How to Choose and Shop Online Maternity Consignment Clothing? »
By leily on Jun 24, 2008 in shopping | 0 Comments
Maternity clothes have come a long way from the unfashionable smocks and long dresses women had to wear in the past. Now clothing designers plan maternity clothes that show off a woman’s growing chest and belly.
Check out current styles. Before your belly gets really large, current styles may allow you to wear fashionable items that aren’t even labeled as maternity clothes. Camisoles and other blouses that tie below the bust and billow to the waist (very fashionable right now) are great for a growing belly and chest. Pair them with a pair of maternity capris and you are good to go.
As your bump becomes prominent and gets bigger and bigger it’s time to turn your thoughts to your wardrobe. Your pre-pregnancy favourites will fit for a while, then you’ll grow out of them, so you’ll need to stock up on some maternity consignment. Thankfully gone are the days when you’ll find yourself stuck wearing baggy, sack-like, unflattering dresses to hide your bump – maternity wear these days has gone fab and funky! If you’re unsure of what to wear, here are some ideas to get you started.
Some points to remember:
If you’re suffering from swelling in your ankles, look for sandals or shoes with adjustable straps, so you can release the pressure and tightness around your ankle. Alternatively, for really comfy walking shoes you can get styles with Velcro straps, so you can easily loosen them to suit your needs.
Underwear
Don’t be remiss and forget to think of your underwear! You’ll need bigger sizes here too and should aim to get measured for a maternity bra by about seven months.
Look at celebrities. Many celebrities look wonderful and fashionable during their pregnancies. Check out what Gwyneth Paltrow and Katie Holmes wore when they were pregnant. People magazine often has great pictures of celebrities during pregnancy. In addition, online sites such as MSN (see link) will allow you to peek at pictures if you don’t want to spend the money on a magazine.
Pick staple clothing items carefully. Splurge a little on quality staples. One or two pairs of quality maternity capris or fashionable jeans will help you feel stylish and sexy, and should last through your entire pregnancy.
Buy one great dress. Get a maternity dress in a color that you love that is good quality and will last you throughout your whole pregnancy. It should casual enough to be dressed down with a sweater for a meeting at work, but able to be dressed up with jewelry for a date with your partner.
Go to the mall. There are many, many retailers offering maternity wear now. Old Navy now offers maternity clothes in their stores and online. Stores such as Pea in a Pod and Motherhood Maternity (see links) offer great and fashionable maternity options, and are also online.
Don’t buy things that are a size too big (unless you’re expecting multiples or actually need a larger size). Maternity clothing is made to expand with you. And one of the keys to looking great in any clothing is making sure it fits you.
Check out places online. Many sites offer very fashionable clothing (see links). However, in the beginning, only buy a few items from an online site. That way you can make sure you’re getting quality clothing, and are buying the correct sizes. If the prices seem a little overwhelming–such as United Kingdom maternity boutiques like Blossom–check out the pictures and see how the models have accessorized and how the clothing fits their bodies.
Don’t buy maternity clothing with horizontal stripes or large patterns. It will only make you look larger. Stick with solid colors to look your best.
Don’t buy dresses or skirts that hit above the knee. As your belly grows, your hemline will lift.
Wear fun accessories. You can get a lot more wear out of your clothes (and your feelings about them) if you wear fun scarves, hats, and other accessories with your maternity clothing.
Wear the styles you normally wear. If you don’t like capris, don’t buy a pair of maternity capris. Everyone may tell you they look great, but if you don’t feel confident and great in them, you won’t look your best. Buy things you love.
Check out secondhand stores or outlets. If the prices for maternity clothing leave you gasping, you can find fashionable things in secondhand stores. Because women wear maternity consignment for such a short period of time, there are many stylish items in these stores.
Belly Bundles
Raleigh, North Carolina
919-332-4156
info@bellybundles.com
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These day dresses are so cute. I love the colour combinations -of the jacket with the navy dress and of the light green dress with the dark green belt. I'm really loving the long jacket with mini dress combination at the moment..jpg)
Phillip Lim's cocktail dresses never disappoint. They look so customer-friendly and imagine if you had loads of events to attend about town, then the dresses look like they'll be suitable for so many dresses.
Everything is so delicate and so etheral looking (-maybe it's just the models,) with a bit of edge. .jpg)
The Lanvin collection was great to ooh and ahh over as usual, but there's a bit too much of eveningwear and expensive dresses to truly imagine them being worn by myself in real life. I love the loose-fitting, silk, white jacket with those large pockets (on the right.) It's so casual yet cool and luxurious at the same time..jpg)
There were a lot of sharp colours, as expected from Lanvin, although it seems to be the general trend for next year too, especially yellow and orange.
High street stores have really supported making the Luella look into the street look of the season. The easiest stores to find those cutsey floral skirts are Top Shop and Urban Outfitters.
The Luella skirt is of the tiny flower printed on ra ra skirts. The left skirt is by Top Shop and the right one is by Miss Selfridge.
For something that are less obviously Luella-wannabes and more 'individual', there are other cute options by Top Shop. The one of the left has that found-in-a-thrift-store look to it, and the one the right gives off a rock chic vibe.
If you're wearing a floral top then make your skirt a solid-coloured one. A mid-waisted, A-line skirt that ends above the knees is the way to go. 
If you want to adhere to Leulla's Superheroes theme, choose a superhero-themed t-shirt. The two shirts in the image are from Urban Outfitters UK. But really, any t-shirt will do. Just make sure it is solid-coloured and the graphic have solid colours too.
Sneakers (normal or high-heeled) will make your outfit hip and unfussy. 
The key to this look is making sure that the floral skirt or top is the only fussy item in your outfit. The other items should be solid and tough-looking, like a leather jacket and patent leather booties. Your hair and accessories shouldn't be overly girly either. Take note of the messy, imperfect hairstyles, the very natural makeup and if you can carry them off, the oh-so-trendy nerd glasses. (This image is by the Urban Outfitters UK website from awhile ago. Just more styling ideas for you!)