To hate those “Mother” / “Mama” / “Mutha” sweatshirts / jumpers?!

[jaffacakemonster]

Those jumpers emblazoned with the words “Mother” / “Mama” / “Mutha” etc. that seem to have been around for a couple of years now – am I alone in finding them just beyond annoying? I find them just unbearably smug, contrived, attention-seeking, cringeworthy… especially as I am currently (desperately) TTC. I think they are kind of rubbing my nose in it a bit, I could be over-sensitive, but aside from that, I just think they are DEEPLY uncool anyway and I would not be seen dead in one! Just smacks of wanting to look like an instamum to me. ABIU?

@kitty I don’t think it is that bigger deal, you either like them or you don’t and I agree. I think people are upset because she slagged off forums and insulted many customers. I think it’s great her business has been successful-genuinely- but I unfollowed a while back because I don’t like her posts or account. I don’t like the insta-magazine. I was never keen on the tops for myself, I bought one as a gift but now I would not again.
@nerrsnerr neither is exclusive, many people use both, that’s why she offended people. I agree that people should just wear whatever they want, but these products are no longer different, they are like a uniform round here!

Is this the post everyone's talking about because I can't see that she's 'slagging off all forum users'. She said there's lovely people too.

If I was in business and someone called it Smug I'd probably have to answer back but that's probably why I'm not a business woman

Why do people need this constant validation anyway. A movie gets bad reviews, what of it, a new trend in jumpers ditto.

I also don’t get CH and all that lot chasing down and leaping on posts about mn to have a good go. It happens often. (Didn’t Mn S&B build her up to start with?)

Nah better just to leave it imo. A few posts on here, not worth highlighting in order to get all this.

@Mightymousie what actual part of what she said offended people? The 'who goes on a forum nowadays' (or whatever she said) bit? Is that really worth getting offended over?

Is it a problem they're not different? Not everyone wants different. I don't see many where I live but that's probably due to the price tag.

@nerrsnerr when the majority of posts occurred on here and people got upset there was a huge number of comments below her post. (A forum basically), if wasn’t just her post alone. The comments were there all day. And she upset people with her scamp and dude post. It is just discussion.

NerrSnerr - no one called her business smug though did they! Someone struggling conceive said she couldn’t help but find people wearing “mother” jumpers a bit smug. But said she was probably being oversentive given her circumstances!
A few people said they don’t like slogan jumpers or find them overpriced. Many people said they like the jumpers.
SM has run with this innocuous discussion in order to wip up a mumsnet vs Instagram debate again. Forgetting that many of her customers are also on mumsnet and saw how inoffensive this thread was in the first place

How ridiculous that SM runs social media classes! Will there be a class on how to alienate a major section of your audience in one instagram post!

I can't see that she's 'slagging off all forum users'.

You're right, that was a little melodramatic of me, but she did say "who goes on forums these days?" and that she vowed never to have a forum because they are a "seed to negative energy".
Don't get me wrong, I would also be sensitive to criticism in this situation, but that is (one reason) why I also am not a business woman. It just doesn't seem like a particularly smart move. I'll still buy the odd top from her though! And I don't think I am particularly smug

Well I love mine, and she is doing a good thing donating some of the profits to charities. Why do women feel the need to judge each other so much? If you don’t like them, don’t buy or wear them.

The Strong Girls Club grammar issue has been addressed by Gemma from mutha hood on her grid.

Don't wear one then.

Next.

Sorry, a ton of people posted while I was typing...

I didn’t think much of the jumpers beforehand, but they were only on the periphery of what I see. Perhaps I had only seen them on IG anyway and never irl now I think of it.

I’m not offended by the post but it’s certainly ridiculous and irritating in the way someone posting on IG like that can be

@MissHenty fair enough, you're right about the smug. I don't know much about Instagram vs Mumsnet arguments. I only really follow real life people or sports people on IG and don't read the threads on here so have probably missed it. I can imagine it's full of annoying arguments from both sides. I wasn't looking at it as part of a bigger thing no idea who CH is).

@Mightymousie I think there's probably back story I have no idea about. I don't follow her in IG, so no idea about Scamp and Dude.

@nerrsnerr it came up on another thread a few days before.
@firstworldproblems2018 women are not being judged. (Aside from the assumption that if you wear a top saying mother you might be (a slightly well off) mother) I really like Gemma from muthahood but I can’t stand all her clothes and products, the whole ‘strong girls’ thing I find as a mum of girls and boys, a bit off.

For anyone who is interested, Gemma has posted on her instagram stories about why her ‘strong girls club’ t shirts and sweatshirts do not have an apostrophe.

Really, do people really think that someone like Gemma who has her own hugely successful brand wouldn’t have thought this issue through?! Personally I don’t understand why anyone would have any issues with a ‘strong girls club’ slogan- mightymousie could I ask why you do? Genuinely curious.

I am by no means an ‘instamum’ and I don’t disagree that some of the stuff out there is a bit off, but women (or anyone) starting a small brand and trying to do some good in the world (like the donating of money to charity etc) shouldn’t be subjected to such hatred. If you don’t like the product, don’t buy it. But don’t hide behind a keyboard judging people you really know nothing about.

This thread, and subsequent post by SM, has cemented my dislike of instamums and these jumpers.

I really feel for the OP as her original point re TTC got lost somewhere along the way.

@firstworldproblems2018 to be honest I am really anti the whole Instagram cliques, solidarity and empowering women, I really like Gemma and sometimes watch her stories. I don’t by the products and I certainly don’t want to put people off her. But the whole strong girls club is just not for me.

I thought it was the fashion jumpers that were being discussed. Haven't seen any hatred towards the actual women behind the brands that make them. Lots of hatred directed at mumsnet user's way yesterday though, via the SM's post comments. Women empowering women, eh.

“Women starting a small brand and trying to do some good in the world shouldn’t be subjected to such hatred”

Seriously? No one had made a single comment about MG personally until she posted an update attacking everyone who posts on forums (whilst at the same time admitting that most of the comments on this forum were supportive of her jumpers anyway).

A few people on mumsnet saying they don’t like slogan jumpers because they find them a bit cringe/can’t afford them/find them upsetting while TTC .....and we’re all branded a bunch of haters now?

This whole thing sums up exactly why I don’t want to make any attempt to be part of this insta clique where no one can make any comment on any product (no matter how innocuous and inoffensive) without being branded a hater and being told “women should support women”.

And re this hiding behind keyboard nonsense. If I was shopping in Liberty and said no I don’t like those S&D jumpers, which I don’t, I’d feel fine to say it. Same if some asked me what I thought if the slogan jumpers.
That’s the trouble with IG, everyone’s so wrapped up in this personal need for validation no matter what.
It’s not a comment on a person, who until today had no idea existed.

Exactly Mr Bull! The hatred towards mumsnet users that spiralled below SM’s post was horrid! We’re all jealous witches apparently. Wonder if that is meant to apply to the forum posters who said they really like their SM jumpers? Or just those of us who dared to say we don’t like slogan tops/can’t afford them/find them upsetting when TTC? Whole thing is farcical

Marsha totally agree about this weird need for validation from successful insta account users. I mean my friends in real life don’t start whatsapping round our friendship group for validation every time they get a bit of constructive criticism from their colleagues or boss or customers etc etc. I’d be interested to know whether SM/MG would dream of messaging round her mates in real life saying a few people on line are saying they don’t like slogan jumpers??

I've just had a look at her store after reading this thread.

Do people really pay £75 for a thin jumper with "Woman" on it? Or £35 for a tshirt so painfully thin you can see the hanger through it? Christ.

I didn’t see the comments below SM’s Instagram post, so I can’t comment on that.

Having re read the OP, I can understand that the original message re finding these slogan jumpers upsetting has got lost in the pages of people discussing the jumpers and what they stand for etc. And I am sorry for that.

But I do think that publically stating how awful you think a small brand is, and making all sorts of assumptions about the people that wear these products is really not ok. Why can’t they just be jumpers, that some people like and some people don’t?