Working to Make Motherhood Easier
We all know that one woman in our office who finds a way to balance it all. She’s got two kids, is captain of the intra-office basketball team, and brings to-die-for lemon squares to share with the office on a weekly basis. But for the average working woman, maternity leave can be a trying and difficult time. Whether it’s the length of maternity leave policies or the lack of appropriate breastfeeding infrastructure, one thing is for sure: being a working mother is an (additional) full time job. New maternity brand Mitera is working to ensure that clothing isn’t another obstacle in your way on the road to motherhood and beyond.
Mitera wants to be there for every mother’s shining moments and her not-so-glamorous ones. That’s why founder (and mother of two) Yoko Shimada has made it her mission to make fashionable, functional, and comfortable designs that will help women transition from pregnancy, to nursing, and beyond.
After having children of her own, Shimada noticed that postpartum clothing really lacked practicality and versatility. For example, she wanted a dress that met a woman’s need to breastfeed in professional or social settings.
In an effort to stitch new lives together with old ones, Mitera has designed pieces that will nurture a mother just as she would her child.
Chest pleats on all of their dresses (shown here on the Mimi dress worn by our working mother) conceal zippers for easier breastfeeding capability. The dress features an A-line silhouette that will flatter any figure. It’s made of high-quality Japanese stretch fabric, so it will accommodate growing baby bumps and hold its shape for post-pregnancy wear, too!
Spacious kangaroo pockets allow working mothers to carry essentials for both the baby and herself. The Elif dress’ cocoon-like structure looks comfortably chic on a motherly figure and hangs elegantly on a post-baby frame.
Mitera’s fabrics are all machine-washable and wrinkle-resistant which means less time in the laundry room and more time spent with the family.
The Ellen dress, available in black, navy, white, and, for a limited time, a beautiful blush color, is another Mitera piece that seamlessly transitions the wearer from pregnancy to nursing. It can be worn with a sash to accentuate a womanly figure or without for a looser, airy feel, perfect for summer weddings and outdoor events.
Beyond Mitera’s mission to design functional yet refined dresses for working women entering motherhood, they’re also working to effect positive change in maternal and newborn health with partner organization D-Rev. With every dress purchased, Mitera donates a portion of the proceeds to the organization’s Newborn Health Program to improve delivery conditions for fellow mothers and their babies in the developing world.
If you’re not ready to spend paychecks on maternity clothes that you may never wear again due to sizing or work dress code issues, choose to spend your money more wisely on a Mitera piece that will grow with you through all stages of motherhood.