The Naked Truth: European Lingerie at Lulabelle
Donna Morton in her Derby Street lingerie boutique. (Photo by Christopher Churchill)
For years, Donna Morton bought lingerie only during business trips to Europe.
“A woman would come out in a white coat with little glasses and a tape measure around her neck—very intimidating,” recalls the Fashion Institute of Technology alum and former Stride Rite executive. “But you’d wind up with something really beautiful that fit amazingly.”
In July 2010, figuring that others might share her appreciation for high-end French, Italian, and Belgian underpinnings, as well as swimsuits, sleepwear, and robes, Morton opened Lulabelle (named after her two daughters) in a shingled cottage in North Scituate. Demand turned out to be so high that she quickly outgrew her shop. So last fall she moved the store to a larger, sunny space in Hingham’s Derby Street Shoppes.
“If you have a beautiful French lace demi-bra underneath your big bulky sweater, with—I hope—matching panties, you will feel awesome all day, guaranteed,” she says. “Even if nobody sees them.”
Morton stocks bras from Simone Pérèle, Marie Jo, and Lou of Paris in a rainbow of colors and hard-to-find sizes (from 30AA to 44K, to be exact). Her main goal? Making sure every customer leaves with unmentionables that fit—all it takes is 20 minutes in the dressing room.
For those uncomfortable shedding clothes in front of a stranger, Morton has reassuring words. “I’ve seen everyone naked, and we’re much more alike than we are different,” she says. “I’ve seen more women in their bras than most men have, I’m sure.”
92 Derby St., Hingham, 781-556-5799.
Cosabella “Hottie” hot pants, $32 each.
Lou of Paris “Blue” balconette bra, $95, and boy shorts, $65.
Blush “Sweetest Sin” chemise, $68.
Eberjey “Sleep Chic” pajamas, $134.
Lou of Paris “Piccadilly” demi-cup bra, $89, and boy shorts, $64.
Fleurt T-back chemise, $82.