Every new mum deserves to feel her best, and that includes having a wardrobe that works with her new lifestyle, doesn’t break the bank, and still represents her personal style.
So you have welcomed your bundle of joy into the world – congratulations, and welcome to motherhood! Being a new mum can be an incredibly exhausting, exciting and frantic time. Between the two hours feeding slots, getting enough sleep, and adjusting to the general workings of motherhood, fashion can be the last thing on your agenda.
While the breastfeeding and the postpartum market is exploding with options, many mums find themselves playing extortionate prices for that ‘fourth’ trimester, when their bodies are still recovering from pregnancy and birth and not quite back to what they were before pregnancy.
The good news is, new mum fashion can be budget-friendly with the help of a few basic styling tricks.
#1 – Start With Customisable, Easy-To-Style Basics – Even For Your Newborn
As a new mum, being busy will become the new norm, and you’re unlikely to have spare time to put into an outfit each morning. Your best bet is to invest in a few standard pieces you can wear in a variety of different ways, like good quality jeans, tunics, knits and shirts that can be dressed up and down.
In other words, build a new mum capsule wardrobe on a budget. Most online brands like Boohoo, Pact, Everlane and even Kmart Australia now offer a basics line that is both affordable and of great quality.
New mums can also apply this concept to their newborn’ wardrobe. On average, new parents spend $3,000 to $13,000 in the first year alone. A large portion of that is your baby’s clothing. However, by sticking to the most necessary infant pieces such as bodysuits, sleepsuits, socks and swaddles, you can save yourself a lot of money for other essentials, such as nappies, formulas or savings for your child’s school fees fund.
#2 – Add A Few Interchangeable Pops Of Colour To Your Wardrobe
Basing your outfits around a capsule wardrobe doesn’t mean it needs to be plain or dreary though. While neutrals are great for a polished look, adding small pops of colour can also keep you on-trend and on budget. Easy ways to introduce bursts of colour are through accessories and knits which can be reused multiple times and with multiple outfits.
To keep things budget-friendly, you can choose cheaper ways to bring in the season’s trending colour, such as via a pair of statement earrings, sunglasses or a scarf. Investing a little money into certain colours has added benefits to your mood as well: research has shown that warmer colours can evoke positive feelings, whereas brighter clothes can help you feel happier and lift your mood when you aren’t feeling your best.
So whether it’s reaching for bold lipstick, opting for a bright manicure, or choosing a colourful cardigan to wear over your standard mum outfit, find your own small ways to inject some colour into your wardrobe.
#3 – Don’t Automatically Reach For Nursing Or Postpartum Labelled Brands
The maternity market is booming and filled with endless gadgets and fashion choices aimed at making a new mum’s transition as easy as possible. However, the choices can also be wildly overpriced, with many maternity brands charging a premium on their ranges, which isn’t budget-helpful for new parents or mums trying to save money.
Instead, consider reaching for a larger size in the standard women’s range. Rather than buying maternity jeans, opt for mum-style jeans or high-waist ones (for those new mums who want a bit of support postpartum). Similarly, instead of splashing out for nursing tops, new mums can opt for a button-down shirt or scoop neck T-shirt.
Some essentials may still be worth the spend, however. For instance, getting the perfect breastfeeding bra may be one place where you choose to splurge for a better fit. However, many local and smaller brands now offer maternity bra ranges for a fraction of the cost being charged by larger well-known maternity brands, so it helps to shop around.
Above all, learn to accept and enjoy your new and changing body as a new mum. Feel free to define what new mum fashion means to you instead of feeling pressured to conform to publicised images of postpartum fashion. Embracing your postpartum body means you are in a healthier state of mind – both for yourself and for your new bundle of joy.
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