Why I built ELLAH: a Q&A with Clare Boyd

Clare isn't a fashion designer. She’s a mum of two who got fed up.

Fed up with clips that wouldn’t unclip, layers that needed two free hands, and the constant planning that came with leaving the house while breastfeeding. Feeding in public was uncomfortable and made her constantly aware of what she was wearing and whether she could feed easily and discreetly. When she couldn’t feed her baby quickly, they both became distressed.

What should have been a moment between mother and baby was instead filled with distractions, adjustments and stress. Clare knew she wasn’t the only mother who felt this way. So she decided to do something about it: to create the change she had needed herself.

This is the story behind ELLAH.

The moment I knew something had to change

There wasn’t one defining moment. It was the accumulation of so many school runs, events, outings and errands, and deliberating over what I could wear for each one.

The problem began with my first child eight years ago. Years later, while feeding my second, little had changed. I still felt overwhelmed, uncomfortable and frustrated by how difficult it was to simply feed my baby when she needed me.

Picture it: a room full of people, a baby who isn’t waiting, and you trying to navigate a clip that won’t unclip beneath layers that only make things harder.

I was constantly retreating to the car, slipping into a bathroom or searching for a quiet corner just to feed comfortably. On weekend outings, my husband would often hold up a blanket so I could feel covered while I fed.

I tried modifying the clothes I already loved to wear, including pieces from Kookai and Skims, but nothing truly solved the problem.

Once at a school event, I rushed back to the car to feed my distressed baby. Unable to release the clips quickly enough, I tore open my buttons and pulled the entire nursing bra up. By then, we were both flustered and in tears.

It wasn’t the only moment that led me here, but it was the moment I knew I’d had enough and I wanted to do something about it.

When I started talking to other mums, I realised every single one of them had a version of this story. There had to be a better way.

From personal problem to real product

It took many rounds of samples, but I knew exactly what I wanted—and I wasn’t willing to compromise.

The design needed to make feeding genuinely easier. I wanted a clean, figure-fitting top with an integrated bra, built-in pads and a seamless one-handed zip, something I could open in seconds while holding my baby. No clips. No buttons. No extra layers to lift, arrange or hold out of the way.

I have always loved clothing that is comfortable, flexible, figure-fitting and moves with my body. After having a baby and while breastfeeding, I still wanted to wear clothes that made me feel like myself, but I couldn’t find anything that combined that feeling with practical, easy feeding access. The more mothers I spoke to, the more I realised I wasn’t the only one. Everyone had a story to tell.

The fabric mattered just as much. I wanted the main fabrication to feel soft, comfortable and considered for the closeness between mother and baby, so we developed our own custom-milled cotton rib. We tested and refined every detail, from the fabric’s stretch and recovery to the fit, support and feeding access.

We tried the samples across different bodies and sizes to ensure the design worked beyond my own experience. I refined the design using every piece of feedback. It took longer than I expected, but ELLAH was never something I wanted to rush. It needed to solve the problem properly.

Why “feedingwear” and not nursing wear

Nursing wear and maternity wear both feel like they belong to a phase that's either ending or already behind you. Maternity is for pregnancy. Nursing wear sounds clinical, like something you'd pick up at a chemist. That's not what ELLAH is.

ELLAH is postpartum athleisure that's meant to fit the way your regular clothes fit. It's designed to look good and move with you, whether you're moving your body, at school pickup, or out for brunch. "Feedingwear" felt right because it describes what the garment actually does. 

It's not about the stage of life you're in. It's about the function.

What I hope you feel the first time you wear it

I want the first thing you feel when you wear ELLAH to be relief - the sense that feeding your baby in public is one less thing you have to think about.

I want moments that might otherwise feel stressful or overwhelming, especially when feeding in public, to feel calmer, easier and more connected. No searching for somewhere out of the way. No mentally preparing for every feed. Just the reassurance of knowing you can respond to your baby when they need you.

More than anything, I want you to feel considered and cared for- with a greater sense of ease to move through your day, focus your energy where it matters most, and still feel like yourself.

Shop the ELLAH Quick Feed Top.