Liv Brown is an Australian fashion stylist and founder of Rattle, a style consultancy specialising in helping mamas rediscover their personal style. Liv is a burst of colour and light on your feed, never shying away from wearing what makes her feel good and look like her true self. From her classic pink and red lip to cutest ever bump on display, Liv’s also incredibly strong and inspirational—she’s had to navigate some pretty exhausting and emotional moments post birth, not once but twice. We were lucky enough to chat to Liv just before she gave birth to her beautiful second son, Otis, and hear from her on all things motherhood, pregnancy and how new mamas can rediscover and redefine their own personal style identities.
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How has motherhood influenced your professional life, and how do you balance these two aspects?
Motherhood has not only influenced my professional life but it has completely made it. Before becoming a mum, I was working in jobs I wasn’t 100% passionate in. I loved fashion and, at times, loved what I was doing but deep down really just wanted to be a mum and I knew that would give me the most purpose and happiness. Once I had Gus, I felt such a strong pull to help mums in any stage of motherhood. I felt like this was something that wasn’t as available and I didn’t realise was needed until becoming a mum myself. Fashion was the thing I loved most and felt the most confident in doing, so combining the two just worked. I am lucky that all my work is with other mums, who completely understand if meeting times change or if I have a toddler with me in a Zoom call.
Can you share a moment in your pregnancy or early motherhood that was particularly challenging, and how you overcame it?
I had a beautiful birth with Gussy. My mother in law is a midwife who I wholeheartedly trust so I am very lucky with the support I have with birth and all the education that surrounds it. We brought Gussy home straight away and spent our first night at home, unfortunately we ended up back in special care the next night. At the time I was not familiar with the hospital system, and I had to learn very quickly how to advocate for me and my son. We were lucky Gus was only there for 3 nights, but having to come home without him due to COVID times felt inhumane. Looking back now, with hindsight, there are things I would do differently if that situation was ever to happen again. I felt like I had to really quickly learn to fight for him and my family whilst also running off no sleep, just having gone through the biggest thing of my life (having a baby) and also – baby blues! I was very lucky to leave with a happy healthy baby and really feel for all the families that experience anything like that post-birth.
How has your personal style evolved since becoming a mother?
I would say my personal style is always evolving and this was happening pre motherhood. I felt as though I lost myself for a bit throughout postpartum which is when and why I came up with the idea of Rattle.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of motherhood for you?
Watching Gus grow into the most sensitive and caring little boy. He is so sweet and I feel so proud of him every single day. It is the best feeling in the world watching how he goes about his day and interacts with everyone around him.
How do you find fashion inspiration and incorporate it into your maternity and postpartum wardrobe?
I am all about personal style. I love getting inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram but I think people who know their personal style and dress in a way that they feel good always look the best! Looking inward into what you like, colours, silhouettes and how you feel in certain outfits and dressing for you. Once you know your personal style the way to incorporate into your new motherhood lifestyle is making sure everything is extremely comfortable, without loosing the fun of it.
What advice would you give to first-time moms about maintaining their sense of self and confidence through the changes that motherhood brings?
Don’t feel as though you need to change, just because you’re a mum now. Don’t stop doing the things you love (unless they don’t give you purpose anymore), don’t change your style because you feel like you need to dress a certain way. Have fun with the shift in identity and lean into it. Hopefully motherhood brings you more confidence than you had before.
Follow Liv for more fashion inspo and find out more about her style options on Insta @rattle_style