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?

I have a couple. It was a struggle for me to have children too. So I get your comments about them being smug. Anything that excludes you feels horrible. I wear mine in bed or around the house. They wash well, are super comfy and I like them as loungewear. But the whole Selfish Mother thing is starting to feel a bit tired trend-wise. Even with the collabs.

They're just sweaters. Everything hurts when you're desperately TTC. I hope you get there soon

On the other hand... Strong Girls Club.... what are they clubbing ? My grammar isn't perfect but if you're designing a t-shirt with a slogan....

Oh my gosh I’d never thought about the grammar in ‘Strong Girls Club’! AIBU that this will now irritate me for an eternity! Thank goodness I don’t have one x

Funny how there isn't one with 'Mum' on it. Nobody wants to be Mum, Mum cooks fish fingers for tea and buys the kids T Shirts from Asda or Next. Mama orders clothes from Babipur and gives their kids a picnic of olives in cold pressed juice, breadsticks, violife cheese and organic pomelo with flaxseed sprinkled over.

The statement these jumpers make aren't that the woman wearing them has a child, it's something else entirely.

Mama orders clothes from Babipur and gives their kids a picnic of olives in cold pressed juice, breadsticks, violife cheese and organic pomelo with flaxseed sprinkled over

No idea what clothing brand that is, none of that food is in my house (bar breadsticks because they’re an easy snack that isn’t full of salt) and I’m wearing my mama jumper today.

@toomanyidiots but surely the fact the reached this level of recognition indicates the business is doing really well? They are recognised by lots of people because there are lots of them about. That’s a) made SM wealthy and b) raised lots of money for charity
You would expect everyone to like the same thing so what’s the problem with people saying they find it annoying? It’s clear from this thread lots of people like them and lots don’t.
And SM sadly does seem riled although she’s no need to.

Would not..

I have two and really like them.

I didn’t know that they were seen as a Mummy Blogger staple- I don’t follow any Instamums on social media as they do my tits in and I get advertised to enough in my day-to-day life without opting in for more.

@mightymousie I totally agree. I can’t understand why SM would get upset about the fact a lady who is struggling with infertility posted a thread saying she doesn’t like the jumpers. There’s a few of us on this thread that agree that the slogan jumpers are not for us. Surely if you run a big successful business you expect that not everyone will like your product? I’m always astounded by how touchy these highly successful women are when they step outside their insta bubble! Why would SM even waste her time caring that some random mum from up north finds her clothes too expensive and a bit cringe (that’s me!). She’s a big brand now and people will have opinions. If those opinions are not offensive or rude then surely they’re just part and parcel of a brand becoming mainstream. Full respect to her for raising money for charity of course though.

Alternatively do these instagrammers just pray that a topic about them appears on mumsnet so that they can post about it on their insta in an attempt to garner sympathy and up their user engagement?

Why the hell is she bitching about people on a forum when she acknowledges that half of them are defending her? It’s especially cruel given OP gives infertility as her reason for finding them smug.
I’d much rather spend my time on a forum than reading mummy blogs

In fairness to SelfishMother, it must be pretty difficult to see your small business with a charity ethos torn into- there will have been blood sweat and tears poured into developing her product and brand.

I’d find it really hard not to take some of the comments here personally.

I clearly don't understand "business". She's sending her customers over here.

Is that good business practice? Is this gonna result in more sales? Is it good business to point out negativity towards your product?

I cringe when I see them. 'Mama' fgs

Where's the 'dada' ones.... no, doesn't work.

Bunty yep I agree with that too

In the N.E. It's mam.... where are the MAM jumpers?

there will have been blood sweat and tears poured into developing her product

By writing "Mama" on a jumper?

Not to my taste. But then I loathe names and slogans on clothes anyway. I find the type of person who feels the need to have MmmmK, LV, Superchav or anything else emblazoned on their clothes or bags generally isn't my type of person.

@ElspethFlashman 100%! I think she obviously wrote that post in anger and didn’t think it through.

Really want a MAM jumper now.

@ProfessorMoody By finding suppliers, designing each product, liasing with guest designers, managing her staff, marketing and advertising etc.

It’s not easy running a small business, no matter how basic your product seems to be.

Ah, I took "developing the product" to mean designing the jumpers, not running the business. Running a business is hard, in a lot of ways, yes. I don't think they're particularly inspired though.

As I said before, each to their own though. Some people like them and they do great things for charity, unlike most of the other designer labels that are mostly awful.

I'd wear a Mam jumper. Especially if on the back it said "did you turn the immersion off?"

But yeah, "Mam" is not very Insta. Wouldn't quite mix with your leopard ankle boots (#gifted).

I had one given to me for Mother's Day. My son called me mama at that point. For reasons' I won't go into it was not easy to get him into the world and involved heartache and a lot of money. I never thought I would get to be a "mama" and I love my sweatshirt. I'm a working class girl and don't have instagram!

@ElspethFlashman

😂

Just seen that Selfish Mother Insta; fuck me sideways the touchiness.

SM: You’re a decent sized business now. Act professional, rise above and don’t publicly signal the fragility of your ego on what appears to be your biggest platform by slagging off a forum (albeit at times a slightly unreasonable one) that probably forms a huge chunk of your customer base.

Stupid, stupid stupid. And endemic it seems upon those who seem to be trying to make motherhood their business (literally).

Get over yourselves. A bit of criticism is to be expected.

I hate all that insta crap. They're all just so thin-skinned. Ugh.

Given this thread started as someone disliking them due to wanting to be a parent and difficulty concieving, I thought the IG post was incredibly distasteful and really judgemental. Not what I thought she or her brand were about and I will be unfollowing and spending my cash elsewhere (haven't bought anything, was eyeing up a jumper for a friend, now I won't!).

Oh shame on them! Totally missing the point. Makes them sound like a petulant teenager

If you don't like them , don't wear one. Why anyone would be annoyed enough by what other people wear to give it a second thought, let alone start a thread about it? Weird.