I can’t tell you exactly how much time I’ve spent looking for nursing clothes that work for my style, my body, and my life – only that it has been far too much, and I’ve still come up short.
So many of the options for nursing moms revolve around tank tops with spaghetti straps, which is great for some body types but not mine. I also have some of those drapey shirts with the wrap-over front. They’re okay, but they aren’t exactly my style.
I tried to get mileage out of what was already in my closet, but a lot of my clothes aren’t breastfeeding-friendly. I’m too self-conscious to lift my shirt in public and expose my soft belly, so instead I tug the necks down on many of my shirts and dresses, which is how I’ve destroyed my clothing. I’ve been doing this for two years now, and I basically just repeat the same dumpy outfits every few days.
That’s why I woo-hoo’ed with delight in my living room when I stumbled across Leche Libre clothing online. (Like, I actually shouted “Woo hoo!” aloud.) These clothes are smart, fashionable, and ridiculously functional.
The brains behind these beauties is Andrea Newberry, the founder of Leche Libre. Andrea doesn’t have a background in fashion. What she does have are two beautiful children, Thora and Otto, and the savviness to see there was a gap in the nursing fashion industry that desperately needed filling.
Andrea’s designs employ the use of zippers along the bust, making her pieces distinctly stylish while maintaining the utmost functionality. This also matches her personal aesthetic. (That’s Andrea on the left in the photo below.)
“The mommy industry as a whole is so soft and frilly that I want to insert a tough, powerful aesthetic to help push the boundaries of what a mom is,” she says. “There is sort of this unspoken thing that moms aren’t cool and mommy stuff isn’t hip, but I don’t agree. I think being a mom is rad, and I want to make it easier for women to breastfeed on the go and look cool while doing it.”
Yes! Yes to more rad clothing. No to flimsy tank tops and frumpy draping.
Leche Libre has been a one-woman operation for the past few years. To meet increasing demand for her work, Andrea created a Kickstarter campaign to fund larger production runs. The campaign is ongoing until Sept. 1, but it has already been funded.
“I think the breastfeeding community sent a message loud and clear when my Kickstarter met its goal in only 6 days,” Andrea says. “They want more options, and Leche Libre is here to give it to them.”
Andrea’s biggest success, however, could be the inspiration that she offers to nursing mothers everywhere.
One message Andrea received still makes her emotional. It was an email from a woman who had a very sick 3-year-old daughter and continued to nurse the child through multiple surgeries and recovery periods. The mother had received negative feedback for continuing to breastfeed her child, but she was empowered by the images on the Leche Libre website that featured older toddlers nursing.
“She told me how she was crying sending me the message, because seeing other women nursing 3-year-olds helped her to ignore the criticism and to do what she felt was best,” Andrea says. “When I read her message, I just felt that I had done my job.
“Leche Libre wants to empower women to make their own choices to do what is right for them and their children. The fact that I could help this woman in a time of need made me feel all the feels.”
