This week, just after Jackson’s 18th birthday, I will watch my firstborn graduate from high school. Even writing that feels a little surreal.
These milestones have a way of making you hold so many versions of life in your mind at once: the young man standing on the edge of what is next, and the little boy you once carried everywhere. For me, it also brings back memories of what I was wearing through those years, and how much I leaned into FLAX during some of the biggest transitions of motherhood.
When I was pregnant with Jackson, I was so grateful for clothes that gave me room to grow without making me feel unlike myself. There is something vulnerable about watching your body change so quickly, even when it is for something so beautiful. At the time, I was working in a high-end furniture store and on my feet all day, so I needed breathable linen clothing that felt polished but was also truly comfortable. I wanted softness, ease, and shapes that worked with me instead of against me. I wanted tops that floated over my belly, pieces that gave me room to move, and clothes that still helped me feel confident in a body that was changing by the day.
Then when I was expecting Carlysle, life looked different again. I was pregnant, but I was also holding Jackson, chasing him, caring for him, and moving through a very full season of motherhood. I needed clothes that could move with me. I needed things that did not pinch, cling, or add one more layer of discomfort to a body that was already working so hard.
That is when I really began to understand the value of FLAX in a deeper way.
I found myself reaching for easy button-front linen shirts and relaxed layers that gave me room through the middle, coverage when I wanted it, and later on, the practicality that made nursing easier too. More than anything, they helped me feel comfortable and still like myself in the middle of so much change.
The same was true of our pants and skirts with elastic waistbands. That softness at the waist made such a difference. When your belly is growing, or when your body just feels tender and unpredictable, the last thing you want is something digging in. I loved the ease of relaxed linen pants and soft waistbands that moved with me instead of fighting me.
And honestly, I still appreciate those same qualities now, just for different reasons.
These days, my body asks for ease in a different way. Weight fluctuates. Some days I feel comfortable in my skin, and some days I do not. And then there are the temperature swings that can make getting dressed unexpectedly tricky — hot outside, freezing inside, or the hot flashes that sneak up and make an outfit feel wrong almost instantly.
More and more, I value breathable linen layers that let me adjust without feeling like I need to start over halfway through the day. I want lightweight pieces I can throw on when the air conditioning is blasting and remove just as easily when I suddenly feel overheated.
And this week, as I get ready for Jackson’s graduation and the celebration a few days later, I find myself thinking about comfort in a different way too. For the ceremony itself, I want to feel polished and dressy enough for such a meaningful moment, while still being comfortable enough to sit through the day and enjoy it. Then, when everyone gathers back at our house to celebrate, I know I will want something that still looks beautiful but also lets me move easily through the party — replenishing food, carrying trays, moving chairs, hugging people, and probably joining in a few yard games before the day is over.
That is what I keep coming back to: breathable linen clothing, soft waistbands, easy silhouettes, and pieces that can move through real life with you. These days, that often looks like styles such as the Crossroads Blouse, the Summer Shirt, and the Sun Top, along with wide-leg linen pants like the Graceful Flood, Full Time Pant, and Picnic Pant that still give me the ease and movement I reach for every day.
As I get ready for Jackson’s graduation, I cannot help but reflect on how many seasons of life these clothes have seen with me. I wore FLAX when I was carrying him. I wore it while I was expecting Carlysle and holding him on my hip. I wore it through nursing, through changing routines, through body changes, and now through a very different kind of motherhood altogether.
That continuity means so much to me.
Life changes. Our bodies change. The seasons of motherhood keep moving. But I still find myself returning to the same qualities I needed then: softness, breathability, ease, and clothes that support me through it all.
To me, that is what the best linen clothing does. It stays with you.