 Nursing
Clothes Style!
We know you don't
only wear nursing clothes. You must have found ways
to incorporate this season's hot looks into your new, spit-up-upon
wardrobe, or discovered a great source for comfy shoes. If you have, tell
us about it. It's great if your discovery comes from a chain store, so
other mamas can find it. If not, maybe we could add it to our line. We're
not selfish. We realize that there are limited choices for nursing clothes
out there, so we're listing all the sites we know about that carry them.
That way you can shop the way you used to before you had kids
-- browse around and see what's best for you, rather than being trapped
into the only "choice" there is. Of course, we hope that you'll end up
finding out that One Hot Mama is a great deal for a lotta style. If you
know of a brand we left out, let us know. (By the way, about a zillion
sites sell Simply Delicious Nursingwear, so we did leave them off on
purpose. If you need something from them, you can order through us!) And
if you've got a tip
about someone's nursing clothes, post a message. Hot Mamas share, even
when their toddlers don't.
Here's some
style links:
Baby Diner Comfy t-shirts
and sweats adapted for nursing. Plus a great animated cartoon of a
nursing mama!
Baby Hemp This place has a few nursing clothes, and baby styles, all
made from oh-so-natural hemp (You know what hemp is, right?).
Babybecoming Plus-size nursing
clothes
Breast-is-Best Good
selection of basics, including a criss-cross tunic and a good-looking
print swimsuit
CO Nursingwear
Their goal is to simplify nursing openings by using concealed zipper
openings.
Elizabeth Lee Sewing patterns for the seamstresses among us
Expressiva Elegant nursingwear is
very good for working professionals who need pumping clothes, and also
carries special occasion wear.
Japanese Weekend -
SF-based designer of maternity & nursing clothes; we carry lots of their
stuff
Laura's Closet (active
lifestyle nursing clothes)
Little Koalas (an assortment of
goodies)
Mama Sharks
(nursing swimsuits)
Mommy Gear (a lot of very casual
stuff)
Momshop
Mother and Child A
mom-run business that does custom nursing clothes
Mother's
Nature Auctions used and sometimes new stuff
for sale auction-style.
Motherwear the biggest
collection of nursing everything
Nestmom offers nursing bras,
slings, Milk Diapers and accessories for the nursing mom
Wavin
Baby Technically not nursing clothes, but mamas who do nurse will
appreciate the infant and toddler apparel celebrating breastfeeding.
Stuff like t-shirts that say, 98% breast milk.
Wild Milk & Honey - Canadian
website where the designs are inspired by and named after coastal
cities.
Style Tips
From Liz of Beverly, MA
Mother of Eli, 11 months
Pre-kids, I always prided myself on dressing stylishly and
enjoyed getting out and about quite a bit with both friends and my DH. I
didn't want to wind up trapped on the sofa nursing forever. Once he could
go more than 30 minutes without nursing (several months - whoops!), I
resumed a pretty normal activity pattern (minus the smokey places, of
course)with the help of comfy baby carriers (baby bjorn for 9 months, now
a good backpack) and cute nursing clothes.
My best advice -- invest in 2 or 3 Super Secret Nursing
shirts for each season and a couple of dresses. It is nice to be able to
go out and about without either exposing yourself or even letting on that
your babe is nursing. After all, since you dont have to mix formula and
tote bottles around, you should be footloose and fancy free, right?! I
tried others from Motherwear, Motherhood, Mimi, and Garnet Hill and found
none as cute and discreet. Best of all, only you know they are nursing
shirts. You could foreseeably wear them after nursing if you are concerned
about longevity of wear. Thanks to Rox and the crew for continuing to
provide fashions and advice that keep us looking and feeling HOT!
From Min of New York, NY
Mother of Corey, 3 months
Ever see those oversized men's
tank tops that basketball players wear? You know, the kind with the
enormous armholes? Well guess what--they make terrific nursing shirts!
Just throw a cotton shirt or cardigan over it (you don't even have to
button it) and you're set! I bought five or six of those tanks from
Hanes and they made up the larger part of my whole summer wardrobe.
From Dawn of Sandusky, OH
Mother of 2
A chic and sophisticated way
to nurse. I bought a large oversize scarf and pinned it to the
shoulder of my blouse. It was made out of cotton, so it breathed
well and didn't make myself and baby too hot. Very sophisticated
look and very dicreet. I got many compliments from other nursing mothers.
By Maka of Garden City, KS
Mother of Daystar, 8 years old and Griffin, 5-1/2 months old
I bought the semi-expensive
nursing bras from Bravado, Decent Exposures, and Motherhood...and then I
found something I love SO MUCH MORE...
At *WALMART* of all places, from Hanes Her Way, a nylon
tank-style bra that is about halfway between tights and pantyhose in
weight. Incredibly comfortable, almost like wearing nothing at all, easy
to pull up or down to nurse, doesn't absorb milk so if I leak my nipples
aren't exposed to wet...I have a couple in every color (ivory, white,
black, bright purple).
And they're under $10!
By Colleen of Ames, IA
Mother of Gareth, 3 1/2, and baby #2 is due soon
For moms who sew or knows
someone who could sew for you, Butterick, the pattern company, has ONE
nursing pattern that works. I've made a couple shirts for friends out of
fleece for winter. But for convenience and style, One Hot Mama has some
amazing looks. Thanks for this helpful site!!!
By Lani of Vancouver, BC
Mother of Mars - 2 years 6 months and Connor - 6.5 months
Found an embossed velour tunic
at Wal-Mart. Bought two in the same colour. Used one for an overlay
(snipped off the sleeves and back, then narrowed the front to create
a princess-seam overlay). Topstitched the overlay onto the other tunic (in
which I'd cut a central slit), at the shoulders and down each side,
leaving nursing openings. Voila, super nursing style in about 30 minutes!
By Alana of Lexington, KY
Mother of Bethany-5, Maia-3, Eric-1, Ariana-4months
I received a kicky knee length
red dress with spaghetti straps that were slightly ripped in a bag of
hand-me down clothes from a girlfriend. The torn straps gave me the idea
of removing them entiely, and pinning the dress to my bra with small
safety pins. I wore a slinky cardigan over it, with only the top two
buttons fastened, to cover up my bra straps. I could easily nurse
discreetly in it, and with my high heels, and great legs, not to mention
miles of cleavage, I looked Hot when my dh took me out to dinner, with a
six week old little companion, of course.
By Donna of Boston, MA
Mother of 10-month old Dante
For those of you
getting frustrated about the post-partum pounds, remember it's nine months
up, nine months down. While waiting for my waistline to reappear, I have
found that elastic waist, loose-legged pants are fashionable and
forgiving. I pair them with a nursing blouse, or tee-shirt and sweater and
I can fool everyone into thinking I've lost weight!
By Marnie of Honolulu, HI
Mother of Aurora, 27 months; Duncan, 5 months
If only there had been a site like this
when I was expecting my daughter! Pre-pregnancy I was a petite (5'2"),
svelte (size 2) professional woman with bodacious (C+ cup) bosoms...So it
has taken me this long to learn (and yes, it is a humbling lesson) to
dress my new self (petite, extremely bodacious, home-working mama
and not-quite-so-svelte) without looking like One Dumpy Mama. This is what
I've learned:
-
Spend the money for the most supportive bra you can find
(my fave is by Fancee Free, underwire with comfort straps)! I cannot
emphasize this one enough.
-
DO NOT WEAR LOOSE ANYTHING! By this I mean, go for a
tailored look: comfy but fitted pants and skirts with NO PLEATS OVER
YOUR TUMMY paired with no-frills tops (why add bulk? Wearing things that
fit also helps you lose the baby weight faster, as you are reminded that
there is, in fact, NOT more room for that extra cookie!). Simple is key.
When you're short, follow Roxanne's advice and wear tops that end at
your hipbones.
-
DO NOT WEAR KNITS: wear woven fabric, as it drapes over
well-endowed bosoms without looking lumpy. There are few exceptions.
-
Cotton, cotton, cotton! You - and your body - will
breathe easier.
-
About tops: when you are both short and bosomy, v-necks
are best, or tops with vertical details to draw the eye up/down and in
rather than sideways and out. The Super Secret Nursing Shirt is the best
I've come across, and well worth the money for many reasons: it falls so
nicely to your hips, you can tuck/untuck, it accents the waist without
clinging to bumps, it's cotton, and best of all, it covers those
bountiful breasts when you're trying to unobtrusively aim your child at
the nipple rather than the side or top of your boob (which can be
difficult to do without looking - or asking for outside help).
-
If you stay home with your little angel, take Roxanne's
advice and GET DRESSED every morning - you will feel better, I promise.
If you cannot take a shower (a dilemma I was shocked to encounter),
splash cold water on your face, put on lip balm at least, spritz on some
stink juice (aka perfume), and comb your hair (it is tempting not to do
this - why bother, when no one "important" will see you...But aren't you
important!?).
-
Dresses are great - and just because you're short
doesn't mean you can't wear long, flowing dresses without a load of
fabric in the skirt: go for ankle-length (this allows you to manoeuvre
your legs while nursing in not-so-comfy public spots without fear of
flashing the public, adds length to your legs and draws the eye away
from your bust). If you have nice legs, shorter dresses look sexy too.
-
Posture: remember to lengthen your spine and don't allow
your boobs to drag you down - this is a major dumpy-look generator, no
matter what you're wearing! (A supportive bra helps keep you perky and
proud)
-
Find an accessory that makes you feel wicked (don't fall
into the trap of thinking that wickedness is a luxury only the single
and childless among us can afford). Feeling wicked reminds us how we got
to be parents in the first place! My "wicked" accessory is toe rings, &
the best I've found is through Toejam (www.toejam.net) - they even sell
diamond-encrusted toe rings, and they are not the adjustable type; very
comfy and sexy, and affordable.
-
Finally, if you are hung up about your new size (which I
was), GET OVER IT! Buy the size that flatters your new body, and thank
your beautiful baby daily for teaching you to appreciate your body from
a new perspective.
By Laura of New York City
Mother of Dylan, age 6 & 3/4, Miles, 6 months & Quenten
(step-daughter) 17
I have found that 'boy cut' pants, such as Levi's 501
jeans (size way up or go for relaxed fit) -- and I mean the orignal men's
-- are much more flattering than any high-waisted women's jeans! Go for
the lower waist b/c even when your weight is supposedly 'back-to-normal',
your waist will be larger!
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