Finding comfortable maternity underwear in Singapore isn’t that easy. Balancing babe-on-boob without dealing with uncomfortable fabrics and sizing issues can be challenging. FLORENCE TAY is the founder of Lovemère, a motherhood necessities lifestyle label; she gives us the low-down on why she launched the label, and how she plans to dress us from bump to breastfeeding and beyond.
How did you go about creating stylish and comfortable maternity underwear?
We often underestimate how important innerwear is. What you wear under your clothes gives you so much confidence and makes you feel so beautiful. Yet, maternity lingerie is usually drab and unattractive. I wanted to create something that was beautiful, elegant, and classy. At the same time, I wanted functional designs in the best fabrics.
What are some of the most popular products in your range?
Our Lovemère Seamless Nursing Bra is popular. We worked with our production team to create a special knitting technique in making the bra supportive and comfortable at the same time. The fabric has a great stretch ability so the bra has a longer mileage. And we have it in seven beautiful colours so mums can have a new colour for every day of the week!
Another popular product is the Ellie Cruz Nursing Camisole. You can skip the bra and wear it instead as a comfortable alternative. But you still get the support your breasts need and quick nursing access. I love it personally because it looks so chic when paired with a jacket/cardigan. A lot of thought goes into creating these products from the design to the fabric to the crafting of this maternity underwear.
What inspired you to launch a maternity lingerie lifestyle label?
When my first child was born, I couldn’t find any comfortable and pretty maternity underwear and nursing bras in the market. I could only purchase them via the overseas market. But there would be size issues and exchanges were quite difficult too. And that was how the idea for Lovemère was born.
At the very beginning, I would bring in nursing bras that were pre-made by the factory. I started selling via online platforms and sold 1-2 pieces per day. Gradually, as the orders increased, I realised I wanted to create the best nursing bra that mums would fall in love with. I started to travel to our production partners in Indonesia and China and designed and crafted nursing bras, assisted by our bra technicians.
I selected the best fabrics and accessories to make maternity nursing bras that mummies would love. Our production partners have wonderful staff-welfare and the materials are sourced responsibly which makes me feel happy about working with them.
Today, Lovemère designs popular maternity underwear and nursing inner garments that are well-loved in Singapore and Asia. And our mission is to support our mum community #merefam.
Why do you enjoy working with the mummy-market?
All mothers go through some form of struggle, just as I went through my own. However, not all struggles are shared and discussed. I understand this and wanted to be there for other mummies. Sometimes we just need someone to show us the light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to do that in my own small way, reminding mums how beautiful motherhood is.
So I try to do that through the maternity wear I design. I hope to make pregnancy and motherhood a little more comfortable for women. And it’s always a pleasure to welcome mummies in our wonderful and growing #merefam.
Tell us about your maternity underwear range?
We have a wonderful selection of maternity lingerie including nursing bras, camisoles and bottoms. From minimalist basics to exquisite lace bras and from comfortable sleep bras to snug active bras.
We have a wide range of products to help a mum at every stage of her motherhood journey. Our postpartum binders are very popular too. They are handcrafted in full cotton and are great to wear in our humid Singapore weather.
What type of fabrics do you use for your maternity underwear?
We use cotton, bamboo, and rayon fabrics with a blend of elastane in our products. Fabrics are made environmentally friendly and accessories are sourced responsibly. All this to ensure that they are safe for mummies and babies.
What is the creation process like?
Each piece is designed in our studio here in Singapore. Our nursing bras, maternity underwear and garments are then crafted by the loving hands of our teams in Indonesia and China. They assist us in the intricate pattern-making and custom fabric engineering. We’ve worked hard to ensure our production process is ethical and environmentally friendly
What drives your brand vision?
I believe Mothers deserve the best. And I want them to be the best version of themselves. Mummies share with us how happy our products make them feel. My team and I always beam with joy when we hear this.
With motherhood being challenging as it is, at least our products keep them comfortable and uplift their spirits. It keeps us motivated in doing what we do, to support mummies. It’s always a pleasure to see mummies coming back to us for subsequent pregnancies or after childbirth. And this just reinforces my brand vision of providing mummies with the best in maternity inner-wear.
Do you have any lingerie-care tips for us?
Here’s a wonderful tip that we want to leave you with, to help you extend the wear-time of your bras in between washings! It’s called ‘the shower rinse’ and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Simply take your bra into the shower with you and rinse it under running water for just under a minute. The rinse will wash away some of the sweat and grime on your bra, allowing you to prolong its wear before the next wash.
Can you give us a peek into any new and upcoming products?
Sure, we have just launched our Love, Juliette Nursing Bralette. It’s a really pretty lingerie set featuring intricate lace and bold detailing. We really love our rose-quartz signature colour.
We are also launching our Lovemère Essentials range end of May 21; a collection of relaxed tops & bottom for pregnancy, nursing and beyond. This collection consists of the Hensley crew and long sleeve tees, as well as the Bridget relaxed V-Tees and shorts. It comes in a variety of soothing and playful, neutral and earth tones. The handcrafted tops come in a soft fabric that is cooling and comfortable. Stay tuned!
Check out the Lovemère range online.
And remember, it’s never too early to check out preschools in Singapore!
