So here are the brands of maternity clothing that worked best for me. As a frame of reference I am 5'3", at the beginning of my pregnancy I weighed 102lbs, and usually wore a size 0P or PXS.Maternity Clothing for Petite Women Reviews:
Pants
Paige Denim - I got lucky and scored a pair on Zulily that claimed to be a petite/short length, but they were still to long and I was lazy and never got the hemmed (something I am going to do so I can wear then after the baby is born). These jeans worked great during my 1st and most of my 2nd trimester but then due to the fact that they have and underbelly design with stretchy side panels I could not continue to wear them.
Maternal America - I bought a pair of cropped pants by Maternal America (online) and found them to run very small which in my option is a good thing. I had to return them to a larger size and they worked great for the summer and fall. However, they were not the best quality.
Old Navy - I have a pair of their Full-Panel Rockstar Jeggings that I have been able to wear them all the way to the end of my pregnancy. The best part is these pants are very inexpensive and almost always on sale - I think I got mine for $13.
Tops
I think maternity tops and blouses are the hardest to find when you are petite and I found a lot of brands made their shirts much to long for my frame and my belly, though there were a few that worked.
Target - The Liz Lange cotton t-shirts worked well for me after I washed them in hot water and dried them on high. I have pretty much lived in these shirts, both the long and short sleeve versions, they are decent quality but nothing outstanding.
*I was also able to find several other maternity tops at Target but different styles were hit and miss and I found that I really had to go in a try stuff on there.
GAP - I had the most luck with gap maternity shirts, blouses, and sweaters; I found that their tops ran a little on the smaller and shorter side and were better quality at a decent price point then most other maternity stores. The only draw back is for most of us you can only shop their maternity department online, though keep in mind if you spend $50 or more shipping is free and return shipping is always FREE; plus, I swear they are always having a sale. Here are a two of my favorite GAP maternity staples:
- Pure Body Tank : I have this in white, I wish I had it in every color they make.
- Essential V-neck Pocket T
If you love dresses or attend any sort of function that requires you to dress up regularly (church, work, etc.) I suggest investing in a few dresses that make you feel pretty and that you can wear throughout your pregnancy.
Isabella Oliver - I managed to score three dresses from Isabella Oliver on sale that have been in constant rotation nearly my whole pregnancy. Now I realize that they are on the more expensive side especially when you realize that you may only be able to wear the dress for 6 months, but to me it was worth it to feel put together and stylish while constantly expanding in size.
- My favorite dress I bought during pregnancy was the Emily Dress from IO (which is on sale right now). The dress is designed to allow you wear and nurse after delivery. I Love This Dress!
When I became pregnant I told myself I was not going to buy maternity clothing until I was in my 2nd trimester and I was not going to spend a lot of money. Well neither of those two things held as I realized by 8 weeks that due to my small frame I was going to show much sooner then I had expected. It seemed like pants no longer fit, I was crazy uncomfortable in my regular clothes and my very little baby was making my tummy go straight out! Oh I tried the belly band thing and the button extender trick but maternity pants were just so much more comfortable and I am so glad I did not listen to all the advice to wait a buy maternity clothes until the 2nd trimester.
So I hope you find this list helpful, especially if your a petite woman looking for maternity wear.
Good Luck!!
