The tragic collapse of the Bangladeshi factory that killed more than 1,100 workers, has shed new light on fast fashion, the sweatshop economy and the desperate need for reform. Considered to be the worst disaster of its kind in the history of the garment industry, the death toll is nearly eight times that of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York in 1911.

Unfortunately it takes an atrocity of this magnitude to initiate even the smallest steps to changing the working conditions for millions of men, women and often children in the developing world. It appears there are reforms on the way after the Dhaka disaster, and of course they’re better late than never with several of the largest apparel companies, including H&M, Zara, and Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger owner PVH signing an agreement that promises to overhaul the way health and safety is monitored in Bangladesh. However, there is still a long way to go before the lives of Bangladeshi factory workers improve, to say nothing of all the other emerging market countries where conditions in fast-fashion factories remain a serious concern.

Belabumbum’s foray into the fashion world has been quite the opposite as it has been from the bottom up. (no pun intended!) After spending over a decade managing social development programs for marginalized youth and women throughout the Americas, I came to the conclusion that job creation in was the key to sustainable development. We launched the Belabumbum brand and began helping small family factories grow organically. We deliberately chose production facilities with safe working conditions and good benefits for their employees. As the demand for Belabumbum grew, employment opportunities grew for more and more people.

Ten years later, Belabumbum continues to work cooperatively with socially conscious manufacturers in Central and South America to ensure excellent working conditions and job security. We remain committed to producing in the Western Hemisphere, and may have a slimmer profit margins as a result– but ethics matter. We work in places that I genuinely enjoy visiting and I even take my five year old daughter Neena along with me. She recently worked with me in our factory in Brazil for a week and had a lot of fun making art out of fabric scraps.

We know that Belabumbum’s customers genuinely care about where their products come from. You can make a difference by signing the petition asking GAP and other fashion giants to sign a binding agreement for safer factories in Bangladesh here

At Belabumbum, we make it our work to  celebrate motherhood year-round.  In honor of Mother’s Day we have created a Pinterest contest to encourage Moms and Moms-to-be to pin their perfect day. So dream up that big celebration or a little private pampering, whatever you fancy, and imagine YOUR perfect day. Three lucky winners will receive gift certificates for luxurious loungewear or lingerie from Belabumbum just in time for Mother’s Day.

How to enter:

1. Follow Belabumbum on Pinterest, and Twitter.
2. Create a new pin board called “My Perfect Mother’s Day” and pin images that show your ideal day.
3. Re-pin the official contest pin from our board to your new pin board.
4. Tag each pin with #Belabumbum and #PerfectMothersDay
5. Pin at least four of your favorite styles from Belabumbum.com
6. Tweet your completed board to @belabumbum using hashtags #Belabumbum & #PerfectMothersDay
7. Boards will be accepted from April 20th through May 5th

Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine this April is featuring fashionable bamboo — including our luxuriously soft bamboo racerback sleep bra.  Just because it’s green, doesn’t mean it has to be frumpy. Our sleep bras are a must for maternity or new moms and the bamboo fabric wicks away moisture and has antibacterial properties too.

Sheknows.com understands what’s important. They know not to sacrifice style or sex-appeal just because you’re a mom. Here they feature our Mum chemise, robe and matching baby set as proof that pregnancy can be sexy. Our super-soft Mum mom & baby set is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day to pamper both mom and her little one.

If you want to know what’s going on in the Lingerie Industry,  The Lingerie Briefs  blog is a must.  Ellen Lewis and her writers know the industry intimately and for us in the knickers biz, we go there to check the latest. Lindsey Borchard, who is the “Curvy Briefs” reporter is expecting and wrote a great piece about Nursing Bras.  Here she gives advice about what and when to buy a nursing bra. The article features our gorgeous Lotus seamless nursing bra. Lindsey and other insiders know that a good non-wired, soft yet supportive nursing bra is essential.  For more great picks on what we recommend for both pregnancy and nursing, visit our maternity nursing bra section here.

Like many first time moms, I was totally over prepared for everything pregnancy related the first time around.  My hospital bag reflected this.  I had packed cds I thought were perfectly created to soothe me and make me comfortable, and a journal in which I might reflect on my birth experience.  Funny, how many of the things in that bag were never touched.  By the second time around, I knew what was important, and packed accordingly.

Belabumbum has come up with a checklist of what to pack in your hospital bag.  We recommend you have it ready to go by the 8 month mark.  You never know which babies might make an appearance a bit on the early side!

• Insurance card and ID.
• 2-3 pairs of warm socks (and not your best cashmere ones!)
• Some cozy pjs and a robe.  Of course the hospital provides you with the “lovely” gown, but we all know that there will be a time in the hospital stay where you are going to want to feel much more human.  If you are walking the halls or receiving visitors you are going to want to feel a bit prettier and warmer too.  A comfy mom is a happy one. If you plan on nursing your little one, our nursing friendly pjs are a must!
• Lip balm (hospitals can be very dry!)
• A Nursing bra (or two) – The last thing you are going to want to put on after birth is your old, underwire, push up bra.  Make sure you have an appropriate bra.
• A Sleep bra to wear under the hospital gown. If you wear a hospital gown you will  probably feel really exposed. Also, a soft sleep bra is great to support sore breasts.
• Cell phone and charger.
• Eyeglasses if you wear them.
• Pens and paper.
• Snacks!  If you are planning a C-section, keep in mind you will not be able to eat prior to surgery. Some people recommend hard candy too – but be warned! I broke my tooth on a jolly rancher during labor – didn’t even notice til’ later.
• Towel.  The ones at the hospital are usually pretty gnarly.
• Hair ties or head bands to keep your tresses out of your face and looking lovely.
• Toiletries.
• Lanolin creme for breastfeeding. (We love Lansinoh)
• Sanitary napkins.  The hospital will give you some but you may want your own favorite brand.
• Comfy clothes to go home in like our loungewear that doubles as outerwear.
• An adorable outfit for baby.  Oh the pictures! And speaking of….
• Camera (and whatever you need to keep it charged.)
• Swaddling blankets – The hospital does provide little blankets to swaddle, but sometimes it’s nice to have your own soft ones.  We love these from Aiden and Anais.
• Outerwear for baby – don’t forget climate appropriate hats and blankets.
• Carseat.  Most hospitals won’t let you go home without one. Make sure it’s installed properly before hand.

We’ve sprung ahead and are ready to enjoy the longer days. The signs of spring are surfacing as the crocuses pop up and the air gets sweeter. We’ve got just a little longer  until the official start of spring, but here’s some pinspiration to get you in the mood.

* this image is via the awesome lesMoutaines Bêêêêê blog. Make sure to checkout their amazing pinboards too!

American Baby Magazine is a go-to place for all parents and parents-to-be.  That’s why we are proud to be featured in their lovely nursing bra spread.  Check out the Copacabana Lace bra in aqua at the bottom.  To see all of our nursing bras, check them out on our boutique page.

So it’s that time of year– Love is in the air, hearts & cupids everywhere, there’s an underlying humming of All You Need Is Love…

We’re all about keeping the love flowing all year long and are nuts about this DIY Love Card Deck with 52 ways to show your love for all of your cherished ones– one for every week of the year.

Ms. Madison Broadway shows us how she created a deck for her boyfriend on on her blog DIY ID Do it Yourself in Your Dorm.

We love the idea of about widening the scope of this project to include your sweetheart, as well as all the other living creatures that you nurture (your mom, your kids, your siblings, your friends) It’s great therapy! Write down 52 things you adore about your loved ones: list their best traits, revive the highlights of your time together, wax poetic on how you feel safe in his embrace, or how the tiny dimples on your baby’s fingers make you giddy.

you could give them out, keep them as a memento for yourself and draw one when you need some loving inspiration. The possibilities are endless and can only lead to great things– renewing your appreciation and reliving the sweet memories is good for everybody’s soul:)  It’s so easy ! All you need is:

• Deck of Cards
• Sharpie
• Tape
• Pictures

Check out this project and other Valentine’s inspirations on our My Pretty Valentine Pinterest board

Photo courtesy of the DIY ID blog.  (make sure to check out some of Madison’s other crafty ideas there!)

We love Milk Friendly and are always thrilled to be included in their Breastfeeding in Style posts. This time she’s picked our Camille nursing bra in her round up.  Maryam, the maven behind the lovely blog is on a mission to spread the word about how cool breastfeeding really is:

I wanted to create Milk-Friendly because I didn’t want to lose my fashion identity while breastfeeding. I needed an outlet where I could combine my passion for fashion and my yearning to support other breastfeeding moms. I hope Milk-Friendly is a warm and welcoming place where readers can find fashion ideas that fit in with their new honorable lifestyle.

Make sure follow her blog for more ideas about how to breastfeed in style!