April, 2010

Underwear : the hidden secret!

Sat, 24th Apr 2010      Style      Add Comment »     

Underwear, the hidden secret!


ARABELLA--bra-and-stocking


(Arabella Bra and Knickers- available from Beautiful Bras)



What we wear underneath the outer layer of our clothes tends to be a secret most of us don't share with the rest of the world…..


Be it a secret passion for hot, saucy bra and knicker sets.


Or


Comfy cotton Marks and Spencer's everyday range.


Or


Mismatched underwear– the “whatever comes out of the drawer first” look.

 
Or 


Or you may be into full corsets, basques, waspies or suspenders…..


The thing is ladies…… that whatever your preference may be, what you wear underneath your clothes, makes a HUGE, GINORMOUS difference to how you look on the outside, to how your clothes hang over your body and indeed to whether they fit properly.


Wear a bra that doesn't fit right and you could be sagging, bagging and hanging out all over the place.


Wear the right bra and you look pert, encased and together !


5_Maia_Balc_Turquoise.small-size


(Maia Bra and Knickers – Available from Beautiful Bras)


There is no doubt about that the fact that be you small or large busted… wearing the the right bra is essential to getting a look right, for bosoms have the habit of having a life of their own if they are not encased adequately!


And believe me ladies, I know. One, because I have worn the wrong underwear myself with all sorts of catastrophic results, and secondly, because I fit women regularly for clothes and can see the difference immediately when the wrong size bra is being worn.


Truthfully, a woman looks much better, more elegant and sophisticated with a bra style that is especially chosen for the overall look of an outfit. The styles and types are endless, so choose carefully. These days the construction of a bra has almost become a science so complex are they in structure. It is essential to have a full range on hand for different outfits.A good selection would include styles in the following : – balconette, plunge, padded, push up, half cups, full cups, t-shirt bra, not to mention strapless, non wired, longline and invisible and adhesive styles.


Not everyone of course can wear bras in all these styles. Goodness, if I tried to wear an adhesive bra the results would be more suitable for a bad comedy than a serious case of actually holding things together. So consider carefully and buy wisely!

 

 

black-swirly-2

 

 

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Beverly Webb from Beautiful Bras. She has an amazing source of knowledge on all things to do with bras, not only for large busted women, but also smaller bosomed ladies and those who have had mastectomies. To be fitted regularly is of importance as our bodies change shape and styles, makes and sizes of bras differ greatly between each other. You may be a size 36F in one brand but be a 34G in another.


She expertly fitted me for a bra and suggested I wear a back size smaller than the current size I was wearing, for not only is it important to get the cup size right, but also the right back size. They both matter greatly in giving the right support.


 Beverly has herself been a bra fitting model and has years of experience fitting women. She will come to you with a full range of bras  if you would like to be fitted in the privacy of your own home, or will fit you at her studio.

 

For a detailed guide on how to contact Beverly and to get the correct fit, check out Beautiful Bras on


www.beautifulbras.uk.com


Caitlyn-pink-bra


(Caitlyn Bra and Knickers – Available from Beautiful Bras)


You will find excellent measuring tips and stunning bras to buy on her website as well.


And whilst we are discussing underwear, we really should discuss Knickers.


An even more touchy topic than bras, but just as important.


There is nothing worse than knickers showing at the top of jeans when you bend over, or visibly seen under a tight pair of trousers. Or worse still, a brightly coloured pair of knickers that are visible through a piece of clothing.


So the whole knicker saga needs to be thought about, along with the bra drama!!


We really can't finish this little spiel without a bit about the wonderful shapewear which is now available. The choices are huge and no longer do we woman need to feel like we are being trapped into an elasticated bandage to get a little shape and control happening.


Personally, I like the shapewear by Gok the most, but spanx have some wonderful shapely knickers and Susanna and Trinny do a great range as well.


Take the time to check it all out, find something that feels comfortable and enhances your shape, for really ladies, it does make all the difference, the hidden secrets that lie beneath your clothes!

 

arabella_thong_bra

Arabella Bra – Beautiful Bras

The Luxury of Corsets

Sat, 24th Apr 2010      Fashion History      Add Comment »     

The luxury of Corsets.


Ascot 2

 


Oh what fun to be laced into a snug, perfectly fitting luxurious silk corset.

 

 

corsets- Ascot 1

 

 

And that is exactly what I did last week, for I met Dee, Lynda and Heather of Twin Cheeks Corsets who specialise in the most glamorous and most truly divine corsets imaginable.


In their lovely studio at Ascot and with an excellent selection of styles to fit different shapes and sizes, one of the ladies will personally fit each customer to ensure the right fit has been achieved.



Feeling very shapely and standing tall I was pulled into a selection of corsets in the most wonderful array of fabrics. Lynda and Heather explained the importance of getting the correct fit, on lacing the back panel of the corset properly and on choosing a design that both suited your height and type of shape. Obviously the size of breasts and bust/waist ratio are important factors in choosing a good design.

 

 

ascot 6

 

 

After looking through and trying on a selection of various shapes and styles, I chose a gorgeous black silk fabric covered with deep fuschia coloured roses. – Divine.


So where did corsets come from and why wear one today?


Paintings of women wearing corsets have been found dating back to the Neolithic age. They have also featured in paintings from the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks.


In fact, if you look at the history of women's fashion they have played a major part in women's lives for 100's of years. At times they have been hidden underneath outer garments, or flamboyantly shown off as garments in their own right.

 

 

Ascot 7


 

At one time corsets were made with such restrictive whale boning, and laced so incredibly tightly that the health of the women wearing them was a concern for doctors. The ladies that wore these could hardly breath let alone sit down for too long in them. No wonder they had the vapours and were given to fainting!


Women succumb to these little inconveniences however, to look wonderful, for corsets pull in the waist and give volume to the bust line. The definition and shape of the body is sublime when properly corseted.


I am sure no fainting goes on at Twin Cheeks. Those days have gone and with the current trend for wearing corsets as magnificent pieces of clothing in their own right, you will find a great selection to choose from.

 

 

ascot 4

 

 

For Curvaceous Women Corsets are fabulous. They give fanstastic shape to the body, can enhance a superb cleavage and can look equally great worn casually with Jeans or dressed up with a skirt. If the wearer does not feel comfortable with bare arms and neck on display a little shrug or pashmina worn over the top looks great.


Keep an eye out for my next Winter collection 2010 when you will see some stunning corsets worn with the popular Louis the 14th Velvet Jacket.


The effect – Superb!

Check out the Twin Cheeks website go to:

www.twincheeks.biz


 

 

Happy Easter

Mon, 5th Apr 2010      Fashion      Add Comment »     


Happy Easter !


Is it ever, ever going to get warm? We seem to be knee high in mud and the rain keeps coming, but the daffodils are out! And when they show their bright happy faces the warm weather must be on its way surely.



CIMG0143

 

But then again, maybe not.

Maybe it is not time yet to put away all your winter woolies and get out all those light summer clothes you have been longing to wear.


However, with Easter here and a good long 4 day weekend, we have tonnes to smile about.


Easter Saturday and I meet up with friends Andrew and Ally and my gorgeous little Goddaughter, Ella, at the Barnes annual duck race where a very large number of rubber ducks are raced down Beverly Brook. Talk about great excitement. In aid of charity the ducks are dumped by the bag full into the brook and rapidly disappear under the bridge down the stream to the finishing line. The crowds cheer on the little yellow ducks with great gusto. Who needs the Oxford to Cambridge Boat race when you have rubber duckies racing for first position?

 

Andrew-and-Ally-2-lower-pixels

 

(Ally, Andrew and Ella)


O.k….so it wasn't that exciting. The crowds soon dispersed and made their way down to the river for the big boat race. Would it be Oxford or Cambridge? Would someone plunge into the Thames for a bit of a swim and get hauled out by the local police? Ah what excitement for the afternoon! The anticipation kills! Finally the boats go past and within seconds it is over.


Cambridge Win.


(Personally I am more interested in the truly sublime striped blazers worn by the Oxford and Cambridge supporters in the accompanying boats. How smart they look and how I would love one!)



Another charity event in the evening, this time at the Royal Albert Hall, in aid of the 100's of orphans in Haiti. How sad it makes me feel when children suffer. Suffering from hunger, illness, poverty, loneliness, lack of families, or indeed love and affection is difficult for anyone at any  time in life, but for children, who should have the future ahead of them and be surrounded by people who care, life can be extremely difficult.


A wonderful charity named 'SOS Children's Villages" is a large organisation that looks after orphans the world over. Their aim is to place all abandoned or orphaned children into family based care, rather than into large impersonal establishments. Stepping into Haiti after the terrible earthquake earlier this year, SOS have housed 600 orphaned children in two villages that lost their parents as a result of the earthquake. Their work is immense and just so beneficial.


It was therefore wonderful to support the concert organised at the Albert Hall to help raise necessary funds.  Not that it was a chore in any regard as the Albert Hall happens to be my favourite music venue in London and the concert was superb!

 


For More info on SOS children's villages please check out their website on

http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/

 

 

daffs-4

 

Easter Sunday and Monday….Time to do some serious fashion research!


My good friend Lydia and I head for Paris, No. New York, No. Maybe Milan….  No…


I am having you guess here….


We go to Hastings!

 

SHop-window-1


Where better than to check out a bit of Trendy, Arty, Hippie Chic fashion all mixed into one!    We had a great time, as the old part of Hastings has a fabulous Arty feel to it and really has some wonderful shops, pubs, cafes and in general superb people watching.

 

 

lydia-hastings 

 

(Lydia lurking behind a floral arrangement in Butlers Emporium.)

 

cabinet-of-drawers



If you go to Hastings, the old town, you will find an an eclectic mix of small independantly owned shops all fascinating in their own way. Make sure you check out Butler's Emporium, a wonderful rustic shop that was previously an old fashioned hardware store. Keeping all the original fittings the new owner has created an atmosphere of vintage style nostalgia mixing new items displayed in the very unique display cabinets that may have been made over 100yrs ago. A real joy to visit.


Were we inspired in Hastings? Yes, definitely. It's always fabulous to find new places where creativity and originality abound and Hastings had plenty of each.

 

The Easter holiday was therefore both inspirational, relaxing and a time of reflection. Nothing better than good friends, lots of fun, mixed in with a little exploring.


I hope you all had a fab Easter as well .