Our last day in Brooklyn we packed up our bags and headed out of our Airbnb. We didn’t have much planned for the day, except one important event—heading over to Taryn Winters’ house to look at her collection.
Incredibly hospitable and gracious, Taryn opened her doors to us so that I could ohhh and ahhh over her beautiful work. I wouldn’t normally impose on someone’s personal home, but my time in New York City had me missing her trunk show by just a day or two, and that disappointment combined with my desire to meet Taryn made me get over my unwillingness to intrude, and I accepted her offer to come over happily. It turned out our Airbnb location made us almost neighbors, so it worked out perfectly.
Talking about design, owning a small business, and the struggles of getting product in front of the correct customers instantly made me feel connected with Taryn. These are problems I love talking and thinking about, but I don’t normally get to discuss them with people, and having the conversation be lingerie focused brought my enjoyement up another level. I immediately admired Taryn’s determination, and coupled with my already existent love of her design made me incredibly grateful that she took the time to chat with me. I often feel uncomfortable and awkward in new situations and with new people, so this would have normally been a time of excruitiating inward cringe, but instead I felt happy and welcome (though admittedly still a little awkward—old habits die hard).
After viewing all the lovely items she had laid out beautifully for me in her small, tastefully-decorated and comfortable living room, I settled on a sparkling pink-beige set. The Sabine. This 3-piece set combined a few important aspects, and filled a need I had in my collection. First, it reads as nude on my skin tone, and I didn’t have a satisfactory nude set yet. Second, it sparkles, which elevated it into a fun not-just-nude category that compelled me. Finally, Taryn Winters pieces fit me incredibly well, and so I knew that I could count on this piece to look great under clothes. I didn’t even try it on, I settled on it, and simply purchased the entire set.
In addition to this set, I fell in love with her soon-to-be-released Spring/Summer 2019 collection. I’m a complete sucker for soft bras, especially if they actually fit, and she showed me one that made me want to swoon. I’ve already pre-ordered it, and I can hardly wait for the package to arrive!
I didn’t want to overstay my welcome, so after purchasing my Sabine set, we packed up to leave. I couldn’t wait to get home and try on my new set. It didn’t disappoint.
The fit is lovely, and the sparkle dots add immensely to the appeal. While the sparkles infuse every outfit I wear with the bra, they aren’t noticeably decreasing on the set, and who doesn’t love a bit of extra shine? My skin can tend towards reactionairy and irritable, and though I can feel the sparkle texture, it doesn’t bother me—which is a first for me. The beautiful internal mesh layer does just enough to diffuse any irritant.
The ONLY slight criticism I can even mention goes towards the garter belt. It’s lovely and has a beautiful design, but if you wear garter belts out and about, don’t anticipate using this one. There are two types of garter belts, those meant to be worn out, and those meant to be worn only as visual appeal. The Sabine garter definitely falls into the later category, and does so beautifully. It only has two small clips, which clues in most folks, and it’s meant to be worn lower on the hips. In addition, the elastic is so soft and delicate (a definite plus in many other areas) that it doesn’t firmly hold the hardware in place. Again, not a problem for wearing around the house, or to a photoshoot, but I wouldn’t trust it for all-day wear.
However, considering that it’s a pink-beige color and an incredibly versatile set, I wasn’t worried about not getting to wear the garter belt out. Sometimes its fun to mix and match garter belts and stockings with other sets, and this will be an easy match.
All told, meeting Taryn Winters and being welcomed into her home was a highlight of my trip. It wasn’t a long visit, but I will admit, I sincerely hope it’s not the last time I am able to hang out with her! Not only has Taryn created a beautiful designer brand with stellar quality, it’s a fully woman-owned and operated business. What’s not to love?
