Can I just be honest about something? I’ve ALWAYS looked forward to wearing maternity clothes. After getting married sometimes I would just “let myself wander” over to the maternity section of Target 😉 I felt like they always had such cute maternity clothes!!! And I loved seeing pins of expecting women on Pinterest go thru my feed & how they styled their cute bump.
Today I’m sharing my 3 favorite places to purchase maternity clothes. Now these 3 stores are all local to Bloomington-Normal because I want this post to do double duty. I know I won’t always be pregnant 😉 but I’m always asked by my clients who are expecting on recommendations of where to purchase their own outfits for their maternity session with me & I want this to be a resource for them! I’m also sharing a few bonus places that I know you can buy online maternity clothes as well.
Through-out the post I give a few *TIPS*. This is only my first pregnancy, but I’ve found a few things that have really worked for me clothes wise that I think any momma who’s expecting will appreciate!
I haven’t had to buy very many clothes at all actually. I’ve been very blessed in having dear friends who either shared with me their maternity clothes & even a few friends who are done having kids & they gave me lots of clothes. It’s been a SUPER huge blessing. I feel like the Lord granted me my hearts desire in knowing how much I like maternity clothes & that I wouldn’t be able to afford much on my own, so He gave me clothes thru others. So my recommendation would first be to see if friends lend or even give you their wardrobes. You never know who’s ready to empty their closet!
So since I haven’t bought many items myself, I am VERY happy with the few items I have purchased from these particular stores which are my fav’s:
- TARGET – My mom & I went out shopping one afternoon at the beginning of my pregnancy & we found an adorable top at Target. It’s a tank top but flowy & has grown with me through my pregnancy. I’ve already started layering with it this fall & will continue to wear it through my pregnancy. That’s a for sure *TIP* I’d give, find items you can use in different seasons for more wear because it is true, you’re only pregnant 9 months!Some of the clothes I was given by friends were from Target. They’ve lasted through several pregnancies my friends have had & their still in wonderful condition for me. Plus, Target is just a reasonably priced store in general & who doesn’t like the Target Cartwheel app? 😉
- OLD NAVY – I’ve bought bought two dresses from Old Navy (ON) & I love both! One was at an outlet store in Nashville, TN & the other was online when I had just found out I was expecting. I had gone online to ON to find some leggings that I knew I’d need in the fall/winter & saw a dress for like $18 that I knew I could wear in the summer & again layer with it in the fall/winter. I LOVE both of the dresses I got & the two pairs of ON maternity leggings I got- one pair black & the other pair navy.And sidenote, the black & navy leggings have been awesome! I’m currently wearing a knee-length dress with black leggings on underneath- comfy & cute :)Another *TIP* I’d give is if you find out you’re expecting, go look online at ON & see what’s on sale in the maternity section. Chances are the season where you’ll be at your biggest is the season of maternity clothes that are on sale since it’s like 6-7 months down the road 😉
- KOHLS – Kohl’s is just a great store all around. I mean hello, Kohl’s cash! My mom & I went to Kohl’s as well the day we went out shopping. That’s where I ended up getting two pairs of maternity skinny jeans & they were 40% off! I wanted to have my own pairs to be able to wear through all my pregnancies to come & I love both pairs!
For local Bloomington-Normal shoppers, Gordman’s & Macy’s also have maternity sections. They sell the Motherhood Maternity brands. So if you like what our local Motherhood Maternity store sells, check the other two stores out. I did buy one pair of Motherhood Maternity burgundy skinny jeans, but I personally don’t care for the store. Their prices are a little too high for me & the return policy kind of stinks.
Clothing Mentor & Frogs & Fairies are two local re-sale clothing stores that sell maternity clothes. Their sections are small but you might find something there! I bought a few items off of online facebook groups through individuals so that’s an idea as well!
Online places to buy maternity clothes, specially more unique items is Pink Blush Maternity, Walmart, H&M, Jane.com (sometimes), Zulily & GAP. If you want to drive a bit, Peoria has two Ross Dress For Less stores & two Burlington Coat Factory locations & they both have very small maternity areas. I wish TJ Maxx had one! Maybe in the future they’ll jump on that bandwagon 🙂
I don’t think you should spend a lot of money on maternity clothes. It is true that you are only pregnant for 9 months & in the beginning you’re probably still wearing your regular clothes. Hopefully this post will help you find items that fit in your budget & last for several pregnancies!
A few other *TIPS* I’d give are: I’ve been very privileged in that the later part of my pregnancy, where I’m growing larger is in the fall/winter time & I’ve been able to layer a lot with maternity tank tops & open sweaters that I would wear before I was pregnant. Then for the summer I just wore a lot of maxi dresses & skirts. The second tip is, don’t stretch out your non-maternity jeans. I had two friends give me this advice & I’m so glad I listened. As soon as I found maternity jeans I liked, I started wearing them. They’re just more comfy & then you don’t stretch out your own jeans. Third, maternity jeans & leggings are a must.
***If you are shopping for clothes to wear for a maternity session, I suggest wearing either something loose & flowy OR something fitting. Both types will show-off your bump just perfectly. Wear what’s YOU & not just a fancy, expensive outfit. Also, something simple & not too busy pattern wise helps as well. If you have more questions about this, we’ll be going over it when we meet to chat about your maternity session so no worries 😉 ***
Well, I hope these *TIPS* & store locations helped some of you expecting momma’s & hoping to be expecting soon ladies!!! For those of you who have been pregnant or even are, what are some of your tips or favorite places to purchase maternity clothes? Comment below! I’d love to know!
And here I am with Little Wilcox at 28 weeks! Just 3 weeks ago! I’m wearing a pair of maternity jeans we found at Kohl’s, a kimono I bought hoping I’d be pregnant & could wear it then & when not pregnant 😉 & a $3.00 tank top from Walmart I bought in an XL that has worked GREAT as a maternity tank top! I’ve been wearing this outfit throughout my entire pregnancy so far & it’s a favorite of mine! 