Meet Katie

We chatted to Katie; founder of vintage store Pine & Treasure about all things motherhood & shopping preloved. She has some top tips for finding second-hand maternity clothes!

Tell us a little about you and your family.

I’m Katie and I have been running Pine & Treasure for four years now. It was a side hustle for a very long time, until last August when I handed in my notice at my full-time marketing job during my maternity leave, in order to focus solely on P&T. Myself, husband Lee and son Sebbe live in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and we have our baby girl due in June.

We absolutely love your vintage collections you sell on Instagram. Can you tell us a little about the brand and how you got started?

Thank you! That’s so kind. My husband and I had a year out living in New Zealand and I set up the Instagram page back then in 2019.  I source and sell preloved and vintage clothing, homeware and furniture pieces and have recently launched a capsule collection of made-to-order co-ord clothing pieces. I’ve grown up shopping second-hand with various family members, whether it was at charity shops, antique shops or carboots, so it was a very natural business for me to start.

What is your favourite thing about shopping preloved and sourcing vintage?

The buzz! There is just a major buzz when you find a treasure. It could be something completely out of the blue that you didn’t even know you’d stumble across, and you just think to yourself 'Oh my word I’ve struck gold!' I also LOVE seeing the diversity of stalls and people at a Carboot. Hundreds of people flock my local Sunday Carboot and it is such a literal example of one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I love that everyone there would never, ever turn their nose up at second hand.

Why do you think it’s important to shop second-hand?

It’s a great way to personally do your little bit to help towards a circular economy and of course the environment. We inevitably cannot help buying new things, and that’s ok! But the more second-hand pieces you begin to buy, the bigger the buzz you start to get about it, and the more it can turn into a really positive habit.

What are your top tips for shopping for preloved clothing whilst pregnant?

I did a post on this recently on my Instagram and the main takeouts were to ditch the frumpy maternity category you might feel you suddenly fall into, just size up in regular clothing. This will make your online searches for second-hand items a lot easier too. Get a good pair of trousers with a super stretchy waistband and you’ll wear them to death! The Treasure Trousers from my brand Pine & Treasure are my go-to. A great brand focusing on all stages of womanhood and motherhood is Beyond Nine.

Tips for shopping sustainably for maternity clothing

TIP 1. Ditch the maternity category

Don’t limit your search to “maternity” categorised clothing.

Size up & buy loose fits in regular clothing to give you more second-hand shopping options.

TIP 2. Size up in jeans

If you love jeans but don’t like the limited maternity styles, just buy one or two sizes up for the early stages of pregnancy.

TIP 3. Opt for floaty dresses

You can look & feel effortlessly glam by throwing on a pretty floaty dress. Pine & Treasure has endless pregnancy friendly dresses available which can worn for breastfeeding too.

TIP 4. Choose stretchy waistbands

Don’t underestimate the power of a good pair of trousers that’ll see you right through your maternity. The Treasure Trouser (linked here) are stretchy, comfortable and can continue to be worn in post pregnancy.

TIP 5. Invest in long-lasting pieces

If you do want specialist maternity wear, a beautiful brand for all stages of womanhood & pregnancy is Beyond Nine.

You can buy & sell their preloved pieces on Curate & Rotate.

Whats been your favourite part of your motherhood journey so far?

Wow, good question. Although it was tough at times, I look back with really happy memories of breastfeeding. I’m excited to try it again soon with my second baby but equally won’t put pressure on myself if it doesn’t work.I also love this newfound enjoyment in things I’d previously have thought were mundane or a bit lame! Like watching your kid have fun at a soft play?! It sounds so boring but it brings you happiness, especially if you can sit there with a cuppa and a cake, that’s like 10/10 mum-level bliss!

If you could give a new parent one piece of advice what you would say?

Find a good bunch of gals, or even just one person you can talk to openly about your parenthood journey. I was so, so lucky that my best friend had her second baby two weeks before my first, so if I ever had any doubt about anything I was doing I’d just immediately WhatsApp her. I swear it actually made parenting feel like a doddle at the start by having her constant reassurance!

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  • Meet Katie

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    We chatted to Katie founder of vintage store Pine & Treasure about all things motherhood & shopping preloved. She has some top tips for finding second-hand maternity clothes!

    Meet Katie

    We chatted to Katie founder of vintage store Pine & Treasure about all things motherhood & shopping preloved. She has some top tips for finding second-hand maternity clothes!

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