Fashion curator and mother of two Danielle Forte knew from experience how difficult it can be to be both a new mom and fashionable. Caring for the baby takes precedence over finding cute clothes that fit and maternity wear isn\u2019t always fashion-forward. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I was pregnant I decided to nurse and I was struggling with finding clothes that I thought were actually cute on me,\u201d Forte tells Guideposts.org.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the clothes for the pre-mom stage when you can wear anything and you didn’t have to work as hard to look good, and then you have the, \u2018Hey, you’re a mom, put sweats on\u2019 [stage].\u201d<\/p>\n
Danielle wanted to change that.<\/p>\n
The mom of two had already dipped her toe into the fashion world. She launched her first clothing line in 2015 before getting pregnant with her first child, a daughter named Nahla. It was her husband, New York Jets running back Matt Forte who encouraged her to really get her feet wet and branch out with 828 Clothing. The brand caters to that overlooked period in a woman\u2019s life between being single, carefree, and daring in their fashion choices and taking care of the kids at the expense of themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of just evolved as I’ve evolved as a mother,\u201d she explains of her line which includes figure-flattering dresses, comfy cardigans, chic jumpers and stain resistant tops that stretch and move with you. \u201cIt was basically, \u2018How can I make the things that I wear on a daily basis work as a mom?\u2019\u201d Danielle says of the collection. \u201cHow can I ensure that the fabric is soft enough for babies to lay on it; if they get dirty, I’m not upset about it because it’s going come out? Basically taking the things that we see every day that you loved to wear prior to babies or when your kids are older, and just making them work for this season in your life and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Danielle does the heavy lifting when it comes to creating these pieces \u2013 she\u2019s in charge of fabric swatches, color choices, and design \u2013 Matt pitches in when it comes to naming each look. One of the line\u2019s best-selling items, the Swiss Army Jacket, was coined by the running back thanks to its versatility.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the favorites right now,\u201d Danielle says. \u201cYou can use it for nursing, you can change it up and wear it at least five different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
The brand got its name from the couple\u2019s favorite Bible verse, Romans 8:28: We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose<\/em>. It\u2019s a reminder to moms (and dads) everywhere to remain calm and trust God when the stress of parenting begins to take its toll.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a parent, you go through different things and you have doubts and fears, you have highs and lows, so we know from the verse, at the end of the day, no matter what, everything’s going to work out the way it should,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Matt hopes the name of the line and the verse itself can encourage others facing hard times \u2013 something he\u2019s had to do recently thanks to injury setbacks on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are times when certain people aren’t used to adversity or seeing adversity all the way through to the other side, and when something tough happens or a trial happens in their life, they just fold,\u201d Matt says. \u201cBut if you push through that stuff, if you have faith and continue to go through it and believe that you can, all things will work out in the end. So it’s just about empowering people.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt and Danielle grew up in the church \u2013 Danielle\u2019s father and Matt\u2019s grandfather were both pastors \u2013 so spirituality is front and center in their day to day lives, which revolve around raising Nahla and baby Matt, playing football, and working on this new project together.<\/p>\n \u201cFaith plays a huge part in our lives and in my career in football, because I’m in a locker room full of guys from all walks of life,\u201d Matt explains. \u201cThe Bible says, \u2018Make disciples of all nations,\u2019 and that’s what I think this [clothing line] is geared towards. Through clothes and fashion and empowerment, [we\u2019re] getting [a] message out there on the importance of faith.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt also pushed Danielle to expand the line to include newborns and toddlers which eventually evolved into 828 Baby. The collection \u2013 which is mostly unisex \u2013 features a range of onesies, tees, hoodies, and leggings that are durable, sporty, and made for an active lifestyle.<\/p>\n Danielle hopes that the lines can reach the women and the families who need it \u2013 empowering moms everywhere to rediscover their pre-baby self, with clothes that are fashion-forward, comfortable, but most of all, timeless.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love for it to be a household name for moms, for them to understand that it’s not just about maternity or not just about nursing. That it’s a brand that they can lean on forever.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fashion curator and mother of two Danielle Forte knew from experience how difficult it can be to be both a new mom and fashionable. Caring for the baby takes precedence over finding cute clothes that fit and maternity wear isn\u2019t always fashion-forward. \u201cWhile I was pregnant I decided to nurse and I was struggling with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":28865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[184,173,349],"tags":[15,25,70],"ppma_author":[470],"class_list":["post-20392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-children","category-marriage","category-sports","tag-faith","tag-family","tag-mother"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n