Don't get left out in the cold.

Personally I hate the winter.  It almost makes me dislike the joys of fall because I know it means winter is right behind it.  Sometimes I even resent spring because it never gets here quick enough.  Yes I know that summer brings mosquitoes, sunburn, upper lip perspiration, swamp crotch and fuzzy hair, but I will always prefer being warm to cold.  I hate being cold. We're in the depths of January and my 5 day weather forecast isn't giving me much cause for optimism.  I have been forced to give up my imaginary spring wardrobe planning for the immediate necessity of warm and water proof footwear.  As much as I love Brooklyn, I am always almost seduced by living in different hemisphere this time of year.

The origins of this avid seasonal dislike might come from my Scottish childhood.  We lived in a beautiful old farm house without upstairs heating or modern windows.  It was not unusual to see your breath in the morning when you woke up.  Actually there was one radiator.  You would find my sisters, brother and I huddled around it every morning getting dressed.  We would very carefully divide up the radiator into equal sized sections, place our clothes on top to take the chill off and quickly get dressed. I probably do my childhood a huge disservice telling that story.  It makes it sound like I had a frigid and bleak childhood - it was nothing of the sort.  It was an unbelievably rich, happy, almost idyllic one, but it was certainly cold.

Putting on a brave face with my daughter.

I was my own worst enemy though.  Mini skirts and skimpy blouses didn't really cut it.  It took moving to New York in my 20's to teach me how warm weather dressing is done. New York women just know how to do it every season, every year. 

So how do you do it when you are pregnant?  There are some perks to being pregnant in the winter - your body normally runs much warmer with all the extra blood flowing around you body.  The winter of 2006 and 2008 were definitely the warmest I've ever spent that is for sure.

There is sadly a distinct lack of good down coats out there  that will accommodate a bump or a baby, but here are some current options that we love.

Menonove Puff Coat

Harvest Open Cardigan by Line

Ian Cardigan by Line

Even if Kennedy and subsequent male politicians have found hats a challenge to their masculinity, if masculinity isn't something that concerns you, be grateful that a hat is just another wonderful self expression opportunity, and a warm one!  I was told once that you loose up to 50% of your heat from your head.  It is not a statistic I have any way of proving, but I do know hats have improved my winter comfort enormously.  They also almost always make me feel happier because they can be glorious, absolutely glorious.   

  

My friend Lisa Battaglia is an amazing milliner.  Her hats shouldn't be worn if you are feeling particularly shy because you will be inundated with compliments if you wear one of her creations.  Her incredible collection has actually made me almost look forward to feeling a chill in the air. 

"Swinger" by Lisa Battaglia

"Brooklyn" by Lisa Battaglia

Fashion serves as a pick-me-up in my life.  If you are like me it might be time to invest in something that raises your spirits while you wait - patiently - for the temperatures to go up.

 

Resolving not to make any resolutions.

As 2010 draws to an end, I am resolving not to make any resolutions. I have spent too many years setting myself up to fail before the first 24 hours of the new year have even begun.  


I will not pay for a gym membership I will almost certainly never have the time to use.  I will not buy a journal that will remained unopened. I will not cancel my cable subscription. I will continue to spend too much time on Facebook, and I will not step on a set of scales unless a doctor asks me to. (I would however appreciate it if my daughter would resolve to sleep through the night - I'm pretty tired).

What I will be doing is reflecting on the year that has just past. I will marvel at the twinkle in my son's gorgeous brown eyes, his inquisitive spirit and eagerness to learn. I will reflect on my daughter's first steps, her rapidly expanding vocabulary and joyful exuberance.  I will smile at the memory of all the hugs, kisses and hands held. 

I will also be grateful for one more year of Bump.  Often when people find out that I am a small business owner they ask me tentatively, "how is it going?"  It is not news to anyone that the past 2 years have been hard on everyone.  It has effected us all.  We've all eaten more meals at home, we've returned to the art of family camping vacations, taken the subway more and cabs less, reconsidered the necessity of certain skin or hair care products, brought lunch to work in a brown bag rather than ordering in, and I'm certain that we have all felt a little more grateful for what we have.  

We have all also got a little more creative with our wardrobe.  We have combed sales racks and sample sales, repaired and resoled, rediscovered items long forgotten in storage, accessorized with passion, and we have all considered each purchase much more carefully before we make it.  

We never expected 2010 to be a huge year for Bump.  We expected our customers to delve through the wardrobes of recently pregnant friends and family.  We also expected our customers to stretch their previous wardrobes as far as possible. So we have been even more grateful than ever for every customer who has walked through our doors.  We know there are maternity alternatives, some less expensive and more convenient, so that people have chosen to come to Bump makes us feel very fortunate. 


Our business is not only a small one, but it is a family business and a business that is very personal to us. We bump (forgive the pun) into our customers on the subway, on the street, in the play ground, in restaurants and at our children's schools.  We feel unbelievably privileged to be part of an incredible, life changing journey.  We have got to know our customers children, partners, mothers, fathers, grandparents and friends.  We have given tissues for tears, pads for leaking boobs, a bathroom for bladders under pressure, curtains for a game of peek-a-boo, a comfortable chair for nursing, and space for diaper changes.


We love what we do and are so happy that we can continue doing it.  So wether you make resolutions or not, we wish everyone all the love, kisses and hugs 2011 can muster up, and thank you for your support, friendship and exceptional company.


Bump  

Shoes

I love shoes. It hasn't always been the case. Growing up on a farm it was function above fashion, although I will say I was wearing Hunter wellies 20 years before they were chic. I was once caught hacking away at the toes of very practical pair of laces ups with a handsaw having been told that I could get a new pair when the current ones 'wore out'. I improvised.

My affection for footwear began when I moved to New York 12 years ago and I would find myself foot gazing on the subway longing for the confidence and budget to wear some of the exquisite styles I saw. My confidence and budget have come and gone in waves over the years, but I rest well at night knowing that I have some divine pairs waiting safe and sound in their dust bags for the right moment to make an appearance.

My footwear needs have changed with motherhood and I'm always looking for a comfortable yet stylish pair of shoes. A lot of customers have asked us about great shoes for pregnancy, so when a line of shoes by Sue London was suggested to us we were hopeful that we might have found the perfect match for Bump.

When we visited their Meatpacking store on Wednesday we went in wearing ballet flats and left wishing we were wearing Sue London ballet flats! They are quite simply the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever put on - definitely no need to break them in. Made from the softest leather, with a wonderfully cushioned sole and just the perfect amount of toe-cleavage. We were sold as soon as we put them on.

So starting tomorrow, we're really excited to be Brooklyn's only destination to buy these wonderful ballet flats. We'll be carrying them initially black, silver, gold and a really rich mauve. While they are definitely not inexpensive at $168, we really hope that the comfort, style and longevity of the shoes will win everyone over the same way they did us. I for one will certainly have a much more stylish spring in my step as I walk to work (or the playground) this spring!

Spring Fever

If I was the athletic type, I probably would have done cartwheels down the sidewalk yesterday in what felt like the first real day of spring.

New York winters can feel long, especially with 2 young children at home who seem to have inherited my dislike for the cold weather. Now I have to show some restraint and not start packing up my winter clothes, sprucing up my toes with a pedicure for open toed shoes, and leaving the house without a coat. I know I'll regret it (except maybe the pedicure). I do however plan to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts but I know that weather can be flighty and can dampen my enthusiasm quicker than I reach for a cup of coffee each morning.

Spring also brings with it the challenge of transitional season dressing. We recently photographed some of our favorite styles for our website and this outfit is a great option. The jeans are a straight leg option from J Brand ($187). The denim is super soft and light weight, so you wont feel restricted when the temperatures really start to soar. The blouse is by Yumi Kim, a contemporary designer we adore whose vintage inspired silk prints drape beautifully while pregnant or not.

So here's to keeping the windows open, playing with my children outside and planning a pedicure in the not so distant future!

Fashion Week - mother of 2 style

It never quite makes sense to me that I can be awake at 6am yet still struggling to get out the door by 9am. I should be washed, groomed, dressed, caffeinated and fed, with time to spare to read the newspaper. You'd think.

So if getting out the house on any given morning can be a challenge, getting ready to attend the New York fashion trade shows is quite another story. They are attended by some of the most stylish, elegant and well put together women you'll ever meet. A daunting crowd to spend a Sunday with.

Standards have to be set.

I would say that as a rule of thumb, if you can't remember when the last time was you washed your hair - it's time to wash it. Washing, however, is the easy part. What to wear is the big question. When in doubt, I always reach for black. My black skinny pants however are lying beside the bed, where I left them 2 days ago, and our grey & white cat is sleeping on them. A lint brush would be nice but packing tape will have to do. My black cardigan is still smeared in my daughter's dinner. My glasses, which take much frantic searching to locate, have fared just about as well as everything else and are covered in little sticky finger prints.

Yet somehow at 9:10 I am out the door. I turn back to see my blueberry pancake covered children have their faces pressed against the sitting room window, still in their pajamas, waving goodbye frantically and blowing kisses. It makes up for the fact that the brown boots, patchy black pants, shirt and navy blue coat aren't really the outfit I was hoping for.

I always get excited by New York Fashion Week. An occupational hazard I suppose. We always look at the non-maternity styles first for Bump. At the very beginning when we were envisioning Bump we always planned on fusing non-mater nity fashion with maternity styles. During our first pregnancies (pre-Bump) we both wore a lot of contemporary fas hions and believe that our customers would appreciate buying styles from us that cad a wardrobe life that would extend after pregnancy. For us it has become a fundamental component for store.

We saw some absolutely beautiful styles that we're excited to bring in for fall and winter. Exquisite fabrics that drape beautifully - pregnant or not. Soft grey, camel, blue and purple tones. Less bold prints than we've seen this year with the exception of Daughter of the Revolution, a fabulous line from California that we adore (pictured).

Next we will be looking at maternity styles. We will continue to hand pick styles that stay true to next seasons trends while offering the best maternity fit. Our goal, as it has always been is for our customers to be able to give up wine, coffee, sushi - not fashion.

www.bumpbrooklyn.com