Breastfeeding in vintage (outfit #61)

  When I first started wearing vintage on a regular basis, I had a really hard time finding clothing that was practical for my lifestyle.  Most of the things I fell in love with, and purchased in the early days, were dresses.  This wouldn't have been an issue for most people, but I happened to have a new baby whom I was nursing.  I found myself wearing a darling new dress to meet up for a coffee date with my husband, and then immediately having to change my clothes when I got home to feed my daughter.  Short of pulling a dress over my head in public, this new lifestyle choice wasn't conducive with being the kind of mother I wanted to be.  I had to reevaluate what I was buying so that I could be stylish and practical.  I suppose every mother goes through some sort of style crisis after they have a baby.  Between your changing shape, your lack of time to get ready in the morning, and the need for your wardrobe to be practical, sometimes you can feel like you have to sacrifice a little of your identity to meet the challenges of motherhood. Personally, I've found that taking extra steps to look presentable and put together really increase my self-confidence.  I fight against the "mom uniform" of yoga pants and t-shirts, because frankly even though my life isn't all about me these days, I still want to look like the stylish girl I used to be before having children.  Here are some of the tricks I use to be able to breastfeed my baby in vintage clothing:
1. Housedresses- these can be a postpartum girls best friend!  These dresses are meant to be comfy and roomy, and generally have zippers that run down the front.  You can wear a nursing tank underneath if you are looking for a little more modesty.
1960s housedress: Etsy  
Bakelite googly eyed pony brooch: Etsy  
assorted Bakelite bangles: Ebay

2. Shirtwaist dresses:  Pretty much anything that buttons or zips in the front for easy access is key.  If you happen to like babywearing (if you've never tried, you should give it a go...it's amazing!) you can easily open the front of the dress and then use the sling to give yourself a little more privacy.

3. Separates: this is insanely obvious, but it took me awhile to gather enough individual pieces to piece together some cute different outfits.  Skirts coupled with blouses loose enough to pull up comfortably or that have some stretch, are my go-to nursing staples.

4. Wrap dresses and blouses: just loosen the tie on the side and you'll be nursing in no time!

5. Peasant, gypsy, or Seniorita type blouses are meant to be a little more billowy which is perfect, because you can use the extra fabric to cover up.

Happy nursing toddler and even happier mama.

XOX, Hannah

Sno-White (outfit #60)

  Life has been a bit crazy around here lately.  All my boys are back in school, but some of them didn't transition as easily as we hoped.  My little kindergartner had a really rough time the first two weeks.  Part of it may have been the fact that he is doing full day, but also his first year teacher wasn't a great fit.  We eventually switched him to a more experienced, more hands-on teacher.  In the beginning, we had to wrestle his uniform onto him in the morning, and then watch him cry and turn into a human barnacle at drop-off.  Since making the switch, he willingly gets dressed, sings and recites the alphabet on our ride to school, and even hugs his new teacher on the way into his room.  Such a relief!
  It's almost as though my new found freedom was too boring for me, because on Wednesday we adopted a dog!  Honestly, we had a rather scary incident with our house that left us wanting more security and peace of mind.  On multiple occasions, someone broke into our home at night and wandered around (into our children's bedrooms) doing god knows what.  Nothing of any real value was taken, but just the knowledge that absolutely anything could have happened...and we just slept through it, completely freaked me out.  We know who it was (a 14 year old with a history of some psychiatric issues), and I made a police report.  We will never again make the mistake of leaving windows unlocked (no matter how hot the weather).  Getting a dog seemed like a logical step in ensuring that we never sleep through anything like that again.
  This weekend we made a trip to visit my grandmother in Colorado Springs.  We knew that Old Colorado City had the perfect backdrop for one of my favorite dresses.  The 1950s Sno-White Linen and Uniform factory, which is such a cool, recognizable landmark.  I actually purchased this dress in March with my Etsy birthday gift card (thanks Damon and Laima).  I love the crazy atomic pattern coupled with bright purple.  I didn't have any shoes to match, so I took a pair of thrifted brown leather peep toes and painted them. My rhinestone flower clip-on earrings are thrifted and my violet clay ring was a gift from France.  My "belt" is actually a ribbon from a package I received in gratitude for speaking at the Library.

 

 

 

XOX, Hannah