Maternity Clothes

[wolfie]

The sleeves may be to accomodate bloating and/or fluid retention; and have nothing whatsoever to do with fat tissue. They may also be to accomodate more muscular women.

I don't quite understand the point you're trying to make. Is the reason for pregnant women of the same "dress size" but different body types shopping together due to economies of scale? Specifically, there are enough women (non-pregnant) that it's economically viable to make "size 8 for muscular women", "size 8 for fit but non-muscular women", and "size 8 for overweight women" clothes, but that pregnancy (specifically the later part of pregnancy, where "normal" clothing won't fit) occupies a small enough portion of a woman's adult life that it's not economically viable to segment the market in that manner, so manufacturers make "size 8 maternity clothes - will fit all body types, but will be a bit loose in one or more areas depending on your body type"?

[sophie]

The sleeves may be to accomodate bloating and/or fluid retention; and have nothing whatsoever to do with fat tissue. They may also be to accomodate more muscular women.

I could understand the arms being maybe and inch or two bigger, but I could literally fit my head into the sleeve. Why would the sleeve on a small shirt need to be 22 inches in diameter?

[Kheldarson]

I don't quite understand the point you're trying to make. Is the reason for pregnant women of the same "dress size" but different body types shopping together due to economies of scale? Specifically, there are enough women (non-pregnant) that it's economically viable to make "size 8 for muscular women", "size 8 for fit but non-muscular women", and "size 8 for overweight women" clothes, but that pregnancy (specifically the later part of pregnancy, where "normal" clothing won't fit) occupies a small enough portion of a woman's adult life that it's not economically viable to segment the market in that manner, so manufacturers make "size 8 maternity clothes - will fit all body types, but will be a bit loose in one or more areas depending on your body type"?

Basically yes. First, women are going to get pregnant (if they get pregnant at all!) at different points in time from one another. So only a small portion of the female population will be pregnant at any given time. Then, on top of that, each woman starts to "show" at different points (personally, I was nearly to six months before it was obvious) which means that they're going to be buying maternity clothes at radically different points. And then you're only going to be buying so much because you're only going to wear them for a limited time, so why take up the closet space? So they have to make the clothes to accommodate the greatest amount of women because to give greater separation would make the clothes too expensive for the price point.