It is very tight up top. I tried on a size 9 and it fit decently everywhere but my chest (34D). I know that a lot of women who become pregnant have growing chests in addition to growing bellies.
I think it will work as a maternity dress in the second trimester if you're smaller up top.
I think it does look cheap. It's mostly because the polyester fabric is very shiny and the buttons feel like an afterthought as far as construction was concerned. They were also attached very poorly. The fabric also felt sort of filmy/slimy and looked easy to snag.
I wouldn't pay more than $20 for it. It was one of the biggest dissapointments for me, especially since it was one of the pieces that more closely resembled those in her runway collection.