Maternity Jeans - Style Guide

Just about everbody owns a pair of jeans and while pregnancy might be a joyous time in life, the day that your own jeans cease to fit is a sad day indeed. It's not all doom and gloom though. In fact, many ladies find their maternity jeans so comfy they never go back to their old jeans.

"So what is so hard about buying a pair of maternity jeans?" I hear you ask.

Well it's not so much that it's hard but there are several things you need to be aware of and it's going to be a lot harder if you are buying online so you need to pick a store that allows refunds, doesn't charge postage to send out exchanges, and that is prepared to post you several pairs at a time (preferably without charging for them until you have decided what to keep) so you can compare styles. Maternity Revolution is one such store.

Below is a break down of some of the things you should be looking for in a pair of maternity jeans.

STYLE OF WAISTBAND

There are several different waistbands available but the main 5 are:

Over belly with Knit Waistband



Mid Belly with Knit Waistband



Underbelly with Knit Waistband at Front and Adjustable Elastic at the Back



Underbelly with Button and Fly and Adjustable Elastic in the Pockets

Underbelly with Button and Fly and Adjustable Elastic in the Complete Waistband




WHICH WAISTBAND SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

The maternity jeans that most people are drawn too is the Underbelly with the Button and Fly becuase they look "normal" but these are probably the least comfortable. Conversely, the highwaisted ones look pretty ugly on the hanger but are usually the most comfortable.

Let's go through each waistband individually.

Overbelly with Knit Waistband

• Offers a smooth line under your tops.
• Feels supportive as the belly gets bigger
• Helps to keep your pant up.
• Can be folded over if you prefer the feel of underbelly.
• Helps hide the post baby jelly belly and gives a nicer line in the early stages of pregnancy when many women haven't popped out yet and just feel fat as opposed to pregnant.
• Suitable for any size.

Mid Belly with Knit Waistband

• Sits in a comfortable spot on the belly and still offers some support.
• Better for shorter ladies that feel the high waisted bands sit almost under their bust.
• For most ladies it still offers a smooth line under clothes but not quite as good for holding in a post baby belly.
• Not as good for holding up your pants.
• Easy to wear even when not pregnant without feeling that you are wearing a maternity jean.
• Suitable for any size

Underbelly with Knit Waistband at the Front and Adjustable Elastic at the Back

• More comfortable than button and fly in later stages of pregnancy but not as comfy as the mid and overbelly waistbands.
• Tends to give a muffin cup look in some people.
• Buttons tend to pop off the adjustable elastic.
• Popular with very small framed people who find both mid and over belly sit too high.
• Not good for people with larger bottoms as the plumber's crack issue raises it's ugly head.
• Best for size 4-12

Button and Fly with Elastic in the Pockets or Elastic in the Complete Waistband

• They look and feel like you are wearing your normal jeans and in early stages of pregnancy that great but in the later stages they will start to get very uncomfortable if you are carrying low.
• They will give a muffin cup look unless you are stick thin because they sit low.
• Plumber's crack is a definite possibilty.
• Best for size 4 - 12

THINGS TO CONSIDER IN CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE OF MATERNITY JEAN

The type of denim is important because the more stretch it has, the more it will give and the more it gives, the more chance you have of your pants falling down after an hour or so of wearing them.

In normal jeans, this is why you have belt loops but wearing a belt when you are pregnant is neither comfortable or even possible for some ladies. You are relying on the waistband to be able to hold the pants up once the denim gives and remember that denim is a heavy fabric so it has gravity on its side.

Make sure that if it is a stretchy denim you buy them so they are a snug fit on you bottom and thighs. You may be thinking they are too small but trust me, the biggest mistake people make is to buy them too big and you will regret it.

The one place where you don't want the jeans to be too tight though is in the waistband (where baby is). The point where the jean meets the knit waistband should sit about the level of your pubic bone. You should be able to comfortably fit your hands inside the jeans at this point. If there is no room for anything to move, they are going to dig in (particularly when you sit down). If there is too much room then you know that once the denim gives the pants will start to slip.

In shorter people the point where the jean meets the band sit almost at belly button level and this is no good because it won't be long before you grow out of them.

It is also important to look at the fabric used in the waistband. If it is too soft it won't hold your pants up and won't offer any support. If the fabric has no memory it won't bounce back after it has been stretched, making them unwearable post pregnancy.

OK, let's summarise all this info.

1. Short and/or petite framed ladies are better with underbelly styles while taller and/or larger framed ladies are better with overbelly.
2. Make sure the jeans are firm enough that they won't fall down once they give.
3. Check the point where the jean meets the waistband that it's not too tight ot too loose.
4. Make sure that if it has a knit waistband that the fabric is firm with good stretch.
5. Make sure that if you are buying online that you can return them and wear them around for 10 or 15 mins before making your decision.

I haven't touched on the different cuts of maternity jeans in this blog because I feel this is more personal preference but basically you have skinny legs, straight legs (most popoular at the time of writing this blog), bootleg, relaxed fit and flare leg.