There are many independent and chain stores out there that sell stylish maternity wear new — and for something special, they’re great. But for everyday clothes they can be extremely pricey, and for many women, outfitting themselves with a new wardrobe from one of these places is simply out of the question. If you’re thrifty-to-a-fault like me, and at that stage of your pregnancy where your old clothes just plain no longer fit, fear not; there are many ways to suit up your changing bod in style without breaking the bank.

Right now, wrap- and elastic-waisted bottoms are your friends. Both are very forgiving throughout your pregnancy and if you have a sewing machine, versatile skirts and pants featuring easy, comfy waistbands can be crafted very quickly and easily, often without a store-bought pattern. Be sure to scour the Internet for free patterns for wrap and elastic-waisted skirts and Thai wrap pants (these are all very quick to whip up on your sewing machine, even if you’re a brand-new seamstress).

Visit Sleeping Baby Productions for tips on turning regular shirt and pant patterns into maternity patterns. MakeMaternityClothes.com is a must-see for crafty moms-to-be who want to save money by making their own maternity clothes.

Don’t forget consignment stores! You’d be amazed at how many boutiques there are out there that specialize in previously-worn maternity clothes. It’s not surprising, though, as most of these clothes are worn for just a few months and many women just want them gone once they are no longer needed.

Too attached to your beloved regular jeans to give them up and not to keen on spending money on a few new pairs? There’s an amazing little contraption called the Belly Belt that allows you to wear your normal pants throughout your pregnancy. The Belly Belt is an extender that attaches at your fly and grows as you grow, so your pants never get uncomfortable as your belly increases in size. It’s certainly a thrifty move as you won’t need to purchase maternity pants. There’s also the Bella Band, which works in a similar manner. It’s a comfy, stretchy band that you wear around your expanding belly. It smoothly covers the waistband of your regular pants and holds them up, so if you need to wear them with the fly undone you can do so and your pants won’t fall down, nor will there be any lumps and bumps from the undone fly. Both the Belly Belt and the Bella Band can be purchased online or from a specialty maternity store and neither are very expensive.

Of course, Mommy Auctions is always a prime shopping destination for inexpensive new and used maternity wear to make your journey into motherhood problem-free and stylish!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 at 9:47 am and is filed under Good to Know, Mommy Auctions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.