We’re off to CPD – the biggest maternity wear show in Europe – hope the buyers like our new collections…
It’s pretty manic here at Amoralia HQ – our lovely Spring collections were delivered on Monday so we’re busy sending out stock to our lovely retailers (over 100 worldwide!), we’re recruiting for a new operations manager, we’re getting all our marketing materials ready, AND we’re off to CPD to start selling the AW’10 collection. No rest for the wicked!
I’m really proud of the new styles, and I think they fill the gaps in our existing range: there’s a lacy, everyday black bra, a soft silky nude that doesn’t look like granny’s surgical stockings (!), a new sophisticated colour for Nougatine, a soft smoky grey fashion colour for Tutti Frutti, a pretty cotton nightshirt and a new colour for our best-selling Honey nightwear (called Tiffany blue – guess what inspired that one). So we’ll be there from Sunday till Tuesday, chatting to existing customers and prospective new buyers, writing orders and enjoying a Currywurst or two!
Here’s a sneak preview of the Tutti Frutti collection - do tell us what you think!
Exciting day today – our lovely new Spring Summer collections are winging their way to our warehouse. It’s always gratifying, after months of hard work (we had to start planning these almost a year ago!) to see the fruits of our labour arrive safely, box-fresh and bright. Remember this time last year? Doom-and-gloom in the City, credit crunch headlines day after day, a grey, wet winter… so we reacted by injecting colour, and joy, and fun into our normally more muted styles. We were also having a sweet-tooth moment, hence the new names: Tutti Frutti (remember those penny sweets?) and Cupcake (check out this recipe for Hummingbird Bakery’s Red Velvet cupcakes. It’s weird, but it totally works. Yum!).
Here’s a sneak preview of our favourite… Hope you like it! (They’ll be on our website by next Thursday…)
Tutti Frutti nursing bra and short
We stumbled across Lillipops the other day – a natural iced lolly designed to alleviate morning sickness. I particularly like the sound of the lemon & mint and camomille & orange flavours.
What’s meant to cause morning sickness?
Some experts believe morning sickness occurs due to an increase in the progesterone hormone which causes the uterus muscles to relax and possibly also causes the stomach and intestines to relax which leads to excess stomach acids. Other theories include an increased sensitivity to smells which triggers nausea or low blood sugar levels.
Is there a cure for morning sickness?
If you’re experiencing severe morning sickness, speak to your doctor as he/she may prescribe anti-nausea medication. But if you’re looking for a more natural way to relieve the symptoms, here are some (pretty common sense) suggestions:
- eat small meals regularly so that you keep your stomach full without feeling bloated and uncomfortable
- eat plain, low GI foods such as brown rice, wholegrain toast and porridge to keep your blood sugar stable
- if you’re having particular cravings go with your instincts – also avoid the foods you might be having an aversion to so you are giving your body what it wants
- suck on ice cubes to stay hydrated if you can’t face drinking liquids
Let us know your top tips!
Interesting bit of research here: eating cereal every morning before becoming pregnant seems to correlate with a higher percentage of baby boys… Bring on the porridge! Not sure I buy their evolutionary argument, but it’s interesting. What do you think? Has it worked for you?
#1: Gorgeous George
· Best bit about being pregnant
Getting a seat on train, tube and bus to and from work for 6 months!
· Your top tip for a happy baby
I think being very relaxed during pregnancy and since he was born, taking everything in my stride and not worrying about anything means he also seems pretty chilled and generally very happy. An easy labour probably didn’t do any harm either!
· Cutest memory so far
Standing in disabled toilet in service station changing his nappy, turned on the hand dryer by mistake and hot air blew onto George’s face causing him to take sharp intake of breath with mouth in little ‘o’ shape and eyes wide open. Just as we thought he was about to burst into tears he smiled and giggled. We were in that toilet for another half an hour-it worked every time!!
Not only have I just found out that a lovely friend is pregnant (and no, we’re not celebrating because of the bra-selling opportunities – what do you take us for?!), but we also saw that our Nougatine bra won Junior Pregnancy & Baby’s Best maternity bra. Hurrah!
We’re used to hearing about US celebrity baby showers (Ashlee Simpson, Nicole Richie, Jessica Alba) but word has it that they’re the hot new thing on our shores too. We stumbled across The Ultimate Baby Shower company and love what they offer: bespoke events at home or at one of their spectacular venues (think Claridges, The Soho hotel, snuggly drawing rooms and luxurious suites). They provide exclusive favours, classic cakes, beautiful iced cookies, stunning baby gifts, a gift-boxing service and more. You can develop a gift list for all your essentials, then let them plan the rest. We say it’s a great excuse to get all your girlfriends together in one place (probably the first time since your Hen – how DO we get those diaries to coordinate?!) and a last chance to be the centre of attention before the little one takes centre stage. Are we still superstitious about having these, or is it time to move on? Have you hosted one? Let us know what you think!
The ultimate baby shower
We’re always being asked about the best way of displaying our lingerie by new stockists . It’s tough for small shops as there often isn’t the space or fittings are expensive. So we love Paulina’s solution:
Beautiful maternity boutique Paulina
The luxurious padded satin purple background instantly draws the eye, but you could create the same effect on a budget by papering a feature wall in a a bright, stand-out wallpaper. Decoarte wooden hangers with satin bows, hang 1 or 2 sizes of the key styles from evenly spaced hooks, and store the rest of the stock in pretty wicker baskets below. Your customers will ask you for their size, you’ll get them in the fitting room and hey presto, it’s a sale!
Let us know your top display tips!
I’m normally not that excited to get our post… bills, bills, bills, the odd return, samples from China, stationery catalogues (Viking, please stop!) but today was different. I received the most BEAUTIFUL lingerie from my friend Niki at Made by Niki. The quality is amazing, the fit perfect, and I know i’ll feel pretty damn glam on my WD. Thank goodness she hasn’t thought about starting a maternity collection (unlike every other brand in town…) as we’d be in serious trouble! If you’ve had your baby and may be in need of a little tummy control (aren’t we all) then check out her fab Magic Bum/Tum girdles. Who knew shapewear could be sexy?
sexy wedding undies
It was a lovely afternoon in June and after a delicious meal at the lovely Landmark hotel in London and some cocktails to calm the nerves, we heard those words that even the most jaded A-list actor loves to hear… “And the award goes to…”
Now, for the speech.” We would like to give huge thanks and love to our fab agents and great customers, without all of you this would not have been possible! It just goes to show that women all over the world love pretty lingerie…”
Jules even met The Princess Royal!! The award was a stand at Paris Mode City, so we look forward to seeing our customers there in September.
