This article was written as part of a university assignment for Longform digital publishing. 

In the unknown world of high end babywearing mothers spend days refreshing web pages to buy pieces of fabric, which can change hands for four figure sums.

Brand loyalty can border on worship, insider jokes become insider memes, technical terminology becomes its own language. Being ‘chosen’ by a brand can make you a community celebrity, saying the wrong thing can get you shunned.

But firstly…

What is babywearing?

Babywearing is simply carrying a baby or young child in fabric or a carrier of some sort. It has been part of raising children in many cultures  for centuries.

It was the company Didymos who first brought woven wraps to the European market in the early 70s. Producing the fabrics by machine weaving meant only one design could be made at a time, and new wraps were released in batches of limited numbers.

And now?

This system of production is still used by most wrap companies today which brings an exclusivity to each design and colourway, creating a sense of urgency to buy.  Combined with social media, it becomes an inbuilt marketing strategy:

1. The brand will announce an upcoming release with details of the wraps on Facebook.
2. Buyers will ‘stalk’ the website or selling platform by refreshing the page until the products are online to buy, and then attempt to do so.
3. Buyers will return to Facebook groups to celebrate their ‘score’, commiserate with others or to try and find someone willing to sell on their new purchase.

Sense of community

There are hundreds of babywearing groups on Facebook and forums such as The Babywearer. Together they make up the online babywearing community.

Types of groups include ‘FSOT’ (For sale or trade) and many are fan groups for following a particular brand. In these groups ‘action shots’ are often posted of slings being used, or ‘geekery’ over the different fibres, patterns or manufacturing techniques the brand is using. There are also threads to talk to people ‘stalking’ the same wraps as you.

Why stalking?

In most cases, you need to be on the website the second the wrap goes live, otherwise it will get snapped up by someone else. Yes, it is that competitive. Dutch brand Artipoppe  alone has over 98,000 likes on their Facebook page. 68% of group members said they found stalking exciting, and 27% said they had even missed sleep to do so.

Sounds a little obsessive…

It’s true that the fandom can get a bit insane ‘intense’. The resale value of hard to find wraps can sky rocket after release. A wrap that is almost impossible to find is known as a ‘Unicorn’. 25% of members have owned a sling worth $1000 or more, and 13% have owned one worth over $1500. But serial ‘flippers’ (people who repeatedly buy only to immediately sell at a mark up) are quickly spotted in tight-knit groups. Most members are known to each other, and often have a brand they are loyal to.

Sling rivalries and sororities

Brands have distinct personalities, and their fan groups reflect that. Popular members, or those chosen to test or model for the brand can become babywearing celebrities. Sometimes lead to groups gaining a reputation for being ‘cliquey’. In fact, 45% of users agreed that saying the wrong thing about the wrong person or making a faux pas can lead to people being shunned or forced out of a group.

“I’ve tried quite a few different brands and now I only wear their wraps” said Ellie Louise Whitely, speaking about being a ‘Winglet’ (That’s a fan of British brand Woven Wings).  “My reason for this is, in WW I’ve been welcomed in and I’ve made some amazing friends. I love how active (brand creators) Sarah and Christina are in the group.”
Having interaction with the people who make their favourite slings is also a draw of some groups, with 57% saying they had spoken directly to a creator.  Artipoppe is known for naming wraps in honour of its models and fans, such as the Amalia wrap.

The cloth of human kindness

For many, the friendships they make within the groups are the most important aspect. The affectionate term ‘mama’ is the standard vernacular used to refer to each other. “The kindness shown on the group is amazing.” Says Ellie. “When a mama saw I was wingless (to not own a Woven Wings wrap) she sent me one of hers to try”. Random acts of kindness like this are part of the ethos to ‘share the joy of babywearing’, and it’s probably way 76% of babywearing community members say it’s a positive aspect of their lives.