Beautiful Handmade White Cotton Nightgowns, and for a good cause

The fabric I hear referenced in longing most frequently is cotton. Despite the plethora of performance blends to help with various issues including night sweats and hot flashes, there is forever a place in our hearts for the original breathable textile.

A crisp, white cotton nightgown is a classic piece and our selection comes with the added bonus of charitable giving. Each nightgown or robe is hand-embroidered with exquisite feminine detailing on pure white cotton print. Not only is each garment beautiful, comfortable and effortless but the proceeds go to an excellent nonprofit corporation founded in 1988 in the Philippines.

Marie de la Soudiere, a French designer, founded the Thread of Hope for Economic Advancement (or THEA) with the objective of improving the situation of disadvantaged women in Manila. Thea provides skills training, and also has worked to set up health care, first aid, housing and other necessary programs for these impoverished working mothers.

Thea has grown and prospered and currently grants scholarships for education and vocational training, as well as opening two nursery schools and a small community library in Imus, Cavite. The hard work that makes each Thea nightgown and robe so beautifully elegant gives the workers not only a way to make a living, but also hope for an improvement in their lives, and for future generations.

I personally love receiving a shipment from Thea, and liberating the softest, lightest, most romantic gowns from the box. As I give them a quick steam to release the packing wrinkles, a light yet mouthwatering scent of some sort of delicious incense wafts briefly through the store. Thea nightgowns, robes, and even pajamas, are a product I am proud to sell, not only for the perfection of each piece but also for the hope it represents.

Mother's Day is May 12th, for the record. ;)

See you soon!

Jaye
Assistant Manager

I need a bra solution for my backless prom dress!

Let's be real - the reason lingerie exists is to make our clothes look their best. The greatest test of this purpose comes during prom and bridal season, when girls and women of all shapes and sizes put on their once-in-a-lifetime dresses and need supportive yet utterly invisible foundation garments to complete the look.

A complete look depends on the dress, of course. We obviously boast a good variety of strapless bras, including bustiers, and our size range now includes an I cup. For the majority of women, a properly fit strapless bra not only makes the WOW-factor dress wearable but also makes for a great investment in the summer. Most strapless bras can also double as halter, one shoulder, or clear-strapped bras - there are usually a bunch of options built into just one bra of that type.

If your dress is more complicated, there are all sorts of solutions for you. Let's make a chart:

Those are the basic choices for the most common conundrums. We have had the best success when the girls bring their beautiful gowns to the store, getting it right the first time is our goal.

For shapewear, the sky is the limit. Some of us prefer a bra to thigh shaper - a la Curves, some prefer the Commando Thong ("better than nothing") and we run the gamut with choices between those two extremes.

Can't wait to see everyone's dresses!
Jaye
Assistant Manager

Comfort Bras

Before working at Jo Karen, I never wore a bra. Due to a lack of information on the subject (brafitting should be taught in school!) I thought a bra was designed to be uncomfortable. Only after Jo and Karen opened my eyes did I realize a bra was supposed to work for me, and do what I wanted, and be an asset in my closet!

As much as I love my traditional, back closure, structured, molded cup and underwired bras for my work clothes and formal situations... I am all about seamless, wirefree comfort the rest of the time. When I'm chasing down my nephew, walking the dog or other everyday activities, I want my bra to be effortlessly supporting me and not create tension lines under my lighterweight clothing. To give you a frame of reference, in the nine years I've been working at Jo Karen I have been a size 32DD-34D.

In the previous post I referenced Blue Canoe cotton bras, which were my first unstructured lingerie love. However, the recent addition to our lineup includes Coobies [pictured] which are hugely popular. Cute colors, adjustable straps, optional modesty pads - this seamless, half-cami-looking bra replacement is a very useful addition to a bra wardrobe, especially for the summer.

And a step up from that, in terms of quality fabric and invisibility under clothes, are two offerings from Wacoal - the b-smooth line which includes a tank-style with removable modesty pads [pictured] as well as a thin cami style which provides a lightweight, summer friendly layer of support. The other line from Wacoal includes the Cool Definition bra which is purported to literally cool your skin AND it's made of an eco-friendly material in a very athletic racerback design.

For me, it's very relieving to know that there are a number of options that will not only feel great while supporting me, but also be very smooth under my tanks and sheer tops. So if comfort is key for you as you shop for your summer wardrobe, let us assist you!

See you soon,
Jaye
Assistant Manager

Surgery Bras - Before and After

Comfort bras are absolutely a personal passion of mine - I love when a woman praises her foundation garments for their ability perform with ease and grace. While we have many options for seamless, softcup, no underwire bras, the particular focus of this post will be the pre- and post-surgery bras.

Women who have to go through radiation, chemotherapy or other procedures that make their skin sensitive are always pleased with the Blue Canoe organic cotton bras. There are no metal clasps or plastic adjustment pieces either around the back or over the shoulders, and the velvety cotton feels substantial enough to replace a traditional bra. The most popular style is Jen's Bra [pictured] but there are several variations to accommodate different body types.

The Blue Canoe boasts some of the most comfortable pre-surgery bras, but post-surgery, you may need an entirely different type of bra. Blue Canoe offers two different kinds of front closure cotton bras - after rotator cup surgery, for instance, a bra that hooks or zips up the front offers a much easier time getting it on and off.

Many women come into the store post-breast reduction surgery with instructions from their doctors to get a compression bra with no underwires. Apparently the science behind this has to do with trying to keep fluid retention low for the most lasting results. And for compression we have two I highly recommend:

Lunaire's front close comfort bra has a very supportive cup, and can encompass a broad range of sizes. The hooks at the front clasp are simple and secure, and it feels and looks the most like a traditional bra, in my opinion.

If you would rather a sportier, racerback style compression, Moving Comfort's Grace bra [pictured] has long been a popular pick for post-breast reduction due to its wicking, moisture-management fabric (great for the upcoming season!) and ease of use with the quick zipper front.

Regardless of your particular situation, the associates at Jo Karen are always pleased to offer the latest and greatest in foundation solutions.

See you soon!
Jaye
Assistant Manager