How to Save Money On Your Maternity Wardrobe (and still look great!)by Kimmama | More from this Blogger 06 Jun 2009 02:35 AM
Borrow When I was pregnant with my son, I had two friends who were pretty close in size to me, and they were gracious enough to allow me to borrow their maternity wardrobes. I ended up with a packed closet and more maternity clothes than I could ever imagine. Some of the clothes were hard to return because I loved them so much! If you don't mind borrowing clothes, this is obviously your cheapest option. Shop Clearance and Resale If you don't have friends who have a stock of cute maternity clothes laying around, your next stop is the resale shop. Resale shops that specialize in maternity items are rare, but they do exist. I found one online that I really liked called Mic's Maternity (www.micsmaternity.com). I needed to purchase a few winter items since my friends had been pregnant during the warmer months. I found several great pieces there. eBay is also another great place to find gently used maternity fashions. Another option is to check the clearance racks. I found great deals at Kohl's, Motherhood, Mimi Maternity, and Old Navy. For some of these stores I had to shop online. I found that shopping for maternity clothes online is much easier than shopping for normal clothes. The pieces are much more forgiving in terms of cut, so sizing is simple. After all, they are made to fit you throughout your pregnancy! Buy Season-Neutral Pieces To avoid buying too many clothes you'll never use again (even in subsequent pregnancies), buy season-neutral clothes. This means investing in pieces that convert or can be worn in layers. My favorite pants were a pair of khakis that rolled up and buttoned into capris. I also bought more short sleeved shirts and cardigans rather than too many long sleeved shirts and sweaters. Three-quarter sleeves can be worn in fall, winter and spring. Mix and Match Buy clothes in coordinating colors so you can make more outfits with fewer pieces. Black pants go with almost everything, and so do a great pair of jeans. Buy neutral colored cardigans or jackets, such as black, brown or white, that can be paired with several different tops. Accessorize A belt or a scarf can completely change the look of a dress or top, automatically increasing the number of outfits you have to choose from. The great thing about accessories? They are one size fits all, meaning you don't have to limit them to your maternity wardrobe. I stole a black cinch belt from a pre-pregnancy dress I owned and used it to accentuate my growing belly. I wore it with several of my favorite maternity tops and dresses. A sheer, colorful scarf turned a plain t-shirt into an adorable top when I tied it just above my waist and let the ends hang down my back. The ultimate accessory during those first awkward weeks of "showing," in my opinion, is a maternity belly band such as the Bella Band. This stretchy elastic band will allow you to continue to wear your pre-pregnancy jeans unzipped and no one will ever know the difference! This initial investment will save you tons of money on maternity pants! Get a little creative and you can have a stylish maternity wardrobe for next to nothing! Related Articles: Frugal Shopping: When To Shop For New Clothing Learn more about Kimmama  Kim is a freelance writer and stay at home mom to her newborn, Micah. She has been married to her husband, Eric, since 2006. Relevantpregnancy tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
|
Pregnancy categories |
Considering you only need to wear maternity clothes for a season, it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on your maternity wardrobe. Fortunately there are ways to spend less and still look great!
