When this happens it’s a good sign that you should buy some maternity clothes. Having a new baby on the way means you’ve got a lot of things to buy in the near future, so you might be reluctant to splash out too much on loads of maternity clothes you will only wear for a few months. On the other hand, looking good and feeling comfortable are especially important right now, so how do you find the right balance? The best thing to do is shop smart, saving money where you can without compromising on style. Below are some tips to help you do just that.
- Choose your basics. The key to saving money is investing in some great basic items which you will wear a lot, for example a selection of t shirts or tops with gathered seams for growth and a really comfortable pair of maternity jeans. Believe me, as your bump grows you will LOVE your maternity jeans! Many workplaces, especially if you’re not customer facing will allow pregnant employees to wear jeans so ask your boss as it’s not worth buying dressy clothes if you don’t need to. If you do dress smartly at work, a good quality maternity dress can look stunning and can be mixed and matched with different accessories to wear on evenings out as well. Add a pair of smart black trousers or a skirt with some simple tops and you have your work wardrobe for the months ahead.
- Look for sales. You can save a fortune buying maternity clothes in the sales. If your baby’s due in Winter or Spring, you might find a maternity coat that will be just right for wearing in your final trimester for a fraction of the price if you shop for it during the Summer months and put it to one side.
- When you can, go into stores and try their clothes on. This way you will know whether you feel more comfortable, for example, with over or under the bump trousers. You can also get a feel for which stores’ maternity clothes fit you best. If you’re unsure of what size to try, remember maternity clothes are sized to match your pre-pregnancy size so start with that. Unfortunately a lot of shops only sell their ranges online, but if you see something you like remember that you can usually send it back free of charge if it doesn’t fit.
- Accessorise for variety. Your wardrobe is more limited now so turn to accessories to give your clothes a different look so you don’t get bored.
- Don’t discount regular clothes. Even though you’re pregnant, you might find some non-pregnancy clothes, perhaps in the next size up, can look very flattering with a bump so it doesn’t hurt to try things on, especially if you see something which is really good value. The only drawback to this is these sorts of clothes probably won’t last your whole pregnancy like maternity clothes will, but remember they can also be worn after you’ve given birth before you’re back to your previous size so you will get use from them.
- Second hand bargains. In this article we’ve talked about buying items from the shops, but you can find plenty of maternity clothes for sale on eBay and even in charity shops. Most of these clothes will be in great condition and have plenty of wear left in them as they’ve likely only been worn for a few months so you can pick up some real bargains. Even if you don’t fancy buying second hand, you can always save money by selling your used maternity clothes after you’ve had your baby as there is a huge demand for maternity clothes on eBay.
Creating The Perfect Maternity Wardrobe (On A Budget!)
Once your bump starts to grow, your clothes will soon start feeling tight. When this happens it’s a good sign that you should buy some maternity clothes. Having a new baby on the way means you’ve got a lot of things to buy in the near future, so you might be reluctant to splash out too much on loads of maternity clothes you will only wear for a few months. On the other hand, looking good and feeling comfortable are especially important right now, so how do you find the right balance? The best thing to do is shop smart, saving money where you can without compromising on style. Below are some tips to help you do just that.
· Choose your basics. The key to saving money is investing in some great basic items which you will wear a lot, for example a selection of t shirts or tops with gathered seams for growth and a really comfortable pair of maternity jeans. Believe me, as your bump grows you will LOVE your maternity jeans! Many workplaces, especially if you’re not customer facing will allow pregnant employees to wear jeans so ask your boss as it’s not worth buying dressy clothes if you don’t need to. If you do dress smartly at work, a good quality maternity dress can look stunning and can be mixed and matched with different accessories to wear on evenings out as well. Add a pair of smart black trousers or a skirt with some simple tops and you have your work wardrobe for the months ahead.
· Look for sales. You can save a fortune buying maternity clothes in the sales. If your baby’s due in Winter or Spring, you might find a maternity coat that will be just right for wearing in your final trimester for a fraction of the price if you shop for it during the Summer months and put it to one side.
· When you can, go into stores and try their clothes on. This way you will know whether you feel more comfortable, for example, with over or under the bump trousers. You can also get a feel for which stores’ maternity clothes fit you best. If you’re unsure of what size to try, remember maternity clothes are sized to match your pre-pregnancy size so start with that. Unfortunately a lot of shops only sell their ranges online, but if you see something you like remember that you can usually send it back free of charge if it doesn’t fit.
· Accessorise for variety. Your wardrobe is more limited now so turn to accessories to give your clothes a different look so you don’t get bored.
· Don’t discount regular clothes. Even though you’re pregnant, you might find some non-pregnancy clothes, perhaps in the next size up, can look very flattering with a bump so it doesn’t hurt to try things on, especially if you see something which is really good value. The only drawback to this is these sorts of clothes probably won’t last your whole pregnancy like maternity clothes will, but remember they can also be worn after you’ve given birth before you’re back to your previous size so you will get use from them.
· Second hand bargains. In this article we’ve talked about buying items from the shops, but you can find plenty of maternity clothes for sale on eBay and even in charity shops. Most of these clothes will be in great condition and have plenty of wear left in them as they’ve likely only been worn for a few months so you can pick up some real bargains. Even if you don’t fancy buying second hand, you can always save money by selling your used maternity clothes after you’ve had your baby as there is a huge demand for maternity clothes on eBay.
