Lounge With Us Takes NYC: Curve, Cocktails & a Whole Lot of Lingerie
There’s nothing quite like a Lounge With Us girls’ trip to New York City—especially when you add beautiful lingerie, family dinners, fashion shows, rooftop cocktails, macarons and a few NYC bagels into the mix.
This time, Mama Brenda, Kristin and I (Erin!) packed our bags and headed to the Big Apple for Curve Expo, a few very special industry events and, of course, plenty of buying for the shop. It was a whirlwind in the very best way, and I’m bringing you along for all the highlights!
Saturday Night: Straight From LaGuardia to Pasta
We landed at LaGuardia around 6:30 Saturday evening and did what any sensible group of women with a packed NYC itinerary would do: dropped our bags at the hotel and immediately went to dinner.
We met up with our favorite cousins, Harold and Collin, who live in Queens, at Il Punto, a charming Italian restaurant just a block from our hotel. Getting to squeeze in family time is always one of our favorite parts of visiting New York, and good Italian food certainly didn’t hurt!
With full bellies and plenty of catching up accomplished, it was time to get some rest. We had lingerie to shop.
Sunday: Curve, Here We Come!
Bright and early the next morning, Mama Brenda, Kristin and I headed to the Javits Center for Curve Expo—aka where so much of the magic you eventually see at Lounge With Us begins.
First up was Simone Pérèle, where we got a peek at gorgeous new colors in some of the collections we already know and love. The Comète Full Cup Bra and Karma Spacer Bra are getting beautiful recolorations, plus we saw a few new fashion collections we can’t wait for you to see.
Next, we attended an interactive fashion show with Panache. Seeing the pieces actually on the body makes such a difference, and we loved being able to ask questions as we watched. Panache continues to offer wonderful options for fuller cups, including fantastic sports bras—because support should absolutely extend to your workout, too.
Naturally, we had to officially put Lounge With Us on the map of Curve visitors before heading over to Mey. We already love their beautiful bralettes, but this trip came with an exciting addition: SWIM! Yes, we purchased new swimwear from Mey, and yes, we’re already excited about it.
At Chantelle, we found fresh new colors coming in some of our favorite everyday basics, including the Norah Comfort Underwire Bra and Norah Chic Plunge. A bra you already love in a brand-new color? That’s basically a wardrobe refresh without having to reinvent the wheel.
An Evening to Celebrate
Sunday evening called for something extra special. We put on our finest lilac and headed to Tribeca Rooftop for the Best of Intima Awards, where Lounge With Us was honored to be one of just five finalists for Best Store USA!
We didn’t bring home the award, but sitting in that room surrounded by so many incredible people in our industry already felt like a win. Mama Brenda, Kristin and I were so proud to be there representing Lounge With Us and our Charleston community.
We enjoyed beet salad, miso-crusted cod and assorted desserts while catching up with some of our favorite fellow lingerie store owners from across North America. A special thank-you to Saliann with Natori for inviting us to join their table. It was such a memorable evening—and getting all dressed up together wasn’t too shabby either.
Back to Curve for More Goodies
The next morning, we were right back at Curve because there was still shopping to be done!
We found the cutest new prints from Aspen Dream. Our favorite? The Ducks. Trust us on this one.
We also discovered a new-to-us brand, Lisca, and added even more SWIM to our orders. Apparently this was the trip where we collectively decided your future vacations needed better swimsuits. You’re welcome.
And because we can never forget about the everyday pieces that make getting dressed feel better, we’re also bringing in new cotton basics from one of my personal favorites, Calida. I can’t wait for you to see these!
Macarons, Matchboxes & Simone Pérèle
That evening, the three of us traded our Curve attire for cocktail clothes and headed to SoHo for a gorgeous Simone Pérèle event at Ladurée, celebrating their Plume collection.
French food? Check.
Cocktails? Check.
Macarons? Obviously.
We even got to engrave our own gold matchboxes with “Lounge With Us” on them—a tiny keepsake from a very special evening and exactly the kind of charming little detail we love.
One Last Stop…Okay, Three
On our final morning, we squeezed in appointments with On Gossamer and Le Mystère before officially calling the buying portion of the trip complete.
But you simply cannot leave New York without one last food stop.
We headed to Russ & Daughters for bagels to-go, then made our way back home to Charleston with full suitcases, full hearts and LOTS of exciting new things headed to Lounge With Us.
These buying trips are about so much more than choosing beautiful bras, lingerie, loungewear and swimwear. They give us the opportunity to touch the fabrics, see the fit on real bodies, ask questions, connect with the people behind the brands and thoughtfully choose pieces we believe you’ll love wearing. That personal connection is such an important part of how we buy for Lounge With Us—and one of my favorite parts of what we do.
The three of us came home feeling inspired, grateful and very ready to show you what’s coming next.
NYC, you were good to us. Curve, we’ll see you again in February!
Until then, stay tuned—there are some very pretty things headed your way. 💜
— Erin
