While it may be tempting to think pregnant women can just wear larger versions of their everyday clothes, the truth is that maternity wear is created specifically to fit and support a pregnant woman’s body. This is also true of plus-size clothing, which is designed to provide both a comfortable fit and a flattering style. “The difference between plus and straight size clothing is more than just the numbers,” says Alicia Lloyd, styling supervisor at Stitch Fix. “Plus-size clothing is cut differently to flatter a woman’s figure and is created specifically for the plus-size body.” Just like plus-size clothing, Lloyd explains that maternity clothes are made differently, too, often incorporating features like elastic waistbands to accommodate a growing belly. “Some items are even designed to relieve pressure or promote circulation, providing both style and function,” she says. When shopping for plus-size maternity clothes, women should focus on comfort, fit, quality, and style. To determine the best places to buy plus-size maternity clothes, we spoke to two women’s fashion experts who collectively have more than 20 years of experience in the retail industry and reviewed dozens of brands that offer plus-size and maternity clothing. As long as you buy a few pieces, you’re likely to get free shipping, which is applied to orders of $100 or more. To offset this cost, you can sign up for PinkBlush emails and receive 25% off your first order. These marketing emails are also a great way to learn about PinkBlush sales, which happen fairly often. While SHEIN doesn’t have a plus-size maternity collection, you can click on “Maternity” (under Clothing) on the navigation bar and filter the items by size. SHEIN also has an entirely separate plus-size collection called Curve, however it doesn’t contain maternity items. In addition to an impressive plus-size maternity collection, Walmart’s prices start at just $8. It carries brands like Motherhood Maternity, Momcozy, and Oh! Mama Maternity, to name a few. All items can be picked up in-store or curbside free of charge, or delivered via two-day shipping through UPS or FedEx. Over time, your stylist will work with you to determine your preferences and there’s no obligation to buy anything, ever. Best of all, Stitch Fix partners with more than 1,000 brands to offer the most stylish and comfortable plus-size maternity clothing available. Although there is no plus-size maternity section, you can filter Target’s maternity clothes to narrow them down to your particular size. Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, you can also shop Target’s extensive plus-size collection, which includes more than 6,500 items. Fabletics is known for its inclusivity, offering plus sizes on almost every item—including its latest shapewear line designed in collaboration with superstar Lizzo. In addition to discounted prices, every Fabletics member receives access to a library of on-demand workouts through the Fabletics FIT app. To determine its sizing, Summersalt took more than 1.5 million body measurements from 10,000 women—so chances are, your swimwear will fit as described. You can also feel good about wearing its products as Summersalt uses recycled materials to create its fabrics and packaging. Mountain Warehouse also has a plus-size collection, which you could shop depending on where you are in your pregnancy. In addition to outerwear, you can also buy everything you need to brave the outdoors, including footwear, snow apparel, and camping and hiking equipment. Since loungewear is meant to be comfortable, Storq only sources fabrics that are breathable, soft, and stretchy. Eco-friendly material is used whenever possible and items are designed to drape and recover well to provide long-lasting style. Most items are also machine washable, although Storq recommends hand washing when possible to save water. Spanx is a women-owned company that holds patents for its designs, so you can feel confident knowing that your maternity leggings will fit and flatter your figure as described. If for any reason you’re unsatisfied with your purchase, you can return it free within 90 days and receive a full refund. Spanx also offers free standard shipping on every order with no minimum purchase required. To complete your look, you can also shop the Yours footwear collection, which ranges from size 5 to 15, as well as its accessories collection, which includes purses, jewelry, sunglasses, scarves, and more. Should you ever need to return or exchange an item, you have 28 days from your purchase to do so. Another great feature of Cake Maternity is that its founders are committed to sustainability. In addition to all products being Oeko-Tex 100 Certified, its warehouse is run completely by solar power and they’ve eliminated single-use plastics from their business. They also use recycled packaging and repurpose their extra fabrics whenever possible. Although Nordstrom doesn’t have a plus-size maternity section, you can shop its maternity collection and narrow it down by size to reveal hundreds of plus-size items. You’ll also find tons of pregnancy and postpartum essentials, including skincare, support pillows, belly wraps, and more. We also spoke with Melysa Santye, a senior buyer at Z Supply who has seven years of experience in the retail and fashion industry. She had a variety of fashion tips for pregnant women, including which staple items to have in their wardrobe, how to accentuate their curves and growing belly, and which fabrics are most comfortable to wear while pregnant. After consulting these experts, we spent two weeks researching the top plus-size and maternity brands on the market today. We examined the clothing options they provide and how inclusive they are when it comes to shape, size, and style. In total, we analyzed nearly 30 different brands to narrow down those that offer the best variety of plus-size maternity clothes.
What to Look for in Plus-Size Maternity Clothes
Style
Pregnancy is an exciting time that comes with lots of changes—especially to your body. These changes can be difficult for some women to process as they navigate the world of maternity clothing, but rest assured that you can still look stylish throughout your entire pregnancy. “I believe the most flattering styles are the ones you feel the most confident in,” says Santye. “However, my personal favorite style [for pregnant women] is a stretchy, knit dress with ruching on the side that really makes your belly pop. The knit dress provides comfort and stretch, while the ruching accentuates your shape. I love seeing a woman embrace their pregnancy body!” Nowadays, finding stylish, plus-size maternity clothing is made possible by retailers like our top pick, PinkBlush Maternity, which has more than 650 items in its plus-size collection. Other popular retailers like Stitch Fix, Nordstrom, and Good American are known for selling sophisticated, high-quality apparel in a range of plus sizes that will make any pregnant woman look and feel her best.
Fit
Since you may find yourself feeling uncomfortable during pregnancy, it’s important to make sure your clothing is comfortable and fits well. Santye suggests that first and foremost, pregnant women should look for fabrics that stretch. “[Look for] 3% or more spandex or elastane in the fabric content to give you that nice amount of give,” Santye says. She also suggests that pregnant women should stay away from synthetics during the summer. “Some fabrics to gravitate towards in those hot months are 100% cotton and anything with silk or tencel. In colder months, sweater yarns are always a nice way to stay warm and cozy. I love a sweater dress for the holidays,” Santye says.
Quality
It’s important to have well-made maternity clothes because they can help you feel more comfortable and stylish during your pregnancy and will last longer, too. Since you’ll likely rewear your maternity staples (such as jeans, leggings, and outerwear), investing in quality pieces will allow you to pair them with multiple outfits. Although the fashion industry is not immune to inflation, it’s entirely possible to find quality maternity clothes on a budget by shopping at retailers like Shein, Walmart, and even Target. Although buying high-quality maternity clothes can be costly upfront, you can maximize your investment by using them again during a future pregnancy, loaning them to a friend, or reselling them at your local consignment store or through retailers like Thred Up and Poshmark. You can also donate your gently used maternity clothing to United Way, Goodwill, or a local church or women’s shelter.
Why Trust Verywell Family
Laura Lu is an experienced health writer who has a Master of Science degree in Health Communication. Her work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, Media Psychology, Brit+Co, and Parents.com, to name a few. She has two young children and understands the challenges that can come with finding affordable and stylish maternity wear.
