I need some advice, especially from women with experience of buying and caring for expensive bras for the fuller figure.

I am currently renewing my stock of bras, having worn out the second set of nursing bras since Charles was born. This time I decided to try out alternatives to the reliable-but-a-bit-dull Bravado, and have found an amazing bra from Hotmilk that is beautiful and lacy and supportive and comfortable, and in which I can still breastfeed. The holy grail of bras. But it is handwash only and I really am not good at doing handwashes.

Those of you who buy expensive lacy bras that are labelled handwash only - do you actually handwash them? Or do they survive the washing machine if done on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag? It will really annoy me if I splash out on a few of these gorgeous bras and then destroy them; it will also annoy me if I splash out and then never wear them because I never get around to washing them.

Or shall I just admit that I am too lazy for lace, and stick with machine-washable reliable slightly-dull bras?