Founder
Hi 👋, I’m Selah (pronounced Sell-ah),
Becoming a mom was the hardest thing I’ve ever done – and I’ve done many hard things. I dreamed up DARITY during the early days of the postpartum deep-end as I nursed, pumped, and rocked little one to sleep (for hours). A lot of aspects of motherhood shook me (if I wasn't working on DARITY, I was googling to the ends of the earth) - but the clothing aspect just frustrated me. I'll say it - I hated my clothing options and was confused by the segmented nature of the existing options on the market. It was either functional OR stylish, for home OR for "out", for nursing OR pumping. The quality also seemed to be lacking as I felt that many brands view maternity as an afterthought or ‘hopefully very temporary’ life transition. So after a wash or two, the clothes would pill, wrinkle beyond recognition, or stretch out.
And so I set out to design an innovative, sustainable capsule collection that could support mothers physically and take the guesswork out of bras/belts/contraptions, what to wear outside the house, and how to transition to work and life (wherever that is). I also wanted to create a brand with a deep soul that would bring a diverse, honest conversation and encouragement to mothers going through all aspects of trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. I wanted to create a brand that would advocate for all moms regardless of journey - for quality paid leave, global maternal wellness, postpartum depression support, and more. I myself suffered from undiagnosed postpartum depression and anxiety (despite the inconclusive clipboard surveys at my daughter’s ped appointments). I want women to know more about the beautiful ups and deep downs that come with motherhood - and to know they’re not alone though it can feel so terribly isolating.
We may have just met - but I hope that shares a bit of who I am and why I created DARITY. I’m not a fashion mogul or couture designer. But I do believe in a purpose and silver lining to all the struggles I have - it was that I would know what a broader range of mothers go through every day, and that I could figure out how to make them feel more supported. So below are my mom-resume experiences - I hope they connect with your experiences in some way for you to know I’m right there with you.
- Infertility
- Morning sickness for 20 weeks
- 72 hour birth story, 4.5 hours of pushing
- Chronic back pain from pushing
- Baby born with prenatal tooth (NOT fun for nursing)
- Newborn jaundice
- Baby weight drop in first two weeks
- Milk supply didn’t come in for 1 week postpartum
- Undersupply → oversupply
- Excess lipase milk → scalding pumped milk
- Refusal to take bottle/pacifier
- Nursed, pumped, supplemented the first 2 months
- Mastitis and recurrent plugged ducts
- Night sweats
- Every single sleep regression
- Hair loss, weight gain, hormonal acne
- Working from home, working out of home
- Postpartum anxiety and depression
- Child eczema
- Severe child nut allergies
Cheering for you,
Selah