It's no secret that maternity clothes can be aggressively feminine and feminized, but what about the androgynous and masculine-identified people expecting a baby who don't want to sacrifice their style and comfort during the process? A new clothing company called Butchbaby & Co., the "first androgynous maternity line for queer individuals," could be the solution. The two founders, Vanessa Newman and Michelle Janayea, created the line because they realized it was impossible for them to envision carrying children because there existed no clothing options that accommodated to the way they presented.
The company is expected to release a seven-piece clothing line in the summer or fall of 2015 which will contain: a t-shirt, an oxford button-up, a flannel button-up, a pull-over sweater, signature jogger pants with a jacket, boxer brief underwear, and a pregnancy bra — a refreshing change from the frills and pastel dresses that can often comprise maternity wear. Butchbaby & Co.'s vision is not to only redefine maternity style, but also promote comfort for the person expecting and question the traditional understanding of what type of person can have a baby. Their website states:
Pregnancy does not have to be hyper-feminine. Pregnancy belongs to all those who can carry a child; regardless of sexual orientation or gender presentation. You can be butch, you can be stud, you can be non-gender conforming, you can be trans, you can be lesbian, you can be bisexual, you can be queer, you can be straight, and you still have a right to bear children. You still have a right to be mom, mommy, mama, maddy, moddy, dommy, daddy, dad, whatever you feel comfortable being called; you have a right to choose pregnancy and feel comfortable. Butchbaby & Co. is a revolutionary clothing concept that de-stigmatizes the idea that the pregnant individual must conform to a singular look.
A company that revolutionizes style, maternity, and the meaning of carrying a child and being a parent? It doesn't get much better than that.
Images: Butchbaby & Co.
