When it comes to clothes, I like variety. I’m not nearly sophisticated enough to be one of those girls that can invest in a few key pieces each season; “key pieces” usually mean full price and expensive, and I’d rather spend less on each thing and have more to choose from.

When shopping, my typical MO is to scour sales at more expensive stores (think Banana Republic, J Crew, and Lands End’s Canvas). I very, very rarely buy something full price. If I do get something that’s not on sale, it’s usually at places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls – where full price still feels like I’m getting a bargain.

This shopping strategy is not translating well to maternity wear. First of all, maternity options, especially in brick and mortar stores, are few and far between. There’s only a tiny little handful of places in the mall where I can walk in and actually try stuff on. If they do have maternity clothes, the sale rack is non-existent or painfully barren.  I’ve spent twenty-nine years hunting for bargains, and being pregnant does not make me any more willing to pay full price. Maternity clothes are not cheap, and they don’t have the world’s longest shelf-life.

I’ve had some luck with the online sale sections of stores like Gap and Old Navy (hello $6.00 winter coat!), but lots of the things I’ve gotten (especially tops) are still too big for the medium sized spare tire I’m sporting.

If my pre-pregnancy clothes didn’t make me look like I have a spare tire (and not pregnant), it wouldn’t be a problem, but this fifteen-week bump is at a very awkward stage, and it calls for some different duds. This requires a new strategy: buy “regular” tops and bottoms at places like Target, and shell out the money for full-priced maternity bottoms at affordable stores like Old Navy. These are some of the items that have worked for me:

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Eight items of clothing that are working for me

1. Target: Gilligan & OMalley Women’s Fluid Knit Bermuda $14.99 These were an impulse purchase, but they’re so comfortable for hanging out around the house. The waistband is stretchy and slides down underneath my new overhang without problem, so it doesn’t matter that they aren’t maternity.

2. Target: Menora Women’s Button Down Tank $14.99 This tank top is flowy with lots of pleats in the right places that help camouflage my stomach. With another tank underneath, I can get away with wearing it to work on those 90 degree days at the end of the school year. It’s not maternity, but there’s lots of room to get me through the next few months. I bought two – one in this print, and one in black.

3. Target: Menora Womens Sleeveless Dress with Crochet Trim $24.99 Another non-maternity purchase, this dress doesn’t so much hide my stomach as it makes it look more pregnant. It’s not stretchy, so I probably won’t be able to wear it a whole lot longer, but for the last month of school it will do the trick. I bought it in navy blue.

4. Target: Mossimo Womens Microrib Fashion Tank $9.00 I love how soft this tank top is! It’s not a maternity tank top, but it’s really long, so it should grow well with me over the summer. The straps cover my bra, and it’s not scandalously low cut, so I’m happy with it.

5. Old Navy: Maternity Fold-Over Waistband Yoga Shorts $16.94 I’m chaperoning a school field trip to a water park this weekend and these are my go-to shorts. We’ll be spending four or five hours on a school bus, and comfort is my main priority. And no, I will not be wearing a bathing suit in front of 100 ninth graders with my awkward pregnant belly.

6. Motherhood Maternity: Tummy Sleeve $16.98 I had resisted buying one of these because I thought it would be uncomfortable pulled up over my stomach, but my bestie at school surprised me with one, and now I’m totally digging it. It doesn’t help at all with my pre-pregnancy tops, but it is allowing me to extend the life of my pants. One thing I’ve noticed – I feel like it makes my pants ride up so they’re unflatteringly snug in the crotch area (never a good look)  – does that happen to anyone else?

7. Target: C9 by Champion Womens Seamless Cami Bra $14.99 I have no idea what size I wear right now, and I have a feeling it will continue to change, so at the moment I’m rocking fancy sports bras to throw under tank tops and t-shirts when I’m home. I loved the dip-dyed color on this one, so I couldn’t resist it.

8. Old Navy: Maternity Cuffed Midi-Denim Shorts $25.00 Out of the three pairs of maternity shorts I’ve purchased from Old Navy, these are my second favorite. The ones I like the best are no longer available online, but these are a more casual version. I’m scared of anything with a full panel (though I have yet to try it – so maybe I’m missing out on a good thing), and these sit nicely under my belly.

Any words of advice? How’d you bridge that weird gap before you really looked pregnant?

Maternity Style part 6 of 9

1. Maternity Clothing Stores by Guides
2. Affordable Stylish Maternity To Get You Through Fall by Brandy @ Heart & Habit
3. 5 Summer Non-Maternity, Maternity Items by Brandy @ Heart & Habit
4. Maternity Work Wardrobe: What's Worth It by Mrs. Tricycle
5. DIY Maternity: Adding An Empire Waist by Mrs. Tricycle
6. The Awkward Bump: Dressing My Spare Tire by Mrs. Tricycle
7. Favorite Maternity Clothes by Mrs. Hopscotch
8. Maternity Must-Haves by mrs. tictactoe
9. Maternity Clothing Essentials by Guides