the deepest beauty is found in a woman’s strength.

whenever i discover a business whose name tells me there must be a story, i immediately want to know what it means, where it came from, and how it was born in the heart + mind of someone living out their dream.

this is my dream. belle + oak is my heart.

i asked 250 women who follow our instagram for words that came to mind when they thought about boudoir, about women, and about themselves. while the answers varied, there were two words that found their way into most answers: beauty and strength.

i could hardly believe it - the two things i want every woman in my life to believe about herself and the two things i struggle sometimes to believe about myself - there they were - front and center.

i am beautiful. and i am strong.

beautiful in french is belle. and the mighty oak tree is famously strong. it can withstand a storm and even when stripped of its leaves, it survives because of its strength, its curvy branches, and its deep and unshakeable root system.

much like a woman.

even when that which hides us is stripped away - expectations, successes, failures, our spouses, our childrens’ soccer schedules, painful memories, expensive clothing, worry, and fear - and who we really are is exposed - curvy branches and all - we survive. we have deep roots that ground us. our bodies tell stories of what has come against us and lost and stories of what we’ve accomplished. we are steady. we are beautiful. we are strong.

belle + oak exists to celebrate that.

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