From what I've read, Didymos (Didy) is the maker of baby wraps / slings that has been around the longest (many decades). Saying you own or have tried a Didymos wrap is kind of like saying you have tried on a pair of shoes. They have made thousands of slings in every kind of fabric, thickness, color, texture, weave, and characteristic imaginable.
The wraps called the Didy 55's were a limited edition that Didy produced only for a short time. It was woven in three colors, or "colorways", Sunset, which was an orange and cream color, Moss, a greenish and cream color, and Azur / Azure, which was a blueish grey and cream color.
Because the colors were soft and muted, many, many of the 55's have been dyed. In fact, at present, the ones that are still "natty" or undyed, are selling for more money than the dyed ones, even though technically a dyed wrap is worth "more", since the owner would have had to purchase the wrap, then pay anywhere from $50 to $150 for the wrap to be dyed.
This is one of the thicker, or perhaps thickest, woven wraps that Didymos has produced. They are extremely textured, so that you can feel the "ridges" of the fabric when you touch it. I've heard when they were brand new, they were as rough and scratchy as a burlap bag. However, once they get extremely "broken in" (many techniques for doing so), they can get soft and lovely. All the ones I've owned have come to me already broken in, because I'm honestly too lazy to do the hard work myself. The fabric is 55% linen and 45% cotton, which is why they are called the 55's. However, apparently Didymos only had tags for 50/50 linen/cotton in stock at the time, so their label is incorrect.
The nice thing about very thick wraps like these, is even with a sloppy job at wrapping, or even in a single-layer carry, such as the way I'm wearing in the first photo (a basic ruck), they are extremely supportive, comfortable, and not "diggy" on the shoulders at all. For most thick wraps, the trade-off with the cushy thickness, is it's hot to wear. The 55's are the only wrap I've tried that is both thick, while being lightweight and extremely breathable.
In the first set of photos below, I am wearing Sunset which has been dyed either a charcoal black, or a midnight blue, it's hard to tell. Either the cream fibers or the orange fibers took on slightly different hues in the dye job, since the wrap does not appear to have been stripped of all its color prior to being dyed. So the result is a charcoal grey/black mixed with a deep, deep blue, deeper than a dark navy. Because it's a solid-ish color, simple, and nearly black, this is one of the very few wraps that have come through my home, that have stayed. It looks dressy / fancy, and goes with any dressy type of outfit I need to wear. I wore it to my work's Christmas party, where I knew there would be hundreds of adults and children milling around, and I wanted to keep Jax safe, but still look dressed up.
I also have learned, in my babywearing journey, that my strength is in my lower body, so I primarily stick with carriers that have a waistband, to distribute most of the weight to my hips, rather than my shoulders. However, this wrap is pretty enough, and supportive enough due to the thick weave, that I can manage it for quite some time.
This one is a size 3, which is long enough for the carry I'm using (simple ruck tied in front), and a few other carries. This, and the Didymos Natural Hemp India, or NHIndia, are the only two wraps that I can use in a simple carry like this, where all the weight is on my shoulders, because the thickness of the wrap is supportive enough for me. NHIndia is a very thick and HOT wrap however, so I can only use it in the winter here.
L to R: Didymos AHI Anthracite Hemp Indio, Didymos 55 Sunset dyed, Didymos Dark Blue and White cotton Indio
L to R: Didymos AHI Anthracite Hemp Indio, Didymos 55 Sunset, dyed
The below photos are of Didymos Moss 55, which used to be a greenish and creamy color. It was stripped and dyed a mottled golden yellow. As much as I love the color yellow, I found it hard to coordinate with my wardrobe. I had purchased this wrap with the hopes of having it converted into a mei tai, but ended up choosing a different wrap instead. This one is a size 4, which is just barely long enough for me to FWCC or front wrap cross carry, which is the carry I am using in these photos.
Also, I was initially trying to put Jax on my back for these photos. When I was getting him situated in the house, I have to pin the ends of the fabric either in my mouth, or under my chin, to keep him secure while I'm wrapping under his behind to secure him on me. In the midst of fabric everywhere and hair in my mouth, somehow his little fingers got in my mouth, and I bit down on them without realizing. No blood, but little bite marks on his fingers - ahhh bad Mommy!!!! Poor little guy was so sad, and I cuddled and nursed him in the house. I was trying to take photos of the wrap to sell it, and had dressed us up already in coordinating outfits, so I offered to wrap him on my front and nurse him in the carrier. So the first photo is what a toddler nursing in a carrier looks like ha - they can get their little heads wherever they need to in order to latch on! Much easier than a newborn.
Overall, I would say that the Didy 55's are one of the best summer wraps in existence, especially for a heavy baby or toddler, or anyone that needs extra support on their shoulders. The fabric is so light and breathable which makes it fantastic for hot and humid climates. It's one of the few wraps I've tried that I think any wrapper should try at least once! A few people seem to be put off by the texture of it, since it's definitely textured and not smooth, but it didn't bother my sensitive skin at all, and it's certainly worth a try!
Toddler nursing in a FWCC front wrap cross carry
Didymos 55 Moss dyed yellow
I have also tried Didymos 55 Azur / Azure, but had it converted into a mei tai, which I will review in a separate post. I didn't feel a huge difference in thickness between the different colorways. The greatest difference in feel of this wrap had to do with how broken in they were.
