What is a "mei tai" anyway, you ask? "Mei tai" (pronounced "may tie") is a generic term for a particular style of baby carrier, generally a square- or rectangle-shaped piece of fabric with straps on all four corners. The "traditional" mei tai has a history that stretches back hundreds of years. The carrier has its roots in Asia, where mothers often carried their babies in simple fabric carriers that tied onto their bodies. If you travelled to China today you could find beautiful examples in rich fabrics, often with elaborately embroidered decorative panels.
The mei tai style of carrier is now becoming popular in the Western world as well, due in part to its supreme comfort and versatility. Many mei tais made in the West today are created by work-at-home-moms (WAHMs) committed to the practice of "babywearing". These "modern" mei tais have usually been updated in a variety of ways to suit the Western consumer.
