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When shopping for maternity clothes, it's hard to know where to start. Most of your favourite pre-pregnancy brands won't offer a maternity range, and it's hard to tell what the quality is going to be like when shopping online.
Fear not! B&B founder Emma is here to share experience from her pregnancies as well as from renting out maternity clothes for 6 years from a range of brands. Whether you're looking for the most sustainable, stylish, or best quality maternity brands, we've found the best out there for any occasion.
1. Best for a special occasion - Tiffany Rose
If you've got a formal event to attend, Tiffany Rose dresses are made in the UK and are probably the best quality dresses we've come across. They even make very affordable maternity wedding dresses if you're getting married with a bump! Although they aren't leading the sustainability movement, they do support slow fashion principles, making small production runs and focusing on designs that will stand the test of time, whilst helping to restore the UK manufacturing industry.
2. Best for style - Seraphine
If you only have space in your budget for one slightly more expensive item, I'd make it a Seraphine one. I held off buying anything from here until my second pregnancy when I bought a blue floral dress, and I wished I'd bought it sooner. Their clothes are always flattering and well-made, often out of soft viscose fabrics which drape beautifully and hold their shape. Famously loved by celebrities such as the Duchess of Cambridge, their knot-front dresses like the one above which is available to rent via B&B here are a classic staple for any maternity capsule, and are easy to dress up or down.
3. Best for everyday - Mamalicious
At B&B we've partnered with Mamalicious to offer their styles to rent because we love their on-trend styles which are perfect for every day maternity, plus they use organic cotton, recycled polyester and some of the more innovative sustainable fabrics such as LENZING™ECOVERO™ Viscose which is made using wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed forests, as well as being the softest fabric we've ever felt, often requiring no ironing and also wonderfully breathable unlike the synthetic fabrics used by many of the cheaper high street brands.
4. Best for nursing access - JoJo Maman Bebe
JoJo Maman Bebe are best at soft, stretchy jersey dresses with bold geometric prints and florals, usually with nursing access which makes them perfect for wearing after your little one arrives or if you're nursing whilst pregnant. The dress above which is available to rent via B&B here has nursing access which is cleverly hidden under the top section, and also has ties at the back to adjust for the perfect fit. The cut of the bottom half makes it easy to wear during the post-partum stage as it isn't obviously maternity.
We also love that JoJo Maman Bebe is a B Corp - part of a community of organisations aiming to demonstrate their positive impact on people and the planet as well as profit.
5. Best for activewear - Fitta Mamma
Fitta Mamma is the ONLY maternity sportswear that has been scientifically tested and proven to to support your baby bump so you can exercise with style and confidence throughout your pregnancy, and they were found to reduce bump bounce by 48% compared to ordinary maternity vests and leggings. How amazing is that? They even developed their own high performance fabric to make absolutely sure it would stretch and support throughout pregnancy, retaining its shape whilst you regain your shape after your baby is born. You can see the range of Fitta Mamma items available to rent from B&B here.
6. Best for sustainable staples - Isabella Oliver
Isabella Oliver is the opposite of frump - think bodycon dresses and figure-hugging styles in plain block colours such as black and navy, making them perfect for workwear and sophisticated styles that won't age. Their tagline 'Designed for Good' expresses their vision of being champions of slow fashion. 100% of their collection is made with responsibly sourced materials, they are not only a B Corp but in 2021 they were in the top 5% of all B Corps, as a "Best for the World™" company, and they even have their own pre-loved section on their website as well as rental options starting from £55 a month for 5 items, or you can rent individual items for 2 weeks. To see the Isabella Oliver styles available to rent from B&B click here.
7. Best for going beyond pregnancy - Beyond Nine
Set up by a Mum, Beyond Nine is a London-based brand which aims to help Mums and Mums-to-be retain their sense of style and self throughout their pregnancy and beyond. We love their bright block colours and fun jumpsuits, and that all of their styles are made of natural fabrics such as organic cotton and linen. They are at the pricier end of the spectrum, but you can pay in installments using Clearpay, and these clothes are an investment designed to last for life.
8. Best for leopard-print lovers - Tilbea
Tilbea is another small Mum-owned brand aimed at helping Mums feel more themselves during pregnancy, and their vision from inception has been to create fun, fashion-forward designs that empower you to dress and feel like YOU, all with versatile silhouettes, discreet functionality and stylish designs that will become wardrobe staples during and after your pregnancy. Watch this space as we hope to stock Tilbea styles to rent soon!
9. Best for affordable style - Current bun maternity
Set up in 2020, Current bun is a relatively new start-up and another brand that we hope to stock here at B&B very soon as we love their style. Designed with flexibility in mind, they can be styled differently and dressed up or down to suit everyone’s individual needs and personal taste, and their tagline is #bumpnotfrump. Despite being made in the UK they are very affordable, with their bestselling tube dress above selling for £26, proving that you can shop small without breaking the bank.
10. Best for summer - Bump & Milk
With romantic, cottagecore vibes, Bump & Milk design styles for modern motherhood and breastfeeding, made out of natural fabrics and up to a Size 22. Although they are pricy, these are beautiful styles designed to go beyond pregnancy, and they just happen to have a fantastic sale on at the moment!
So, whether you're looking to invest in some key pieces, find some pre-loved bargains on Vinted, or rent your maternity wardrobe, these are the brands we know and love and would recommend above all others!
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Are you new here? Read on to find out a little bit more about us...
Belles and Babes is a UK-based rental business specialising in sustainable maternity, baby, and nursing clothes. Founded by Emma Gillespie in 2017, the company is driven by her corporate sustainability background and has a mission to provide a more sustainable alternative for parents seeking to move away from fast fashion and reduce clothing waste.
B&B offers maternity and nursing clothes to rent as part of its capsule wardrobe service for £5 per item each month, with the option to swap items and add on extras such as a maternity coat, and also has styles available to buy new or pre-loved. Baby capsule wardrobes start from £25 a month for a personalised bundle of 18 items of sustainable organic clothing which are replaced as your baby grows.
If you are a parent seeking a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, you can find out more about our rental options by clicking the links in the menu above.
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