Jane Adams has been in the lingerie business for practically her entire life. For over 20 years, Adams curated a beautiful collection of luxury lingerie and sold it at her namesake boutique in Portland, Jane’s Vanity. The shop closed its doors in 2013, but today, Adams remains an expert in the lingerie industry and she operates Jane’s Vanity as an ecommerce destination. She also travels the US hosting trunk shows and recently invited San Franciscans to shop her vanity at The Battery. Of the shift to being an online retailer rather than a brick-and-mortar, Adams told Haute Living that “it’s been a total evolution to a different business completely which I had not really anticipated at all. There is very much of a learning curve. It’s very niche and a specific audience. The pieces are artwork.”
A quick look around the penthouse and it’s clear that Adams’ collection isn’t your everyday lingerie. With gorgeous materials and hand sewn details, it looks like artwork and is a far cry from anything one would find at Victoria’s Secret. “I attend the Paris markets every January. I do a lot of research to see what’s new,” Adams says of her process to find the best pieces. “Then we have a lot of houses that we’ve worked with for years and have long-standing relationships. It’s so wonderful to see how they evolve and see if their collections will work—and if they speak to my spirit.”
There’s an ethereal quality to Adams, with a breathy delicate voice and wispy hair, she feels like a lingerie fairy godmother. Before she purchases any bra, panty, or nightgown, Adams must see the piece in person. “I think it’s very important to actually see the pieces, feel the pieces, see them on, talk with the designers to see how they are constructed, what are the materials. It’s like a story, it’s part of a connection to the piece is the story, the detail,” she says.
Many of the items at the trunk show could be wore outside the bedroom. Printed silk pajamas by Olivia Von Halle, lacy camisoles by Dana Pisarra, and jewel-toned slip dresses by Akiko Ogawa could all double as evening wear. Adams understands that certain pieces, like bras, require a proper fit and urges consumers to buy several sizes and return what doesn’t work. She also believes that more people should invest in quality lingerie. If you’re spending the time to create a comfortable and inviting bedroom space, why wouldn’t you want to wear the most luxurious lingerie in that room? Adams says that the modern female “should have a chemise, a gown, definitely pajamas, both long and short, maybe a camisole style pajamas as well because you can mix them up easily. They should be silk.” Her personal collection of lingerie is so extensive that she changes each season, like she does the rest of her closet. It doesn’t get more chic than that.
Shop the latest in lingerie styles at Jane’s Vanity now.
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