User post: The Word is "Maternity" Not "Matronly"

For the life of me I cannot understand why so many maternity clothes are SO unattractive. Most pregnant women want to feel cute. I mean, their body is changing, their shape is different, the last thing they need to is to feel like all they wear are stretch pants, plain shirts and moomoos!

Though I am not pregnant myself at this current time, I have some friends who have been pregnant or who are currently with child and are experiencing the nightmare that is shopping for "cute and stylish" maternity clothes. It is, in fact, a bit of an oxymoron. AND the kicker?! There are some stores that claim to be the end all be all for stylish maternity clothes; however, if you want alleged stylish clothes , you have to pay big for them. I am a huge fan of & for all Mankind jeans but don't feel they are a must have for the everyday pregnant woman. I also don't feel that one should have to spend over $100 on a cute dress they will only be able to wear for a few short months.

A friend recently emailed me about this dilemma and asked if I could help her find clothing lines that make maternity clothes. Here are my findings (although I certainly wish there were more):

Old Navy has a maternity line, as does Gap. Old Navy will have your basics, at great prices, and maybe even a dress or two for work. Gap is good because the prices are typical Gap prices and the clothes are exactly the same. Stylish, but won't break the bank. They even have maternity pjs and bathing suits!

If you want to pick up a few tshirts or camis, Forever 21 does do maternity now. I have seen a few cute things and their stuff is very affordable; however, the quality may not be the best after a couple of washes. Since you are only wearing these things for a short time, it may be a good, cheap go-to spot.

In some cases, Banana Republic, J Crew, the clothing is cut a bit differently and you may find you go up a size when you shop here. Because of this, and because EVERY line sells dresses that are loose fitting these days, you can get flowy empire-waisted, loose fitting dresses in the next size up. It may be easier now since fashion-wise the summer season is ending (although in Florida and other parts of the country, it is still hot as hell). You may even get things on clearance.

H&M now does a maternity line called MAMA. How cute is that?! Cute stuff - cardigans, sweaters, dresses and all pretty affordable. H&M has always been a great place to get trendy clothes on a budget and their MAMA collection doesn't fall short.

Kohls: my go- to for everything from cute shoes to Food Network kitchen supplies. They have a maternity section and it is well-priced. Aside from that if you share your email address with them, you get $5 off your next purchase and then they continue to send you coupons in your email or in the regular mail for 20% off or ten dollars off anything in the store. I can't tell you how many good shopping deals I have gotten at Kohls!

Lastly, I know it is going to sound crazy but JCPenney has a pretty extensive maternity section. If you need dresses for work or cute tops, they have a lot and the prices are pretty good. Most people think of Penney's they think of back-to-school shopping with their parents in the '80s, but their maternity section is the real deal.

As more and more friends I know get pregnant my mission is to find better clothing lines for them. After all, you are growing a human inside of you, shouldn't you be allowed to looking fashionable?