The Journey of Matre Style
I have spent what feels like forever trying to find clothes that fit my new body.
Like most moms, I struggled with how to dress after having my first child. And I grappled with guilt for resenting the miraculous vessel that not only created a whole new human, but also was feeding it. What sorcery!
Nothing fit. My maternity clothes were somehow too big, and my largest-sized pre-pregnancy pants were now too small. Not to mention, I now had a 6 inch scar across my belly that felt itchy and numb when a fabric or zipper touched it. I wanted clothing that I felt comfortable and confident in, that didn’t require me to give up the tiny bit of self I still had.
Before becoming a parent I had worked hard to figure out my style. My career is rooted in fashion in publishing at Seventeen and New York magazine, then as one of the first social media employees in fashion PR, going backstage at New York Fashion Week for designers like Vivienne Tam and Elie Tahari. Eventually I ran social media campaigns for clients like Diane Von Furstenberg, J.Brand, and David Yurman. I learned more about the ins and outs of designer and contemporary brands while at Saks and then more about retail cycles and how product comes to life at a mass retailer like Gap.
This decade of experience taught me how to build my wardrobe and uniform in a way that worked for me —the right style of jeans, the right t-shirt, the right dress cut. I researched and invested in the pieces everyone says to invest in to enhance my wardrobe. I had a look. I felt confident every time I left the house.
Then, I had my first child and my whole world — sartorial and otherwise — was flipped upside down. I had to start all over. To make matters more challenging, we moved from New York to San Francisco in 2020, just before the Covid pandemic hit. Almost overnight, I went from relying on a closet full of fun work clothes fit for four seasons to needing a practical stay at home mom wardrobe that worked in the Bay’s balmy, year round climate.
Maybe it was pandemic anxiety working itself out, but in 2020 I made it my mission to find the Perfect Bike Short. They were all the rage and totally functional; bike shorts stayed up while I chased my toddler. Jeans were too restricting, dresses too flowy, elastic shorts got pulled down by my phone in the pocket. But bike shorts! Ah, they were perfect. So, I did what any type-A, double Virgo would do. I made a spreadsheet. Over the next 4 months I purchased and returned almost 50 pairs of bike shorts. I researched and studied for length, comfort, cameltoe, phone-fit, and affordability. You could say I wanted to be the Wirecutter of bike shorts. And wouldn’t you know it — this enthusiasm for bike shorts even got me featured in the New York Times.
Bike shorts functioned perfectly for me and stylistically, but they are also form fitting and leave nothing to the imagination. It’s ALL out there. Before I knew it, I was struggling with every single body insecurity I have ever known while overwhelmed with the relentless messaging around postpartum bodies. I eventually realized I had a choice: I could stick with my old ideas of what a body should be OR I could focus on how I show up and for myself and my family, clothing size be damned.
So I focused on showing up.
When I got pregnant with Baby #2, the process started over. My new body that I was learning to love, dress, and feel confident in was changing again. I was frustrated and defeated.
It was around this time that I discovered the word “matrescence” - literally, the physical, emotional and psychological process of becoming a mother. Why should the most challenging and rewarding experience of someone’s life be saddled with the ups and downs of finding the right thing to wear?
I wanted it to be better. I wanted to show up for women who are working so hard to show up for themselves, to help them look and feel good in this season of their life.
And so Matre Style was born: a personalized styling service dedicated to helping you find clothes for your new body that make you feel like you again without all the frustrations that don’t.
