Finding the Best Places To Buy Maternity Clothes
Before buying maternity clothes, here’s the first thing to know: There’s no right or wrong time to start wearing them. You might notice changes in your body early on in your pregnancy, such as bloating and breast tenderness. And the truth is this: You don’t need to wait until you’re at least 12 weeks along to find and buy more comfortable clothes!
Being comfortable is a top priority when you’re pregnant, as is feeling confident and happy in the clothes you’re wearing. Whether you prefer to opt for stretchy waistbands, flowy dresses or skirts that hug every curve, there’s no wrong decision. However, there are certain aspects that can determine whether you’re buying clothing from the right place.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Places To Buy Maternity Clothes
Before selecting a store for maternity clothes, it’s important to consider fit, functionality, style preferences, a store’s return policy and the price.
Fit
Finding items that fit you correctly is arguably the most important aspect of shopping for maternity clothes. (Let’s face it: If it’s not comfortable, you won’t wear it!) So, it’s important that the store you choose offers thoughtful sizing that takes natural body shapes into account. In addition, it’s helpful to find items that can accommodate growth and change so you won’t have to come back in a month for a different size.
Functionality
By opting for function in addition to style, you can save a lot of hassle and stress with your pregnancy clothing. For instance, stretchy fabrics and adjustable features can make certain items last your whole pregnancy.
Functional tops are also helpful — if you can find a stretchy top that has breastfeeding panels, for instance, you won’t have to buy postpartum clothes as well. We made sure to recommend stores that offer a variety of functional clothing, from adjustable skirts to adjustable tops.
Style
Pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to give up your personal style! If you want to feel confident and comfortable during pregnancy, there are several online and in-person stores that offer chic, trendy maternity pieces to suit your preferences. The best part of shopping with a growing baby bump? You can experiment with different silhouttes and designs that you wouldn’t normally wear to find what flatters your body shape and boosts your self-confidence.
Return Policy
If you suspect that you’ll need to try on and return items before committing to a few pieces, it’s important to shop at a store with a good return policy. The ideal policy would include free returns within 30 days (or more!), though many stores have stricter policies. We checked out and reported on the return policy of every store we recommended.
Price
The cost of maternity clothes varies greatly depending on brand, style and fabric. Generally, you can expect to spend between $10 and $200 on individual items, and between $100 and $1000 on multiple pieces. Our recommendation? Buy a few essential, high-quality and comfortable pieces that will last throughout your pregnancy.
What Are the Different Types of Places To Buy Maternity Clothes?
Online
Online maternity clothing stores are great for discovering high-quality investment pieces. You can generally find niche items online that often aren’t available in stores (or if they are available you can’t find them in your size). There’s also a convenience in having items shipped directly to your door. However, many online stores that sell maternity clothes don’t have flexible return policies or free shipping.
In Person and Online
A lot of in-person stores have websites to help them compete with online sellers. As a result, these stores offer the best of both worlds; you can try on clothing in person, shop for items online, and return items via mail or in person. The downsides: Many of these stores are big retailers that don’t sell specialty maternity items. In addition, it’s sometimes more difficult to get a hold of their customer service departments, which deal with a large influx of calls and messages.
In Person
Though most modern-day stores have an online website, a few in-person retailers still exist that don’t sell maternity clothing online. These include small-business boutiques and consignment shops. While it’s not easy to find specialty items at these outlets, you may be able to find a few gems for a great price. (Note that this guide does not cover boutiques and consignment shops.)
