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“Why is ALL maternity wear so UGLY?” writes mazzystar.
“Maternity wear is generally hideous, three sizes too big or small, or impractically cut,” HumptyDumptyBumpty bemoans.
“WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE I AM PREGNANT THAT I HAVE SUDDENLY LOST ALL TASTE AND DECORUM!” rants lenak.
A quick peruse on Mumsnet throws up thousands of comments from annoyed pregnant women.
According to Mintel, in 2013 the UK maternitywear market made £141 million and accounted for just one per cent of the women’s clothing sector. While hardly a modest sum, it’s an anaemic increase from the £140 million it made in 2009.
A 2018 report by Office of National Statistics revealed that there is a rising pregnancy rate in only one age group – women in their 40s are having babies by an increase of 2 per cent. Research shows that these women are more likely to be affluent and have larger disposable income. But the maternitywear market has been slow to adapt.
With Mothercare closing its doors earlier this month, other options are thin-on-the-ground. High-street giants ASOS and H&M offer limited sartorial options for pregnant women, with prices ranging between £10 to £120.
The trio of maternitywear brands which have otherwise monopolised the higher-end market are Seraphine, Isabella Oliver and JoJo Maman Bébé, with the latter reporting an 18 per cent increase in sales last year. Prices can range from anywhere between £29 to £269. But a handful of small businesses are beginning to pioneer a new approach: maternitywear rental.
“It was during my first pregnancy that I realised I had no idea where to shop to buy fashionable pieces, apart from H&M,” explains Emma Gillespie, the founder of Belles & Babes, a maternitywear rental company.
Gillespie established the brand after finding only maternity basics in her local H&M which, once worn, were stretched beyond the point of redemption, meaning they were given to charity or binned.
The mother-of-two began to wonder why a service didn’t exist where she could momentarily wear stylish pieces, without committing to them forever.
Rachel Hung is the co-founder of Bundle ‘n Joy, a maternity rental brand with a focus on sustainability, she says “we believe that renting is the way forward to reducing the carbon footprint of textiles and maternity wear is a great place to start as it is only truly required for a short period of time.”
A recent study commissioned by British maternity brand Tiffany Rose confirmed these shifts in attitudes towards recycling maternity wear. The report found that 50 per cent of mums between the ages of 25 – 34 have swapped maternity dresses with friends and family between two to four times in the past year.
“There’s really not anybody else offering this service in the UK which is ridiculous because borrowing clothes you only wear for a matter of months is such a logical idea,” Gillespie says. “It especially makes sense with maternity occasionwear, which is what I initially started out offering.”
Fashion-forward music executive Sophia Margerison is just over seven months pregnant with her first child and says she’d definitely consider renting maternitywear for a smart occasion.
“I would definitely rent a dress for a special occasion, as there’s no point in splashing out to look good on an item you hopefully will soon not fit into again,” the 35-year-old explains. “It is still nice to dress up and make an effort and go out despite being larger, so it’s nice to indulge in a new outfit especially for that which you don’t need forever.”
When it comes to everyday essentials though, such as leggings, Margerison still turns to the high street. But, even there, maternitywear is lacking. This is where Anchor & Hope, a second-hand clothing store in Tower Hamlets, could offer another alternative for expectant mothers.
The store’s USP is that it combines women’s vintage fashion with maternitywear for mums-to-be. The store’s founder, Holly Shaw, is certain that she stocks “the largest collection of second hand maternity wear in London.”
Similarly to Gillespie, Shaw established Anchor & Hope when she realised the dearth of options for stylish mums which were affordable and sustainable.
The majority of maternitywear stocked in Belles & Babes and Bundle ‘n Joy is made up from pieces from the three main players in the game: Seraphine, Isabella Oliver and JoJo Maman Bébé.
Their business models work like a subscription service: they send you a selection of maternity clothes and you pay a monthly fee. Once your pregnancy’s over and you no longer need the maternity clothes, you send them back.
“There’s a huge opportunity for people and businesses here,” says Gillespie. “And it’s time that people realised that. Mums want to be stylish and look and feel good, but they don’t want to spend a fortune on pieces that they can only wear for a short period of time.”
Whether it’s renting or vintage, there’s a new future burgeoning for pregnancy fashion.
UK maternitywear rental companies to know
Belles & Babes
Not only can you rent stylish maternitywear via its Capsule Wardrobe subscription service, but Belles & Babes also sources organic baby clothing, which are similarly available via subscription.
Bundle ‘n Joy
Bundle ‘n Joy specialises in sustainably-sourced stylish options and donates one per cent of its profits to Dress for Change, a women’s empowerment charity.
