Jeans Review: A closer look at maternity jeans.

If you follow my blog, you probably know I have a moderate to intense obsession with jeans. 
The past 4 weeks I have been out of my regular jeans comfortably (yeah, I've tried the bella band, and you know what? I find it awkward to wear, and it's great for smoothing but it just didn't cut it for me), and it's been a mission for me to find jeans that make me feel good and look good.
Here are some jeans I've tried, and my reviews. I only kept the jeans that had a score of B+ or above. If I'm going to spend my money, I want to spend it right.

Old Navy Maternity Woven Waist Boot Leg Jeans 
Review: I thought the sizing was accurate; I was able to order my pre pregnancy size, however, I found they lost their shape and were not very flattering. The color looked washed out and made my legs look like tree trunks. These by far are the most pregnancy looking jeans.  C-

Citizens of Humanity Kelly Bootleg Maternity Jeans
These are almost true to size. I did find ordering up a size was helpful. I have gained weight all over really, my hips and butt mostly. So I knew my normal size may not work out. So when these arrived in the mail, I tried them on. Okay. Ladies, I am 5'4". The inseam on these jeans is roughly  34-35" which is quite long. Considering I'm not wearing a ton of 4" heels these days, I knew I would need to get them hemmed ahead of time, but didn't realize by that much (especially since I've been really wearing flats with my jeans!). Overall the fit was good, but I didn't love them SO much as to keep them. B-

J Brand Mama J Maternity Low Rise 12"
Here's what I love about J Brand. They tell you "Recommend purchasing one size up after the second trimester," Thank you. So I did. And they're still a bit big in the belly for me (I'm carrying pretty small in the front for 22 weeks), but come another 4 more weeks, these will be solid. What I like about these jeans: They're like leggings, but jeans. Very light and will be great in April/May/June, when it's not too cold, but not too hot here in Massachusetts. They're pretty good butt jeans. What I don't like: I have to wait to wear them so they don't stretch out on me instantly after washing (read: saggy butt). Overall? Wear with flats, wedges, boots, or low heels and you'll feel prettier.  B+

Paige Premium Robertson Wide Leg
Oh, I love(d) these jeans. Why? Yes, I needed to get them hemmed, but the wide leg was really flattering, the dark wash color was perfect for the winter. The band was super comfortable. AND they were my first maternity jean purchase. I started wearing them intertwined with my normal jean rotation at about 13-14 weeks- I liked them that much. I bought these on Gilt Group during a maternity sale. They are originally  priced at about $180-200 dollars. I bought them for about $35. I didn't read the fine print. What did fine print say? "If ordering during first trimester go up 1 size, if ordering during second trimester go up 2 sizes." Well, I only ordered one size up. These fit so well from weeks 14-20. Then one day last week, I put them on. They felt more snug in the hips (these do NOT have any lycra in them). I tried to stretch them out. You know what us ladies do...lunge position stretching. And then I heard it. Teeeaaaaarrrrr. "Nooooo!!!" I gasped. Way to make a pregnant gal feel even less sexy. Damn it. Now, I may see if I can fix the tear and store them for future use one day.  Overall, if I find them on sale again, I very well may try to buy them, this time, 2 sizes up. No stretch means you REALLY need to follow the guidelines! A.

Citizens of Humanity Dita Petite Bootcut Maternity
I have about 3 pairs of Citizens non maternity jeans at home- one of which is the Dita petite. I love them. They all fit me really well- especially the petite. I thought, you know, same brand, same style, home run, right? Well, almost. The band is kind of funny. It scrunches at the top and kind of digs into you. Hmm. Not so comfortable that way!  I ordered a size up, like I did with the other Citizen jeans I tried. The fit in the legs was really accurate for me (I do not have stick legs; I have an athletic build) and they were not loose on me like in the photo above. But I know Citizen jeans and I know they stretch out after one or two wears.  The length was perfect for my height of 5'4". But I kept going back to the band. It just wasn't comfortable! Overall, I wanted to love them, but I couldn't validate spending that type of money on jeans I just sort of liked. B.

Gap Demi Panel Long and Lean 

These are some comfortable jeans. I ordered my normal size in a regular length. They fit well; a little snug in the thighs- but they do stretch a tiny bit. So if you're anything like me, if you want the look as shown above in the photo, you may want to consider ordering a size up. I kept these bad boys though since they work well with a small heel. I would love them in a darker wash though (Gap, are you listening?)! Overall, they are comfortable, good lounging around jeans, running around jeans, and the demi panel band is probably my favorite thus far. A-.

Gap Demi Panel Sexy Boot Jeans

Demi panel is awesome and very comfortable. I purchased these bad boys in my size but ankle length and they are PERFECT for flats and flip flops come spring time when I no longer want my feet to be suffocated. I want to buy more of these. In different washes. Gap, do you hear me? Overall, buy them. Try them. They are pretty kick ass. A.

Forever 21 Maternity Skinny Jeans

I've written about these ones over here, but didn't want to ignore them in this post. After a wash or two, they still fit well, but these jeans do stretch out easily after a wear. They are comfortable though, and at 13 bucks you really can't beat it. The panel is crazy comfortable. Overall, I would still give these guys a B+

H&M Maternity Straight Leg

I do not have a photo of these jeans since you can only purchase them in select H&M stores, but I will say this about them. The dark wash is a pretty cool color; except for the forced whiskering throughout the front and back. I find too much whiskering makes you look wider more than narrower. The length was a bit too long for me; I would probably need to get them hemmed 2-3 inches. The band was full panel, and had room to grow. These jeans run small. You'll want to size up; maybe even 2 sizes up depending on how you are holding your weight. Overall, I wanted to be impressed, but it fizzled. C.

I hope my reviews help other mamas to be (or future mamas to be!) on what has worked for me. Hopefully it will save you some time & money!

Stacy and Clint's Wardrobe Staple List

Everyone should have some staples in their wardrobe. Stacy and Clint from "What Not To Wear" have a wardrobe staple list, and I figured I would share it with you, along with what's in my wardrobe, and what I need. Not surprisingly to me, I have a lot of these items (plus some). I challenge you to give yourself this test and see what you have and what you need. You'd be surprised what's in your closet!

A black pantsuit- For me, this is a partial check. I have a black pinstripe pants and dress suit (3 pieces).

A softer neutral suit with pants or skirt (gray, brown, khaki, or navy)- Check.

3 pairs of neutral trousers- Check 

3 winter-weight skirts (1 should be tweed)- Check

3 summer-weight skirts (1 should be tweed)- Check- minus the tweed.

3 cotton button-front shirts- Check

3 blouses- Check

2 sparkly tops- Check.

Leather jacket- Check. I have a longer jacket and a shorter, more fun jacket.

Denim jacket- Check.

Trench coat- Need! This has been on my list for a LONG time.

3 pairs of jeans (all hemmed to different lengths for flats, heels, and sandals)- Check. Although...my pre pregnancy jean count is probably somewhere upwards of 9-10....)

Black dress- Check. Cocktail length, a little longer length, and a simple black dress

Solid-color dress- Check. 

Print or embellished dress- Check again!

6 sweaters (3 neutral, 3 color, and vary necklines, crew, v-neck, and cardigan)- Check.

3 blazers (1 summer weight, 1 three-season weight, 1 winter weight)- Check.

¾ length wool coat- Check!

Watch with 2 bands (leather and link)- This is something I never wear. I just never wear watches. Perhaps I should consider...

Black bag- I have my Chanel vintage, but as to a solid black...Need.

Brown bag- Check. I have my Louis tote, and some others.

Color or print bag- Check. 

Black heels- Check.

Brown heels- Check.

Color or print or embellished heels- Check!

Black boots- Check. I recommend 2 at different heel heights.

Brown boots- Check. I recommend 2 at different heel heights.

Black flats- Check.

I am thrilled I only need a few more staple items to complete my wardrobe essentials according to Stacy and Clint. I do think this maybe is missing a few other items; like some stylish sandals, neutral flats, clutches, etc. But it's a great list to start from. Will I complete this list during my pregnancy? Probably not, but I do have a good amount of staples for this time period in my life also. Perhaps I will post that next!

Hmmm. Forever 21 you say.

I have never stepped foot in a Forever 21, ever before. I never had even looked at the website. I just assumed it was for 15 year old girls, and thus, I was too old.


That is until I started needing maternity clothes and Forever 21 came up as an option in a google search. Say what now?


How do I feel about this? Very indifferent. How could a store that is geared towards teens have a maternity line, I thought to myself. I'm not sure how I feel about the fact this store put the maternity clothing line in city locations where there was a high percentage of teen pregnancy; but what I can see and appreciate is the affordable option for clothes that a pregnant woman will only wear anywhere from 3-8 months (depending on size, etc). So I decided to give it a shot. I proceeded to the website, searched for maternity and well, there my options were.


I was pleasantly surprised. You all know I always splurge on clothing and accessories. And I still do. But now I just splurge on pieces I will wear ALL the time- think jeans, flats for my tootsies, and maybe another signature piece or two. Luckily for the momma's to be, things like Ts, dresses, and cardigans seem to be a specialty of the store; and at the prices they offer, you really can't beat it.


My first purchase was this Boho Floral Maternity dress. I purchased it when I was about 12 weeks pregnant in a medium, and there is definitely room to grow. Now at nearly 20 weeks, I have a small bump and still plenty room to grow. I've worn it once to work with a pair of camel colored boots and once out to dinner, and received many a compliments on how cute it is. $22.80

Next on my list to try was a maternity top. Ugh. A maternity top I thought. I've tried the Old Navy shirts and they are WAY too big on me, not to mention, ridiculously unflattering. I then purchased this shirt. A peach ruched maternity top. I have just started to "pop" by this point and some of my normal fitted shirts that I normally wear just aren't cutting it, while some still do. Wow was I thrilled when I found this one. It is made from comfortable fabric with plenty of room to grow. It's fitted, and the shape is great, so even if you're not showing that much, it will work with you. Now if they only had it in different colors. The price tag?  $13.80

Next up I decided to try a pair of jeans. Sigh. I mean, as much as I want to spend 75-150 dollars on every pair of my maternity jeans (see above comment about my splurges), I really a) shouldn't and b) can't, I mean, I do have a baby to save for! So I purchased the Forever 21 Maternity Skinny Jeans. When I bought them, I got them on sale for $13.80.  The result? Jeans that were a *tad* too big but happily shrunk just a smidge in length and width with one wash and dry and are crazy comfortable with, yes, you guessed it, room to grow. They have a small panel in the front for stretching and real pockets.


Now for Valentines Day and/or my wedding anniversary in March, I picked out this number. 
I want to dress up and look pretty for my husband, and this may do the trick. Simple? A little. But there is some lace trim at the bust, and paired with my Tory Reva Silver Snakeskin flats and some sparkly jewelry, this will do just the trick. The cost when I bought it? $24.80


Lastly, these dresses I got for the spring and summer. I'll be honest. I can't wait to wear them! Price tags for these? $10.99 on sale (maxi dress) and $22.80 for the bib dress.

Considering all of these cost me just over $100; not too shabby. Of course I did grab some other staples such as tunics and tanks- all ranging in price from $8-$12 a pop.


The verdict? Check it out. I'm truly pleasantly surprised with the options that are fashionable, cute, and will make you feel pretty.

What I've been wearing: It's been a while.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's been a while. 6 weeks...ish since I last posted.  I get it. 
In my defense, the past few months my mind has been preoccupied. With the holidays, family and friend events, work, and just life, my blogging has taken a back burner.


So what have I been up to?


Trying to find stylish clothes that fit me. With an ever changing figure (yours truly is expecting her first little one on July 1, 2011), the past few months have been challenging in the clothes department for me. I mean, sure, many of my pre-pregnancy jeans fit probably up until about 1- 2 weeks ago (when I was 16/17 weeks along), but not without some serious muffin top...which is NOT so fashionable. Luckily I still can squeeze myself into many of my regular shirts, sweaters, and Ts, so it's really been a balancing act of what fits vs. what is comfortable vs. what looks good AND makes me feel good.


The style I have been rocking at least 2 days a week for the past 2-3 months is leggings, tunics, and flats. It's a great interim solution for those who are pregnant & in between clothes sizes; or even those who just want to wear something comfortable. With an outfit like this; the key is to accessorize appropriately.. 


 ++ +
These are all pieces that I've owned, are not maternity, and I still can wear them right now.
Now, it appears as though this may be a somewhat boring ensemble. So I have been trying to add a touch of pizzaz to it via accessories. 


Night version:
If I am going out at night; I will wear these diamond hoops that belonged to my husband's aunt. And then I will throw on this Judith Ripka chain in Sterling (not the pictured gold) (thank you Husband). Lastly for my purse. I tend to wear this Chanel Vintage 2.55 Large Flap Bag that was my mother in laws, often, when I go out. It's classic. It's understated...and well, it's Chanel.
+ +

Day Version:
Now, I dress my accessories down when I'm running errands. Perhaps throwing on my Koolaburra's (that I scored on Rue La La for about 65% off) or my Emu "fuzzy boots" as I allude to them. Maybe toss on a chunkier statement necklace and fun bracelet, and finish it off with a  satchel.
+++

My next post will be about my journey to find fashionable maternity clothes. So far, I am finding it a bit of a challenge, but I am confident fashionable pieces do exist.
Until next time,