One thing we hear a lot when meeting a new woman is “where were you when I was nursing my babies?”. We hear ya. The struggle is real and we understand. That’s why we started Allette. We’re two Brooklyn moms who love fashion almost as much as we love our kids, and wanted to show other moms that nursing fashion does not have to be an oxymoron. So our idea, while simple enough, is actually quite novel; to design breastfeeding clothes that nursing moms actually want to wear while nursing, but keep on wearing once they’ve weaned baby.
Becoming a new mom is hard enough without having to worry about what to wear. But for a nursing mom, she has to be practical with her wardrobe as well. Finding clothes that tick the functional needs, but also look good, can be an unexpected challenge. That’s where we come in. Our line of chic dresses and tops are made to fit a postpartum body, provide discreet nursing access, be easy to care for (because breastfeeding!), but most importantly, look like regular cute clothes, not nursing wear. We do this by designing clothes we love and then figuring out how to make them nursing accessible, not the other way around. We see ourselves as a fashion brand more than a mommy brand and I think that’s helped shape our brand and styles on so many levels. We treat our customers like women, not just moms. We get that they still want to look good — and there’s nothing selfish about that. Becoming a mom is part of their womanhood, not their new label.
While the maternity fashion market has exploded over the last few years to cater the bump, clothes designed specifically for the nursing mom, has yet to catch up. Which is kinda funny because breastfeeding is such a topical subject these days. We all know the benefits by now and there’s a lot of pressure on new moms to just “make it work”. Nursing fashion may seem like a trivial part of the conversation, but it’s actually hugely important to those who are in the thick of it. Whether they are stay-at-home moms, pumping at work, using baby covers or uncovering, there are two main things we’ve realized moms need. They need easy. Easy access, easy care — “sort it out for me because I’m still trying to figure out this whole baby thing”. And most importantly, they need confidence. Becoming a mom involves so many physical and psychological changes that a positive self image can make a real difference during a time when she’s questioning everything else! Time and time again, women tell us that having the right clothes to wear during this amazing, yet challenging, time has not only made nursing more enjoyable, but often, allowed them to nurse for a longer period of time. And that makes us happy.
When mama is happy, baby is happy. It’s science, people.
Originally published at medium.com