Maternity Clothing: A Rant worthy of mention

Maybe it's me.

Maybe I'm just way too picky about my clothing.

You know, expecting it to last and all.

I've spent the last many years caring a lot about what kind of clothes I spend my money on. I want clothing that fits. Pieces that last. Stuff that doesn't warp or shrink after a single wash, that doesn't get icky fuzzy pilling on high traffic zones, that doesn't look like I bought it off the rack at Frenchy's or something. I don't really consider myself a clothing snob; rather, I consider myself someone who spends prudently. OK yes admittedly, perhaps a bit too much, as evidenced by my credit card bill, but at least wisely, on pieces that will last more than one wear or one season. There's nothing that will set me off more than getting a piece I love and have it shrink or warp beyond recognition after one wash. Ask my husband.

And then I got pregnant. And the whole game changed, because I had to start shopping at maternity stores.

At first I was excited. Mat stores were a whole new world, after all. Stores I never went in to before, stores I had studiously avoided so as not to jinx myself. Places that could hold untold treasures, beauties that I could take advantage of for a gloriously fashionable nine months.

My initial excitement, however, was quickly dashed with a bucketful of cold reality.

I walked in to Thyme maternity and started browsing the racks. First discovery: apparently, the designers of maternity clothing believe that the look we're all after is that of Pup Tent. Either that, or The Powers That Be believe that as soon as you get pregnant your sense of style doesn't matter - you need to look the part, little mamma. The racks were filled with horrifying flowery patterns and shapeless, unflattering sacks. Digging through the disappointment, I found a few things that seemed to work. Jeans with a nice stretchy panel to fit the expanding belly. A few tops in solid, basic colours that seemed nice. Plain T-shirts to wear with some of my existing wardrobe.

But then I tried to use the clothes. And after a couple of months, the jeans lost rivets and stitching. The tops gaped at the boob, then got stretched out and pilly and fuzzy with one wash (in cold water, hung to dry at that.) The initially comfortable t-shirts shrunk over a full size, making them close to unwearable.

Thinking that Thyme must be substandard, I ordered insanely expensive clothing from Isabella Oliver. Nice, fun, flexible pieces that don't look like moumous. And while these pieces looked great and maintained their shape through many washings, still: the belly is now covered with annoying, bumpy fuzz.

Next, I bought ridiculously, and I mean seriously ridiculously pricey mat jeans from Paige maternity. They look great - as long as I don't move. The belly panel is too short and the jeans refuse to stay up - something I could never have figured out in the store, as I need to actually be living life and you know, walking normally to find this out rather than posing in front of a shop mirror.

Then, I bought wonderfully comfortable pants from Boob maternity, which started out with buttery soft fabric - and which are now, after several wears and washes exactly according to manufacturer's directions, also fuzzed and pilled within an inch of their life, just like your basic Wal-Mart specials.

It's not like this clothing is any cheaper than what I'd pay for non-maternity clothing. So why the difference in quality? To further illustrate the point: because most maternity tops are so horrid, I've taken to simply trolling the racks at my usual non-maternity stores like Banana Republic for loose-waisted sale tops one size larger. They fit, they're far more flattering, and they have been the majority of my maternity wardrobe, worn and washed just as much if not more than the maternity items- and they're holding up just fine.

So why the quality gap?

I'm usually not one to look for the Ways In Which People Screw Each Other Over, but in this case I can't help but believe: Maternity retailers know they've got you. At some point during pregnancy, you simply cannot wear normal clothing. You have no choice but to shop at the few, far between maternity stores that you can find in your neighbourhood or online. And this very lack of competition means that the usual rules don't apply - the rules that say you need to be stylish and of good quality to charge premium prices. You can get away with being shoddy. You can be basic Zellers quality and still charge a fortune, because pregnant women have no choice.

How incredibly frustrating is this? I feel like I'm being taken advantage of - because I am. I have no choice but to purchase from these retailers because it's the only thing that fits, and everything I've purchased has been of lesser quality than anything I would normally buy.

It feels like I should do something. Start a pregnant lady's revolt. Rally a whole phalanx of swollen, hormonal, sore-footed, leaky women to start picketing for better quality clothing - for the 5 minutes we could walk the picket lines before our sciatica or hemmorhoids forced us to stop. Yeah, probably not so effective.

And since I'm in the home stretch and I probably won't be getting more clothing, I wonder how much energy is worth investing - until the next time when this whole rigmarole will start again and I will curse the very names of maternity clothing designers. If I had (a) initiative (b) talent, I'd start making stuff myself. But unfortunately, I think the Pregnant Refugee look is out this season.

But I do want to know: am I the only one this picky? Have you had bad maternity clothing experiences too? let me know in the comments below!