Laila & Spot: Helping New Mothers Look Sane Since 2013
{This is not a sponsored post and opinions are all my own. As I was finishing up this piece, Laila & Spot kindly offered to send me an item of my choice to review in a future post. Can't wait!}
Why is it so difficult to find nursing-wear that is not hideous or expensive? (And I’m speaking from an Australian-shopping perspective.)
I spent a small fortune on maternity wear, most of it
bump-hugging and glorious. I never had the courage to show off my midsection until it held a fetus (even in the 1990’s when I was pre-pubescent and crop-tops were a thing.) What fun
it was, proudly bouncing around...until near the end when I was living in plus-size hoodies and hibernating on my couch like a Canadian Grizzly.
.JPG) |
| French Connection tube dress in one size larger than I (used to) wear. |
Much to my naivety- once I gave birth to my bouncing baby girl, those stretchy tube dresses were no longer practical. I went from belly-pride to belly-hide in a matter of moments. Not to mention I lacked the foresight necessary to realize that my boobs needed to be freed from my clothing about a thousand times daily.
This is what you look like after giving birth- notice, the belly does not magically disappear along with the effects of the epidural.
I remember wishing I knew how to sew because I saw a big,
fat, gaping hole in the Australian market. Someone needed to design cute, comfy, affordable, nursing-wear for new mothers. While I moaned frumpily, someone was all over it and her name is Laila. She founded a revolutionary company called Laila & Spot.
Finally! Clothing for new mothers and I'm not talking about maternity wear. I had a great laugh reading the section on their website No Pregnant Chicks.
She came up with the idea for the company after the birth of her son, where much like me, Laila felt like she no longer knew her body and nothing fit properly. She remembers visitors dropping in during those first hazy weeks and she was sick of receiving them in her pajamas.
Laila explained it perfectly when she told me that in those sleepless early days- a nice outfit would have made such a difference in the way she felt. And like me- Laila moaned until her husband finally said to her "then why don't you do something about it." And she did.
I had the opportunity to scope out some of the Laila & Spot's latest designs at a photoshoot for their new line. Not only are the clothes adorable but the models were real Mums and fans of L&S. A few had their little babies right there at the shoot, one little guy only 4 weeks old! If you ask me- that's proof these clothes work for new and nursing mothers.
L&S clothing is trans-seasonal and is designed to be layered. This is strategic, taking into consideration the rapidly changing body temperatures for new mothers. The fabrics are breathable, stretchy and easily wipe-able (bonus.) Plus they have zips in all the right places, privacy shields and great, metal clasps. Gone are the days of fiddling with the crappy plastic ones.
And in even more good news, the colors and lines are simple so the pieces mix and match easily. They are clean, practical designs and in my opinion will appeal to all different tastes.
Their current range of everyday items range from about 30.00-65.00. They are made in India, not far from where Laila herself grew up. Fair work practices and environmental sustainability are priorities to this company so it's refreshingly not about finding the cheapest place to manufacture.
Check out my review of a Laila & Spot Two Tone Dress here.
.JPG) |
| Don't think the drugs had worn off yet |
Desperate and exhausted, I scoured the internet for nursing-friendly attire, and
found some amazing, and comfy looking clothes....in Scandinavia...with price-tags even higher than Australian ones. So I surrendered to my sweats, and big button-downs. I completely lost any
sense of pride in the way I looked- call me superficial but at
the time I needed all the help I could get. I felt fat, unattractive and unsure about the battered body which had just let forth a miracle.
Finally! Clothing for new mothers and I'm not talking about maternity wear. I had a great laugh reading the section on their website No Pregnant Chicks.
“So you WERE a glowing, expecting mum. But now you ARE a mum – a first time mum or a mum all over again. Either way, among other challenges to be overcome – get ready for war with your wardrobe.”Thank you Laila. You get it.
She came up with the idea for the company after the birth of her son, where much like me, Laila felt like she no longer knew her body and nothing fit properly. She remembers visitors dropping in during those first hazy weeks and she was sick of receiving them in her pajamas.
Laila explained it perfectly when she told me that in those sleepless early days- a nice outfit would have made such a difference in the way she felt. And like me- Laila moaned until her husband finally said to her "then why don't you do something about it." And she did.
I had the opportunity to scope out some of the Laila & Spot's latest designs at a photoshoot for their new line. Not only are the clothes adorable but the models were real Mums and fans of L&S. A few had their little babies right there at the shoot, one little guy only 4 weeks old! If you ask me- that's proof these clothes work for new and nursing mothers.
L&S clothing is trans-seasonal and is designed to be layered. This is strategic, taking into consideration the rapidly changing body temperatures for new mothers. The fabrics are breathable, stretchy and easily wipe-able (bonus.) Plus they have zips in all the right places, privacy shields and great, metal clasps. Gone are the days of fiddling with the crappy plastic ones.
 |
| L&S have engineered a user-friendly clasp. Yus! |
And in even more good news, the colors and lines are simple so the pieces mix and match easily. They are clean, practical designs and in my opinion will appeal to all different tastes.
 |
| Play |
 |
| Night Out |
 |
| Work |
 |
| Five fantastic real-life Mums at the L&S photoshoot |
It’s
understandably difficult to picture what post-baby-life looks like when you’re pregnant
with your first. My old friend hindsight has given me yet another gift which I will take as advice: "Next time you are preggers, invest in post-baby threads." I share this wisdom because believe me, clothes are the last
thing you’ll have the energy to worry about with a newborn hanging around.
.JPG) |
| Trust me. You don't want to end up in public looking like this. |
Labels: health, motherhood, Pregnancy, Product Love
posted by Unknown @ 1:35 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Great post and cute clothes. I too struggled post partum - baby bumps just aren't as cute without babies in them. I CAN sew but the chances of me getting to a sewing machine in the months after giving birth weren't huge and if I did, I only ever wanted to sew things for my bubbas.
Man, I hear you. My mother-in-law was even kind enough to lend me her old sewing machine...ask me if I’ve used it once. Nope. Guess I was just happy to wait for someone else to take care of it! If I had any free time at all in those early months, I spent it sleeping. Sanity takes priority.
Great article and what a cool company! I ended up wearing my maternity clothes afterwards but def would have enjoyed something like this! It makes a great baby shower gift actually!!
That IS such a great baby shower gift idea Stephanie! I've always loved the thought of giving a gift for the mother. And this is probably one of those things you think you don't really need...until you really need it!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home