Dressing Up Your Nursing Bras

If you follow me over on instagram then you'll become aware, by looking at my pictures, that I basically just wear the same black Anita nursing bra non-stop. I have the exact same bra in white as well, and another in black with a floral pattern on it. These three bras get worn on rotation, being washed every second wear and rarely making it back into my underwear drawer before I'm in need of one again.

But this is not the way I have always been when it comes to lingerie! I didn't even own a plain t-shirt bra before pregnancy, much preferring daring designs and colours concealed beneath my clothing. But alas, there's not too much on the market in that way for nursing bras in my size. Alongside that, us Mama's often find ourselves unwilling to splash out on excess bras that we may only be wearing for a short time, so a few basics are always necessary. However that doesn't mean that the rest of our lingerie look has to be simplistic!

So here's where this post comes in. In it I've compiled a few ideas of ways you could dress up your nursing bras if you're like me and are more Dita Von Teese than Calvin Klein. And this would work for any plain bras, if you're looking for a way to get a bit more mileage out of them without investing in a whole new set.

Fancy Pants

First things first, the most easy way to jazz up your nursing bra look is to get yourself some lovely pants. Silk, lace, patterned, frilly... The choices are endless! Go cheeky in something ouvert or ultra femme with a big bow. Even something simple but fun like my Starwars pants. Just whatever makes you feel good!

Accessorize

There are numerous little add-ons which you can buy to give that extra something to a lingerie outfit. Maybe a collar, like this one from Gigi Noir? They also do some fab ears and cuffs. I personally have a weakness for garters- they're not just for your wedding day! I always feel like a 20s flapper when I've got one on, especially this one, pictured above, which is an Esty Lingerie design. Estelle also does a number of accessories which you can attach to your bras. Below is an example of one which she designed for her 100 Days Project. These are great if you're really into that strappy lingerie trend that's so popular right now. 

Harnesses

So I've already mentioned how obsessed I am with harnesses. These are again perfect if you're into the strappy look but can't find anything in your size. This one on the left is again from Esty Lingerie and is currently at a reduced price! But if you do have a bit more cash to splash I would highly recommend Karolina Laskowska's designs like this agate harness on the right which is currently in her outlet along with a few other designs. Other companies which do beautiful pieces which would be great for layering are ones like Battie Clothing, or Hopeless Lingerie which I would own so much of if it weren't for customs charges.

Make an outfit out of it!

Wearing stockings and a suspender belt makes me feel more put together than anything else ever will and its pretty simple to find a suspender belt which will match a plain black bra. However, my favourite oufit always incorporates my Kiss Me Deadly cupless vargas dress. Because there is no integrated bra you can wear it with your own so it doesn't matter what size you are! Plus it has a double layer of power mesh around the stomach area which smooths out any postnatal wobbly bits.

These are just a few of the ways I've found make it easy to jazz up my nursing bras and help me feel pretty through those few difficult months immediate to giving birth when you have to get used to your new body. Please comment with any of your own ideas and tricks and remember to give me a follow on social media in order to keep up with my posts! Thanks for reading.

Lorna Drew 'Alexa' Review

For some reason I had this idea throughout my pregnancy that once I'd given birth my bra size would decrease from my then 30GG back to my prenatal size of a 30FF. I was dreaming of those beautiful Mimi Holliday nursing bras, Elle Macpherson's collection, and absolutely any with underwire that I could get my hands on. So when one week in to breastfeeding I found myself spilling out of my nursing bras I was pretty annoyed. I got measured (something which I'm going to recommend pregnant ladies get done every few months!) and sure enough I had gone up another two cup sizes and reached a 30HH. This size is difficult enough to find in regular bras, never mind nursing bras. Thankfully, I discovered Lorna Drew shortly after, and in particular, the Alexa.

I first bought the leopard print version, something which is very unlike me, but I was instantly in love. So much so that I recently decided that living with only four bras on rotation was proving too difficult and seeing as it was in the ASOS sale, I needed to expand my collection to include this gorgeous Ice Blue colourway.

I love the almost vintage style of this bra with it's contrast cups and the thick white seam running down the centre and around the bottom edge. The shape it gives me is also quite reminiscent of vintage style cone bras with the construction and lack of underwire resulting in an almost pointed shape. This is probably partially due to my bottom heavy breasts and something to take in to consideration if you prefer a more rounded shape. Because of the lack of underwire don't expect the gore to tack on this bra either. Sometimes this can give your chest that not so flattering uni-boob shape in maternity and comfort bras, but the three part cups here act to separate and accentuate.

 I will say this as well, the Alexa styles give me the best uplift that I have ever found in a non-wire soft cup bra. I tried so many of these while I was pregnant and they all gave me a really droopy look, especially under clothing, but this bra is the closest to the level of perkiness that you normally expect from underwires. So if you're sticking with the suggestion that you shouldn't wear underwired bras while pregnant and breastfeeding then this is the one for you.

Fit-wise I'm pretty happy with the Alexa. The band is super snug so if you don't like that feeling then maybe consider sister sizing up a band size. However I personally like that because it makes me feel really supported. I also don't quite fill out the bottoms of the cups but the fabric at the top would definitely cut in to my breast tissue if I were to try a cup size down. This is probably just due to the lack of underwires again and it's not really a big deal anyway.

As for the briefs, they're super comfortable and the wide stretchy band along the front would definitely ensure that they would also be suitable for pregnant ladies too. Just watch the sizing on these because Lorna Drew is one of those companies which describes a UK 8-10 as an XS, which is the size I'm wearing here.

Overall I'm super happy with my Alexa set, it's a really original design compared to a lot of other nursing bras and comes in an amazing expanse of sizes: all the way from a 30B up to a 38J. The colours are great for summer if you wear tons of white like me, and it's really easy to nurse in too. It's still available in the ASOS sale here in a few sizes as well as the leopard print colourway.

Current Top 5 Lingerie Picks

Hi there, and welcome to my lingerie blog! I'm E and I thought for my first post I could do a short introduction and then show you my current favourite pieces. I am a 21 year old history of art student, married to the long suffering C and mama to my gorgeous baby RoRo. I gave birth not too long ago and I'm still breastfeeding him so expect a lot of stretch marks and nursing bras! I've been slowly building up my collection of lingerie for the past few years and it's finally gotten to the point where I feel I need to share it with someone, so here's where this blog comes in. It was really hard to whittle my choices down to just five but here you have them... 

Mimi Hollliday Mr Whippy Silk Crepe Teddy

This was gifted to me by a very generous friend and fellow lingerie blogger, The Lamb. She decided to spoil me for my 21st and she certainly succeeded! This is probably the prettiest thing I own and I feel so good when I wear it. The silk is so soft against my skin and the cut is really flattering. Not many nightwear pieces can accommodate my current 30HH bust and still look this good, so props to Mimi Holliday.

Karolina Laskowska Kaoru Upcycle Kimono Silk Bow Harness

I. Love. Harnesses. They are the best way to really take an outfit to the next level, in my opinion, whether that be underwear or outerwear. And this is by far my favourite harness that I own. I absolutely adore everything that Karolina does with her designs, they're like nothing else in the lingerie world and I can't wait to invest in a full set once my bust (hopefully) goes down to it's pre-pregnancy/pre-breastfeeding size.

Kiss Me Deadly Elle Robe

Kiss Me Deadly are another of my favourite lingerie designers, I love their vintage yet modern styles which never fail to make me feel glamorous. Case in point, this robe which my husband gave me last year for our first anniversary together. I was busy feeling down about the fact that everything about my body was changing and I couldn't fit into any of my pretty bras any more when this arrived. Thanks to its empire waist I could wear it while I had my big bump and slink around the flat feeling like a superstar. I still do this now, just while avoiding stepping on baby toys and getting puked on.

Vollers Cerise Chinese Passion Waspie

I'm all for embracing my post-pregnancy body (this thing made a baby and carried him for 9 months!) but sometimes I want a little bit of cinching in. While this corset is far from tight-lacing and waist-training, it does the job for me in creating a nice smooth line under clothes and emphasising my waist. I picked it up in the Coco de Mer sale for a fraction of the original price and it's still available here if anyone wants to join me in looking and feeling this fabulous.

Topshop Star Wars Pants

Yeah, these are actually my all time favourite pants. I'm a geek at heart and like representing that with my underwear sometimes. Plus, every girl needs some period panties that she still feels cool wearing while surfing the crimson wave. The joys.

So there you have it! Please comment if you've read this with some of your favourite pieces and give me a follow on twitter and instagram so you can keep up with my posts. Thanks for reading!