The choice to purchase designer maternity clothes depends largely on a pregnant woman's lifestyle, budget, and personal preference. For some women, maternity clothes can represent a significant expense that must be made at a time when they must be particularly budget conscious as they prepare for the arrival of their new baby. They must decide whether paying a premium for designer maternity clothes is justifiable given their circumstances. On the other hand, there are situations in which expensive maternity clothes may offer significant value in terms of enhancing a woman's professional appearance and helping her remain comfortable.
During pregnancy, women are often concerned both with their personal appearance and their overall comfort. Both can play an important part in a woman's ability to function in her job. If a woman is concerned about keeping her job after giving birth, projecting a professional appearance is often crucial. She will also want to ensure that she maintains her performance and can often best do this if she is confident in the way she looks but is also comfortable in the clothes that she wears. In some cases, designer maternity clothes may offer a woman a greater range of colors and styles and may help her to project a more fashionable appearance. Well-made clothes may also simply be more comfortable, which can be particularly important as a woman moves into the later stages of pregnancy.
On the other hand, many women need to wear maternity garments only for as little as three months during their pregnancy. Maternity clothing, even store brands, can be expensive, and if a woman spaces her pregnancies more than a few years apart, there is a risk that any clothing she buys will be out of fashion by the time she needs it again. As such, it may not be cost effective for a woman to spend a lot of money on designer maternity clothes when there are perfectly functional store brands available.
A compromise approach may work best for pregnant women. If a woman has a high-powered career or other aspects of her lifestyle require her to be well dressed most of the time, she may wish to seek out designer maternity clothes for wearing at the office and on special occasions. At the same time, she might want to consider building the bulk of her maternity wardrobe around basic, non-designer pieces. At the end of her pregnancy, she may be able to find designer consignment shops that are happy to sell her designer maternity clothes, for which she can then receive some compensation.