Wardrobe Oxygen and Maternity Fashion

Maternity clothing is surprisingly expensive. Items that would cost only $30 at your local Big Box retailer will be $45 or more at a maternity store. If they are a reasonable price, you are usually losing out on style and quality. A recent trip to a popular maternity chain store was a major disappointment – clothing I wouldn’t be caught dead in were being snatched up by desperate fellow pregnant sisters.

When you’re pregnant you still need to function in the Real World – you need appropriate career wear, clothing to keep you cool during the hot summer days, dresses that will let you look elegant and the next wedding or company function, swimwear and gym wear so you can stay healthy and active. Retailers know this and know they have you by the teat; they up the price, lower the quality and force you to purchase that which you would normally never touch with a ten-foot pole. It’s the same scheme they have for those who purchase plus-sized garments – want style? Well you will have to pay twice as much. Want basics at a decent price? Well you’re going to have to buy sub-par fabrics, gaudy prints and slipshod fabrication. Let’s not even start with the options if you are petite or tall!

Well if you don’t read my other blog, you may be wondering why I am even writing about maternity clothing. I am pregnant and due at the end of December.

I believe all women have the ability to look and feel beautiful within their budget – and I think that should hold true for pregnant women.
The days are gone where pregnant women are forced to wear polyester muumuus or pastel frilly confections covered with bows. Major retailers are starting maternity lines (hello Gap and Ann Taylor Loft), high-end department stores have extensive maternity lines, and hot designers are starting to see that there is a major market for stylish maternity clothing and are getting on the nine-month bandwagon.

However with all these updates, maternity wear, like plus-size fashion is still severely lacking. Women are judged to all be one height, with the same size of breasts and rear. Fashion is horribly basic and casual, or high-end and not budget-friendly for most parents-to-be who have to save their pennies for diapers, not Diane von Furstenburg.

Throughout this journey of pregnancy, I will be offering you reviews of items I have found are stylish, flattering and that fulfill the needs of a pregnant woman. As with traditional fashion, I hope my reviews will work for more than one shape, size, income or lifestyle of woman. I encourage fellow pregnant sisters to offer their suggestions in the comments (as long as they follow along these same lines). We can all learn from another during any fashion journey – maternity shouldn’t be any different!

To those who are not pregnant – have no fear this is not becoming a maternity or mommy blog. I am only adding this facet to Wardrobe Oxygen because of an obvious need on the Internet. The primary focus of this blog will still be providing style tips that can be used by almost any woman, regardless of age, size, income or lifestyle. I have reviewed a few products lately and plan to write about them, and will have some articles coming about hot topics facing women right now. I apologize in the lack of posts in the past several weeks but I hope this explains it a bit. My hope is to return to posting on at least a weekly, if not more regular basis. I thank those who have stuck through and hope to hear from all of you very soon!