge lot of great clothes from craigslist.com(27pcs for $60). I also hit the clearence sections of motherhood maternity as well as target and sears. I also got a bella band for $18 at motherhood maternity, it's been great. It works on most of my pants so I can keep them unbuttoned and no one knows.