Shopping for maternity clothes in Toronto can be a frustrating experience. Many of the most obvious places no longer carry their maternity lines in some of their locations anymore, and while you’re certain to find something at a specialty store, their maternity lines vary widely in type, fit, quality and price.
The good news is: easily finding a maternity store that fits your budget and style without having to hunt in vain all over Toronto is indeed possible.
We’ve put together a complete list of all your options: covering everything from big box stores to trendy boutiques to those on a budget looking for more affordable options.
We often hear from our moms while planning their maternity portrait sessions that they don’t have any maternity outfits that they really like: they didn’t want to get something that they’d only wear for a few months while they’re pregnant.
This might be true: but you deserve to look and feel your best, so you owe it to yourself to get one or two outfits that you’ll feel beautiful and confident in. And whether your preference is to hide or show off that baby bump, there are lots of options to choose from when doing your maternity shopping.
So to help our moms look their best, we’ve put together the best guide for buying maternity clothes in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
And remember, physical store locations will change their stock out a bit early for each season. For example, towards the end of spring you’ll see mostly summer clothing in the store, so plan ahead and pick up what you need early.
We’ve split the list below into a few sections. Click on any of them to jump directly to that section:
- Big Box Maternity Stores
- Boutique Maternity Stores
- Online-only Maternity Stores
- Used maternity clothes
Big Box Maternity Stores
While some physical stores may have limited options, which becomes more of a complication depending on which stage of pregnancy you’re in, they are great for a number of reasons:
- You get to see, touch and try clothes to ensure you like the fit
- Staff is on hand to help and answer questions
- You can discover items which you weren’t exactly shopping for (okay, so maybe this isn’t a good thing!)
Thyme Maternity
Thyme Maternity has a wide variety of clothing, everything from maternity dresses to maternity swimwear, and now that they collaborate with Babies “R” Us Canada, you’ll also be able to find maternity clothes while shopping for all your baby supplies. And perhaps you CAN add that fancy little dress to your baby registry!
Thyme is a little on the pricer side, but with quality to match. Just keep an eye out for coupons and buy one get one offers to score some good deals.
They have four locations in the Greater Toronto Area:
First Canadian Place
100 King St W, Toronto, ON M5X 1E3 (view map)
Yorkdale Shopping Centre
3401 Dufferin St, North York, ON M6A 2T9 (view map)
Smart Centres Etobicoke
171 N Queen St, Etobicoke, ON M9C 1A7 (view map)
SmartCentres Scarborough
1900 Eglinton Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1L 2L9 (view map)
And of course, there’s their website, where you can buy maternity clothes online with free shipping of online orders of more than $99.
Motherhood Maternity Canada
Motherhood Maternity is a good option if you’re looking for something a little more formal like dress clothes for work, and a bit higher quality. Their prices are on the higher end to match but good deals are to be found during sales, promotions and clearance (remember to sign up to their newsletter). Their return policy a few years ago wasn’t the greatest, but now exchanges can be refunded using the original method of payment, so it’s in line with most other stores. We’ve heard that it’s also a good option for plus sizes.
They have four locations in the GTA:
Motherhood At Buy Buy Baby
67 Colossus Drive, Woodbridge, ON L4L9J8 (view map)
Heartland Town Center
6045 Mavis Road, Mississauga, ON L5R4G6 (view map)
Vaughan Mills
1 Bass Pro Mills Drive, Vaughan, ON L4K5W4 (view map)
Pickering Town Centre
1355 Kingston Road, Pickering, ON L1V1B8 (view map)
H&M (H&M Mama)
H&M is well known for their ultra affordable and stylish fast fashion clothes, and this holds true for their maternity wear as well. The tricky part is finding locations that carry their pregnancy line, as not all stores do. We called around and were able to verify that the following locations do have H&M Mama, but be warned that the selection is usually small and may vary by store:
H&M Eaton Centre
1 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z3 (view map)
H&M Erin Mills Town Centre
5100 Erin Mills Pkwy, Mississauga, ON L5M 4Z5 (view map)
H&M Bramalea City Centre
25 Peel Centre Dr, Brampton, ON L6T 3R5 (view map)
H&M Vaughn Mills
1 Bass Pro Mills Dr, Concord, ON L4K 2M9 (view map)
H&M Oshawa Centre
419 King Street West, Oshawa, ON L1J 2K5 (view map)
The H&M website has many more options in the maternity category than you’d typically find in the store, so ordering online is also a good option. Here’s a quick link to the H&M Canada Mama Maternity category.
Old Navy
It’s Old Navy, so it won’t be a surprise that it’s one of the cheapest sources for maternity clothes in this list. Keep an eye out for coupon codes, promo codes, sales and clearance for even further discounts.
Toronto Eaton Centre
260 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2L9 (view map)
Eglinton Town Centre
6 Lebovic Ave, Scarborough, ON M1L 4V9 (view map)
Heartland Town Centre
5935 Mavis Rd, Mississauga, ON L5R 3T7 (view map)
Bramalea City Centre
25 Peel Centre Dr, Brampton, ON L6T 3R5 (view map)
Thornhill Promenade
1 Promenade Cir, Thornhill, ON L4J 4P8 (view map)
TopShop
TopShop, the British multinational retailer, has a few pieces of maternity clothes in store at The Bay, but most of their items are to be found online.
Boutique Maternity Stores
Boutique maternity stores are smaller in size, scope and inventory than ‘big box’ maternity stores. Their pieces are usually curated from local and international designers, are better made with higher quality materials (less polyester and rayon, more cotton and chambray) and in styles that you may not find at other stores.
Of course, all of this is reflected in the price tags, but you may be able to find something that fits you better and lasts you longer (over multiple pregnancies) than you would at another store.
You’ll find a mix of brick and mortar and online only stores below in the list below. The great thing is that most of the online-only stores have affordable shipping options and generous return policies.
A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity
apeainthepod.com and destinationmaternity.com
A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity (physical and online stores) are the higher-end maternity store brands owned by the same company as Motherhood Maternity, so you’ll find them all in the same locations. They carry luxury brands like 7 For All Mankind premium denim, Beyond Yoga “athleisure” active clothes, Pietro Brunelli, Rachel Pally and Isabella Oliver. And while you’re here, you can pick up something cute for your little one so they look stylish for a newborn baby photoshoot.
You can find them at the following locations:
A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity at Motherhood Maternity in Heartland Town Centre (including plus sizes)
6045 Mavis Road, Mississauga, ON L5R4G6 (view map)
A Peat in the Pod and Destination Maternity at Buy Buy Baby (including plus sizes)
67 Colossus Drive, Woodbridge, ON L4L9J8 (view map)
A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity at Motherhood in Vaughan Mills
1 Bass Pro Mills Drive, Vaughan, ON L4K5W4 (view map)
Love Me Do
We’re a little partial to Love Me Do Baby and Maternity, if only because they’re right in our neighbourhood – Liberty Village. They’re a full-service maternity and baby store with in-store educational programming and a gift registry service. Selected as one of the best maternity stores in the city by BlogTO, they stock brands like Isabella Oliver, boob design, Seraphine and Queen Mum.
Love Me Do
50 Lynn Williams, Unit 2, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 3R7 (view map)
Evy Mama
Evy Mama specializes in nursing bras and maternity clothing for pregnant and breastfeeding women, with both an online store and a brick-and-mortar on St. Clair Avenue West. They have a Made in Canada collection carrying Canadian brands like Ursa Mama, Moa Po and Papoum Papoum.
The store’s specialty is no-appointment-necessary nursing bra fittings. With a nursing lounge and changing table, moms can easily take care of themselves and their little ones while they pick up what they need.
In addition to nursing and maternity bras, nursing wear, maternity clothes, designer maternity jeans, and baby carriers, Evymama also offers parenting classes, prenatal yoga, and baby sign language at their St. Clair Avenue West location, where they’ve been located since May 2016.
Evy Mama
1345 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6E 1C3 (view map)
Ani and Wren
Ani+Wren is a high end lifestyle boutique founded by sisters-in-law Lani and Lauren with the core philosophy that pregnant women should feel confident and beautiful, not settling for clothes that don’t truly reflect their personal style.
They’ve curated their collection of exclusive maternity and contemporary brands to ensure that all pieces can be worn before, during and after pregnancy, so on their website you’ll see pictures of models wearing each piece with and without the baby bump. They carrying brands like Hatch, Citizens of Humanity, J Brand, BellyButton, Isabella Oliver and Seraphine (worn by Kate Middleton) along with accessories like stockings, jewelry, shoes, bags, hats and others.
Ani+Wren
1172 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W 2L9 (view map)
Seven Women
If you are unable to make it to their brick and mortar outfit in Thornhill, you can also shop Seven Women’s online store and enjoy free delivery and returns on orders over $99. They carry a modern collection of everything from career wear, cruise wear, bridal and wedding gowns, hosiery, casual wear and jewellery, including designers like Seraphine, Ingrid & Isabel, Maternal America and Olian.
One thing that we liked about Seven Women was that it’s really easy to find online reviews, and the company is pretty transparent and responsive. You can find reviews at reviews.sevenwomen.ca and TrustPilot, where the overall ratings are very high, even after accounting for some misleading one-star reviews from customers who seem impossible to please.
Seven Women
7690 Yonge St, Thornhill, ON L4J 1W1, Canada (view map)
Luna Maternity and Nursing
Luna Maternity and Nursing, a Canadian, online-only store (they closed their Richmond Hill location in January 2017), claims to carry fashionable, flattering and functional clothing that will help you look and feel amazing during pregnancy, nursing and after baby is born. Their clothes are designed to grow with you so you actually purchase your pre-pregnancy size (unless noted in the product description). Another bonus is that they offer free shipping over $100 and free returns within Canada. They carry brands like Tiffany Rose, Queen Mum, Mothers en Vogue and Boob Design.
Haute Mama
Although Haute Mama is an appointment-only brick and mortar store in Ottawa, it still makes the Toronto maternity store list because of their online store, allowing you to browse the many collections that they stock with shipping at local rates and no duties. The mother and daughter team behind Haute Mama aims to provide pregnant women with the same stylish clothing they enjoyed before they became pregnant.
The collections they carry include casual yoga clothing from Ingrid & Isabel, designer denim from Paige Premium Denim and Peitro Brunelli, nursing clothing from Boob, and a pregnancy and beyond line from Vanessa Knox.
Their sales section also has some items for 40% and more off the regular price. Shipping rates within Ontario are based on the original purchase price but the most you will pay is $15.95 + HST and return/exchange forms are included with your shipped order.
Online-only Maternity Stores
(If you skipped directly to this section, note that all of the stores in the Big Box and Boutique Stores sections above also have online stores.)
Online stores typically have much larger selections than their physical counterparts, in addition to simply offering you many, many more options .
Just remember that if you’re ordering something from the US (or further afield) and have it shipped to Canada, it’s likely that you’ll have to pay duties and brokerage charges in addition to regular shipping. Some stores and shipping methods allow you to pay those fees up front when you place the order, which may make delivery less complicated, while others aren’t as flexible.
When placing an order online for a store outside of Canada, keep your phone handy just in case it triggers a fraudulent transaction flag with your bank and they call you to verify the purchase. This is especially important if it’s a sale and you won’t be able to place another order at the same prices you were able to get the first time around.
Walmart
Unfortunately, Walmart Canada no longer stocks any maternity clothes in stores, so the only option is to buy online. They have a great selection of everyday basics, like tanks, tees and leggings that you can wear belly bump and beyond, all at affordable prices.
Gap (GapMaternity)
Just like Walmart, GapMaternity decided do away with their maternity clothes in their physical stores. Their website says that Ottawa and Montreal still have maternity in stock, but their online store is the only option if you’re in Toronto. One interesting feature that the GapMaternity online store has, that we haven’t seen anywhere else, is the ability to shop by trimester, so hopefully you’ll be able to narrow selections down pretty quickly.
There’s also GapFit, which is their line of maternity workout clothes, if you’re looking for active wear to exercise in while pregnant.
Target
So Target is no longer a thing in Canada anymore, but at least their website ships to Canada, and they have huge selection!
We’ve heard good things about their Liz Lange collection, which describes itself as “chic maternity style that fits evolving figures and existing wardrobes.”
Used Maternity Clothes
Buying gently used maternity clothes has many benefits:
- It’s is a great way to save
- You get access to higher end brands at more affordable prices
- You support your community when buying locally
- You help the environment by reducing waste and packaging
And the great thing is: there are lots of options for second hand maternity clothes.
Used Maternity Clothing Stores in Toronto
B to B Maternity – A small maternity boutique specializing in new and gently used maternity clothing priced at 40% or less than the original price. They carry brands like Jules & Kim along with items from ASOS, H&M and Diane von Furstenberg. You can check out their storefront at 1643 Bayview Ave. Toronto, ON M4G 3C1 (view map).
Merrily, merrily – Merrily, merrily has both an online store and physical storefront where they buy and sell maternity clothes, children’s clothes, nursery décor, toys and books. What’s pretty neat is that they also have a space where local artisans can showcase and sell their wares: from handmade prints, to baby quilts, to knitted caps. Their physical store is at 1854 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M4C 1J4 (view map).
Second Peek Maternity Boutique – Although they don’t have a storefront, Toronto-based Second Peek Maternity is an online store that buys and sells maternity clothes, with free pickup options in the High Park area.
Ebay
EBay is a great place to shop for everything from cars to collectible books, so it should be no surprise that they’re a good option when looking for inexpensive maternity clothes. Here are some tips to help you find what you’re looking for:
- Unless you’re okay with paying cross-border shipping costs, ensure you filter the results to “Canada only” under the “Show only” heading on the left. This way you’ll see only sellers located in Canada.
- There will be many results if you search only for “maternity clothes”, so it helps if you narrow your search to specific brands and sizes.
- If you’re bidding on something, remember to decide in advance on what your maximum bid will be. Don’t get caught up in an auction and spend more than you intended!
- Reduce your chances to being scammed – check the seller’s profile to ensure they have a history, good ratings and reviews.
- Sometimes a return isn’t possible, or the 40 weeks went by too fast and some moms don’t get to wear everything that they have. Adding “NWT” (new with tags) to your search term allows you to find items that are unworn.
Kijiji
Very similar to EBay, you’ll find lots of options for new and used maternity clothes on Kijiji. With the community-minded theme, you can easily narrow your search to specific geographic areas. Because Kijiji doesn’t have the kind of seller profile and history that EBay has, it’s much easier to be scammed. We’d be very wary of paying buyers and having them ship items to you, unless you’re paying via Paypal, which gives you great buyer protection.
Facebook Groups have increasingly become a place to buy and sell both used and new items. Your first pick when looking to Facebook should be a local group, as it’ll make pickups easier and you’ll get to meet people in your own community. Afterwards, you can look into maternity-specific buy and sell groups, the largest of which are listed below.
For US-based purchases, you may want to strongly consider using Paypal for payment so that you’re protected, and always ask for pictures of the actual item instead of stock photos.
- Maternity Clothes Buy and Sell – US and Canada – US and Canadian group with 3,000+ members
- Maternity Clothes Swap Site – US-based group with 54,000+ members
- Maternity Clothes Resell – US-based group with 14,000+ members
Borrow maternity clothes from friends
Don’t forget, one option is to borrow clothes from a friend or relative who’s been pregnant before and has hung on to their wardrobe. It’s definitely the cheapest option here, and a good excuse to get out of the house and catch up over a cup of coffee!
So that’s our list. If there’s anything you think we may have forgotten, feel free to contact us and let us know!
