Share your post-child style tips with Ecover - £300 voucher and invite to style event to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Having children is a big life event that involves lots of changes - from the amount of sleep you get to your clothing choices, and Ecover would like to hear about your style tips or laundry dilemmas post children.

Here’s what Ecover has to say: “Ecover’s new concentrated detergents are ideal for your baby's tiny clothes and gentle on their sensitive skin. But what about you? Ecover are hosting a style workshop with a top UK stylist and there’s a chance to either win an invite or a £300 voucher!

When you’re a mum your priorities naturally shift and precious ‘me time’ becomes scarce. We’re excited to be partnering with a top UK fashion stylist to host a feel good workshop for mums! She’ll be covering topics from fashion trends and “go-to” outfits to handy laundry tips to help families tackle their ever growing laundry basket.”

Perhaps you have practical style tips you wish you’d been aware of when you first became a parent? Or maybe you have style or laundry dilemmas that you still wish you had a solution to? Is the kind of outfit you feel great in the same as it was pre-children?

For a chance to win a £300 voucher (for a retailer of your choice, from a list) or an invite to Ecover’s Style Event on 18th September, post on the thread below sharing your style tips or laundry dilemmas.

Please note, the prize draw for Ecover’s style event will be run on the 13th September. The thread will be closing on the 18th September, and the voucher prize draw will take place at this time.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[HELENSCRESCENT]

Make sure whatever clothes you buy are also comforable and you can bend, crawl and sit in them also.

[Butterfly1975]

Biggest challenge post baby was definitely having time to shop and find clothes I felt were flattering and stylish. I lost a lot of confidence both personally and professionally after having children and its taken quite a few years to get back on track.

I've learned to buy less and better quality clothing. Finding time to make an appointment with a personal shopper is really worthwhile to help those of us with a post baby body feel confident again!

[NeverTwerkNaked]

For me it is to have fewer good quality clothes; I don’t have the space or time sort through loads of outfits!

Also I spend more on shoes as I have found my body shape fluctuates a lot, whereas shoes endure throughout pregnancy and beyond.

The biggest challenge is finding clothes that a smart enough for work but practical enough to work with ferrying small children to various clubs etc after school. Dresses with thick wooly tights are my staple outfit.

[Carouselfish]

Bright colours to reflect off tired, pale face!

Less heavy makeup due to time and aging!

Fifties cut dresses for new, more curvaceous figure.

Clothes that don't need ironing, because of no time!

[Sleepysausage]

I lived in large scarfs to breast feed and generally hide my post partum body. It made me feel much more confident

[Wishingandwaiting]

I feel good post children. I feel like I’ve reached the point, fashion wise, where I’m at my most comfortable.

Dresses, skirts, ankle boots, skinny jeans. I love them all. I’m tall and skinny and the current fashion suits me.

[Alittlepotofrosie]

I found just buying a couple of new things even just cheap stuff from primark in the right size helped me to feel more comfortable with my post baby body. I was 2 sizes bigger than before i got pregnant and i really struggled to adjust.

[tishist]

I think style is more about your own flair and individuality, so if functional clothes become the norm in motherhood, just putting them together with interesting accessories can be very stylish.

[Hopezibah]

I wish I'd known to pack a spare change of clothes for me as well as my baby when out and about - i got covered in baby sick or poo so many times!

Using plenty of muslins helped at least. And they wash well and dry quickly to reuse over and over.

I totally forgot about my own style and would choose comfort and practicality when my kids were babies. Finally good to be choosing clothes I like again.

[GeorgeW78]

A great style tip that works for parents and kids is to get clothes that are easy to mix & match. One or other is gonna get filthy somehow and then you only have to change and wash the top or bottom half! :D

[clarabella12]

A smile always finishes an outfit!

[clareycat]

Dresses & top with busy patterns are great for hiding stains from sticky fingers your loved ones like to bestow upon you. Febreeze is your friend!

[VickyRsuperstar]

I have changed my style over the years to be more practical since having kids. Like flat shoes as I had to run fast after my eldest who has ADHD / Autism and used to run away super quickly! Also I realized short skirts weren't really practical any more after bending down at the bus stop and getting told off by an old lady for flashing my knix at her :-O as I was bending down to catch my eldest son quickly! I do dress far more for comfort, but I like a lot of quirky clothes like Joe Browns (in the sale or off eBay!) so I mix and match funky coats and tunics with leggings or black jeans and sometimes I do wear slightly better clothes for everyday than necessary as I feel that it's good for my self esteem to feel like I'm dressing up a bit. Sock pairing is a laundry nightmare as we have a largish family and the only way round it is to buy socks with a pattern or diff shade on the toe and heel - before I did this we ended up with hundreds of black or white socks in diff shapes and sizes and none of them ever seemed to be a proper match to any of the others and we couldn't tell whose each pair belonged to!

[daisyduck123]

My laundry dilemma is.. and probably always will be ! .. getting the family to empty their pockets before they put their clothes in the laundry basket. I usually end up with shredded tissue, loose change etc. I've even washed my husbands glasses and mobile phone ! The glasses survived but the phone didn't!

[Dessallara]

I like a little bit baggy jumpers :)

[robyn297]

Scour pinterest for capsule wardrobes, create your own, when everything matches then getting read day to day is easy. Also sometimes helps to take a few photos of each combination so that you can choose a look and complete it with very little thought.

[cathryn1]

buy second hand save money, often they get stained, get more for your money.

[sarahw2]

Before having kids I barely ever wore leggings - now I practically live in them!!

[molly57]

Easy care clothing that is hard wearing.

[CatRash]

Non-nursing wrap over style tops make great nursing tops without being frumpy!

[Gazelda]

It has to be easy care. And separates that can form a number of different outfits.
Black trousers, smart tee shirts, good boots, accessories to jazz an outfit up. A couple of easy to wear dresses.

[Sammyislost]

I really struggle to get the sweat smell out of my husbands shirts!! Do I presoak the armpits or something?

[kirstykovacs1]

always buy plain socks! I used to buy any socks... coloured/patterned/striped etc. The boys NEVER put them in a pair in the wash bin and when I filled up a bag for life of odd socks afters hours of trying to pair the things, enough was enough! now I just buy plain black or white packs and its soooo much easier when sorting the washing out!

[Pimmpom]

As a stay at home mum there are days when I have to force myself to put 'proper' clothes on. I always feel better when I do although my mum uniform does seem to consist of jeans and breton tops! Good quality flat shoes are a must though.

[sofieellis]

For me, I think the main priority was comfort, not style after having my DCs, especially after my twins, who were born by C-Section. I learned very quickly that I only had approx 4 minutes per day to do my make-up, so I perfected a very quick routine of moisturiser, foundation, concealer, powder. And for special occasions (like actually managing to leave the house!) I added mascara, blusher and lipstick.

As for clothes, it was elasticated trousers and baggy tops!