Maternity Fashion on a Budget (and All Online!)

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Ahh the bump! Fun to dress, but also so tricky sometimes. Getting dressed in the morning (or not till the afternoon…) gets frustrating as fewer and fewer clothes fit.

I don’t know about you ladies out there, but I have a couple of limiting factors when it comes to shopping. The first is that I don’t like going into clothing stores; all the options generally overwhelm me, and I like to read reviews before I buy. So Amazon Prime is my FRIEND; we meet every couple of days, and it (she?) rarely fails me.

The second thing is that I don’t like paying full price for most clothing items, but I do like well-made, long-lasting clothing. I want Target prices, but not Target quality. So what’s a girl to do?

Answer: buy lightly used, high-quality clothes — online!

So online resale stores have become my go-to resources during this season. I’ve tried ThredUp because I know people swear by it, but I haven’t found many maternity items there. Instead, I’ve gone to eBay and Poshmark, both of which have a wide supply of lightly-used, name brand maternity items. Here are a few of my favorite items, pretty much all of which I’ve found in those two places:

1. Isabella Oliver t-shirts. I’ve been looking for thick, snug-fitting, comfy shirts, and I finally found a couple on Poshmark and eBay for $12 each. These shirts are so soft, and they hug all the right places. I love the double-panel of fabric over the chest, too. I’ll be wearing these every day as the weather gets warmer.

2. Saltwater Sandals. I tried to think of my favorite shoes during this season, and I’ve mostly stuck to my old favorites: Minnetonka fringed booties and stylish sneakers during colder months, and then Pons sandals and Lotta clogs as the weather warms up. But for everyday, friendly shoes that go from the beach to casual/cute for dinner, Saltwaters win the day. I can’t recommend them enough. I don’t even own flip flops any more because these are all I wear!

3. Splendid leggings. I inherited a couple of pairs of old maternity leggings for my first two pregnancies, but they were very worn and baggy by the time this third pregnancy rolled around. I had tried on a pair of Splendid leggings in a maternity shop, and I loved how thick and comfy they felt, but balked at the $95 price tag. I found a pair on Poshmark instead, negotiated down to $17 (less than a pair at Target), and have not looked back. These leggings are amazing! Thick and comfy, beginning at the start of my pregnancy until now, and they have plenty of give for the remaining three months.

Beyond leggings, both Poshmark and eBay also have great deals on lightly used designer maternity jeans and pants. I have gone into stores to learn my size and then waited for good deals online.

4. Anthropologie cardigans. My go-to outfit this pregnancy has been comfy pants, a snug-fitting shirt, and a flowy cardigan. I love the quality and unique styles of Anthropologie cardigans, and many, many, many people are happy to sell them lightly used for a fraction of their original price. I found a couple on eBay and Poshmark, but then stopped before I used up my shopping budget entirely (an agreement that keeps me and Elliott both happy!). There are so many beautiful options available that make an outfit so lovely, and all for less than the price of a new Target or Forever 21 sweater, if you so desire. Plus, I will wear these cardigans all the time over nursing tank tops during the first few months of my pregnancy, so they have a long life and lot of use ahead of them.

Just for fun, here’s a search for “small Anthropologie open cardigan” less than $30 to show you the endless options, and here’s a photo of me wearing one I love.

5. J. Crew sweats. These were a gift from my sister, and I wear them all the time. The loose drawstring waistband is so comfortable with my growing bump, and I know I’ll be in them all the time postpartum, too. You could find a pair lightly used on eBay or on sale on the J. Crew website, and they are so worth it. These striped ones are cute too!

6. Isabella Oliver dresses. Back to Isabella Oliver! I have a couple of these, and they are so flattering and so comfortable. A friend also just told me that she still wears her IO dresses, shirts, and pants all the time, even though her son is two years old, so these are pieces that transition well to postpartum and beyond. A lot of the dresses are more form-fitting, too, which is flattering as your bump gets bigger, like this striped one I just got.

7. And finally, Asos dresses. So far I haven’t liked their other maternity things, but their dresses so far are thick and beautiful. And I love the bright, unique floral prints! Be gone, dowdy brown and black pregnancy wear! Look for their “body conscious” dresses to get cute shape-hugging styles. Here are examples of two that I have worn recently.

And those are my tips and tricks so far! We’ll see if things change as the months go by, but so far I’ve felt comfortable and pretty in these clothes, which is the ultimate goal of clothes anyway — to celebrate the beauty God has given you, even as your body changes.

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11 Responses to Maternity Fashion on a Budget (and All Online!)

  1. Tiffany February 23, 2016 at 6:34 pm #

    Love this! I’ve also been super impressed with Shop Buru (shopburu.com). Not expecting, but I’ve gotten some fabulous things there that work well pre and post baby. :D

    • Becca February 25, 2016 at 9:29 pm #

      Thanks for the Shop Buru tip! They have some gorgeous things! Always fun to be on the lookout for when I get my body back… eventually. :)

  2. Abi February 23, 2016 at 7:17 pm #

    Becca to the rescue!!! I was LITERALLY just lamenting the fact that I hate all of the maternity work pants I own- ugh! I think it’s high-time I bought some that are actually somewhat flatttibg

    • Abi February 23, 2016 at 7:19 pm #

      Sorry, somehow it posted by accident! So anyways, I had never thought of buying used online, but you know me, I love a bargain and I love second-hand finds! Thanks for the tips and the sites/brands to start with!!

      • Becca February 25, 2016 at 9:28 pm #

        Yeah girl! You’re such a good bargain shopper, too; I know you’ll find some good things. I just went to a consignment sale tonight (Just Between Friends… I think they have them all over) and got some good deals. You would have been a whiz in there. ;)

  3. Joy February 23, 2016 at 9:21 pm #

    This is great, Becca! I love those Isabella Oliver dresses! If I’d known about them when pregnant I might have invested in one! Knit jersey dresses were my go-to while pregnant with Annalee. A friend gave me a couple Lands End Fit&Flare dresses, and I wore them both every week. One was my going-home outfit. They’re not maternity, but there’s enough material to cover my all-up-front belly. And that’s more than can be said for my maternity tops — I didn’t feel like layering here. I also liked non-maternity jersey knit dresses I bought from Modcloth. If you search “Gilli”, you’ll be see some of them. And I’ve since bought a couple Karina dresses that are great for nursing, but would have worked well during pregnancy too!

    • Becca February 25, 2016 at 9:27 pm #

      Wow, I love those Modcloth dresses! So so beautiful! Thank you for the tip on all the pretty ones. I’ve had my eye out for nursing-friendly dresses as the months go by and I’ll soon be back to nursing!

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