Zero Waste Maternity Wear
- morganlariah
- May 6, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 18
I was haughty and thought I could avoid it almost altogether. But I was wrong.
As we all know, fast fashion is a huge contributor to pollution worldwide among a myriad of other issues like these so it's truly important to be mindful when it comes to what we wear.
Alas, I learned, yes, if you become pregnant, maternity wear will eventually become necessary, unless, of course, you are Rihanna, or have the confidence of Rihanna. The concept of buying a whole new wardrobe that you will only wear for a few months, of course, seemed entirely ridiculous to me. Can one be stylish and sustainable and save money all at the same time? That is always the question on my mind. Here is how I tried to solve it when concerning maternity wear.

Tip #1- Evaluate What You Already Own:
Go through your wardrobe and assess what you already own (like this bright red tank dress that I bought used and has been hanging in my closet since 2016!). Tops and dresses that are already loose or are quite stretchy will most likely fit through the majority of your pregnancy. Look for longer tops as they will fit nicely over your growing belly. For dresses, look for anything ribbed, loose, and/or stretchy. I have a mild obsession with Reformation ribbed, knit dresses made out of Tencel (like this one). I wait until they have a sale (once a year they go up to 70% off) or I find them used on Poshmark or the RealReal. These dresses are extremely comfortable- like wearing pajamas all day but make me feel like I almost got dressed up. I have been pairing these dresses with a blazer for work or events.

Tip #2- Size Up:
Intuitively, I picked up a used pair of jeans that were two sizes too big for me a few months before I conceived off the free rack at Suay. I highly recommend sizing up on any clothes that you purchase but really like so that you can keep wearing them even after giving birth- like the Doen dress with puffy sleeves in the photo below that I got off of Poshmark and will continue to wear long after pregnancy. I purchased a used, leather belt that was a few sizes too big from ThredUp that I wore with the jeans until my third trimester (after that, I had to use the Bellyband with pants). I nabbed a used, midi black pencil skirt that was a size too large from my Buy Nothing Group that pairs well with pre-pregnancy shirts. When buying your sized-up clothes, look for them used or from a sustainable company. Bottoms will definitely need to be a size bigger but I found that some dresses and tops, if made out of a stretchy material, still fit throughout my pregnancy. Tragically, your feet might grow as well (which was the last thing I needed). Keep in mind that during your third trimester, buckling and tying shoes will be near impossible so some slip-on shoes will be needed. I bought these used Isabel Marant slides for that purpose.
Tip #3- Get a Belly Band:
I started wearing this little helper in my third trimester. This circular piece of cloth is stretchy and fits over your pre-pregnancy pants so you can keep wearing them. My younger sister was kind enough to give me an extra one she already had but I have also seen them listed in my Buy Nothing Group.You can fold them in half for more support on your lower belly and keep it unfolded as your tum tum gets bigger. They are made out of nylon and spandex, though, so when you wash them, be mindful and use a guppy bag.

Tip #4- Buy/Find/Borrow Used Maternity Wear:

Yard Sales, your local BuyNothing Group, The RealReal, Poshmark, Mercari, OfferUp, Goodwill, your local Thrift Store, your friends and family are all great resources to find used maternity wear. I recommend at least one pair of black maternity stretch pants for working out and lounging around but really, having at least two pairs is the sweet spot.
Maternity tops really do come in handy as well (shoutout again to my sister, Cassi, for sharing her maternity clothes with me!). I have been wearing various maternity shirts often paired with a blazer and my free, used Suay jeans for when I have to leave the house and pretend to be presentable. The blazers feel so tiny now but I love wearing them!
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