I have to confess... I used to shop in the maternity section sometimes, eventhough I've never even been pregnant. It started off harmlessly, one day I bought a shirt and didn't even realize that it was maternity, I just liked the way it looked. Then I started passing through the section deliberately and eventually would buy clothes from there. Let's face it, the tops are roomy and allow plenty of breathing space for my gigantic hips.

It feels good to get that off my chest. It's so embarrassing and I can't believe I was doing that. I'm just glad I didn't run into anyone I know or get stopped and asked when I was due.

Am I the only one?

I have never actually bought anything from the maternity section, but I am guilty of looking through the maternity clothes...I did it just saturday when I was shopping at walmart. I sometimes even find that maternity clothes catch my eye in displays at the mall...before I see what store it is. So you're not alone!

I have bought maternity clothing from an online outlet store (BCOutlet). It started with a pair of knit pajamas and a night shirt. They were on clearance for $8 and $5. They were so cute, and didn't look like "maternity" wear, and I thought "who's going to know, but me anyway?"

Now, I always browse the maternity section on the BCOutlet site, and have bought several maternity T's. My criteria is always to ask myself "what makes it a maternity top?" I don't buy t-shirts with baby logos: no "baby on board" or pictures of storks, or anything that SCREAMS pregnancy. However, if it's not an obvious "pregnant woman" style, I have no problem buying maternity wear.

I'm also fine with wearing tall and petite sizes, if the fit is ok. The "label" means nothing to me, including the size. I'm not afraid to shop in sizes larger or smaller than my usual size, either.

Girl I have done this too. My first maternity shirt was also on accident...The pair of dress slacks with the stretchy waist that actually fit me correctly length wise, however, were not...Nor were a couple of subsequent purchases after that. I just had such a large tummy, the clothes fit me better *shrug*

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. I'm sure it's much more common than I thought at the time. Luckily I'm not doing this anymore.

Me too! I wore my own maternity clothes WAY past the time when it should have been considered acceptable. And I've bought maternity pants at both Target and Old Navy when I wasn't pregnant at all. Actually I bought a maternity swimsuit at Target once because I felt like it gave me a little more coverage. You are not the only one!!!!!!

I still wear a cardigan that I bought when I was pregnant. It's super cute and because it's a cardigan, there's no way to tell it's maternity. I wear it open over lots of other tops. I can't say that I've ever bought anything, though. I've totally looked or grabbed something on the clearance rack only to see it's maternity and put it back!

My daughter is nearly 9 months old and I am STILL wearing a ton of maternity stuff... the jeans are sooooooooooooo comfy! Trust me you aren't the only one and at least you had to courage to shout it out... unlike me hehehe

I used to buy bathing suits from maternity because they would flare out at the bottom and not hug the chunk.

How about 4 years? I have just stopped wearing my maternity tops and my daughter turned 4 last July.

I never actually bought anything in the maternity section while not being pregnant, but I definitely thought about it when I was at my highest so no, you're not the only one.

OMG you made me laugh! My sis-in-law gave me some clothes a few yrs ago... I loved a really cool peasant blouse and didn't care it was maternity... it looked good plus it hid my expanding midriff. Also 'accidentally' bought a maternity sun dress at a secondhand store once. Now that I'm smaller the soon-to-be-mom clothes have lost their luster. Unless of course I really AM expecting!

I also don't mind buying men's shirts, and men's shoes (no I don't mean plaid flannel and steel-toed boots - though that is a common fashion-statement around here among the farm wives).

I bought a gorgeous microsuede long sleeve shirt from a local Big & Tall store, going out of business sale. It's a very pastel cornflower blue/blue-lavender - not a masculine color, at all. I plan on eventually replacing all of the pearlized plastic buttons with something fancier and prettier (I shop thrift stores for antique buttons, and I haven't found the right set, yet).

With men's styles being more wide-ranging than ever (some styles and colors that would have been considered "feminine" are now "metrosexual), I can find very "feminine" clothes and shoes in the men's department.

When I need my exercise/walking shoes, it's often easier to find a wider selection of styles/colors I'd like in a size 7 to 8 men's shoe than a women's size 9 1/2 W (or an 8 1/2 WW).

I was in a shoe store (where my hubby's best friend is store manager) the other day, and I thought I was in the women's aisle, because of the bright and neon colors and patterns on the athletic shoes and the "sleel, streamlined" styles - but it was the men's aisle. Hubby's friend said they're really popular with the highschool and college guys.

I like buying men's t-shirts, because they're usually the perfect length for me. I absolutely hate t-shirts that end at the widest part of my belly - in them, I look like Tweedle-dee or Tweedle dum (from Disney's Alice in Wonderland) or Humpty Dumpty.

Oh, and I sometimes shop the babyfood aisle for snacks. Some of the Gerber Graduates snacks are quite good. They're less salty and fatty than similar products aimed at older customers. I've been looking for the Gerber Graduates Mini Veggies - Sweet Corn - it's just freeze-dried sweetcorn, which I absolutely love (I've had freeze-dried sweetcorn before from a health food store, but it's really expensive. I think the Gerber product, if I find it probably would be cheaper per ounce).

I haven't ever, but I've been tempted. At the Target I go to there is this little nook where I guess all the pregnant and fat people are supposed to go, you know in the back in the shadows. Anyhow, the maternity stuff is kind of mixed in with the plus size and if you look close enough the maternity clothing is actually better looking, very cute tops lol.

I haven't, but I've thought about it.

I have,, too!
Like you, I did not notice that it was maternity when I bought the first one. When I showed it to hubby he asked if I am telling him something, and then I noticed!
Loved the fit (belly is my "Big" issue!!) and I bought more tops from there since - btw, it was all H&M, their maternity section is fantastic!