What Mums Wear: Charlotte Brodie Founder By Billie
"Even in my 30’s I still struggle with body image issues..."
What Mums Wear is a new series that takes a deep dive into what we wear, our relationship with fashion and how it evolves throughout motherhood, just as we do. We ask our most stylish mum friends what they wear on repeat, tips on what to buy and what they consider when getting dressed each day.
Charlotte Brodie is the founder Australian kids and womenswear label By Billie. Named after her daughter, the label started as a creative outlet to help Charlotte feel like herself again when she was in the depths of motherhood. By Billie is a brand which to me emulates fun, and perhaps that was the point. The designs are joyful and a lot of the time feature bold colours, wonky shapes and playful text splashed across relaxed silhouettes. Pieces that are made to be worn and enjoyed by both bub and mum.
Charlotte and I have been dming for quite some time without ever meeting IRL. It’s funny how a random response to an Instagram story can turn into a conversation about fashion, post natal challenges, sleep deprivation, a t-shirt collaboration and a friendship. Read on as Charlottes shares her struggles with body image and how she has learnt to overcome them, the only jeans she’s found that fit her body and hips just right, and her rinse and repeat outfits.
I’m up at 6am eager to read whatever novel I have on the go which at the moment is The Fourth Wing. I’ve found reading is great to minimise my scrolling time. Once Billie wakes it’s time for the morning grind – asking her 10,000 times to get dressed, eat breakfast and get her shoes and socks on while I make her lunch and then I drop her off to school. I will usually go for a beach walk or a gym workout before I start work.
It was the internet that sparked my interest in fashion. I loved looking at images of interesting people in cool outfits. I remember when I was in my twenties I came back from Europe with new clothes and I was eager to document the outfits so I started a blog. It was my creative release and from there I wanted to work in fashion. I got a job working at Bardot and my style grew from there. It’s funny, I never loved their aesthetic but I always made outfits that were more my style by picking jeans and a basic white shirt.
I will admit a lot of the time I just throw on my activewear and stay in it all day. We live in a small, coastal town where no one takes fashion too seriously. But there are some days when I want to feel put together, honestly just for my mental health. Once I do my hair, makeup and pick an outfit that makes me feel good it’s amazing how it gives me a little boost of confidence and lifts my mood.
Even in my 30’s I still struggle with body image issues and getting dressed can really trigger some emotions. It’s taken me a while but instead of constantly trying to fit in and wear the trend of the season I stick to what I know will make me feel good. I also like to think about practicality when choosing an outfit. Considering what I am doing / want to accomplish for the day. If I know I need to get in a walk or workout then I am straight into activewear (because this ups the probability of me actually working out by at least 50% haha). I’ll either have a blazer or some kind of jacket in the car if I need to go to town.
If it’s not a black activewear set then it’s a pair of jeans or a wide leg pant and a blazer. I live in my Agolde jeans. As a size 14 I really struggle to find jeans that give that effortless baggy look that sit a little looser on the hips - it was a long search but I am a loyal Agolde fan now. I am also known as the blazer girl! I will wear a blazer all year round and my absolute favorite fit is an oversized boyfriend style. My two go to’s are The Frankie Shop Bea blazer or the By Billie Charlotte blazer. For shoes, I go through months of wearing the same pair religiously every single day. It goes between my Balenciaga Triple S, Camilla & Marc Herman Sandal (I never had so many compliments or questions on a pair of shoes in my life) or my Birkenstock Bostons.
After becoming a mum, my style has relatively stayed the same however now I go for functionality over trends. I feel my best in jeans and a singlet. Plus my Nim Soles black bucket bag! I am a chronic outfit repeater and when I find something that works, I stick to it. I no longer buy pieces that I would only wear once on a night out. My main goal when getting dressed is to feel confident within myself.
My daughter is quite the opposite. I have absolutely no say or input into what Billie wears. I’m all for her choosing her style and letting that shine through but oh my god her outfits are the polar opposite of what I would put her in. It’s so hard when I own a kids label and she refuses to wear anything that doesn’t have cats on it!
If I am going out I usually wear a matching silk set - my goto’s are my black Silk Laundry set or patterned set from Dissh. I love a high waisted wide leg pant or a silky bias cut. I have big hips and I feel like these two styles are the most flattering on my body shape.
On the weekends we are usually out doing things as a family - seeing friends, going to breakfast or going to the shops. I tend to wear a cool, loose pant - the Matteau fisherman pant is my go to at the moment. As the weather warms up I tend to just pair it back with a basic singlet. As the pants are a very oversized fit I need to be mindful of not wearing something on top that is also oversized. I always wear a tighter fitting top to balance out the pants and a pair of slides.
For more of Charlotte follow @charlottebrodie__/ @by.billie / bybillie.com.au
Love this series! And so refreshing to hear that other women/mums in their 30s also feel the push pull of body image issues from time to time. I live in activewear at the moment but I wish I could summon the energy some days just to pull together a fun outfit for no other reason than for me to enjoy ✨