Buying Second Hand Clothes for Maternity Wear

I am well on the way to establishing a decent thrifty maternity wear wardrobe for the coming months.  Being that I previously had no clothes suitable for an expanding belly, and absolutely refuse to buy retail-new maternity clothes, I have so far purchased some second-hand additions, and adapted a pair of existing jeans.  I intend on making / refashioning a few extra’s as baby grows.

I search opportunity shops with a sole purpose of covering an expanding belly, but I do not go looking for the traditional (boring) belly-banded jeans, instead, I try find other interesting ways to accommodate my larger waistline.  Here’s how:

Jersey Fabric

Jersey fabric is my best friend! Jersey fabric is made with a light weight yarn, and (can be) very stretchy. The most common clothing garment made with jersey fabric is the t-shirt, yet draped dresses and tops can also be made from the same stretch material.  My favourite purchase so far, is a sleeveless mod style jersey dress, with a stretch at the waist, which I found in my local Vinnies for $6.  In my mid pregnancy stages this will be my go-to winter garment, matched with tights (stockings) and a long sleeved top underneath. I know that as I hit the latter part of my third trimester, this dress will probably not fit anymore, but for now, it is perfect.  Bonus points that I can wear it when I am not pregnant too!

 
Larger Sized Tops and Blouses
 

It may seem obvious to buy loose fitting blouses and tops for comfort around a growing bump, and yes I have purchased a few second-hand loose fit tops.  However, what I have been doing more-so, is looking at tops larger than my usual size.  This particular blouse, which cost $2.50 from a local opportunity shop, is four sizes bigger than what I usually wear. At this stage, when my bump is not too huge, and we are in the middle of winter, I wear it with a vest, a cardigan and/or a jacket over the top.

Elastic waists
 

Can we see a trend here?  S-T-R-E-T-C-H!. We all know that elastic stretches, and therefore, when on the lookout for a skirt, I’m searching for one with an elasticated waist that will grow with me. I recall in my last pregnancy, wearing elasticated waist skirts underneath my huge bump, and intend to do the same this time. My favourite elastic waist skirts found recently, include these two skirts found on my recent op-shop tour.  The blue skirt was $6, and the black asymmetrical skirt with draped fabric, $10, both from Salvos.  (I am wearing the blue skirt in the image below):

Tops with extra length 

It is commonly known that when a belly starts to grow, tops and blouses tend to ride high above it, which can cause skin to show, oh no!  Belly bands are perfect to alleviate this problem, however, I have also been on the look out for tops that have extra length.  With a bonus 10-20cm or so included on a top’s usual length (which would normally stop at the waist) makes the world of difference.  There is a DIY way to solve this problem, and that would be to sew an additional strip of fabric to the bottom of an existing top.  I’ve yet to try this out yet, for now, the long tops and belly bands will do.

Readers, do you have any additional tips for adding to a second-hand maternity wardrobe?