I’m nine months pregnant and just like during my first pregnancy, I’ve barely bought any maternity clothes.
How is this possible? I’ve employed three tricks for cutting the cost of maternity wear that make up today’s hint, all of which I recently alluded to over at Well Rounded NY in a “Bump Envy” feature on my fashionably frugal maternity style.
1. Accept – and ask for – hand-me-downs. During my first pregnancy, whenever any friends offered me their old maternity clothes, I was happy to oblige and take the too-big wear off their hands.
Accordingly, I was lucky enough to receive about a trash bag full of big styles during my first pregnancy, and while all of them may not have been my pre-pregnancy style or what I would have picked out for myself, beggars can’t be choosers.
No one offering up old pregnancy wear to you? Don’t be ashamed to ask friends, especially those who you know don’t plan to have any more kids, if they have any hand-me-downs to spare.
2. Raid your closet for pre-pregnancy clothes that fit over your bump. If you have a lot of cowl neck shirts and boxy, wrap, loose or empire-waist dresses, there’s a good chance they’ll fit over your growing tummy. At least, I’ve found that to be the case.
To be sure, my bump makes the dresses a bit shorter than they’d otherwise be, but a bit of leg showing is worth not having to buy new dresses. In addition, my regular jeans lasted well into my first trimester both times around thanks to my hair-band trick for wearing my regular jeans during pregnancy.
3. Go for maternity wear that you can wear after baby arrives. In other words, when you do need to buy new maternity wear, look for options that you’ll still be able to wear after your bump disappears. I made an effort to only buy such looks during my first pregnancy, and they turned out to be just as flattering post-baby weight as they were before birth.
You can read more about my pregnancy style, including my picks for maternity wear and non-maternity wear that look great over a bump, in the “Bump Envy” post, “5 Qs with Jenny,” over at Well Rounded NY.
What are your favorite ways to cut the cost of maternity wear?
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Buy used maternity clothes
– take advantage of sites like Kijiji – buy a “lot” of clothing. Even if you don’t wear everything, you’ll still come out ahead.
– shop consignment stores – you’ll have more say in what you actually purchase.
I got very few hand-me downs as I was one of the first in my group of friends to get pregnant. But I agree with Thrift Store shopping for maternity clothes, I got some really cute ones at a great price. My Mother-In-Law bought me a few things retail that worked great (mostly stuff on sale at Target). I also found things in my closet that would accommodate the belly for awhile, and when I got too big for that I kept the maternity clothes for when I left the house, I donned my husband’s clothes when I was just lounging around at home. This was great because I gave birth early December and did not want to buy expensive winter pregnancy clothes, his sweaters and sweatshirts worked fine for the month I needed them. 🙂
Great tip regarding donning the husband’s clothes:) I may try that during this last month…..
Thrift store and clearance sales for plus size tops and elastic/tie waist pants, and with my last pregnancy I got one of those elastic belly things to hold up pants you cant button or are still too big, made all my pants wearable. The maternity pants I do have are neutrals.