Bargain Maternity Clothes

Short Term Investment

Because you will only wear your maternity clothes for a short period of time, you probably would prefer to spend less than you would on your regular wardrobe. Maternity boutiques have great selections, but they are often at premium prices. So where do you look to find bargain maternity clothes? There are more places to shop than you may think. Are you ready? Let's go shopping!

Stretch your budget with bargain maternity clothes.

Start with the Obvious

As soon as you tell your family and friends that you are expecting, you may be overwhelmed with second hand maternity clothing. This may or may not be helpful. While the price is certainly right, the timing may not be. For example, that long sleeved black turtleneck will fit you perfectly in your third trimester--except that you will be in your third trimester in July and you will have a heat stroke wearing it. Likewise, a fantastic maternity swimsuit may be a perfect fit and just your style, but you live in Minnesota and it's January.

Still though, sort through that pile of hand-me-downs gratefully. You may find a few key pieces. Now go look in the closet--at your partner's clothes. He may have some shirts that will look very stylish on you, too. If you still don't have enough to put together a respectable wardrobe, there are other places where you can find a bargain on maternity clothes.

Thrift and Consignment Stores

Start at consignment stores that specialize in baby and children's items. Usually, they will have a rack or two with maternity clothes. Consignment stores normally accept gently used items, so you should be able to find quality clothes at bargain prices. Get to know the people there. You will probably be back to find things for baby.

Thrift stores, like Goodwill, may have a separate maternity section or the maternity clothes may be mixed in with the other clothes. If you have the time to comb through the racks you may find a good deal. Don't forget while you are there to look at the men's clothing and check out women's clothing in larger sizes. By doing this you can find clothes that not only fit your growing waistline, but still look like regular clothes. One thing to keep in mind is that many times thrift stores have outdated clothing, so finding something that suits you may take a little work.

Don't forget to look at yard sales also. If you see baby clothes, chances are good that there are some bargain maternity clothes, too. If you don't see any, don't be shy, just ask!

Department Stores

Often, if you check the clearance racks at your favorite department store, you can find great deals even if the store doesn't carry maternity wear. Remember, you can still fit into regular clothes in bigger sizes for most of your pregnancy. Many women don't need actual maternity clothes until their last trimester. Buying regular clothing has an added benefit: you can wear them after you give birth while you work on getting back your pre-pregnancy body. That fact will make these deals an even better bargain.

Try looking online at some of your favorite stores. If the store near you doesn't carry maternity clothing, they may still have some online. Wal-Mart, for example, has maternity Levis for $24.68 at www.Walmart.com. Just type "maternity" into the search box and see their selection of bargain maternity clothes.

Another really great store to find bargain maternity clothes is Target. Their line of Liz Lange maternity clothes are divided into work essentials and play essentials and the prices can't be beat. You can put together a very professional suit for the office for less than $65! Check out their selection, you will be impressed.

JC Penney has a nice maternity selection also. Just by typing "maternity" into the search box you will get almost 300 items. Or try GAP Maternity and check out the sale page. Old Navy has a bargain page also.

Crave Maternity has a great selection of formal and informal maternity wear. Crave Maternity.

Online Bargains

In addition to the department store websites, there are also some web stores that are worthy of investigation.

• Try Babystyle Outlet to save anywhere from 25 to 70 percent on bargain maternity clothes.
• Maternity4Less.com is another great site that has sizes from extra small to extra large. Look under Regular/Petite or Plus Size. They promise that you will find "real clothes for real women at real prices" so what have you got to lose?
• If you want something a little more unique try Babies N Bellies where you will find an eclectic selection at great prices.

Use Bargain Maternity Clothes for the Basics

Now that you have found so many places to find bargain maternity clothes, be careful not to go overboard. Set up a clothing budget and stick to it. Here is a good basic wardrobe:

• Two pair of pants or jeans
• A plain skirt or dress
• A sweater or jacket
• A plain jumper
• Two casual tops
• One extra special top for special occasions

You can add accessories to this basic wardrobe to make your bargain maternity clothes more versatile. You may find that you will need a few extra pieces also. But some well thought out pieces that you can mix and match will work great for almost any occasion.

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