Where have all the brick-and-mortar maternity stores gone? That’s what pregnant women on Long Island really want to know as they seek out clothes for their ever-changing bodies and varied lifestyles.
In 2019, Destination Maternity, parent company to several entities including Motherhood Maternity and a Pea in the Pod, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy closing hundreds of stand-alone stores nationally. The company cited declining birthrates and higher rents among the causes. Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor of the NPD group, a market research company in Port Washington, says there’s more to it.
“Maternity apparel has been impacted by athletic and activewear substituting for maternity,” he explains. “Why wear something that has a short-term use when one can buy more casual wardrobes … that one can use longer term?”
But yoga pants don’t always cut it. So says Keri Kearney, 38, of Coram, who teaches kindergarten and is expecting her first baby in September. At her school, teachers have a dress code that strictly rules out leggings, T-shirts and ripped jeans.
I nearly had an emotional breakdown just trying to find work pants.
- says Kearney
She has taken to wearing a Velcro belly band and hair ties to extend her pants. And shopping online, for her, is a chore. “Every day, I’m looking and looking for something that fits … and then I just throw down my phone and give up for the day.”
Cohen says retailers like Target, Walmart and Old Navy "have all been chasing the maternity business and given the short-term nature of the need for maternity apparel," the consumer has followed. Remaining maternity-only boutiques on Long Island are, apparently rare, but at least one is going strong: 9 New York in Cedarhurst. The 9-year-old shop's staying power is due to the Cedarhurst community, says owner Margaret Seewald.
Offerings in maternity wear can be, according to some, too basic.
“Finding really cute maternity clothes is virtually impossible,” says Jackie Carlsen, 33, an NYPD police officer who lives in Hauppauge. “I don’t want to look like I’m an old lady,” she says, adding that she plans, “to rock this pregnancy like Rihanna,” referring to the pop star’s propensity for belly baring. Of late, she’s been donning crop tops and flashing her tummy (outside of work) and holding her pre-pregnancy jeans together with a hair scrunchy.
Also bemoaning the lack of maternity “shopportunites” is Alana Cholden, 28, a second-grade teacher from Ronkonkoma who is due in September. “And even if a place has something," she says, "it doesn’t seem to be on-trend and it’s not for me.”
Likewise, another NYPD police officer, Kristine Sanchez, of Copiague, who is due in October, says she is unimpressed with what’s out there. “I want to wear florals and fun stuff.”
The fix
Are there fashionable choices for pregnant women despite the lack of dedicated maternity stores? Well, sure. There might be a little trial and error, but there are plenty of online sellers to choose from such as high-ender Hatch (a celebrity fave — Meghan Markle wore it), Stitch Fix, Shein and Pink Blush to name a few, all that offer clothes for different stages of pregnancy.
We took our expectant ladies in a few different directions to help them fulfill their maternity-wear wish lists. Here’s how it went:
Rent it
Left: The clothing struggle is real for pregnant kindergarten teacher Keri Kearney, 38 of Coram. She’s taken to attaching a belly band to her pants (shown here) which she no longer can zip. Right: Kearney wears the Rent The Runway dress she plans to rent for her shower.
Kearney was taken under the wing of Rent The Runway’s style director Blaire Walsh (also pregnant) who curated a covetable wardrobe for the teacher, that she says was, “all about balancing comfort and style … pieces that were appropriate for the classroom setting, but could also transition into life after work.”
The maternity division of RTR was introduced in 2018, “after realizing women were hacking our existing categories and sizing up to accommodate their growing bellies,” says Sarah Tam, chief merchant officer. “Maternity is an incredible use case for rental and has been a high growth category since its inception.”
So, how’d it go? An initial order yielded winning jeans (Kearney’s mission was to find “comfy jeans that are not suctioned to my calves”) and a stylish zebra-striped cardigan. Her next order was a total winner and included a work-worthy maternity top and cozy, long cardigan. And then there was a designer dress that Kearney plans to rent for her own baby shower (it retails for $385).
Her take-away: “You can supplement your wardrobe or redo it, and I have four dressy events coming up. What am I going to do, spend $100 or more on each outfit? This is a temporary time in my life and Rent The Runway is a great option.”
Rentals start at $94 a month at renttherunway.com for four items (these could be anything from jeans to a special events dresses) and go from there.
For jeans queens
“I’m very, very picky,” says Carlsen who has been wearing her jeans wide-open and didn’t think there were other options. But when she heard that Abercrombie & Fitch offered maternity jeans (yes that Abercrombie & Fitch that teens obsessed over in the '90s, she was all in. “I totally did not know that. I used to wear them when I was in high school and they’re still my favorite jeans.”
The folks at Abercrombie provided Carlsen with samples of two styles. And news alert: The launch of these jeans is part of the company’s more inclusive thrust. “In the past few years, we’ve introduced new fits, lengths and sizes of our denim so that everyone can enjoy,” says Corey Robinson, senior vice president of merchandising and design. “The addition of maternity fits into our assortment and makes the spirit of comfort and confidence accessible to customers embarking on their most exciting journey yet.”
Carlsen’s reaction: “I love them! They’re so cute. And they even fit my legs. Maternity jeans usually fit the stomach, but not other parts. They were much more comfortable than I thought they would be,” she exclaimed. “I’m going to wear them tonight.”
According to the company, the maternity jeans are selling briskly — apparently, the original Abercrombie girl is all grown up. They range in price from $79-$89 and are available at both Abercrombie & Fitch stores and abercrombie.com.
Don’t worry, be happy
Left: Expecting mother Kristine Sanchez wears jeans that don't quite fit. Right: Sanchez models a maternity blouse at her home in Copaigue.
Sanchez was concerned after some preliminary research into maternity clothes. “Everything was black, brown, gray or white. It was so depressing. I love bright colors, summer dresses, florals and fun stuff. The only thing that changes when you’re pregnant is that you’re pregnant … not your style.”
To prove the point that maternity fashion can be fresh, pretty … and even cost effective, we tapped H&M for some of their new spring/summer looks. “I’m really happy,” she exclaimed about the pink, bodycon dress ($29.99) that will be a go-to when she dresses up and the vividly printed floral tops ($9.99) that she says, are “so cute.”
In the end, Sanchez says, “I’m feeling very hopeful. I know I can look like myself and still dress in a cute way.”
