The concept:
FunMum.com don't see why maternity jeans shouldn't look smart and hip, and nor do we. The leg cut is almost universally flattering and elongating and the sandblasted finish is a funky twist. The jeans are designed to look as much like regular jeans as possible, with zip and button fastenings, and with an internal adjustable elastic stretch band to give you more room as you need it.
In action:
When we got these out of the delivery packet at the ThinkBaby editorial desk people passing by said, 'those look cool' and then did a double-take when told that they were maternity jeans. The denim is quite dark while the distressed look has a beige-ish tinge. That may not sound too good, but in the flesh we think they look great.
Unlike many other maternity jeans on offer, FunMum.com's jeans don't have the wide elasticated material band all around the top for growth. Instead the jeans have normal fastenings at the front and then a hidden elasticated band at the back that you can lengthen or shorten very easily using in-set buttons. With a good fit this can be absolutely great as the jeans look like completely normal jeans, unlike many others that scream maternity.
The internal elasticated band can also give more growth in the jeans than the simple elasticated-top trousers that you may well grow out of more quickly. In theory these jeans will take you from your smallest bump right to the end of pregnancy, as there's plenty of growing room with the elasticated band, and still look good. And that's no mean feat for maternity wear. Of course, everyone is different and puts on weight differently. Our trial pair were a medium, which should have been just right for a size 10-12 frame, but bump here has decided to grow rather slowly, meaning that even moving into week 30 we're still on the nearly the smallest setting. That's not a problem other than on the smallest couple of settings there's rather a lot of jean bunched up like a concertina at the back in the elasticated section, which adds bulk. With hindsight the size small would probably have been a better option, but who ever knows how their bump is going to grow? And besides, we wouldn't be surprised if this last trimester sees us rapidly knocking up the notches to full extension.
This certainly hasn't stopped us wearing the jeans, as they look great, are generally flattering - particularly on the legs, making you look longer and so leaner - and are very comfortable. What's more, for most mums fit at the back probably won't be an issue for long as they'll likely be sporting promising bumps as they move beyond week 20 and will fill out the jeans that bit quicker.
Overall we really like these jeans and they have become a staple of our maternity wardrobe.
Probably the ultimate test for the jeans is whether non-pregnant women notice them and like them, and I have had a couple of female friends say that they like them and ask me where I got them, only to be very surprised when told that they're maternity.
