Pregnant mum saves £200 on maternity-inspired oversized clothing haul with deals from River Island, ASOS and more
Name: Ellis Smith
Age: 28
Profession: Mindset & business coach
From: Kent, UK
Total Pieces: 11
Total Spend (£): £341
Total Saving (£): £197
Total Saving (%): 42%
Dressing during pregnancy can be difficult, especially with the lack of options and the expense of many maternity wear brands. Why should we buy clothes that have limited styles and that we can only wear while we’re pregnant?
A recent analysis of maternity apparel in 2021 done by fashion analysts at Lovethesales.com revealed that items can be up to 20% more expensive than similar non-maternity wear.
That’s why soon-to-be mum of three Ellis Smith took advantage of the ‘oversized’ clothing trend (a boon for mum’s to be) bagging herself a huge haul of oversized clothing that she can wear while she’s heavily pregnant as well as after she’s given birth, saving herself £197 in the process.
The 28-year-old mindset and business coach said “Never to be seen again until my next pregnancy, I’ve always found maternity clothes to be overpriced and not quite in line with current fashions and trends. This time around I wanted to make sure I bought clothes that I liked, were stylish and I could wear again after I’ve given birth.”
Ellis spoke exclusively to Lovethesales.com regarding her huge maternity wear money-saving story.
Quotes from Ellis
“Being my third pregnancy, my bump has been quite visible quite early on, and coming into the colder months, I can’t get away with floaty dresses so none of my normal clothes fit me right now. The maternity clothes I have from my previous pregnancies are older and out of style and just not something I would wear now. A lot of the pieces were for when I worked in an office too so not something I’ll be wearing for the school run or at the weekend. I needed to do some shopping but didn’t want to be limited by maternity wear as it can be such a waste, especially when you need an entire wardrobe update. This is likely to be our last baby and so the idea of spending all this money on clothes that I wouldn’t be able to wear again would be pointless. I noticed that a lot of online retailers were offering deals on the run-up to Black Friday… so I took advantage.”
Ellis went on to speak more about her savings, “Through sales marketplaces, I found that ASOS was running a ‘Pre-Black Friday’ sale so I bought quite a few items. My favourite item would have to be the Knitted Jumper dress in Mocha, which I snatched at 55% off. It's my style and it looks great on me at 5 months pregnant and it will look great once I’ve given birth. It’s perfect because once I’ve had the baby I can cinch the waist with a belt and it will fit me perfectly.”
“With Winter coming I needed some warmer clothes. I was super happy with the Topshop sleeveless knit sweater I got for 50% off as they are on-trend at the moment. I also got the Brave Soul Gilet for 50% off, saving me £25. I love the oversized clothing trend so buying larger sizes doesn’t bother me and I’m saving money in the process.”
She continued, “I went a little overboard at ASOS, but the Topshop Linen dress that I got for 20% off was just too cute not to buy. Like with the knitted dress whereby I’ll use a belt, this one comes with a tie-up belt. Right now, it’s great to wear over the top of my bump but after I’ve given birth I’ll be able to use it to cinch me in at the waist and be super flattering but look completely different from how it is now and you would never know I wore it throughout the end of my pregnancy. I also got an Adidas sweatshirt for 15% off. The last thing I bought from ASOS was the London Rebel lace-up boots which I got at 43% off.”
“I managed to bag a bunch of deals at River Island too! I got two sweatshirts at 37% off and 47% off. I also got a pair of shorts for 60% off which I’ll probably have to wait till Summer to wear.”
“I’ve been wanting to get a pair of New Balance trainers for so long, so when I saw they were 28% off at Rubbersole I just had to have them. Chasing after two energetic boys all day, comfort is key and these were perfect for both this and being stylish too!”
Ellis finished by saying, “There is no way I would’ve found the same amount of stylish maternity pieces I like for the price I got for my haul. I saved £200 and I got 8 great pieces that I can wear in my last few months of pregnancy and again once I’ve had the baby. It’s the best of both worlds. Thank goodness for the oversize trend!”
Ellis’s top tip for saving on maternity wear
“Don’t just think ‘maternity wear!’ Instead, think about buying oversized clothing you know you can wear again once you’ve had the baby. This way, you’re not wasting money on clothes you can only wear for a few months, especially as maternity clothing can be quite expensive!”
Commentary from fashion analyst Rebecca Deuchar
Rebecca Deuchar, Fashion Analyst at Lovethesales.com commented on Ellis’s clever maternity-inspired haul, “It’s crazy to think that maternity-wear is a £2.5 billion industry that caters to millions of women a year. I think Ellis’s idea to buy oversized clothing is brilliant and to save £200 utilising Pre-Black Friday deals is such a clever way to save even more money. A recent analysis of maternity apparel in 2021 revealed that items can be up to 20% more expensive than similar non-maternity wear. This opens the discussion as to whether maternity clothes are really worth the added expense. I think we will see a lot more women start to follow Ellis’s lead in the future.”
Follow Ellis on Instagram
What Ellis Bought
Blue RI One Crew Neck Sweatshirt | Ellis spent £30, she saved £18 (37% off) through River Island.
Grey Ripped Mid Rise Denim Shorts | Ellis spent £12, she saved £30 (60% off) through River Island.
Yellow California Print Oversized Sweatshirt | Ellis spent £19, she saved £16 (46% off) through River Island
Adidas Original 3 Stripe Sweater | Ellis spent £42, she saved £8 (15% off) through ASOS
Brave Soul belted padded Gilet with Hood | Ellis spent £25, she saved £25 (50% off) through ASOS
I saw It First Knitted Jumper Dress| Ellis spent £16, she saved £19 (55% off) through ASOS
Topshop Sleeveless Knit Sweater | Ellis spent £18, she saved £18 (50% off) through ASOS
Adidas Originals Leggings | Ellis spent £20, she saved £5 (20% off) through JD Sports
New Balance Trainers | Ellis spent £90, she saved £35 (28% off) through Rubbersole
Topshop Linen Flippy Shirt Dress| Ellis spent £35, she saved £9 (20% off) through ASOS
London Rebel Lace Up Chunky Boots| Ellis spent £34, she saved £26 (43%) through ASOS
Retailer data accumulated from over 1,000 UK retailers partnering with LovetheSales.com.
You must credit LovetheSales.com with a link back to this article, if using the above money-saving story for your own editorial purposes.
LovetheSales.com is a global fashion marketplace. Tracking sales data from over 1,000 retailers worldwide.
