Menu

Ingrid and Isabel

When Ingrid Ocanas Carney ’88 was pregnant with her first child, she found a creative way to make her pants fit — as well as a new idea for a business venture.

Ingrid and Isabel

When Ingrid Ocanas Carney ’88 was pregnant with her first child, she found a creative way to make her pants fit — as well as a new idea for a business venture.

Six years ago, Ingrid Ocanas Carney ’88 was enjoying a successful advertising career when she became pregnant with her first child. One morning early in the pregnancy, she suddenly realized, “I have nothing that fits.” Her non-maternity slacks no longer buttoned, yet maternity clothes were still far too large.

Her dilemma led a search for something to wrap around her unbuttoned waistband without providing an unsightly bulge. Safety pins, rubber bands and giant band-aids all failed. An Ace bandage wouldn’t stay in place. An old tube top, however, solved the problem.

That tube top eventually fell apart from overuse after it was pressed into service for her second pregnancy. Carney’s business sense told her she had a marketable product in her makeshift maternity band. Research, planning and nine months of fabric tests finally produced the precise blend of nylon and spandex that would survive repeated wash and wear. The Bella Band was born.

Carney expects her company, Ingrid and Isabel, Inc., to break $1.2 million in revenue this year. Bella Band, their only product, sells for $26 at retail outlets across the country and online. The product and company are both named in part for Carney’s daughter Isabel, the baby behind that first maternity transition six years ago. For more information, visit www.ingridandisabel.com.

Your comments are welcome

Comments

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.