About the blog- What is FearyChic?

Hello all and welcome to blog! You can call me Sami and I am aiming to create myself a Feary Chic Wardrobe. Your first question may be: What the heck does that even mean? Well, basically I am a lover of alternate fashion who does not want to give that up due to the restraints of motherhood, I want to dress like a fabulous fairy even when I am breastfeeding, changing pooey nappies and running around after crazy toddlers on play equipment.

About a year ago, when my daughter was just over one, I did a clear out of my wardrobe as part of a house wide decluttering mission, I couldn't help but notice that all the clothes I had purchased in the last year were the ones to go, and strangely enough, they were all from Kmart. All the clothes that I had purchased either online or from random independent shops I'd come across were the ones I'd kept, and had kept for 7-10 years. I then realised that in becoming a mother, I had given up my fashion and my style. Now, some people may argue "what's wrong with kmart clothes?" or "why be so concerned with appearances and vanity?" well you're not wrong, but if alternate fashion has always been a passion of yours and a primary way of expressing yourself, it's hard to see it go.

I made the decision to revamp my wardrobe to be what I want it to be. However, I came across a few snags, a few major snags. The first one being that fairy clothes are EXPENSIVE and we're on one income. the reason they are expensive is because most are handmade and not "made in china" labor prices, so while I do own some of these items, they are few and far between as I only get to spend money on clothes that people give me for my birthday, and that usually covers about one garment.

The second being that most items gave me the reaction "I can't mum in that!". seriously, there is some stuff that is just impossible to mum in. There is a very good reason that the "mum wardrobe" is what it is, stretch pants with just a breastfeeding t-shirt (or just a comfy t-shirt if your child is older) because of what we do. I wake up in the morning after broken sleep to a newborn who wants boob and a nappy change, shortly after I am greeted by a hungry demanding toddler banging on her door yelling "mumma!". When I go to leave the house I also have to dress said toddler, who sometimes decides she doesn't want to be dressed and also needs a nappy change, which she also doesn't always want, while trying to prepare food for day, and get the baby into his capsule. I REALLY don't want to be fiddling with lace up corseting straps and buckles with pretty lace bits that need to sit "just right". I also can't wear halter neck items as my back and neck will be killing me at the end of the day. You don't want to be wishing you were wearing more comfortable clothes as you're dealing with a neck ache, on top of stopping a toddler from running out onto the road, while you have a baby on your boob.

The combination of these two snags has lead to me sitting on a few $100 going through etsy thinking "do I REALLY want to spend this much money on a garment that needs tinkering or isn't ideal for having children? will I actually wear this? Or will I just wear it once and find it to impractical". Now, I am pretty handy with a sewing machine, I used to be a toy/dollmaker, but have never really had to guts to venture into clothes before (trying to make the durable and comfortable is scary). But I've realised that at least some stuff will have to be made by me to make it work. Or at least altered.

So, what will this blog be about in a nut shell? Is this just going to be another "Mummy blog?" well, sort of. Primarily this is a fashion blog, but the fact that I'm a mum will come up quite a bit as it governs what I can and can't wear so strictly. But it won't have any articles about whether or not breast is best, or who's fault it is when a child falls into a gorilla enclosure, or if baby wearing is better than a pram. It will just be about fashion, who knows, you may not even have kids and find it useful just for practical fairy clothes if you value comfort. This blog will cover items I have made myself (and hopefully instructions on how I did it) but will also review the items I have found online/in store and why I think they are awesome for child raising.

Fair warning, this blog WILL have breastfeeding pictures in it, as the ability to breastfeed in clothes is essential to many mums, so if this bothers you than this blog is not for you. I will be posting some blogs that may give you an insight into my life and glimpses of my parenting style, I do NOT wish to be criticized on how I parent. I've stated that this is not a "political parenting blog" so I'd rather that sort of stuff just be left out.

For now I won't be selling or planning on selling anything that is made/designed by me. Mainly due to time restraints really, the last time I tried to run a sewing business orders went way over as I couldn't keep up with deadlines due to the children. Also I haven't had enough practice making clothes to promise that they won't fall apart after a few wears (that would be awkward).

In conclusion, if you love alternate fashion but also need clothes that are comfortable and easy to wear, you'll like seeing what I unearth as I spend many late nights feeding and looking at clothes on the internet. If you think that you're clothes fit the descriptions of what I'm after, send me a link and I'll happily take a look and purchase if I like what I see! I hope to see you all very soon!

love,

Sami