LaClef Women's Maternity Nursing Top - Double Layered Scoop Neck Ruched Breastfeeding Shirt for Comfort & Style | Perfect for Pregnancy, Nursing, and Everyday Wear

LOVE this shirt for discreet nursing in public. It has a double neckline - the higher neckline is a flap that goes down to right below my bra band, and it is sewn in the side seams so it doesn't ride up. To nurse, pull the "lower" neckline (the outer shirt) down, and pull the flap up, like they show in the photo. It covers the top of your breast (and obviously your tummy as well) and you can arrange it so that the entire breast is out, or just the nipple is showing. Very discreet. It's also very easy to pump in this shirt (even both sides at the same time), and the flaps help with modesty while pumping too - you can arrange it so just the flange (the cone thing) sticks out.The shirt has ruching (gathering) on the sides to make it fit over a pregnant belly - but for those of us who are wearing this post-partum, IMO it was terribly unflattering to the dreaded post-partum "pooch" and accompanying muffin-top... so I followed another reviewer's advice and used a pair of nail scissors to remove the elastic/ ruching. Literally took 30 seconds, and the shirt is now perfect - you can't even see where it was ruched before. Pictures attached (before, after, and during the elastic removal).For sizing - I'm a 36DDD right now, 5'7" and 165lbs, with smaller shoulders and wider hips. Pre-pregnancy I was 36C and 155lbs. I bought both Large and XL in this top, in all 3 versions - short sleeve round neck, short sleeve V-neck, and long sleeve round neck. Large is fitted (but not in any way "skin tight"), and XL was a little baggy (but not unflattering). I could have gone either way, but I prefer my shirts to be more fitted, so I kept the Large and returned the XL. You can see the fit in the photos (I'm wearing a large shirt with the elastic rushing removed).For reference, I wear the Target nursing camisole (the one they sell in the stores, brand name "Gilligan & O'Malley") in a size XL when I want it baggy, and a size L when I want it to be fitted. So IMO the sizing is approximately the same as the Target nursing camisole.Like I said, I have this shirt in all 3 versions, all in black (well, also got the v-neck in teal), and I love them all (note, the scoop-neck is shown in the photo). They all fit exactly the same for me. One note on the v-neck - the "v" on the inner flap is about the same height/ cut as on the scoop neck (decently modest), but the v-neck on the outer flap is low - it goes to about my bra band (~1.5" lower than the outer flap of the scoop neck version). I thought it looked a little funny to have it so low, but my hubby said it was cute, and that he liked the v-neck better because it's "more adventurous". LOL.Another note - I now own 5 of these shirts total, plus I have returned 2 more (1 XL each in short sleeve and long sleeve). 3 of the 7 have had "Hello Miz" branding instead of "LaClef" branding. I don't notice a size difference - but I also don't have 2 of the exact same shirt from each brand to compare side-by-side. Kind of strange since I always purchased "LaClef". I guess they're the same thing???The ONLY thing I dislike about this shirt is that you have to line dry it. I accidentally put one of mine in the dryer on low-heat and it didn't shrink, but the fabric seems like it might pill up if you put it in the dryer every time you wash it. So yea, plan ahead and wash it the night before you want to wear it so you can hang it to dry.Hope this is helpful! I don't usually write reviews unless I really love (or really hate) a product... and I really love this one. A good nursing shirt is worth its weight in gold, LOL!Oh, one more tip - you don't need this shirt until you're about 4wks post-partum.. and it's better to wait until 4 wks PP or you'll probably buy a size too big. First few weeks, I lived in XL Target camisoles because they're SUPER easy to clip up/ down and I was just learning how to nurse - and I was carrying around extra weight. After that, I lost some of the weight, and I wanted to be able to nurse away from home. The XL Target camis were a little too baggy by then, and they left me too exposed (entire boob just hanging out for the world to see!) which is where this shirt (in size L) comes in. No one tells you how hard it is to make it through the first 6 wks of breastfeeding, but it is SO worth it, and having the right tools (nursing shirts) is a huge help.Good luck, mamas!!! You can do it!!!So far, this shirt seems like it's going to be a staple in my nursing wardrobe. It's so very hard to find clothes that don't scream "easy boob access!!" The color is exactly what I expected (my pictures really don't show the exact color). It's very soft and stretchy. The sleeves are a perfect length & cut and the shirt length is excellent. The neck stretches far & stays in place around my breast so I don't have to hold it out of baby's way. It's easy to use one hand to gain boob access, which is a must for me! It seems a little larger than I wanted, but then again it is also meant for pregnant people, so being a bit bigger would be expected. I'm not a fan of the ruching on the side, but again it is also meant as pregnancy wear so I understand why it's in there. The elastic that creates the ruching looks like you could easily (& carefully) take a seam ripper to it if you don't want it in there. Also not a fan that it states to hand wash it, I plan on machine washing and hang drying, so we'll see how well it holds up!! Love that it's USA made!! For reference, I'm 5'6" and approx 135lbs, cup size ranges from A-C depending on the time of day, haha!!I really like this nursing shirt! I realized quickly that I needed to get nursing-friendly clothing, and this shirt was a good price and looked like a nice, normal shirt to either wear casually or dress up.Fit: A little smaller than I thought. I am 5'1" and 110 pounds post partum and I usually wear an XS at places like Target, Gap, etc. I purchased a S for this shirt, and it is pretty fitted which I am okay with, but it did surprise me. I would size up next time, because post partum bodies are not the most forgiving, if you know what I mean ;)Look: The ruched sides help hide any residual belly you may have left, so that is a nice feature of the shirt. The top looks double layered because of the opening, I think it looks better with a long necklace over it.Fabric: I would compare the fabric to lycra/polyester - it's very stretchy and slinky!Overall, I am very happy with the shirt! Would definitely buy again.I purchased the mustard yellow in a size medium. My normal size is a small. I'm 5'3"and currently 140lbs, 34D, 7 weeks post partum.The small would have fit me but the material is slinky and would show too many lumps & bumps, especially in a lighter color. Think I would do a dark color in the small.I did not want the gathers/ruching on the sides to scream maternity & highlight my pooch, so I removed the elastic. Very easy to do (5 minutes) with a seam ripper.Great nursing top now w the above modification. Friends and husband were surprised when I said it was a nursing top- looks like normal clothing styles.I usually wear the undercover mama tanks under a t-shirt. This is a nice alternative when I don't want to wear two layers. It's a nice looking shirt and it does allow me to nurse fairly discreetly. It is a bit difficult to get the top layer sufficiently out of the way. I've ended up getting milk on the shirt a couple times. On the plus side it seems to dry with no mark. It's also a bit tricky to get the shirt to lie flat after breastfeeding (especially while managing a squirming infant!). I liked it enough to order it in a second color.I got a large and it fit somewhat small on me. I'm not exactly "fat" I'm more of a "chunky average" and my only issue was the length. It still fits it's just a little shorter fitting than I like. Other than that I love this top and plan on buying more in different colors. The fabric is breathable and soft but I'm pretty sure if you machine dry the shirt it will shrink. I just tumble dry or hang dry. I also love that I can breastfeed without having to expose more than necessary.