Isabella Oliver Maternity Clothes/general maternity clothes shopping?

[Circe]

Okay, so I love this company ... at least based on the pictures. It is trendy, flattering, effectively professional or sexy, as the outfit requires (two things that other maternity designers seem to traditionally take issue with), and currently having a sale, which is nice, since while it doesn''t break the bank, it is pricey stuff. It is more or less only on the basis of the pictures that I love it so, as it''s a British company, and I''ve yet to see it carried by any store in person (if you guys have tips here, I''d appreciate them). So my question is mostly a sizing question ....

Isabella Oliver has this weird sizing system where if you''re a 2-4 IRL, you''re a size 1 with them, if you''re a 6, you''re a 2, if you''re an 8, you''re a 3, and so on and so forth. This is an IDIOTIC system, because ... well, depending on the company, I am all of those things! Simultaneously! I am Schrodinger''s Shopper. But I''m also either a realist or body dysmorphic, ''cause I''m figuring in a world where women my height can regularly weigh 20 lbs less than me (pre-preg, I was 135 at 5''4" and built pretty much like the prow of a ship), I have got to be at the upper end of that, right?

So I ordered this dress ... off of eBay, because $175 sight unseen is a bit much. I got it in a 4 (equivalent to a 10), and it fits great, except that, see how it hits the model just above the knee? On me, it''s mid-calf. But that could just be because I''m only 4 months along, and thus as my belly protrudes, my hem will hike up ....

So now I''m eyeballing a few things on their website hungrily, and trying to decide what to get. That trenchcoat looks awfully cute! But I figured first I''d check and see if any PS''rs had any tips on the company, sizing, etc ... y''all have any tips? Or for other nifty maternity lines, for that matter?

 

[Mrs]

Circe, I have no experience with that company though they do seem to have some cute things. I too had a tough time finding good maternity clothes that I could wear to the office and feel sexy in as well when I was pregnant. I used a bella band to wear pre-pregnancy clothing for a while which was great. I found a number of dresses at the Pea in a Pod / Motherhood outlet near me. I also found several non-maternity shirts and dresses that I was able to make work. The best maternity suit and dress I found were at Babystyle which is no longer in business but you can find some of their stuff on ebay. I also had good luck with Ann Taylor Loft maternity line though they no longer cary their maternity clothes in the stores (only on line). You might also check out Target's Liz Lange line which sometimes has cute stuff. I also found some nice things at Gap and Old Navy.

In the July edition of Pregnancy and Newborn magazine there were a ton of adds for on line maternity shops that I had never heard of (see below). I don't know if they're any good but some of them seem to cary good looking pieces.

http://www.breastfeedingmoms.com/
http://www.chichimamamaternity.com/
http://www.euphoriamaternity.com/
http://www.babybeminematernity.com/

http://www.destinationmaternity.com/Shop_category.asp
http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/category.jsp?N=1200122&categoryId=639&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_639
http://www.target.com/Liz-Lange-Maternity-Design/b/ref=nav_t_spc_1_38/178-0192437-6046773?ie=UTF8&node=3043411
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=5758
http://www.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=5997

Hope this helps!
Mrs

 

[Circe]

Mrs, thank you! Those are all great tips. I hadn''t heard of half of those stores before! It seems like maternity clothing is a great big mystery - no guides, no nada! You just have to figure it out as you go along. So far, I''ve been trying to get by with a combo of normal clothes and the Bella band, but I think I''m using it wrong, or something: I can see how it would be good to keep too-big clothing up, but with jeans that won''t zip anymore and the like, I have to keep it hiked down below my hips! That just seems ... aesthetically off with normal shirts that don''t go down that far. Bah - will definitely start hunting through these. Thank you!

 

[steph72276]

Gap has really great maternity clothes....just bought this sweater in 3 colors b/c it looked so cute on:http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6041&vid=1&pid=651237&scid=651237052

Also, I found a store at the mall called a pea in the pod that was great and picked up a few shirts. Here''s the website: http://www.apeainthepod.com/

 

[Circe]

Steph, that sweater is so cute! Mmmmmm, cashmere ... I may be a copy-cat and follow suit.

It will totally be planning ahead, though: I''m in Cali now, and enjoying 95 degree weather. Tasty! Man, but I cannot wait for fall. I like a Pea in the Pod, too: they have some really cute things (also, I like the fake preggo belly pillow). Also, I totally caved and ordered the trenchcoat: will post a review once it arrives!

 

[steph72276]

Circe, that sweater is actually really thin, so it''s not hot at all....I''m in FL so 90-100 degrees everyday here and I''m wearing them now. Also, I wash mine in the washing machine and dried it in the hot dryer by accident and it still fits perfectly! Good for you on the trench coat purchase!

 

[puffy]

i love pea in the pod for maternity clothes. and japanese weekend has a lot of cute things as well.

i also have a few isabella oliver pieces. the sizing is a bit weird, but it'' pretty flexible. pre-preggo i was about 5''7 and 120ish. i buy a size 2, and even though i''m not a size 6, the size 2 works. the material is wonderful and super stretchy. and the dress will totally fit better when you are showing more. i''m not sire that the hem will hike up more, but i''m sure it looks great on you either way. super cute dress by the way!!!

 

[ChinaCat]

Circe-

Love Isabella Oliver. I am about 5''4 and was 124 lbs pre-preggo. I ordered 1''s and 2''s- I am 1''s in dresses, ordered a 2 in the tank tops. When I first got the tanks they were a little big, but now that my belly is a lot bigger, they fit fine. I am not curvy at all, so take that into account.

Also got most of my stuff from Pea in the Pod, just cause it was easy. I found most of the Liz Lange stuff at Target was too big for me, even the smallest sizes, weirdly.

Gap online is good, and I''ve heard Old Navy too, though I never made it out there for some reason.

It''s hard to find a balance b/w wanting cute clothes and not spending too much money. I definitely feel like I spent too much on clothes that I didn''t wear enough. If I was to do it again, I think I would get a "uniform"- pick interchangeable pieces that you can layer and stuff.

Don''t know what you do for a living, but that was the hardest/most annoying part to me. I HAD to spend money there, and I really didn''t want to.

 

[Mara]

circe i''m glad you asked about this as i was eyeballing a super cute sweater tunic on their site the other day. i emailed to ask about sizing but they never responded. i was thinking of getting a 3 to be on the safe side but then i thought what if it is too big? so irritating...and all their stuff is mail order. for mat i really want to try stuff on.

 

[Circe]

Date: 7/31/2009 12:52:58 AM
Author: puffy
i love pea in the pod for maternity clothes. and japanese weekend has a lot of cute things as well.


i also have a few isabella oliver pieces. the sizing is a bit weird, but it'' pretty flexible. pre-preggo i was about 5''7 and 120ish. i buy a size 2, and even though i''m not a size 6, the size 2 works. the material is wonderful and super stretchy. and the dress will totally fit better when you are showing more. i''m not sire that the hem will hike up more, but i''m sure it looks great on you either way. super cute dress by the way!!!

I looooooooove Japanese Weekend: I stopped into one of their stores when I was spending a weekend in SF and freezing my butt off, and I got a gorgeous wool sweater. It is huge and comforting and delightful!

And you''re right about the sizing: I gave in and ordered another dress off of eBay (hey, now I have 2 for *less* than the price of one

) in a size 2, and it fits perfectly: only difference from the other one is that it''s shorter. So ... maybe this is their version of allowing for height?

 

[Circe]

Date: 7/31/2009 10:32:12 AM
Author: ChinaCat
Circe-


Love Isabella Oliver. I am about 5''4 and was 124 lbs pre-preggo. I ordered 1''s and 2''s- I am 1''s in dresses, ordered a 2 in the tank tops. When I first got the tanks they were a little big, but now that my belly is a lot bigger, they fit fine. I am not curvy at all, so take that into account.


Also got most of my stuff from Pea in the Pod, just cause it was easy. I found most of the Liz Lange stuff at Target was too big for me, even the smallest sizes, weirdly.


Gap online is good, and I''ve heard Old Navy too, though I never made it out there for some reason.


It''s hard to find a balance b/w wanting cute clothes and not spending too much money. I definitely feel like I spent too much on clothes that I didn''t wear enough. If I was to do it again, I think I would get a ''uniform''- pick interchangeable pieces that you can layer and stuff.


Don''t know what you do for a living, but that was the hardest/most annoying part to me. I HAD to spend money there, and I really didn''t want to.

It''s all starting to come together - with their miracle fabric, whatever it is, they''d do better to advertise by volume rather than traditional sizes! My best friend and I are built nothing alike - I''m short and curvy, she''s tall and long-limber (and weighs 20 lbs less than me despite being 5 inches taller), but we wear the exact same size. Between Puffy''s point about height and yours about distribution, I feel like they should have some kind of a formula to post!

And, definitely with you on trying to find a balance ... since we want to have more kids after this, I''m trying to get pieces that will hopefully work a few years down the line as well (without spending an arm and a leg in the first place). God bless sales and second-hand shops ....