Diapers, Clothing, experience...authenticity is key

This wouldn't be an AB/DL blog without attention to diapers and to ponder of why they are so wonderful to us AB/DLs and what really makes a diaper "good" or "bad." I think what appeals to me about AB/DL supplies is the authenticity by which they match what I personally constitute as infantile, babyish, or childlike. I also think that the preferences we have likely, though not always, match what we grew up with as children. I personally grew up using disposable diapers and magically that is what I tend to prefer. I grew up watching Barney and Friends...guess what? That happens to be my preferred litte space chill time on the TV. I have a good friend that grew up using cloth diapers and they happen to prefer cloth and plastic pants or a diaper cover over disposables. Ultimately, it's not really about the diapers to me but rather what makes the experience as authentic as possible. Diapers simply happen to be a vehicle or a mechanism that gets me closer to the little headspace when it's necessary.

​This also pertains to AB/DL clothing. I have been incredibly frustrated with as an AB/DL and as a parent who has recently raised two young children is that the AB/DL clothing that is available just isn't all that "authentic" to me. Strangely enough, even wearing some of these poor suggestions for little space really turn me off in my mental space. I end up wearing plain white because for whatever reason that feels better sometimes than an inauthentic onesie print. 

These issues are improving slowly as folks in my own generation are starting to produce their own clothing lines and products that more closely align with our childhood experiences. 

Now...quality is a WHOLE another problem and requires a longer conversation.

A few of my favorite brands/stores out there for authentic, quality products include:
1. BigTot (Etsy)
2. ForeverAToddler (Etsy): https://www.etsy.com/shop/foreveratoddler
3. Little Kink Boutique (Online & In-Store): https://www.lilkink.com/
4. Changing Times Diaper Co (Online & In-Store): https://www.changingtimesdiaperco.com/
​5. TodZilla (Etsy, Temporarily Closed): https://www.etsy.com/shop/TodzillaABDL
6. ABUniverse
7. Tykables
​8. Bambino Diapers