Fashion – Offspring Magazine

Trackpants or jeans may be your go-to, but Sydney fashion stylist and founder of Style Sense, Kim Crowley, shares her secrets for developing your personal style without compromising on practicality or breaking the bank. She explains how to feel more like ‘you’ again, the four most flattering colours in the world, plus the one mum staple we should all avoid…

After studying at the London College of Fashion, Kim Crowley has worked in the fashion industry for over twenty-one years including as a designer for several international high street brands. Now, she says she was part of the fast-fashion problem and is dedicated to being part of the solution by helping mums find and develop their unique style and shop more consciously.

“I want to help take the stigma away from fashion and help breakdown the process of dressing well so that mums, in particular, can feel good in the clothes they choose to wear.

It’s about being a bit more mindful and having a strategy about it. We know how to consume, we are very good at that, but now we have a wardrobe of clothes that don’t get worn.

“We don’t actually know how to dress ourselves, and that fascinates me.”

As a mum, Kim understands the metamorphosis we all undergo as we become a mother, “As soon as you have a child and you start pushing a pram around, you immediately feel mumsy. And before that, your body is changing, you’re wearing maternity clothes and it’s easy to feel frumpy. Also, our body shape changes when we have children. We all tend to become a bit more apple-shaped. We have to consider that because you can’t escape it, but it’s not an excuse.”

Whilst some may think that they don’t have the time money and energy to put into their appearance, Kim has this advice, “I don’t tell mums to dress up, I say, ‘dress better’. That doesn’t mean spend a fortune, it just means update a few key bits. I lived in my active wear for a long time and people would tell me to ‘dress up a bit’, but I felt like they were telling me to put something sparkly on or wear a full face of make-up—but that’s the other extreme, when in fact there’s a whole big area in the middle to play with depending on who we are, what we want to achieve and how we want to feel.”

Know where to invest and what to avoid

As for practical advice, Kim’s top tip to update your style is to invest in a new style of jeans. “A new jean shape is key because it’s an item that gets worn on high rotation for parks, playdates and those endless doctor appointments. Rather than living in your skinnies, maybe try a mom jean or opt for a cinch waist, or perhaps a wedgie fit where it’s more fitted at the hip and then parallel through the leg.”

Furthermore, “the best way to compensate for feeling mumsy is to go to the other extreme and add something with a bit of attitude. Including a leopard print purse, even inside your nappy bag, or a pair of shoes with some studs on balances out the mum label and can help you to feel more like ‘you’ again. But one of the most unflattering things we can wear is actually the black round-toed ballet flat! They don’t do anyone any favours.”

Lots of mums hold off on investing in their wardrobe until they reach their ideal weight. Kim says one of the reasons she set up her business was in response to the debilitating self-talk that women engage in. We are so cruel to ourselves and Kim adds, “We literally cut ourselves into pieces saying, ‘I like this bit; I hate this bit’ (whilst pointing at forearms, then upper arms). My male clients will just look at themselves and go, ‘Yep. I’m good’. The difference is amazing. And this way of talking to ourselves gets passed down to our children. We need to start to understand that we all have good features, and you can dress to highlight them. In fact, one of my clients said, ‘I want to dress for my body, not find a new diet’.” Isn’t that just spot on?

“Mums are martyrs. We give excuses as to why we can’t spoil ourselves; we tell ourselves it’s too indulgent. Glennon Doyle, in her book, Untamed, explains that we should not be martyrs but instead remember that we are role models to our children. We need to stop the idea that, ‘Oh, no I can’t, I’m a mum’. Actually, it’s precisely because you are a mum that you should be nice to yourself! It’s like on an aeroplane when they tell you to attend you your own oxygen mask first.

You need to look after yourself before you can care for others.

Plus, your children see that you value your self-worth and that’s the most powerful lesson you can teach them”

Discover your personal style

So how do you begin to discover your personal style and figure out what looks good on you? “Have a think about the pieces that you wear a lot and why you wear them. Then, who do you look at for inspiration? Do they have a really clean style, do they wear soft fabrics or really structured pieces? Just try and diagnose why you like what you like,” Kim says.

But what if I like lots of different things? Kim shares this wisdom, “I find it really interesting that we try and sum up personal style with labels like ‘boho’ or ‘minimal’, but that’s such a dated way of doing it. It’s actually the way we wear our clothes that’s important. We end up with a blended style like, ‘I’m classic with an edge and a little bit of boho’. It’s the way you wear your looks—whether that’s oversized, tighter fitting, structured—that’s your personal style. Mums are multifaceted and we have to move from one thing to another seamlessly so it can be hard to nail down your personal style although every single person has one. Until you have time to actually focus on this you probably don’t think there’s much unique about you, but I promise you there is!” Kim suggests getting out your favourite pieces, the ones you love to wear and feel great in, and having a look to see what style, fit and colour these pieces tend to be. Give yourself permission and time to investigate.

Colour is everything

If you really want to make a big difference, Kim says, “Colour is everything. When I was upskilling from a designer to a stylist there was this whole thing about ‘having your colours done’ and I thought, ‘Ugh, this seems really dated. I’ll just skip over it. I really rejected the idea and I didn’t want it to work. But, it was absolutely amazing; I was blown away by how different I felt when I was wearing colours that flattered me versus colours that didn’t. Clients feedback weekly about how that knowledge has changed their life”.

“The right colour makes you look like you’re wearing a tinted moisturiser, the eyes sparkle and you look like you’ve had a good night’s sleep, which as mums can be pretty transformative. I create colour wallets for mums all the time and I have a great modern way of doing it that translates to clothes. Plus, I have found the four most flattering colours so if you don’t know what your colours are, start here: Teal, Salmon, Navy and your best version of White. These four colours sit right in the middle of the colour wheel so they will look pretty good on everybody. When you are wearing the right colours you will feel better and more confident.”

“Once you have the knowledge of what colours and shapes suit you, you are empowered. You won’t ever get sold to again. You can ignore the shop assistant that tells you’ll look great in lemon yellow because you know better.”

Most of us have several garments we don’t wear. Kim says playing around and creating different outfits from what you already have is one of her favourite parts of her job. But you can do it too, just spend the time to have a proper look at what you’ve got. Kim doesn’t spend a fortune on clothes, and nor do her clients. “People who come to me for a ‘mummy-makeover’ usually just need help with the ‘middle’ of their wardrobe and filling the gaps so that their entire collection is useable, practical and stylish.”

She advises taking photos of outfits to save time and energy every morning. “There’s no thinking required. Once you know your best colours, styles and shapes, shopping can become a treasure hunt instead of an overwhelming experience that forces you to just buy what you habitually buy. We can spend half your budget and get twice as many outfits, just by being strategic and having a creative outlook.”

Excuse me while I go and play dress up…

Keep Reading

FASHION

Fast Fashion is damaging our environment – so how can you help?

By Amelia Wood November 11, 2020

Fast fashion is the notion of creating low-cost clothes in a rapid-fire production – and it is a problem which needs to change to lessen the impact it has on the environment. Considered the second most polluting industry in the world by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and more than 500 million dollars of textiles ending up in Australian landfill each year (Ross, 2019), experts say measures need to be taken to combat this issue. Measures include clothes rental, better recycling processes, pollution control technology and the innovation of offcuts.

Other harsh statistics many may not know about the textiles industry include its estimated use of water is around 1.5 trillion litres each year – even making a single pair of denim jeans uses over 10 000 litres! Read it again – that much water for only one pair. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said the fashion industry creates 10 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions every year, meaning the cheap clothes selling off the shelves at a rapid pace, are doing more harm than one may think.

If the notion of reducing your fast fashion footprint has been on your mind for a while, here are some ways to reduce it.

Shop with ethical brands

An ethical company is one who treats their workers fairly, in terms of payment and providing a safe environment – all whilst using ethical materials and partaking in honourable practices. Companies with policies in place such as the management of water usage and chemical practices and recycling programs, are all ones you should consider buying from.

Re-use and re-mend

Go through the wardrobe and be surprised at the hidden gems that will appear. If an item has a slight hole or a stuck zip, there are plenty of easy ways to fix or revamp with a simple DIY.

Charity shopping

With restrictions eased all around the country, have a fun day out by exploring the local op-shops. The sense of giving clothes a new home and purpose is rewarding – and saves some coin also.

Keep Reading

FASHION

How to Use Food to Dye Your Clothes

By Matilda Gerrans October 28, 2020

Next time you’re in the kitchen, save those avocado pits and cabbage stalks, because these natural ingredients can turn your clothes lovely shades of pink, blue, or purple. Using food as a natural clothes dye has been practised for thousands of years. Not only is it a sustainable and chemical-free process, it’s an excellent way to make use of veggie and fruit scraps. Plus, kids will get a kick out of watching their clothes go from a plain white to a whole host of colours, and it’s easy for them to do themselves (with parental supervision, of course!).

Pick a colour

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of natural dye, and some give off surprising colours. While there are definitive foods that will give certain colours, it’s always fun to experiment with different spices and foods and see what colours arise. Here’s some pantry items that will add some colour to your wardrobe.

Pink: avocado, red cabbage, beetroot

Orange: yellow onion skins, avocado, carrot

Yellow: ground turmeric, pomegranate skins, carrot

Green: spinach

Blue: black beans, blueberries, red cabbage

Purple: blueberries, red cabbage, beetroot

The colour of the dye is dependent on several factors, including the pH level of the water, and the variations in the fruit and vegetables used, and how ripe they are. For example, some blueberries will result in a bright blue dye while others will create more of a purple colour.

Prepare the fabric

Natural dye can be strong, but it isn’t as strong as chemical dyes, so a mordant, or fixant, is used to make sure the dye attaches to the fabric. Although some dye hobbyists use ammonia and other professional mordants, household items work just as well. For using fruits dyes, soak your fabric in four cups of water and add a quarter of a cup of salt. For vegetable dyes, add in a cup of vinegar instead. Once the fabric is prepped and ready to go, it’s time to get your dye ready.

Make the dye

Fill a large saucepan with enough water to dunk the fabric in and add the fruit or vegetable of your choice. The amount of each ingredient needed will differ, but as a general rule, a larger quantity will result in a stronger dye. Let the water come to a boil, and then let it simmer. Every now and then, give the pot a stir, and within twenty to thirty minutes the colour should start to appear in the water.

If the colour isn’t exactly what you’re after, you can give it a little help. Red cabbage gives a natural purple dye but adding a little vinegar can turn it a red/pink colour. Want to turn the fabric blue? Try adding a bit of baking soda instead. When the colour is strong and to your liking, scoop out the fruit or vegetable, or use a sieve to get the pure dye. Don’t be afraid to leave it a little longer – the stronger the colour, the more powerful the dye.

Add the fabric

Give it a good stir to ensure that every part is covered in the dye, and then put a lid over it and call it a day. It is recommended that the fabric sit in the dye pot overnight for the best result, but curious kids can check out the fabric before bedtime to see how much the colour has changed. The next morning, carefully tip the dye out of the pot and gently wash the fabric.

Caring for your dyed fabric

For extra staying power, wash the fabric in the same mixture previously used as a mordant. After that, your dyed clothing is ready to be dried and worn. The natural dye will fade over an extended amount of time, so it’s recommended that the clothing or fabric is handwashed and airdried.

The creative possibilities are endless; you could even try tie-dying the fabric, or painting designs using the dye.

Keep Reading

MUMPRENEURS

Top 7 influencers to follow in Victoria

By N/A August 15, 2019

Meet the Aussie mums making a career on social media.

Increasingly, new mums take to social media as a creative outlet while adjusting to motherhood, with some building up enough of a following to turn it into a career.

Marketers and brands know that in 2019 audiences are after authenticity, so they flock to these mums who are open and honest about their journey through motherhood – the good, the bad and the ‘insta-worthy’.

These Influencer mums do a lot more than just post cute photos of their kids; they are content creators and successful businesswomen, who share advice on pregnancy, style, health, travel and fitness. They have created a community of mums who can relate to their struggles and learn from their tips and sometimes just share in a laugh.

Here we’ve collected some of our favourite Victorian Influencers to follow for your daily dose of motherhood, fashion and travel and lifestyle inspiration.

1. @flatoutmum

After having four boys in five years (including identical twins!), Olivia Anderson saw a gap in the market for a twin feeding pillow. Busy Mums need an extra pair of hands, so the Twincredible was born. From there, arose a website and social media for twin families and the natural evolution was Olivia sharing more of her life, tips and products she loves to a wider audience.

This platform allowed Olivia to share more of her busy life with four young boys, but also her love of flat shoes. Always showing a real and honest take on motherhood (not just the highlight reel) with the mission to empower, inform and celebrate #Mumlife

Olivia prefers to encourage Mums to look after themselves as much as they do their children. She introduced the first Retreat designed specifically for Mothers back in 2016 and now they have extended from Melbourne to Bali, where her third sold-out international Retreat is about to be held.

Visit Olivia’s websites at www.flatoutmum.com.au, www.twincredible.com.au, www.flatoutmumretreats.com.au

2. @bambiandbaby_

Elizabeth Anile, like many 20-something-year-old women, had a pretty straightforward plan for her life. First came the career, then love, a home and a family. She got all of these things; an accomplished journalist at 25, she got the man, the fairytale-style proposal, and ultimately the pitter patter of tiny feet.

At 26, Elizabeth’s life was torn apart. A young woman who barely a year before hadn’t even thought about motherhood suddenly found herself alone with a new baby. A former career woman was, overnight, a full time single mum.

Despite the curve balls life has thrown, Elizabeth’s positivity shines through her writing and her love is personified in her beautiful, happy, bubbly baby boy.

“I guess what I want to get out there is the message that you’re not alone,” she says. And her most important message? ‘Its not a bad thing being a single mum, it’s empowering and a blessing’.

You’ll find Elizabeth’s blog at www.bambiandbaby.com

3. @mama.duck.said

Ange Cowan is a Ballarat mum sharing her mum life stories in a light hearted way.

It took her two years to get pregnant with her first child as she has endometriosis and also polycystic ovaries.

She then went on to have three kids under three, and tries to share her high and lowlights so other mums don’t always feel so alone.

Ange wants all mums to feel supported and to know that we are all going through struggles (some just hide it better than others).

Ange also loves to share her favourite parenting jokes and quotes along with some of her favourite products helping her get through motherhood (including wine).

4. @houseofharvee

Krystal Giardina always wanted to be a mum. She always wanted to be a Disney Princess too, but she knows you can’t have everything.

Turns out, being a sleep-deprived, clean freak, pasta eating mother of three, led her to social media where she began to share images of her home. Now, only a short few years later, while pregnant with her third child she appeared from behind the camera and is now a familiar face.

Juggling motherhood, owning a business, wife, blogger, Influencer and cleaner (someone’s got to do it), Krystal shares her life and family through her platform and her positive, encouraging, yet REAL attitude to life and parenting resonates with mothers everywhere.

Krystal is mother to Vienna, Harlow and Baby boy, Avery, wife to Aldo, body image and self-love advocate and long-time Grey’s Anatomy fan.

Krystal hopes to continue to share her love of style, interiors and motherhood journey with her followers for as long as they want to follow along.

You can also find Krystal at houseofharvee.com

5. @amypapadatos_

Determined, aspirational, resilient and ambitious – she is Amy Papadatos. Above all else, she is a wife, a mother and a successful business owner.

With a love for adventure, travel, fashion and a keen eye for detail, Amy is courageous in the pursuit of what sets her soul on fire. A goal getter and a trend setter, Amy is a dynamic woman who beautifully shares her experiences of the world around her one Instagram square at a time.

It is impossible to ignore her happy-go-lucky personality that shines through her pictures – lusting over her locations and outfits each and every time.

6. @justamelbournemama

Amanda Morley (@justamelbournemama) started her Instagram page towards the end of 2017 as a means to share snaps of her unborn son, Hudson.

Already a mama to a teenage girl, having a baby again was exciting and Amanda couldn’t wait to share this new journey through her page.

Showcasing her newfound love for baby boy fashion, with Hudson as her muse and at-home baby model, Amanda’s page began to grow. At just three months old, Hudson made his first career move from modelling for his mama to modelling in campaigns.

In a twist of awesomeness, Amanda also learnt that she was three months pregnant and Hudson was soon to be a big brother – both Hudson and Easton shared the exact due date a year apart!

Amanda and Tinashe (@justamelbournedad) quickly learned the term Irish twins…and yes they have their hands full!

At 11 months and 3 weeks between them, Easton has joined Hudson in his modelling career. Life in Melbourne is definitely busier, but lattes, brunches and Melbourne events are still on the menu for this family.

7. @real_mumma

Adele Barbaro is the ‘mumpreneur’ and blogger behind The Real Mumma, where she shares an honest and raw insight into motherhood.

In 2018 Adele started MAMA Wine Co. Adele wanted to take the confusion out of the hundreds of wines on offer with a range that has been developed, tried and tested by everyday mamas.

“One day I was hosting a dinner party and the men were talking about the wine pairing well with the dinner and commenting about its complexity and legs. I turned to my friend and said, I wonder if there is a wine that pairs well with all my washing? And then and there, the cheeky Mama Wine Co. began,” Adele shares.

MAMA is 100 per cent Australia made and comes from only the best vineyards, sourced after countless trips to find the perfect drop for having a cheeky little giggle at motherhood.

The all new ‘It’s Me Time’ Moscato and the ‘Pairs Well With Bad TV’ Pinot Noir is available for a limited time only from www.mamawineco.com

Keep Reading

MUMPRENEURS

Top 7 influencers to follow in NSW & QLD

By N/A August 14, 2019

Meet the Aussie mums making a career on social media.

Increasingly, new mums take to social media as a creative outlet while adjusting to motherhood, with some building up enough of a following to turn it into a career.

Here we’ve collected some of our favourite NSW and Queensland Influencers to follow for your daily dose of motherhood, fashion and travel and lifestyle inspiration.

1. @mumpacktravel

In 2016 solo mum Evie Farrell and her daughter Emmie left Australia with a backpack and a dream of spending time together. For more than two and a half years they travelled through Asia, living a completely different life to what they had at home and learning about the world beyond the suburbs. “I was working full time and trying to work out how to spend more time with Emmie,” said Evie. “As soon as I realised it was cheaper for us to travel than stay at home I started packing up.”

It was the best decision she could have made.

“This trip changed us,” said Evie. “We know each other so well now, we’ve spent so much precious time together and we have the most incredible memories.”

Evie and Emmie have been in Sydney for the past six months while they finished their book, Backyard to Backpack, all about their adventures. It’s available for preorder and is in-store from 5 August.

You can find Evie on Instagram at @mumpacktravel and at www.mumpacktravel.com

2. @theconniediaries

Connie, an entrepreneur, mother, step mother and wife living on the Central Coast NSW is passionate about the simple things in life and raising her boys simply in their coastal home town.

Connie and her family travel often in their renovated vintage caravan seeing many beautiful parts of our country. When they’re not traveling, you’ll find them having slow days around home crafting, gardening, cooking or you’ll catch them outdoors by the beach, 4×4 driving or taking a hike.

Between traveling and slow days, Connie manages her travel blog and a popular online business @thetimbatrendandfolk where her husband and herself hand make a variety of shelves for around the home.

3. @allherflowers

Elle Rampling is a photographer and mother to three girls; Audrey, Harriet and Magnolia. A recent sea change has seen Elle and her family move from an area surrounded by horses and paddocks in rural Australia to a sweet old cottage in a sleepy beach town on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

Elle is a lifestyle photographer, specialising in capturing families, but it is her sun drenched portraits of her daughters that captured the hearts of many and has seen her Instagram page, @allherflowers, grow in popularity.

Whether roaming in paddocks with their ponies or frolicking by the sea, Elle loves to capture her daughters as they explore their environment. The girls can often be found dressed in adorable matching outfits, a love Elle says she inherited from her mother, as her and her siblings always had matching outfits growing up.

4. @amothers.love

Jess Stevens is a mother of five from the Gold Coast in Queensland. Jess became a first time mother at the age of just 16 and knew shortly after that she wanted to have a big family one day. Fast forward 18 years and Jess has had her 5th and final baby, giving her 3 beautiful daughters and 2 sons.

Jess is also a Social Media and Lifestyle Influencer on Instagram where you can find them sharing snaps of their everyday life, items and brands they love. Jess and her children have a new love for travelling which has opened the doors to some amazing opportunities. Jess has only recently launched her blog where she shares with her valued followers her family friendly travels in more depth. Watch her space for an amazing adventure coming up in October.

When Jess isn’t changing nappies, shooting content for brands or managing her socials, she likes to shop online, watch Netflix and look for that next adventure to go on with her children.

5. @bybrittanynoonan

Brittany Noonan is a mum, wife, fitness trainer and motherhood blogger from The Gold Coast, Australia.

You’ll never find anything less than her real self on her socials and blog. Brittany openly shares her struggles and low times through her mental health battles and her everyday motherhood struggles but she also shares her happiness and the things that give her joy and peace.

Brittany’s dream is that through sharing this real, unedited version of herself and her passion and knowledge for fitness and wellness, that she can inspire and help women everywhere to accept and embrace themselves and live a life they love.

Brittany is forever on a mission to find the balance between being a busy business owner, fitness lover, mother, friend and of course herself and just wants to share her experiences and to help you find that balance too.

6. @storyandco

Joanne Zammit is an educator, content creator and fashion lover who is obsessed with guiding others to find their purpose and live a life of gratitude.

Jo has an interesting story. Whether it was struggling with an unknown chronic illness for 20 years, losing her mother very suddenly the day she found out she was pregnant with her now eldest son, having degrees in marketing and primary education or being voted one of Google’s top 20 educators across Australia and New Zealand. Joanne’s goal is to help and inspire others whilst documenting her story for her children, from their mother’s perspective and as a legacy for her late mother.

Story and Co is a collection of stories, education, age old wisdom, curated interiors & fashion which Jo has learnt from her late mother, her journey as a mama and experience as a teacher- all with a healthy dose of gratitude.

Jo lives on acreage in Sydney with her Husband Adam and three children, Hunter, Archie and Evie.

7. @theorganisedhousewife

Katrina Springer is the ‘Organising and Checklist Queen’, and she is also the woman behind The Organised Housewife, one of Australia’s most popular parenting blogs.

Created nearly a decade ago, The Organised Housewife has grown into a one-stop-shop for a daily dose of domestic advice that makes life simpler, tidier, and less chaotic. Kat’s passion and skill in helping other mums create an organised home resonates deeply with her audience, which explains why nearly a million people tune in to her blog each month.

As a mother of three, Kat credits her accomplishments as an award-winning blogger, author, and celebrity ambassador to her children. Her honest and authentic approach has touched the hearts and homes of mums across the country.

This year Kat has released her first cookbook, taken home the 2019 Gold Coast Women of the Year People’s Choice Award, and been appointed Celebrity Ambassador for the Give Me 5 For Kids Campaign.

You can follow Kat on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Keep Reading

MUMPRENEURS

Top 7 influencers to follow in WA

By N/A August 14, 2019

Meet the Western Australian mums making a career on social media.

In recent years we’ve seen the explosion of a brand new profession – social media influencing. Increasingly, new mums take to social media as a creative outlet while adjusting to motherhood, with some building up enough of a following to turn it into a career.

Marketers and brands know that in 2019 audiences are after authenticity, so they flock to these mum’s who are open and honest about their journey through motherhood – the good, the bad and the ‘insta-worthy’.

These influencer mums do a lot more than just post cute photos of their babies; they are content creators, authors, businesswomen and give advice on pregnancy, style, health and fitness. They have created a community of mums who can relate to their struggles and learn from their tips and sometimes just share in a laugh.

Here we’ve collected our favourite influencers to follow for your daily dose of motherhood, fashion and travel and lifestyle inspiration.

1. @ourmessynest

Emma Fletcher is local to Perth, Western Australia and has an interest in sharing local activities for adults and children. With a keen interest in local events, travel, cooking, beauty, animal conservation and supporting charity organisations, Our Messy Nest is a true lifestyle account.

Having recently started her own blog, you’ll find a mix of all these as well as personal pieces both on @ourmessynest and www.ourmessynest.com.au. Staying true to the motivation behind her social media presence, Emma’s five year old son Reed is a constant source of inspiration.

Sharing life as a mother, student, blogger and friend is central to the content shared on these platforms. Emma’s passion for photography has allowed her to connect with other parents to share the ups and downs of parenting, tips on travelling with kids as well as special milestones in her life.

2. @common_wild

Landscape Architect Paula Kuka, began drawing illustrations depicting her experience of motherhood while on maternity leave with her second child. What started as a personal project and an alternative to a traditional baby book, quickly gained popularity as other mums loved seeing their own personal experiences mirrored in these relatable, touching and hilarious cartoons.

Paula’s cartoons have resonated with parents, highlighting the fact that it’s not only the humorous parenting moments but also the intensely emotional and frustrating facets of parenthood that appear to be universal. The main goal of the project has evolved over time as she realised the power the images could have in transforming someone’s challenging day. Using humour, honesty, and vulnerability, the drawings let other mums know they aren’t alone. Paula hopes that the project continues to cheer up exhausted parents and provoke conversations about guilt and the pressure mothers feel.

Paula lives in Perth with her Journalist husband, 4-year-old son and 1-year old daughter and is currently working on publishing a book of her illustrations.

You can buy Paula’s illustrations at www.commonwild.com.au

Casey Lucas of Lucas Girls Love is a happy wife & mother of two young girls, currently saying yes to new adventures and living the little things!

With a career in fashion and styling spanning over 15 years, Casey enjoys the creative outlet of Instagram influencing, while she raises her beautiful daughters. Well known for their ‘twinning’ and Mummy & Me outfits, the Lucas Girls have worked with iconic fashion labels such a Auguste the Label, Infamous Swim, Unreal Fur and Lack of Colour to name a few.

Casey feels that life can be crazy enough and not always sunshine and rainbows, so insists on keeping her Instagram positive and ‘light & fluffy’ so that her posts continue to put a smile on her followers faces.

4. @sugarplumtree_mama

Nicole is a 38 year old influencer blessed with 3 beautiful daughters. Currently her main occupation is juggling #mumlife and social media, however she also has a Bachelor of Science (Molecular Genetics) and worked as a Medical Scientist for 13 years.

When her eldest daughter was 6 months old Nicole opened a children’s clothing company, Sugar Plum Tree, which quickly became very popular. Fans went crazy for the bespoke applique pinafores Nicole designed and sewed herself. However after a stressful, yet rewarding 8 years, and the arrival of her 3rd little sugarplum, Nicole decided it was time to move on.

With a love and passion for all things creative, she found a new love in product styling and photography, and for the past two years has shared these passions online, where you can see snippets of her life as a Mum to three girls, find out about fun Perth events and things to do, follow their regular travels, and learn about some awesome new products they love and recommend.

You can follow Nicole on Instagram and read her blog.

5. @storiesofamum

Since starting in 2015 as a platform for sharing memories of her firstborn daughter Sophie, Stories of a Mum has blossomed into a social media brand built around beautiful photography, small business promotion and storytelling.

Stories of a Mum is an avenue in which to document the good, bad and downright testing days of motherhood as Laura shares her very open and raw journey as a Navy Wife and mother of two little girls. Laura uses her Instagram page to connect with other mothers while drinking wine and eating pizza in her Kmart leggings. If you love honest captions, photos of family home decor, Mum & kid fashion, local Perth child friendly cafes and travel then @Storiesofamum is the account for you.

6. @_emma.gibb

Emma Gibb is a Perth influencer with substance. Just like her insta profile portrays, Emma is a wife, mama and manifester. Happily married with two gorgeous boys, Emma wins more in a month than most people win in a lifetime.

We love Emma’s relatable, funny and down to Earth portrayal of motherhood. We also find her honesty around her mental health struggles inspiring; and love how passionate she is about urging women to get help.

Emma loves working in the Perth CBD as a Commercial Property Manager for a top tier agency but when the corporate work day is over and her boys are tucked lovingly in bed, Emma is getting in that side hustle on Insta.

Not only does Emma create content for top brands like Dyson or HelloFresh, she gives intuitive card readings as @thatgypsymum and promotes her successful online crystal store, thatgypsyshop.com

Image credit: @dealuna.photography

7. @house.of.cubs

Isabel is a Perth blogger and content creator. She is a wife and mother of two boys, Christian, two, and Ethan 6 months. Her husband, Steve, works FIFO. Isabel lived in Spain until her early teens. She has a degree in commerce and a postgraduate degree in corporate governance and gave up her corporate job to have a family. When Christian was 6 months old, she started her Instagram page for fun and in the process discovered her creative passion. She has never looked back.

@house.of.cubs is a collection of photography and stories about their family life. It showcases motherhood, the joys and challenges of raising a young family as well as curated interiors, fashion, products for mums and kids, and her family’s love of the beach, adventure and travelling.

Isabel has recently finished styling Christian’s big boy room. A space where he can play, explore, learn and get lost in imagination! #kidsroominspiration.

Isabel’s family are soon on a 5 week adventure to Europe where she will continue to share the joys and craziness of motherhood whilst travelling with a young family.

Keep Reading

FASHION

Catholic mum declares war on leggings

By Sophie Phoon March 30, 2019

“I’m just a Catholic mother of four sons with a problem that only girls can solve: Leggings.”

In an open letter to The Observer, Catholic mum Maryann White slams leggings for being “so naked, so form-fitting, so exposing”. She urges young ladies to abandon the comfortable garment in favour of jeans so that concerned mothers won’t have “to find scarves to tie over the eyes of their sons to protect them from [girls like] you.”

In her letter to the student-run newspaper at the University of Notre-Dame Indiana, she recounts an incident in which she and her sons were at Catholic Mass and seated behind a group of young women dressed in “very snug-fitting leggings… and short-waisted tops” – saying that the leggings looked as though they had been painted on.

“They didn’t stare, and they didn’t comment afterwards. But you couldn’t help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn’t want to see them — but they were unavoidable.”

“My sons know better than to ogle a woman’s body — certainly when I’m around (and hopefully, also when I’m not). They didn’t stare, and they didn’t comment afterwards. But you couldn’t help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn’t want to see them — but they were unavoidable.”

She draws laughable parallels between leggings and the iconic “slave girl outfit” that Princess Leia is forced to wear in the sci-fi classic Star Wars, saying that the outfit was a way for Jabba the Hutt to “steal her personhood”. Ms White blames the fashion industry for promoting a product that “has caused women to voluntarily expose their nether regions,” and goes on to say that she is ashamed of the young women who choose to wear them.

Responses to the letter, which you can find here, were varied. Some supported the troubled mother, saying that young men are naturally drawn first to a woman’s body. They suggest that these poor young boys can hardly be expected to think with their heads in these cases and that young ladies should cover up.

Others were less enthused by the conservative views touted in what was a declaration of war not only on leggings, but more significantly on a girl’s right to wear whatever she wants.

Students responded with ‘The Legging Protest’ – a day dedicated to wearing and celebrating leggings and the freedom to wear them without a lecture from concerned Catholic mothers.

Just days later, students responded with ‘The Legging Protest’ – a day dedicated to wearing and celebrating leggings and the freedom to wear them without a lecture from concerned Catholic mothers. The event page on Facebook includes a response to Maryann’s letter. They say:

“Leggings are not slave girl outfits and women do not wear them so they can be catcalled or stared at. And no one is forcing us to wear them, but we have the right to wear them, the right to choose what we put on our bodies… The belief that viewing a woman’s bottom is inescapable is the reason that men in our society believe that they have the power and the right to mistreat women.”

Keep Reading

LIFESTYLE