Lingerie-Inspired by Karl Lagerfeld

Elle Italy, October 2009
photos:Karl Lagerfeld, Model: Iekeliene Stange

This shoot, by Karl Lagerfeld for ELLE Italy, was inspired by the works of surrealists artists Man Ray and Salvador Dali. Of course we spotted some lovely intimates, such as a tulle bustier by Nina Ricci, a fashionably retro girdle by Christian Dior and a lilac satin guepiere by Gaultier Paris. The images are sophisticated with just the right touch of quirkiness. We love how the shoot was accessorized, from the opera-length gloves to the fun headpieces. For more images from this editorial, click here.

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All I Can See is Lingerie

images via here
Lara Stone by Mario Testino for Vogue UK, styled by Lucinda Chambers

What's so funny is that when I first looked at these gorgeous gowns, all I could see is what great lingerie each piece would make. At the root of each piece is a beautiful bra, don't you agree? Actually, the first gown is quite obviously topped with a guepiere, but the other dresses have a definite lingerie-inspired bodice. Or perhaps I just have lingerie on the brain!
Lingerie aside, what a gorgeous setting for this photo shoot. Of course we would expect nothing less from the great Mario Testino!

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Lingerie-Inspired Runway

images via Monica Feudi via here & Reuters

A film noir-inspired runway is such a clever idea, and naturally suggests a collection of glamorous pieces! Christian Dior, through the direction of John Galliano, presented the Spring/Summer 2010 collection in Paris last week.

Galliano turned the skimpies—French lace-trimmed cami-knickers and satin teddies—into a contemporary version of this summer's shorts and playsuits, following through with a trousseau's worth of pretty boudoir baby dolls and tiny, fragile flowered chiffon dresses. Cleverly, the transparencies—such as a purple satin bra-and-knicker set, apparently seen through black tulle—were an illusion created by stretch, paneled underlayers, so that the pieces are actually slipped on in one. Stocking tops seen through the sheer panels in a copper lamé dress, and bras and panties glimpsed under a semitransparent tiered blue gown, were actually shadows stitched into underslips. via Sarah Mower

This is How I Live...in My Head

Vogue - October 2009

Karlie Kloss by Arthur Elgort

The text in the upper left-hand corner states: "Unmentionables of Mention: In a suite at the Ritz, she wears an ensemble inspired by photos of M. Dior dressing his mannequins before shows, which explains this chic déshabillé look [by] Christian Dior Haute Couture."
Ah yes, to be beautiful and beautifully dressed in a suite surrounded by gorgeous bouquets of roses at the Ritz in Paris...take me now! At least I've gotten a head-start; I've filled my room with roses and I'm wearing a pretty French bra. Next task, book a trip at the Ritz.

My new favorite word...déshabillé (the state of being partially dressed). I'm going to be pretentious and use this word during dinner tonight.

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Vanities by Michael Elins

isn't this the cutest picture of Paula Patton - such a beauty!

images copyright Michael Elins

We just can't help but post more adorable pinup pictures! It's an addiction! We love it!
We especially love the work of photographer Michael Elins, who is probably best known for his 'vanities' portraits in Vanity Fair. It looks like these fresh-faced models/actresses stepped out of a Vargas painting. The look of these pinup portraits is really a reflection of the styles we are seeing in lingerie/swimwear right now; retro styles, high-waist briefs, garter belts...just like the Christian Dior runway show we posted yesterday.
You can see the rest of his portfolio here.

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The Evolution of Lingerie

courtesy of Wundervoll

The Fashion and Textile Museum in London is currently hosting an exhibit titled "Undercover: The Evolution of Underwear". The show details how lingerie has evolved over the decades, as influenced by politics, trends and society in general. Some of the featured brands at this exhibit include M&S, Triumph, La Perla, Christian Dior, Elle Macpherson, Myla, Wonderbra and Wundervoll (as well as others).
The show is on now through September 27, 2009. Click here for details.

1960s Lingerie

We had a little lapse in our 'lingerie through the decades' series, but we're back with styles from the 1960s. During the 60s we see more experimentation with color (of course there's more color advertising at this point), and we still see those bullet bras!
Perhaps one of the more aggressive lingerie advertisers of the time was Maidenform, which claimed success with its "I dreamed I ... in my Maidenform bra" campaign.
Perhaps our favorite lingerie images from the 60s come from artist Rene Gruau who famously created beautiful advertisements for Christian Dior Lingerie (among other things!). His ads would look great framed in your boudoir - we did just that with the Gruau image below!

Evidence of the Knickers Trend...

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, Katie (the lingerie expert at Knickers Bargains) informed us that showing one's knickers already is a trend! The trend was right there beneath our nose...but now the question remains, will the public pick up on these red carpet looks?
Considering that all of these images were found on the blog Go Fug Yourself (which features celebrity fashion blunders), we're going to suggest that our dear, fashionable readers stray from this trend. However, it does look SO pretty on the Christian Dior runway!
Thanks Katie for the great research!

Do We See a New Trend?

Photos: Alessandro Lucione via Style.com

What's interesting is that we were just speaking with a customer about layering lingerie, and how to use it as an outerwear look or accessory. She said she understood how to layer and show off a bra, or wear a chemise as a dress or top, but she asked whether there was anything innovative with showing off sexy panties...and here we stumbled upon an answer. Looking at these images from the Christian Dior Fall 2008 runway show, we see a lot of peek-a-boo panties! We suppose if you want to show off your knickers in a sophisticated manner, this is it!
Granted, John Galliano has much more creative license on his runways than the average woman does wanting to make a fashion statement.
In the meantime, we won't suggest that our customers wear sheer skirts to show off their boyshorts...unless this runway trend catches on!