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Not long ago, a reader question rolled in on a topic so big that I (Erin) am dedicating today’s entire Concorde to it: Mom Style.
This reader had just had a kid, and she was looking for style inspiration that went against the “Influencer Beige Mama” grain she’d been served ad nauseam online. She wanted to see examples of real life, Concorde-level moms putting that s-t on.
I’ve spent decades observing and admiring moms, besides my own, pictured above. I started babysitting at age 11, nannied in college, am an aunt to 3, and most of my close friends have kids. But I am not a mom myself.
So I dialed up some Mach 3+ SpyMothers whose style and work I love, and asked them to discuss their approach to dressing in the P.M. (Pre-Mom) and A.M. (Après Mom) Eras.
Meet the Concorde Swag Mom Panel —
Ellen Van Dusen (Brooklyn) Designer of Dusen Dusen; candy and color lover; mom to 1.5-year-old Woody
Sarah Nsikak (Brooklyn) Designer of La Réunion; textile artist; mom to 3-year-old Maleigha
Natalie So (San Francisco) Writer, editor, extreme crafter; mom to two boys, aged 3 years and 2 weeks (!!)
Katie Merchant (Toronto) Creative director; cake aficionado; writer of the newsletter Thank you, ok; mom to 10-month-old Lucy
Zoe Latta (Los Angeles) Eckhaus Latta co-founder; ironic yummy mummy; vintage digger for her newsletter, Rotting on the Vine; mom to 4-year-old Joy and 3-month-old Grace
They came through with overarching wisdom and specific tips, on:
How having a kid changed their style
The clothes that made them feel like themselves
Calling bulls-t on the pressure to “bounce back” & “mom” as an aesthetic generally
Sauced-out inspiration
The only piece of maternity clothing they actually needed
Nursing-friendly tops, cool shoes you can walk in, & the joy of pants
Under-the-radar lines, deep-cut pieces, shops and not-really-diaper bags
However, today’s post is also packed with intel and insights that everyone can learn from. There’s gold here for dads; for moms who haven’t given birth; and real talk for anyone who feels like their relationship to their body — and, by extension, to they way they dress — remains on some level eternally in flux.
Because pregnancy is one of those major life events that can confirm or upend but ultimately clarify how people see themselves. As Zoe Latta described the P.M.-A.M. continuum, “I found it to be a very playful time. It’s a real identity shift, and crash, to become a mom. Figuring out what you want for yourself is really the goal here.”
We can all relate to that.
Let’s get to it —
Recommendations for great lines and stores are marked below by a ?. Kids’ clothes, vintage search terms, carriers, and baby bags are marked by a ?. On desktop, use the horizontal lines on the left of your screen to jump between catetories.
