There is a new frontier when it comes to expressing your style. At least, there is if you are a parent. There was once a time when a buggy (or a pram, a pushchair, a stroller, depending on your preference) was a purely practical item. Those days are gone. As I have discovered in my first year of parenthood, they are now as playful as the little people that get to sit in them. And much like any other accessory, what you do with your buggy says something about who you are.
The prams themselves are still mostly utilitarian. There tend to be only a few colour options barring the occasional collaboration (more on which later); it's how you choose to accessorise your buggy that counts. I'm talking frilly pram bags, personalised liners and striped totes. When it comes to buggies, I've learned, more is more.
The notion of styling a pram might sound frivolous. Is it really necessary when all manners of snacks, sand and stones are inevitably going to end up all over it? Not at all. By our reckoning, any chance to have a little fun and make yourself feel good is worth taking. When you consider all the many ways in which motherhood strips away a layer of chicness and glamour from your life, it doesn't seem so far-fetched. And if you usually like making a statement and don't want to sacrifice style simply because you're a parent now, then why not accessorise your buggy?
So, here’s to more accessories, more cool baby brands and more excellent collaborations. To get you started, this is how we would style a pram now.
First pick a base
If you like a neutral base and prefer to bring in personality through your accoutrements (think white walls with layered artwork and fabrics if you were styling a room), the newly revamped Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus is a sleek place to start, and perfect for city pavements and country lanes alike. It’s a compact pram that has ample storage and sturdy wheels, offering the best of all worlds. Choose your base colour – the new pink is sweet but I've noticed the forest green has taken London by storm – and add from there.
If, however, a plain pram doesn't feel like enough of a statement, then look either to Bugaboo’s collaboration with Konges Sløjd (another classically cool brand) or the Stokke YoYo pram and its many print options. Bugaboo and Konges Sløjd have paired up with the brand’s new dusky pink colourway and embroidered it with whimsical cherries, while the Stokke YoYo is available in two new ‘Riviera’ stripe colourways (Monaco is teal and cream while Capri is zesty orange and cream) as well as a leopard and zebra print. The best thing about the YoYo is that you can buy the seat liners and hoods separately from the pram itself, meaning you can have one pram and many different patterns to suit your aesthetic on any given day.
Now choose a bag
The ultimate indicator of a stylish parent these days is a Minicoton pram bag swinging from the handles. This Spanish brand has taken the idea of a utility piece and turned it so far on its head they’re now doing collaborations with style set brands like Call It By Your Name to create the most coveted item on any discerning parent’s wish list. The ‘Basket’ bag, with its frilled trim, is the most desired. It looks more like the sort of basket you would carry around a French market than something you'd keep nappies and snacks in. The gingham is the perfect summer accessory, while the bandana print from the CIBYN collaboration has year-round appeal, most notably in the vintage red. There is even a totally charming wicker basket version for anyone who likes a country house look and wants to project a kind of summer picnic aesthetic.
For those needing more space to house all the inevitable paraphernalia that comes with babies, a tote is always useful for under the pram or over your shoulder and there’s no need to make that plain either. The General Classification is the under-the-radar name to know for modern totes in block colours or sweet stripes, complete with slogans to suit your mood. ‘Out of Office’ seems very fitting for maternity leave but the classic ‘Ciao’ is the one we particularly like, and it makes a perfect alternative to the now overdone Trader Joes tote. The musette bags offer an alternative (or even additional) over handle pram bag option, with long straps for those days when extra space and easy access is called for.
And finally, a pram liner
Binibamba is the other brand that falls into that irritatingly good ‘if you know you know’, category and there is nowhere better to look for a sheepskin pram liner for cooler months. The plain ones are suitable in any setting – and customisable with your baby’s name should you wish – while the Bobo Choses collaboration brings a playful colour pop and the leopard or Dalmatian prints a graphic note. For those who love a matchy matchy moment, pair it with the Yin Yang snuggler, a Call It By Your Name x Minicoton bag and the Yin Yang Artipoppe, and away you go.
