ALICE RYAN’S LINGERIE EDIT

It will come as no surprise that neither Julia or her mama Carine compromised their femininity and desire to wear beautiful underwear when pregnant, and the aspirational woman in me wanted to follow the same path.

In each of my three pregnancies the very first sign was always a fuller bra cup. With my first child (Grey, now 6), I was on a beach in St Barths and my husband complimented my bikini. I realized that it probably wasn’t the cut or color of the Heidi Klein suit, but my pregnant bust! With Elliott Grace (now nearly 3) I remember a slipping on a Temperley dress that was always a little suggestive in the décolletage, but this time it looked positively über cleavage! With my third baby the journey was no different, but I did my best to create a better lineup of lingerie to see me through the trimesters with ample support and without compromising style.

For every discerning shopper, Net-a-Porter will always be the site we gravitate towards. I was thrilled to find exquisite Stella McCartney lingerie that was delicately fashioned for nursing. The Reilley Adoring bra and briefs are the perfect blush color, with the softest lace and–as expected–the fit was flawless, not to mention Net-a-Porter’s overnight delivery and the most luxurious packaging.

I have always shopped at the Journelle store in SoHo. It is close to my office and precariously near to The Mercer where I often go for meetings. The Journelle ‘Atelier’ on Fifth Avenue, however, was a new discovery. You schedule a fitting and it is such a wonderful experience. It reminded me of early days at Rigby & Peller in London, being proudly fitted for my very first bra. Journelle has a thoughtful and expert approach, and though I’m pretty well versed in the language of lingerie, I really appreciated the curated assortment. I was immediately drawn to the pale pink and lace confections of the Amoralia brand. Although I immediately put the nursing bras (and briefs) on my list, I learned that the necessity to wear maternity bras for the majority of a pregnancy was a myth and an unnecessary expense. I have worn (and loved) Amoralia’s Nougatine and Cupcake styles for all three pregnancies.

Hatch Collection just launched ‘underpinnings’ and their founder Ariane Goldman encouraged me to consider the jersey ribbon edged bra tops for sleeping and feeding. As with all things maternity she didn’t lead me astray. I have an assortment of these in rotation and can’t wait to gift them to the mamas-to-be in my life.

Le Mystere was recommended to me by a chic girlfriend and the ‘Sexy Mama‘ style made me feel that she was looking out for my best interests and assets. The lingerie is both form fitting, structured and a lovely pale ivory–very me, I ordered multiples.