Big Momma's House
Contributing SFist Amanda is experiencing the miracle of life firsthand. Her biggest problem so far hasn't been morning sickness or the inevitable circumcision debate, but the eternal question of how to retain one's chic during gestation. She shares some of the solutions she discovered below.
Getting pregnant is a wonderful, beautiful thing. There’s the special joy in knowing that a life grows inside you, the hormones make you all blissed out, and suddenly your mother-in-law treats you like a sacred vessel. But it sucks when you no longer can button your Diesel jeans, and your boobs get so big that all your shirts are rendered indecent.
What to do? Go shopping. As a rule, maternity clothes are expensive and hard to find. But SFist is here to help! We’ve grown out of our BCBG so you don’t have to.
Self-portrait by the contributor
The Bay Area hosts a number of stores. Starting on the higher-priced end, in Laurel Heights there’s MOM’s The Word (3385 Sacramento Street, phone 415-441-8261), a fun boutique where you’ll probably find a lot of clothes you like but can’t afford. I recommend that you get a few things that make you feel good about yourself despite the cost, as you are going to feel like a big fat hippo for the next 10 months of your life. (And hey, if a new tote bag from Saks (384 Post Street, phone 415-986-4300) does the trick, go for it.) Moving over to Pacific Heights, there’s Annie’s (2512 Sacramento Street, phone 415-292-7164), where you can purchase high-end labels such as Diane von Furstenberg and Humanity Jeans.
According to Vogue, it’s all about the high-low fashion blending, and what better way to go low that than with Motherhood Maternity (Stores all over the Bay Area.) The Motherhood store we visited in Novato offers all the basic maternity items you’ll need to make up your wardrobe, at rock-bottom prices. At Japanese Weekend in Union Square (500 Sutter Street, phone 415-989-6667) you can find funky rayon-blend tops and moderately priced wool pants. Speaking of a different kind of funky, over in the East Bay there is the second-hand store Lauren’s Closet (1420 Park Blvd. in Alameda, phone 510-865-2219), which carried used maternity, babies, and children's items. Of coutrse, there are always the standbys Gap Maternity and Old Navy (stores are all over the place, if you don't know where we're just speechless) offer a decent selection, and you can dress like the cheap-ass heathenly slob you normally do when you're not an incubator for grandchildren.
We’ve heard some women say that they made it through their entire pregnancy by just putting a rubber band at the waistband of all their pants, and purchasing bebe dresses one size up from their normal size. We’re pleased to announce that these women are LIARS, and were actually all found at Mervyn’s (Bay Area stores here), buying Holly Robinson Peete's hideously ugly (but cheap!) brand of clothing. I suppose everyone should check out the big retail stores such as Target (locations here) and Sears (find your nearest location here), but the selection is small and the style somewhat depressing.
It takes some serious shopping time and a moderate cash investment to get through your pregnancy in style, but we hear that in the end you get to have this cute little baby that you’ll love unconditionally. So if your apartment won’t let you get a dog, we say go get yourself knocked up, and go out shopping!