#ReportersNotebook
When I was pregnant, I had about five different maternity outfits… period. Maternity clothes are expensive! Especially the cute stuff, so I rotated though the same few pieces week after week.
That was particularly problematic since I’m on TV every day (and no we don’t have wardrobe budgets like you see in the movies).
Now, if you’ve read any of the recent reports about viewers commenting on the wardrobe of pregnant TV talent, you can image some of the things I heard. But I digress…
Two years too late for me, my producer Whitney happened upon the answer to every cost-conscious, fashion-forward pregnant woman’s problem.
Maternity rentals.
This CBS San Francisco ConsumerWatch report features Le Tote, a Bay Area clothing rental startup that recently branched out into maternity.
But as Le Tote’s co-founder and CEO Rakesh Tondon pointed out in our interview, renting maternity clothes “is a growing business” (pun intended).
A growing number of startups now let you rent maternity clothes, then trade them in as your bump continues to grow.
Each of these websites operates a little differently, and some are more affordable than others, but if you’re preggers, these are all worth checking out!
Le Tote
$59 per month – 3 items, 2 accessories per shipment.
Exchange/swap for new stuff as often as you want.
Borrow For Your Bump
$49 per month – 6 items per shipment.
Exchange/swap for new stuff as often as you want.
OR “borrow” (rent) specific items for a specific occasion. Prices vary by item.
Mine For Nine
Instead of a “box,” you pick out specific items to rent.
Each item has a “borrow” price ranging from about $15-$50 per month.
Swap.com
Instead of “renting,” you buy from this online maternity consignment store.
It’s super cheap—dresses start at $6!
Other Maternity Rental Options:
All of these sites allow you to buy the rentals if you’d like, and most offer free shipping. And yes, all say the clothes are professionally cleaned before being shipped out to you.
Let us know if you try them out! We’d love your feedback.
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