In Defence of Tracksuit Pants (and Mums Who Wear Them).

I received an email this week that left me furious. Not because it came from someone with different taste in clothes than me (we can all rock different styles), but because it embodied everything that’s wrong with how our culture talks to new mothers.

It was titled “Sweats Are for Existential Crises, Not Pregnancy”, and came from a Substack writer who, somewhere along the line, I must have subscribed to. The premise? That wearing tights, tracksuit pants or—gasp—anything that prioritises comfort in pregnancy or postpartum is a sign that you’ve “lost control of your life.”

Yes, really.

There was even a Karl Lagerfeld quote to really drive the shame home:

“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.”

Excuse me?

Let’s pause for a moment here.

Pregnancy and postpartum are two of the most intense physical, emotional, hormonal, and identity-shifting experiences a person can go through. We are literally growing (and then feeding, soothing, tending to) an entire human being, often on no sleep, cracked nipples, healing wounds, bleeding, leaking, and trying to remember who we even are.

And somehow, amidst all that, we’re expected to look presentable?

No.

Absolutely not.

The Real Problem With “Chic Mum” Culture

This email was packaged in humour and “support,” but its underlying message was clear:

If you don’t look put together, you’ve let yourself go.

That’s not encouragement. That’s judgement in designer wrapping.

This idea that self-respect is tied to your wardrobe—that leggings equal laziness and that wearing “real clothes” is some badge of psychological health—is not just out of touch. It’s harmful.

Because the truth is, for many mothers, just getting dressed at all is a win. Pulling on clean leggings or a pair of soft, stretchy pants? That’s called survival. That’s called tuning into what your body needs and what your baby allows space for that day.

And what enraged me most? The email didn’t just judge tracksuit pants. It actually said:

“This is likely the biggest you'll ever look and you're voluntarily wearing tights?! MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.”

That line—beneath the snark—isn’t just about fashion. It’s about shame. Shame about bodies that are changing. Shame about softness. Shame about the visibility of pregnancy and postpartum. It’s fatphobic. It's misogynistic. And it's exhausting.

What New Mothers Actually Need

Here’s what I believe:

• New mothers don’t need rules. They need permission. Permission to be tired. To wear the same thing three days in a row. To dress for ease, comfort, practicality, and spew-up resilience.

• They don’t need wardrobe tips from someone horrified by tights. They need reassurance that whatever helps them get through the day—be it a dressing gown, a feeding bra, or the same pair of stretchy leggings—is enough.

• They don’t need fashion commandments. They need community. Gentleness. Real conversations about how hard, beautiful, messy and disorienting this season can be.

Self-Respect Doesn’t Come From Clothes

It comes from tuning into what you need—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Some days that might mean a dress that makes you feel like yourself again. Other days it might mean living in your comfiest PJs while cluster feeding on the couch.

Both are valid. Both are powerful. Both can be expressions of love—toward your baby and yourself.

So no, tracksuit pants aren’t a sign of defeat.

They’re a sign you’ve prioritised comfort. That you’re listening to your body. That you’ve maybe chosen 20 extra minutes of sleep over standing in front of the mirror wondering which non-maternity item might pass as “elevated basics.”

And honestly? That sounds like a power move.

To all the mothers out there: wear the leggings. Wear the PJs. Wear the thing that doesn’t dig into your ribs or ride up when you’re feeding your baby or rocking them to sleep.

You don’t owe anyone a curated look. You deserve rest, respect, and softness—in your wardrobe and your world.

Let’s stop dressing up judgement as empowerment. And let’s make that make sense!