Once when I lived in London, before I was a wife, a mother of three children and an owner of an apparel company, a close friend of mine said the very famous sentence “you can’t buy style!”
We were sitting in a corner café and a woman walked by our window wearing an oversized long heavy coat, high heels, lots of expensive looking jewelry and a very tight skirt. Observing her, she did not look comfortable or happy, there was a real disconnect from her overdressed, constricted appearance and the foggy, busy street of the inner city, the reason for my friend’s style comment, I guess.
I believe style is a very personal matter, it often reflects how a person feels wearing his/her clothes and that expression is often noticeable. My friend who was sitting with me in the London café happens to be a person that by my definition “just has style”. His clothing always expresses and reflects his life style! When he went clubbing he would wear flattering sports clothes, jeans and fashionable sneakers so he could dance all night long and when he went to work he would wear the casual, but smooth ironed collar shirt that could carry him comfortably to a drink afterwards at the nearest pub without sacrificing style or comfort.
Most people look great if they feel good, and feeling good often has to do with comfort which translates into the fit of the garment, the quality of the fabric and the right function to support the person’s lifestyle. Fashion has always been a big passion in my life, but I am very hesitant to follow trends which sacrifice comfort. I can not deal with heels that are too high for walking, or a jean that is too low cut and exposes too much skin, and I generally refuse a fabric that is too constrictive or synthetic. The discomfort associated with some clothing leaves me feeling stressed out!
I like to move in clothes that feel like a second skin on the body. As a new mother, my craving for stylish clothing that enhanced my new lifestyle led me to seek clothes that helped me to be active while raising small children, while also accommodating my body as it adjusted first to a growing belly and growing breasts and then the whole way back!
When my first daughter was only a couple of weeks old, that same friend visited me here in NYC. We were now sitting in a restaurant in Soho and I was struggling to breastfeed my newborn with a regular nursing bra. I hated to expose my post partum belly and I was fumbling around with the weird slits in my nursing shirt until I gave up and just lifted up the entire shirt. My friend felt my discomfort (it was plain to see!) and a couple of days later when he was back in the UK, I received a post card from him with a photograph of the model Jerry Hall, lounging on a couch with a fur coat paired with a black, cotton slip dress, with one strap of the dress pulled down as she breastfed her son Gabriel Jagger. On the post card he wrote “They all do it!” Jerry Hall had her belly covered in a fashionable way (simply her dress), just what I wanted, but she needed to actually remove the top part of her outerwear dress in order to nurse. Staring at the photo, I began to realize that I needed to somehow make the outerwear discretion function as a nursing bra as well! She looked so comfortable and at ease, - her task of breastfeeding was integrated into her lifestyle at that time of her life in the photograph, she looked like a true “glamourmom” to me…!
An Idea
I have always seen amazing creativity within my own children. For instance, the way my daughters played dress up as preschoolers. If they needed a crown to complete a princess outfit, but did not have one, a sparkling necklace was then folded three times and worn as the missing piece. Everything needed for their play was found or created from the unspoiled imagination of the children – original visions - of what might possibly fit snugly together or what might look beautiful, and what could be done using only limited resources and materials in new creative ways. Because it’s all so new, the children are not bound by any existing standards dictating how something can or can’t be used and therefore like a fresh, uncolored act and play –the outcome is often completely unexpected results!
Sometimes the greatest ideas on the market are introduced by people who do not work in, or are not formally educated in, the industry where the idea might be successfully utilized. I came up with the concept of the Glamourmom® Nursing Bra Tank when I had my first daughter over nine years ago – a very personal revelation which I translated into a functioning item of clothing. Prior to that time, I had worked as a freelance journalist and assistant editor and had no formal experience in the apparel industry. But I was a breastfeeding mother, and therefore I faced the hurdles and needs that go along with nursing your baby every day, and I was very frustrated with the lack of stylish and functional nursing solutions available in the apparel market. I needed a tank top that could cover my post partum belly. I needed access to nurse my newborn. I needed more breast support than I ever had before. And beyond utility, I wanted my pre-pregnancy style back! I wanted fashion!! Without any type of garment available which could provide for me all of the things I wanted, I set out to design and sew my own sample garment based on my vision. Once I completed the sample, I began to realize that perhaps other mothers might desire the same thing. I tucked my newborn daughter into her baby carrier and began knocking on doors in the garment district in NYC.
Though determined, I was disappointed when the reaction from many was initially cold. While I thought my new design solved so many of my personal issues, the industry was slow to accept its usefulness. Many told me that the design was odd. Many did not understand that my design was very flexible and could be worn both alone and as an undershirt beneath regular clothing. Many did not understand that the design provided great support.
Today, I am extraordinarily proud to have created something that has revolutionized the nursing apparel market, by conceiving and following through on an idea, totally arising from my personal need, but eventually recognized as a need for many new moms!
Though I feel that I am now a more experienced player in the apparel industry, I strive to keep my mind unspoiled by what traditional “designers” might recommend as best fitting together or, what might currently sell best within an established trend. I consciously look within myself for inspiration, examining my experiences as a mom, observing other moms and their needs, and finally, I always seek stimulus from the most creative source of all, my children……
Sometimes the greatest ideas on the market are introduced by people who do not work in, or are not formally educated in, the industry where the idea might be successfully utilized. I came up with the concept of the Glamourmom® Nursing Bra Tank when I had my first daughter over nine years ago – a very personal revelation which I translated into a functioning item of clothing. Prior to that time, I had worked as a freelance journalist and assistant editor and had no formal experience in the apparel industry. But I was a breastfeeding mother, and therefore I faced the hurdles and needs that go along with nursing your baby every day, and I was very frustrated with the lack of stylish and functional nursing solutions available in the apparel market. I needed a tank top that could cover my post partum belly. I needed access to nurse my newborn. I needed more breast support than I ever had before. And beyond utility, I wanted my pre-pregnancy style back! I wanted fashion!! Without any type of garment available which could provide for me all of the things I wanted, I set out to design and sew my own sample garment based on my vision. Once I completed the sample, I began to realize that perhaps other mothers might desire the same thing. I tucked my newborn daughter into her baby carrier and began knocking on doors in the garment district in NYC.
Though determined, I was disappointed when the reaction from many was initially cold. While I thought my new design solved so many of my personal issues, the industry was slow to accept its usefulness. Many told me that the design was odd. Many did not understand that my design was very flexible and could be worn both alone and as an undershirt beneath regular clothing. Many did not understand that the design provided great support.
Today, I am extraordinarily proud to have created something that has revolutionized the nursing apparel market, by conceiving and following through on an idea, totally arising from my personal need, but eventually recognized as a need for many new moms!
Though I feel that I am now a more experienced player in the apparel industry, I strive to keep my mind unspoiled by what traditional “designers” might recommend as best fitting together or, what might currently sell best within an established trend. I consciously look within myself for inspiration, examining my experiences as a mom, observing other moms and their needs, and finally, I always seek stimulus from the most creative source of all, my children……
A Cherry!
My fourth grade daughter was sitting in the back of the car reading a “friends book” and the themes were “what colors are your friends” and what “fruit or vegetable is your best friend?” All of a sudden she looked up and said “Mommy you are a cherry because you are always on top of things!” My immediate response was “really, thank you I am so happy to hear that!” and I was actually truly happy in some way because I sometimes feel the opposite.
With a busy schedule things can easily slip through the cracks and a feeling of guilt can become forever bothersome, like a little tweak in the eye throughout the day or night, when I forget to remind my young preschooler about his “show and tell” that day or never getting around to letting one of my hard working employees know that they are doing a fantastic job working late so many days in a row. Observing the business that started when I was breastfeeding the same fourth grader that pronounced me to be a cherry in the back of the car, my daughter has always seen me with an endless To Do list of what to remember. She has always had a mother who wanted to do more all of the time, multitasking without skipping many beats. A mother who wanted to be there for her kids, but also very motivated by a vision and an idea of a business. I am secretly asking myself in my head “is a cherry also controlling, would it be better to be cool like a cucumber?”…..maybe, I don’t know, but what I have learned is that when building a business while raising a family, you need to stay on top of things the best you can so no one suffers. I chose to be a mother and a business owner and so I strive always to utilize my time efficiently as best as I can to maintain a healthy balance.
By writing down daily schedules from swim classes to school assignments, lunch schedules, pediatricians and dentist appointments, play dates, grocery shopping and fieldtrips..(does it ever end?) We do our best to make the children be on time, have an active lifestyle and the result is hopefully a better functioning family. By writing down deadlines at work and keeping a calendar to organize the day, I am able to manage the staff so we can reach our goals together in a more productive and stress free environment. By doing both, I ultimately save time - which means more time to myself and my family and hey…. a cherry is also sweeter than a cucumber, right?!
With a busy schedule things can easily slip through the cracks and a feeling of guilt can become forever bothersome, like a little tweak in the eye throughout the day or night, when I forget to remind my young preschooler about his “show and tell” that day or never getting around to letting one of my hard working employees know that they are doing a fantastic job working late so many days in a row. Observing the business that started when I was breastfeeding the same fourth grader that pronounced me to be a cherry in the back of the car, my daughter has always seen me with an endless To Do list of what to remember. She has always had a mother who wanted to do more all of the time, multitasking without skipping many beats. A mother who wanted to be there for her kids, but also very motivated by a vision and an idea of a business. I am secretly asking myself in my head “is a cherry also controlling, would it be better to be cool like a cucumber?”…..maybe, I don’t know, but what I have learned is that when building a business while raising a family, you need to stay on top of things the best you can so no one suffers. I chose to be a mother and a business owner and so I strive always to utilize my time efficiently as best as I can to maintain a healthy balance.
By writing down daily schedules from swim classes to school assignments, lunch schedules, pediatricians and dentist appointments, play dates, grocery shopping and fieldtrips..(does it ever end?) We do our best to make the children be on time, have an active lifestyle and the result is hopefully a better functioning family. By writing down deadlines at work and keeping a calendar to organize the day, I am able to manage the staff so we can reach our goals together in a more productive and stress free environment. By doing both, I ultimately save time - which means more time to myself and my family and hey…. a cherry is also sweeter than a cucumber, right?!
Timing
The other day a friend of mine with grown teenage children said “you spent years asking your kids to please sit down while having dinner and then all of a sudden one day..they just sit.” As a mother you learn that some of the things you are teaching your child over and over again might one day happen. You are struggling as a breastfeeding mother to have your baby latch on to the breast, guiding the rooting mouth searching for food, being patient with your cracked and sore nipples in pain, trying and trying until it finally happens; or you are helping your first grader learn how to put all the letters together correctly to form the words and then sentences and then read…like a code that just at the right moment clicks and a world opens full of new possibilities.
I feel that this patience, persistence and unyielding faith that it will happen at the right time is also critical when building a business. Like blocks you build by doing and keep doing while believing that what you are aiming for will happen when the time is right! What I have learned from being a mother and a business owner is that you don’t always know how long it will take to reach your goal, that every project has its own time depending on many factors, but if you keep at it, time might pull it all together like a puzzle, a new stepping stone to the next challenge and level of development. The puzzle may reflect practical sequences like your child can not run before he walks or you can’t sell a product before you have production and material to promote. There are things you only have some control over, for instance, when will the economy allow customers to purchase more or when have you learned enough to realize the breastfeeding act or the new marketing strategy is actually working.
One thing I have experienced in both professional and personal matters is that there are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. The most rewarding feeling is to watch your child trying to manage riding the bike, after many times of wobbling on the seat maintaining balance - running after her scared of every little fall and pretending that everything is going sooo fine and then one day she rushes by me perfectly balanced with her long ponytail flying out underneath the helmet. I find it similar to having an idea of a product and then going through the process of making it just how you have visioned it down to the last detail, and then hearing the positive energy from a very happy mom that just purchased it from a local store or from this website. Being a mother and a business owner is about enjoying the ride, aiming for goals, being present, listening, not giving up, being there and again doing the best you can, knowing that your hard work will show through just at the right time!
I feel that this patience, persistence and unyielding faith that it will happen at the right time is also critical when building a business. Like blocks you build by doing and keep doing while believing that what you are aiming for will happen when the time is right! What I have learned from being a mother and a business owner is that you don’t always know how long it will take to reach your goal, that every project has its own time depending on many factors, but if you keep at it, time might pull it all together like a puzzle, a new stepping stone to the next challenge and level of development. The puzzle may reflect practical sequences like your child can not run before he walks or you can’t sell a product before you have production and material to promote. There are things you only have some control over, for instance, when will the economy allow customers to purchase more or when have you learned enough to realize the breastfeeding act or the new marketing strategy is actually working.
One thing I have experienced in both professional and personal matters is that there are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. The most rewarding feeling is to watch your child trying to manage riding the bike, after many times of wobbling on the seat maintaining balance - running after her scared of every little fall and pretending that everything is going sooo fine and then one day she rushes by me perfectly balanced with her long ponytail flying out underneath the helmet. I find it similar to having an idea of a product and then going through the process of making it just how you have visioned it down to the last detail, and then hearing the positive energy from a very happy mom that just purchased it from a local store or from this website. Being a mother and a business owner is about enjoying the ride, aiming for goals, being present, listening, not giving up, being there and again doing the best you can, knowing that your hard work will show through just at the right time!
Dear all you Glamourmoms
In this blog I would like to share stories from my life as the mom of three healthy and active children and a full-time job at Glamourmom. When I look at my calendar and prepare for the week on a Sunday evening, I know already that it will be a challenge. I know that my mind will be overloaded with data remembering school projects, gym clothes, library books, playdates, birthday parties and important business meetings, emails and deadlines at work; but when it all seems a little too hectic, I do one thing just for myself every day (almost every day)…a short break to read a glossy magazine, a phone call to a dear friend or I squeeze in a yoga class. When there is no time, I try and make the time…sprinkle a little glamour on the over spilling cocktail of my life and it will keep me going!
So do one good thing just for yourself today, be a Glamourmom and come back again and follow my blog “From Mom to Glamourmom!”
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