Ain't No Mom Jeans

Cost and Other Considerations of Maternity Clothes

In M's recent Mom Street Style post, our reader Julia discussed the practicality of shopping with her growing bump in mind in the non-maternity sections of her favorite stores, and she looks fantastic. Price is one consideration for Julia (and other readers chimed in to echo Julia's sentiment) when considering maternity vs. non-maternity lines, giving rise to the sensible question: Why are maternity lines often priced noticeably higher than non-maternity contemporary women's clothing?

Stephanie Moore, the owner of Becoming Mothers in Boulder, CO (a shop that S adores) and a virtual expert on the topic, was kind enough to contact us and provide some answers.

 

Emily Top by Lilac Maternity- $66

 

The most direct answer to the question of price is this: unlike most lines from big box stores and large retailers, many of the smaller companies specializing in the maternity market manufacture their clothes in the United States.

In contrast, many contemporary lines are manufactured in third-world countries. For example, Stephanie spoke with Armon, a manufacturer in California, who pays his sewers minimum wage and provides benefits. While he'd love to keep his business in the United States, the reality is that sewers overseas would earn $1-1.50 per day and wouldn't be given benefits. Simple math creates a reality where products manufactured in the United States (or other developed countries) have to cost more in order to cover the expense of maintaining an operation domestically.

Things get less simple when considering the ethics of our shopping choices. Not so long ago M discussed the human costs that are paid by workers who create our fashions in order to produce a product that has a low price tag. These unseen but very real consequences of our quantity-over-quality culture should certainly play some role in our maternity wardrobe selections as we make choices that accommodate our budget and our conscience.

Skinny Cargo Pants by Maternal America- around $50 on various sites

 

Aside from the economics and ethics of where the clothes are made, the of size and proportion of quality maternity designs must be taken into account. Like Julia, due to both budget constraints and style preferences I chose my maternity wear carefully and fleshed out my wardrobe with my 'normal' clothes. But there came a point where this grew less practical. And by less practical I mean nothing cut for a non-pregnant woman would fit over my body in a comfortable, flattering way. I got bigger. And bigger. And while cardigans or accessories could stretch into the larger stages of my third trimester, maternity wear became a necessity because nothing else (perhaps a sheet? a tent?) would cover my bump in the front and some of the lumps I grew in the back.

Mom Street Style - Maternity Chic That's Easy on the Eyes and the Budget!

Mamas, meet Melissa, one of the most adorable (thrice!) pregnant mamas I've ever seen (excuse the image quality, we just couldn't work out a better shot, but it would have been a travesty not to share Melissa's perfect, easy, affordable style).  She writes:

Hi ladies,
 
Honestly, I can't believe I'm submitting a picture of myself...but alas, here it is.  This was a super simple and inexpensive outfit...and after having 2 kiddos with my 3rd baby just 5 weeks away, I'm desperate to get through these last 5 weeks and still manage to look put together.  I wore this outfit this past weekend with my hubby for our monthly 'date night'.  I got a lot of compliments on it so I thought maybe another pregnant lady could use a pick me up!!
 
Poncho and boots- Tarjay (Target to some people :))
Jeggings- Old Navy maternity
Bag- Old Navy

 

I love your blog and I am so thankful I found it...keep on keepin on!!!

- Melissa

Melissa's rocking a number of ANMJ's favs for moms--skinny jeans, tall boots, and a belly/postpartum pooch/nursing-friendly poncho, topping it all off with understated, spot-on accessories.  I love how her copper/gold cuff bracelet ties into the zippers on her fab riding boots, and the tassel on her bag keys in on the fringe trend, lending a toned-down Boho vibe.

Seriously, Melissa, if you look that good pregnant, you should just keep on have babies.  Thanks for sharing your rad mama style!

- M.

Reader Question: What to Wear With Bespoke Olive Flats

Having been an English lit girl and lover of period piece cinema, I'll just confess now that I've oft dreamed of hand selecting a bespoke wardrobe (in it, I sit atop a tufted setee, surrounded by bolts of lustrous fabric <sigh. . . >) , so when ANMJ reader Valerie L. wrote in with the uncommon dilemma of styling her custom made olive green ballet flats (pictured at left), my ears perked right up.  She writes:

I'm an Air Force wife stationed in South Korea right now so I had a pair of shoes custom-made for me - olive green ballet flats.  I like them (olive green is one of my most favorite colors), but they didn't turn out ~exactly~ like I had in my mind. I'm at a loss.  What can I wear them with? I don't want to be too match-y match-y. I feel like it might be a delicate balance and with my luck, I'd go the wrong way.

Please help!  What would you recommend?

Mom Street Style - Vera's Fav Nursing Cover

When I finally worked up the nerve to nurse my first babe in public (instead of running to the car or planning every outing around feedings), I was daunted to say the least.  And when I faced breastfeeding my second with an on-the-go 19-month-old, the prospect of boob exposure during the regular course of lunging after my toddler terrified me, as does trying to run after a two- and four-year-old going in opposite directions whilst nursing my third bub, so I can absolutely relate to Vera, this week’s fab street style mama.  Vera just had her fourth and was thrilled with the range of motion, not to mention the style, of the DRIA nursing cover S. reviewed last year.

Vera writes:

I just want to say thank you!! I bought the Dria cover after reading your review of it and I LOVE it.  Actually, I am trying really hard not to wear it every single day.  I just had my fourth baby, and despite nursing all my kids until about 18 months, I never used nursing covers - I just thought they were awkward and actually drew MORE attention to the fact that you were breastfeeding.  I had good luck just wearing a cami and a shirt and pulling my shirt up and was pretty discrete about it.  BUT, the Dria is soooo soft and comfy and hides my huge post-c-section pooch, and actually I'm finding that I like being able to nurse in public with it.  Having a very active 21 month old boy, there have been a couple of times that I've been at Starbucks or some place nursing the baby and he decides to do something crazy and I need to react quickly - not something I can do while having my boob hanging out!

Thanks! I'm attaching a pic of the one I got - I love it, even though my hubby is giving me weird looks every morning when I pull it out after trying on fifty other things first LOL!

- Vera C.

For those of you mamas not familiar with the DRIA nursing cover, check it out.  It is the most versatile and fashion-forward piece of nursing gear I have ever encountered, and I don’t think I’ll be shelving it even after I’m done nursing bub #3.  In any of the patterns, it’s a gorgeous, lightweight poncho that’ll kick up the volume on even the most boring outfit.  It covers everything, including you, your babe, the car seat or your stroller, it wads up into a tiny ball, washes well and dries fast and without wrinkles.

Vera, you look amazing in your slouchy boots and nursing poncho! Thanks for sending in your Street Style submission—keep ‘em comin’, Mamas!

- M.

No She Didn't!! Leather Pants (...aaaand an alternative for the rest of us)

Mamas:  Have you ever tried leather pants?  I have - years ago (long before Raines came around).  It didn't end well.  The knees stretched out, I couldn't bend (Somebody help!  I dropped a pencil!), and I found my thighs either sweaty (which previously had only happened in Bikram Yoga class) or freezing.  I also walked funny - ramrod straight and uncomfortable.  The soundtrack to my leather-pant-walking would've sounded something like  ernh-ee-ernh-ee-ernh-ee.  I'm sure some girls can carry them off with aplomb....but these are probably also the girls who look cool smoking.  Me?  Not only am I leather-pant-challenged, but I'm afraid of the fire at the lit end of the cig.  Sigh.  Hopeless, I know.

But I LOVE the look (of both leather pants and smoking - yeah, yeah, bad for you, yeah).  But I LOVE it.  Such an awesome rocker/cool-french-girl kind of look.  And while I'm totally over the smoking thing, I'm still craving leather pants. Luckily, faux leather options are everywhere.  From J Brand's waxed skinny jeans (cute, but not that comfy) to faux-leather leggings that do, surprise!!, feel a lot like leggings. 

BTW?  I ran across a pic of one the French Vogue editors rocking her leather leggings at 6 months pregnant. 

(photo credit: Jak and Jill)

Mamas, that's some serious dedication to leather leggings.  Yay, Geraldine.

Encouraged by Geraldine's pic...I bought some faux-leather leggings.  Just, you know, to see.  Strictly for research, Mamas.  We do serious research here at Ain't No Mom Jeans.  But my expectations were very low, so I bought the cheapest pair I could find.  Then rounded up a couple of pics for leather-legging mom-drobe inspiration (which sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but indulge me for a sec).  Anyway, here's my inspiration board for mom-friendly leather leggings:

Mom Street Style - Julia’s Non-Maternity Wear

After three pregnancies spanning several years and all four seasons, I don’t even want to start thinking about what I’ve spent on items that fit for roughly three months a go.  As a new-mom-to-be in 2007, I was a total rookie, but ANMJ reader Julia, who’s glowingly prego with her first, is taking a more pragmatic (and fabulous!) approach to her maternity wardrobe. . .

Maternity Wear that Makes Me a Teensy Bit Sad I'm Done With Belly Business

Well Mamas, I'm three weeks out from having the babe who changed my life forever.  Again.  Again again. And as I've surfed the internet for fab fashion over the last few lazy, sleepless weeks, I've found myself drifting back to the maternity section.  And then I realize, I will likely never have need of maternity gear again.  Um <sob>, ever.  Ev.er.  And while I'm thrilled to see my feet, and glad to be able to clear out a third of my closet, I can't help but feel a little wistful bidding adieu to my child bearing years and settling into my child rearing years. 

While a good half of what I wear while pregnant is not maternity wear, there's much to be said for the comfort of clothing specifically designed for pregnant moms-to-be--pants are a must and the extra length on tops helps keep the bump covered and cozy.  And given what a long way maternity wear has come in the last few years, I no longer (and a little too late) find the prospect of wearing maternity clothing so shockingly abhorrent. 

I love that colored denim, bodycon silhouettes and horizontal stripes have made their way so quickly into accessibly-priced collections.  Here are five hot mama maternity outfits my wanderings turned up over the last few weeks.  They make me wonder why I ever wasted a second worrying about the size of my bum whilst growing a human life and think hmmmm. . . I could do this again.  Maybe.

5 Maternity Outfits That Make Me a Tiny Bit Sad I'm Done With Belly Business by dynamama featuring topshop maternity

Time flies too fast, Mamas!  If only having sweet babes actually slowed it down.

- M.

Mom Street Style - Kate's Perfect Maternity Outfit For Touring Italy....With a Toddler in Tow

Mamas, after all of our joking last week about being shopping enablers, we received this little gem from reader Kate:

I saw today’s post referring to yourselves as shopping enablers and I just couldn’t resist sharing this photo of me and my screaming toddler in front of the Vatican on Christmas Day as evidence of your culpability! Please note that every single item on me was inspired by a post of yours: Plush fleece-lined leggings (absolutely love them), MIA Buckaroo boots (spotted in several of S’s posts - wore them for days trekking around the cobblestones of Rome with absolutely ZERO discomfort!), Michael Stars Calloway Cashmere hat (inspired by your hat suggestions) and over-sized Vero Moda sweater (for disguising my 4 1/2 month pregnancy bump)... so yeah, I think it’s safe to say that you have enabled the you-know-what out of me! And I have to thank you for it! Sometimes I can get a bit lazy with my wardrobe (think gym clothes all day long... hey- it means I'm one step closer to going to the actual gym... right??), but then I see your posts and it gets me back on the wagon. 

I hope you both have the happiest of holidays! And M-- congrats on Alexander. He is so handsome and you look stunning! 

- Kate from Stuttgart, Germany

 

Kate, you look stunning as well!  This is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect maternity outfits I've seen.  It's totally comfy, cute, and has this effortlessly fun vibe...while still be practical enough to chase toddlers in.  LOVE.

Thanks so much for sending the pic and for your very kind words!  Your note made my day...and made me laugh.  :)

xo,

S

 

Mom Street Style - Grace's White Maternity Denim Before and After Baby

Ooooo....Mamas, I love this:

 

This is Grace, from Camp Patton.  Grace writes:

My name is Grace and I'm here to tell you that it's okay to wear your last pair of ill-fitting (albeit still fitting!) maternity pants for the last several and consecutive joyful days of your pregnancy. I'm also here to tell you that it's okay to wear your last pair of ill-fitting (albeit still fitting) maternity pants home from the hospital and for those first several and consecutive joyful days of your new baby's life. 

I did...(and maybe still am). And...it's okay. 

Ummmm....it's more than OK!  Personally, I think that if the maternity denim still fits (and mine did for a loooong time)...then wear it.  (I actually wore a pair of maternity trousers to work..uh...two days ago.)

Also, can we talk about white denim in December?  As most of you know, I find rules in general annoying, especially so if they are "fashion rules".  Snore.  So obviously, I support wearing white...whenever you feel like it.  But what I hadn't realized (until seeing Grace's photos) is how amazingly festive white is - so perfect for the holiday season, no?  Grace could easily wear either look to a holiday get-together.  Or throw on a sparkly sweater and wear white pants to a cocktail party?  It would be so unexpected and such a fresh change from black.

Grace is wearing:  (Pregnant photo - Gap Maternity shirt via the Goodwill, Gap maternity pants, Banana Republic belt, Target shoes....Postpartum  photo - Gap Maternity pants, Target shirt, Michael Kors sweater via Goodwill, Target shoes....on baby Sebastian - pumpkin hat knit by a very talented friend and an outfit from Goodwill.)

Ok - but here's the fun part:  Grace submitted these pics to us...but what she doesn't know is that we were already planning to feature her on Mom Street Style!  A few months ago, reader Jenny alerted us to Grace's fabulous blog, and had these kind words to say:

I wanted to direct your attention to a fab mom blogger named Grace who blogs at Camp Patton and does these a-mazing little 'Before and After' series on her Goodwill transformations.  I think she uses magic or something but her 'after' shots are glam enough to make you weak in the knees.  Also, she is currently 8 months preggo and still a heck of a lot more pulled together than I can manage for weddings, corporate events, etc.  

So go check out Grace's blog.  I think you'll love it.  (I know we do!!)

Thanks to both Grace and Jenny!!

xo,

S

 

DIY Maternity Denim Fix - or - Do It Yourself Maternity Jeans

It's shocking, I know, but these Seven for All Mankind maternity jeans have lasted me through three pregnancies PLUS loan outs, but not solely on their own steam.  In their original form, these babies were the brain child of some fabulously well-intentioned designer who had clearly never been pregnant, and were purchased by someone who had never been pregnant.  They started out in 2007 with one of those kooky, ill-conceived half panels, made out of dark blue cotton jersey that clung to everything, with a thick elastic band that cut into my bulging belly, creating a bizarre new type of waistline in the third trimester of my first pregnancy.

I was tempted to toss them whilst knocked up with numero dos, but they're the perfect kick-around, well-worn classic that's always a comfortable Sunday go-to, so I decided to work with them instead.  While I do have a sewing machine and am pretty handy, I didn't want to work with a combination of thick fabric like denim plus a super-stretchy panel fabric--seemed too tricky and too tedious--so I took them to my fav tailor and told him my plan.

  First, I purchased a belly band in my size from A Pea in the Pod in nude (I was only able to find black and  white in more budget-conscious versions, like Target's BeBand).  Err on the side of a tighter fit to make sure it's really going to hold up your pants!  The benefit of using a belly band instead of sewing up a piece of stretchy fabric is that a belly band is a tube made out of one contiguous piece of fabric, so no extra seams to irritate prego skin or interfere with otherwise smooth lines, and it's already about the right length to cover your tummy all nine months.  Then, I measured the front and back rises of some well-fitting full panel maternity jeans and let my guy run with it.  The result, $45 later ($25 for the band and $20 for alterations), is one of the best-fitting, most comfortable pairs of maternity jeans--or any jeans, really--that I own.  Voila!

For a truly adventurous and capable DIY-er, I'd go the distance and buy a pair of deep-discounted premium jeans in a size or two up from your normal someplace like Nordstrom Rack, hack off the waistband and stitch it on up--at $200 a pop, premium maternity denim hurts, Mamas, as we all know!

- M.

Oh, and hey!  Please don't forget to take a sec to vote for Ain't No Mom Jeans for Parents.com's Best Mom Fashion Blog award--we'd love it!  Just click the pic : ) xoxox