I took the plunge and hosted a natty-colored wrap. The lovely folks at Emmeline Textiles were nice enough to send me their signature Emmeline wrap in their newest natty colorway called “foxglove” in a size 4. Foxglove is the first in Emmeline Textiles’ Quintessential Collection, creating the same high quality wraps we’ve come to expect from the company and selling them at a lower price point with the sole purpose of making these amazing wraps financially accessible to a wider audience of wrappers. And people, this 100% Pima cotton goodness just may have converted me to Team Natty.
(“Natty” is basically a term for wraps where the fibers haven’t been dyed and are still their natural color, hence the term “natty”. Get it? Get it? In this case, and most cases, the wrap is a soft beige/ecru color.)
How Does It Look?
The Emmeline pattern is a soft damask pattern. Think old school Victorian leafy scrollwork. And it is gorgeous. The pattern is delicate, ethereal, and changes as the wrap folds and pleats with your wrap job. If you look carefully, you can see that the tips of some of the scrollwork actually transitions into lowercase letter E’s. It’s like a hidden Easter egg in a wrap! Damask is kind of my thing. It makes my Renn Faire-loving, corset-wearing heart sing. However, I know quite a few people who shy away from it because it can be considered to fancy, too frilly. But let me tell you, the Emmeline design is simply divine in Foxglove’s natty colorway. Since it is ecru on ecru, the pattern is displayed through the differences in the weave pattern rather than differences in color. The satin weave shimmers gently, creating a subtle pattern that lightly dances across the wrap and appears and disappears with the changes in light. This wrap screams refined elegance. Not that something refined and elegant would actually scream, but you get the idea. Foxglove will go with the fanciest of outfits, will make you feel a little dressed up when you’re wearing jeans and a tshirt, but also goes just as well on those sweats and a hoodie days.
How Does It Feel?
Emmeline Foxglove was the wrap that introduced me to the wrapping term “soapy”. It feels cool to the touch kind of like when you run your hand across soapy water. It is not so soapy that it actually feels wet (as I’ve been told some wraps can feel), but it feels so good. Honestly, it feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Actually, it feels like nothing. I’m pretty sensitive to textures (especially in the summer when wearing tank tops, which was when I tested this wrap) and this wrap is so soft and smooth that it feels like nothing! Makes me able to wear for longer periods because there’s nothing rubbing me the wrong way. And it feels like LO and I are held together as one without any wrap between us. It’s magical! I get some pretty painful eczema flare ups on my hands and Emmeline glides over my hands without making things worse. It feels like pure amazing. And it makes it so much easier to tie knots at the tippy tails because it just moves into place. There is no fighting.
Foxglove feels thin in hand but is surprisingly dense and strong. Shoulder passes pleat nicely and lay flat. The wrap is very moldable and introduced me to the wrap quality known as ace bandage stretch. The wrap stretches diagonally along the bias (not horizontally like a stretchy, knit wrap) that allows it to mold around our bodies and get a snug fit. Then, rather than being unmoving while holding Nerdy Mixed Baby, Natty Emmeline moves with him. It has recoil, which allows him to bounce around on my back, reach around me to press the buttons on the washing machine, and then snap back into place without undoing the wrapjob. It also makes it nice for the wearer because yet again, the wrap moves with you as well, which reduces digginess and pressure points. Foxglove doesn’t take these wrap qualities to the extreme, but they are pronounced enough to make the wrap shine.
Is It Comfortable?
I feel like I covered this a bit above. The ace bandage stretch and the smooth, soapy texture make this wrap a lovely gentle experience. Honestly, I feel like if you or your wrapee are sensitive to texture or have sensitive skin, it is worth giving this a try.
But how does it hold up to a 30lb toddler? Surprisingly well! I was surprised that a wrap that appeared to be so delicate would have as much strength as it did. With some precision tightening, I was able to wear NMB in a reinforced ruck and a ruck tied under bum for quick errands. I’m sure with a smaller baby, it would be wonderful for longer wearing in these carries as well. Where this wrap shined with me and NMB was with multi-layer carries. I loved it in a Shepard’s carry and would love to have had a bit more length to do a full double hammock. It was easy to glide the passes into place. Once the passes were into place they stayed there and the wrapjob wasn’t bulky. You do have to take a little extra care to make your knots extra tight and secure, as the glidey texture can make a hastily tied double knot become a half knot if you’re not careful. However, that same glide is what makes the knots easy to tighten. It doesn’t fight you like some grippier wraps do.
Umm…. It’s an Off-White Baby Wrap. How Do I Take Care of It?
Don’t fear the Natty!!! My motto is “If the tails can’t drag, it’s not in my diaper bag.” And Emmeline Foxglove is no exception. Yes, it’s an off-white wrap, it appears delicate and elegant, but it does not stain or pull easily. I’ve gotten food on this wrap and let the tails drag in the parking lot, all of which washed out with a quick cold wash. When we were surprised by a stomach bug (I would not have been wearing NMB in a loaner wrap if I had known beforehand that he had a stomach bug), and let’s just say, Foxglove was returned to its sweet ecru perfection with just a rinse and then a run through the washer on delicate. As with all Emmeline Textiles wraps, it is line dry only, but it dries quickly and the crunchiness that comes with line-drying works its way out after a couple of wears.
The Verdict (aka TL;DR)
Pros:
Gorgeous, subtle yet elegant pattern
Strong enough for a toddler in multipass carries
Ace bandage stretch for days
So smooth, soapy, and non-irritating
Easy to clean
Cons
The glide makes you have to be more precise with your knots
It’s soapy (which is a pro for me, but a con for my friends who prefer drier wraps)
At $99 for ANY size, Emmeline Foxglove is definitely worth a try if you are curious about natty wraps, curious about soapy wraps, curious about that elusive ace-bandage stretch, or just curious about the Emmeline Textiles brand in general. It is fun, elegant, graceful, and glorious. Foxglove is being released on Friday (12/1/2017) via right to buy.
Hold Up! WTF is “Right to Buy”?
Right to buy” is basically where rather than the wrap being released on the website and whoever has the fastest fingers (and the fastest internet connection) gets the wrap before it sells out, you fill out a form stating your intention to buy the wrap and your top size preferences. Then after a period of time (usually 24ish hours) names are drawn randomly. These people are invoiced for the cost of the wrap and have a set amount of time to pay, otherwise the invoice is passed on to another randomly selected entry. This is a way to help even the playing field for people who may not be able to camp out at their computers all day waiting to snap up a wrap release.

(Image of a bespectacled black mom with locs wearing a light brown toddler in an ecru wrap. They are indoors. The mom is wearing a yellow shirt and is moving hair away from her face.)
(Disclaimer: I received this wrap as a traveling tester from Emmeline Textiles. I was not compensated in any way for my review, and the opinions expressed here are my own.)