Where to Shop for Gender-Neutral Pregnancy Clothing
If you’re a pregnant person who doesn’t identify as female—or if you prefer to wear clothing that isn’t gender-specific—building a wardrobe that works for your evolving body can be particularly challenging. While bump-friendly clothing has come a long way in recent years, most of the styles offered are very feminine, which leaves a chunk of the population stuck wearing clothing that doesn’t reflect who they are.
“The hyper-feminine side of the [pregnancy clothing] market can definitely feel alienating,” says Storq CEO and co-founder, Courtney Klein. It’s not that there isn’t a need for gender-neutral pregnancy clothing either. Sky Cubacub, founder of Rebirth Garments, often works with pregnant clients who don’t identify as female. Cubacub says many pregnant people feel frustrated; the gender-neutral pregnancy clothing selection is limited and often rather dull.
That being said, there are some pregnancy clothing brands and retailers that do offer pieces that are not specifically designed for those who identify as female—you just have to know where to look. Below, tips for buying and styling your body during those nine+ months, plus, the top places to shop for gender-neutral pregnancy clothing.
When searching for pregnancy clothing that looks good, feels good and suits your aesthetic, keep these tips top of mind when adding to your wardrobe.
Look for brands that prioritize representation
Cubacub suggests shopping brands and retailers that prioritize representation. (Start with some of the above suggestions!) If the store or brand features models of all shapes, sizes, identities, abilities and skin colors, it’s more likely that it’s a “safe” place to shop with a variety of style options and employees you can feel comfortable seeking out for help.
Choose customizable layers
Klein suggests looking for adaptable pieces that reflect your personal style. “For a lot of people, that can just mean simple layering styles that can be worn with pieces from your pre-pregnancy wardrobe so you feel the most like yourself,” she says.
Shop by color
When you’re shopping online, another good tip is to search for styles by color so you don’t have to sift through dozens of styles you know you won’t like. Similarly, you can use the filter tool to eliminate clothing categories that you’d like to avoid, whether it’s a type of clothing such as a dress or a silhouette type.
Find neutral hues
If you genuinely favor basic styles in neutral colors (there’s a reason black is a classic color), try shopping in the work or career-friendly section. Oftentimes, office-appropriate clothing collections consist of options without busy prints or bold colors. Of course, if you want a little color, you can always liven up an outfit with bright accessories, a colorful blazer or statement shoes.
Shop your non-pregnancy wardrobe
Cubacub suggests looking in your own closet when you want to complement a piece of pregnancy clothing to give it more life. “Take clothing that’s already in your closet and completely convert it and wear it in ways that it wasn’t originally intended to be… This works really well for people of any shape and size, including folks who are pregnant, because it focuses on taking existing clothing and draping it on your body in different ways.”
Try a waist extender
Another way to get more life from your non-pregnancy wardrobe is with the use of a belly band or pregnancy waist extender. It helps close the gap in jeans or pants when the zipper or button no longer fits your bump.
Chances are good that you can find one or two pieces of gender-neutral pregnancy clothing at just about any store. But if you’re looking for some go-to places where you know there will be something for you (and it won’t be extremely difficult to find), then here are some brands and retailers to check out.
Storq
Co-founded by Klein, Storq specializes in high-quality, comfortable and stylish basics for pregnancy and beyond. “In designing pieces with maximum utility in mind, we also dial back the details and give people the opportunity to maintain and express their personal style, with the goal of feeling like yourself despite all of the physical and mental transformations taking place,” she says. Because of this approach, much of Storq’s pregnancy clothing can be considered gender-neutral. Moreover, every piece is made for maximum comfort during and after pregnancy. “You deserve to be comfortable, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” says Klein.
On their website, you’ll find cozy overalls in a handful of colors, bike shorts available in solid colors or with patterns, a soft sweater and a basic, stylish button-down top, among many other gender-neutral options. Regular prices range from $48 to $215 (this doesn’t include their sale items).
HATCH Collection
You’ll find all kinds of pregnancy, chestfeeding and post-pregnancy clothing in a wide variety of colors and styles on the HATCH Collection website. While it’s great that they carry so many options, that also means you’ll have to do a little digging to find the the clothes that are actually gender-neutral (but they are there!).
Their basics collection has lots of simple pieces, ideal for layering. You’ll also find utilitarian jumpsuits and relaxed fit jeans to suit your needs. For something with a little color—but that isn’t too feminine—the short-sleeved Savannah top is an excellent option, and the Skye sweater goes with just about anything. Prices range from around $25 for undergarments up to $350+ for some of their specialty styles. To save money, wait until there’s a sale or promo code (both happen often—check The Bump deals and discounts page for updates).
Rebirth Garments
As a non-binary xenogender and the founder of Rebirth Garments, Cubacub creates custom non-conforming clothing in vibrant hues and attention-grabbing patterns. Made primarily with stretchy fabrics and materials, a lot of the non-custom pieces at Rebirth Garments will grow and shrink with your body during and after pregnancy. But if you want something tailored to your shape and style, Cubacub can help: “Clients always get to choose whatever colors they want… I just like to give people the autonomy of choice.”
Since most of the clothing at Rebirth Garments is custom-made, prices vary based on factors like design and fabric (but to give you an idea, an off-the-rack chest binder costs $30). The one thing Rebirth Garments offers that a lot of other brands and stores don’t, however, is the opportunity to work with a non-binary xenogender creator in a safe and comfortable space.
Madewell
While their pregnancy clothing technically falls under their “women’s” category, a lot of the styles at Madewell can be gender-neutral. They offer casual clothing like this draped top, the Courier button-back shirt and distressed straight leg jeans, among other styles. Also, a lot of their regular-size clothing is loose-fitting and can be sized up and worn throughout pregnancy. Pricing at Madewell ranges from about $50 to $150, and you can often scoop up some good deals in their sale section or sign up as an insider to get special promo codes.
Stitch Fix
With Stitch Fix, you can let someone else do the gender-neutral pregnancy-clothes hunting for you—and then have it all delivered to your door. You’ll simply fill out a style questionnaire that includes everything from your favorite colors to your favorite styles of clothing to your body type and how you like your clothes to fit (the more detail you give them, the better your outcome will be). After you’re finished, you schedule a “fix;” a stylist will look over your questionnaire and any special notes you may have included, and handpick items for you to try on at home. Once your box arrives, you can pay for and keep any items you like, and return what doesn’t work with a prepaid shipping label. As far as pricing, each “fix” includes a $20 styling fee (which is waived if you purchase any of the clothing). You can also include your budget in your questionnaire so that you don’t end up with clothes that are out of your price range. Stitch Fix is a convenient way to find new pregnancy clothing options that are fit to your taste.
ASOS
Ranging in price anywhere from $10 to under $250, ASOS has a huge selection of pregnancy clothing (which means you’ll have to do a little bit of filtering to find the gender-neutral styles you like). If you want something casual, this plaid overshirt is an excellent option, and these olive-colored tailored pants are perfect for work or pairing with a black top for a casual look. They also carry everything from shorts to relaxed-fit jeans to a classic v-neck T-shirt. Basically, they have just about every pregnancy clothing style imaginable, so as long as you’re in the mood to scour the options, you’re bound to find something that fits your needs.
It’s hard enough to navigate your changing body during pregnancy, and struggling to find clothing that makes you feel confident, comfortable and like yourself can add to the exhaustion and frustration. Still, even though there don’t seem to be many specialty gender-neutral pregnancy clothing collections (at least not yet), you can find something that fits your style if you’re willing to click through a few shoppable pages online. Gender-neutral pregnancy clothing does exist, it’s just a little harder to find.
About the experts:
Sky Cubacub is the designer and founder of Rebirth Garments. Cubabub is a non-binary xenogender disabled Filipinx living in Chicago, Illinois, where xey also consult different businesses and organizations on representation.
Courtney Klein is the co-founder and CEO of Storq, a pregnancy clothing brand. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2005 from Haverford College and currently lives in San Francisco, California.
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