[J&G's mom]

Why can't I find any plus size maternity clothes? What do they think, that us chubby girls don't have sex? I found a few ugly things at Sears but other than that I have had zero luck. I can't even find maternity jeans over a size 14. I think I got most of my stuff at Wards last pregnancy but of course they are gone.<br>
Where have you ladies found clothes? I know we are not all thin here. Help!<br><br>
J&G's mom

 

[queencarr]

The Motherhood store in our mall is getting plus sizes in about a month...maybe it is nationwide? I also got some new plus size maternity clothes on ebay a while back. And I got a few items at Lane Bryant that will work for a while. Mostly, I am recycling my maternity clothes from my first pg.<br><br>
Carrie

 

[meister31]

There are clothes out there....I am a plus size mom and bought most of my clothes at JCPenney the catalog or the outlet--we have one in Ct. You can search their clearance section on line. They seemed to have good basic items leggings,ti's etc. I also bought a dress for a family reunion there. I found w/ 5 prs pants 3 shorts and 6 or 7 shirts I was able to make it thru the entire pregnancy, I didnt need 'work' clothes. I did buy some larger reg plus sized shirts instead of maternity and those worked ok they were a little large thru the shoulders. Congrats!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[RainCityMama]

Old Navy sells Maternity clothes On-line and they go up to size 16-18, I got a really nice pair of jeans there and they fit and look very stylish. Their prices are pretty good as well!<br><br>
Good Luck!

 

[cottonwood]

Well, in my opinion maternity clothes (unless you're skinny and prepared to spend a fortune) are just ugly, period. I mostly just ended up wearing plus sizes. I got a few things at Decent Exposures <a href="http://www.decentexposures.com/" target="_blank">http://www.decentexposures.com/</a> , I bought my bras from Blue Canoe <a href="http://www.bluecanoe.com/store/" target="_blank">http://www.bluecanoe.com/store/</a> , and believe it or not I found a few okay looking pieces at Fred Meyer's, they were rayon (which means shrinkage) but decent looking, I thought. I don' t know if they still carry the brand that I got though, this was a few years ago.<br><br>
Most of my stuff is plus-sized clothing that I have collected from the GoodWill over the years. In fact right now I am wearing a hippie-style dress with an African print, rayon 2X, it is just this really flowy voluminous dress that can accomodate a growing belly. Stuff like that. I also found a great tie-dye summer dress at the Eugene Saturday market, it was XL but fit me at 200+ lbs.

 

[Kermit]

Go to google.com and do a search for Plus size maternity clothes.<br>
You should find several specialty sites to order from.<br>
I don't know about the rest of you, but I have found that although many stores' maternity selections are TERRIBLE (Walmart and Kohls' were hideous), many stores have some pretty cute stuff nowadays. Old Navy and Gap have cute stuff and a lot of it goes on sale. Motherhood used to have old lady looking stuff, but now has some cute stuff and the prices are better than they used to be, too. JC Penny's is a bit expensive but they have really cute stuff. I've seen plus sizes in a few of those places. Even Target usually has a handful of cute contemporary casual stuff for good prices, but probably not plus sized.<br>
I think Maternity is much more flattering on pregnant women than just big baggy stuff. I prefer clothes that work with and enhance the beauty of my shape rather than just hide it.

 

[maybebaby]

The motherhood store here has plus sizes - they have them online too. And yeah, usually the plus sizes aren't nearly as hip or attractive as the smaller sizes, but I've gotten some nice cargo shorts there, as well as some flare leg jeans. So I won't have to look totally frumpy lol! And motherhood is not that pricey either.<br><br>
Also, here are some online stores...I've not checked them all out but they're all supposedly plus sizes<br><br><a href="http://www.queen-mom.com/" target="_blank">http://www.queen-mom.com/</a><br><a href="http://www.babybecoming.com/" target="_blank">http://www.babybecoming.com/</a><br><a href="http://www.jakeandme.com/" target="_blank">http://www.jakeandme.com/</a><br><a href="http://www.maternal-instinct.com/" target="_blank">http://www.maternal-instinct.com/</a><br><a href="http://www.plusmaternity.com/" target="_blank">http://www.plusmaternity.com/</a><br><br>
good luck!!!!

 

[mamamoo]

I am definately a plus-sized pregnant lady. This is my third baby and the first time I've gotten to buy maternity clothes. It makes me feel so much better to wear something made for my pregnant belly. So, Motherhood Maternity, is awsome(online) they have like twenty different styles of jeans, tons of shirts, just about anything you need, and they are not that expensive. I couldn't find mat. underwear there, but J.C. penny's has those, and they have some cute clothes.<br>
One thing I would be careful of it buying synthetic materials. I bought a shirt that was like a 60/40 blend and I sweat so much in it I can only wear it at night when it's cool.<br>
Good luck!!!

 

[abigailvr]

Some Motherhoods carry plus-sizes. You have to call them. I wondered the same thing though, whether they think that chubby girls don't get pregnant. Stupid clothing manufacturuers.<br><br>
I got most of my stuff at Motherhood. I had very bad luck with the Penney's catalog, and ended up returning most of what I bought through them. I also got a shirt I really liked from Baby Becoming, and a couple from Sears. I do think most of the Sears stuff was ugly, but I managed to find something.<br><br>
I didn't bother trying the Old Navy stuff, because I didn't want to have order it and send it back if it was too small. It's so hard to know what's going to fit. (I'm an 18W, so sometimes a regular 18 fits and sometimes not, but prepregnancy size 20 jeans from Old Navy didn't fit me.)<br><br>
Here's a website you might be interested in:<br><a href="http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/" target="_blank">http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/</a><br><br>
(Edited becuase I reread your post and saw that you already tried Sears!)

 

[Kermit]

Abigail,<br>
I don't know if you already knew, but Old Navy's Maternity return policy is very good. If it doesn't fit or you just want a different color, you can call and have them send you a different one at no shipping cost and you send the original back to them with the free shipping label they provide in the order. It's just a trip to the post office, no money lost. Even if you want to just return it, they don't deduct the shipping from the credit. They only do that for their regular merchandise, not maternity. So you get all your money back.<br>
I found that Old Navy Maternity jeans were VERY generously sized. They have an infinitely adjustable elastic inside the band, so they make them roomy with the idea that you will sinch them up tight if you need to. I originally bought some boot cut jeans in what I thought was my regular size (I get regular jeans from Old Navy, too, so I know what size I am in their reg. jeans) and had to send them back for a smaller size and even the smaller size has tons of room for growth. It may be worth trying them out if a trip to the post office isn't such a big deal to you. I know it can be a hassle for me with little ones, so I try to go when hubby can stay with the kids.<br>
Ya know, I'll bet the reason why there isn't as much plus sized maternity out there for sale has much more to do with the bottom line profit, unfortunately. The clothes use more materials to make and so they either have to charge more for the same exact item or their profit margin isn't as great. If they charge more, it is viewed as discrimination. Combine that with the fact that there may not be as large of a market to complain and put them out of business and there you have it. It's always about money and what they can get away with. I'm not saying I agree with it, just know that they aren't dummies. If plus size was making them MORE money and was in high demand, suddenly they'd be pretty smart and there would be lots of choices. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad">

 

[lilyka]

I just wanted to whiine here. I am border line plus size an the bias start way before you hit the plus size line. I have trouble even finding stuff in XL much less anythin bigger. And when i do find say a pair of 16 jeans the legs are so slim that my legs don't fit. Why do they assume preg women want to accent thier legs and arms. My belly is my best feature. I want ot accent the fact that I am pregnant. Not large in general. Ughhhh. And I am convinced that most maternity clothes you can but at the mall (except motherhood) are just ugly and about 10 years behind the styles or so overpriced and cheaply made that you wouldn't dare buy them. Sorry just had to get that out.

 

[abigailvr]

Holly,<br><br>
I didn't know that about Old Navy. It's too late now, but I'll keep that in mind for the next go 'round. (I'm hoping to have the baby any minute now!)<br><br>
The thing that I don't get about plus sizes is that a lot of places DO charge more, and still make it difficult to get the larger sizes. Also, if the average American woman is a size 14 now, that means more than half of us are over that, so you'd think there'd be just as much demand for plus sizes as there are for regular sizes.<br><br>
Also, like Lilyka said, it seems like a lot of places don't even make the borderline sizes. I looked at a few sites where the sizes only went up to L or 12. It's very frustrating.

 

[Kermit]

Then you have to consider what kind of shoppers are big shoppers, too. Plus size women or skinny teeny boppers with daddy's credit card? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="rolleyes">: They know who they are selling to. The people in our country with the most spending money are teenagers, I last heard from national statistics. Who is the most vain about clothing and keeping up with the latest trends? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/shake.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="shake"> Heck, just look at the styles, who do those middrifts and clingy waisted tops cater to? NOT ME! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> (And I'm not even plus sized! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/guilty.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="guilty">) I have a hard time finding clothing that is flattering to my figure with today's trends. The only thing good about today's styles I've found are hipster jeans. They bypass all the rolls of fat on my tummy so that I don't have to buy for a tummy that is 3 sizes bigger than my hips. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/yikes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="EEK!"> And the thighs on those boot cuts are always too tight on me.

 

[cottonwood]

And why are the proportions of plus-sized clothing so weird? I get something to fit my chest, tummy, and hips, and it's falling off my shoulders. What is that about???

 

[Viola]

I was a size 24 with my first pregnancy, so I'm right there with you on complaining! My mother-in-law sent me a catalogue for JCPenney's along with a pair of jeans and a top. The clothes in the catalogue went up to my size, but the ones in the store only went up to size 14. So I went to the ladies section and got some stuff. It's depressing though, because I hate buying extra big sizes just to accommodate my belly that isn't specifically maternity related. I just ended up looking fatter until the very end. I'd rather buy stuff that fits in the shoulders and isn't just oversized.<br><br>
Here is another link: <a href="http://www.plussizeyellowpages.com/" target="_blank">http://www.plussizeyellowpages.com/</a> look on the left hand side of the screen for maternity, and click on that.

 

[Viola]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;"><i>Originally posted by Holly1203</i><br><b>The only thing good about today's styles I've found are hipster jeans. They bypass all the rolls of fat on my tummy so that I don't have to buy for a tummy that is 3 sizes bigger than my hips. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/yikes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="EEK!"> And the thighs on those boot cuts are always too tight on me.</b></td>
</tr></table></div>
Well, I am plus sized, and I hate wearing those <b>because</b> I don't want my stomach rolls to hang out over the top of the waistband--then I have to wear oversized shirts or else my rolls will show, and then it looks like I have no waist line. So I love to get the jeans at Lane Bryant because I know they are cut generously enough to cover my tummy and help hold me in a bit. For some reason the same size in Old Navy type jeans just doesn't work at all! Is it just me?

 

[Viola]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;"><i>Originally posted by sweetwater</i><br><b>And why are the proportions of plus-sized clothing so weird?</b></td>
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My complaint, being only about 5-6, is that everything is so long! The sleeves are always too long (if we are talking longsleeved items) and often times the pant legs on long pants are too long too. I know other women say that the stuff isn't long enough, even when they aren't that tall. I don't know what the deal is--maybe if your fat is in certain areas, the girth takes up some of the length.

 

[abigailvr]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;"><i>Originally posted by Amywillo</i><br><b>For some reason the same size in Old Navy type jeans just doesn't work at all! Is it just me?</b></td>
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It's not just you. I wear an 18 from Lane Bryant, but I put on size 20 jeans from Old Navy it's like sausage casings! (This is pre-pregnancy.) I think it all depends on your shape. Some stores seem to add too much extra space in certain areas and not enough in others. At least that's been my experience.<br><br>
I kept meaning to write to Lane Bryant and suggest that they make maternity wear. I would have worn that my whole pregnancy, if it had been available!

 

[wsquared77]

I am also short (5'1") and a plus-size mom. I have found that EVERYTHING is too long on me. Even though maternity pants are starting to now fit me through th tummy, I still have to roll up the waste line or have about 6 inches hemmed off everything! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/yikes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="EEK!"> I have found some good stuff at Motherhood as well, although their sizes seem to run a little funky. My pre-pregnancy size is too big in their maternity pants, whereas my pre-pregnancy size in their shirts is too small. I just have to play with sizing a little. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up"> Another good thing about Motherhood clothes (at least in my area) is that they sell some of their stuff at Babies R Us. I even found some plus size things there on a few times. Since I'm there anyway, I just double check through the racks to see if there is anything calling my name! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"><br><br>
Whitney

 

[J&G's mom]

wow, I knew there had to be other "bigger" moms out there with the same problem. I have 2 motherhoods here in Portland and only one has plus size and it is seriously a three foot rack. I did look on their website and found some stuff but like lots of you I hate having to return things via mail. I'm a size 22 and am 5'10" so I run into the problem of pants being too short and shirts always showing that belly panel.<br>
I also like to look pregnant and not swim in extra big stuff.<br><br>
J&G's mom<br>
edd Christmas week