Go for Gold!

La Perla Black Label Metal Dragon Bra

Since we Aussies have already won our first Gold medal at the London Olympics I thought I would turn it into a blog post. You know how it goes. Anything is related to lingerie... I actually had someone contact me the other day wanting to track down some Gold or Silver lingerie. She danced (ballroom) and wanted something she could wear under her dresses for competition and wanted something a little glitzy. She didn't think they existed, but I showed her the way.

Metallics have never been popular in the lingerie scene. You normally see this style amongst, well, the trashy lingerie set. Shiny lycra style dresses they like to call lingerie. However I have known a few labels to do metallics very well. Including Ritratti, an Italian label that oozes class all the way and somehow was able to incorporate a stunning metallic microfiber with embroidered tulle, all in gold.

Ritratti

If using an appropriate gold colour and fabric, this can be used as a nude effect bra. Something that is so much prettier than beige but blends in with skin colour just as well. I'm waiting for more brands to use the right tone gold and then perhaps I will own a a basic colour bra. Come on designers, a lovely rose gold instead of beige please.

Below are a few labels using gold in all different ways to show you how you can bring this winning colour into your lingerie wardrobe. Go for gold!

Marlies Dekkers

Verde Veronica

Lise Charmel

ID Sarrieri

La Perla

I thought I would struggle to find something gold amongst my own collection and was considering clicking purchase on an online find, until I looked through my drawers and found these... Only a dash of gold I know, but now I am in search of the perfect full metallic gold lingerie set. I will let you know how I go in my search.

Aubade

Pleasure State White Label

Do you think gold is a winning colour when it comes to lingerie? Do you own any?

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My most expensive lingerie....

What a busy week it has been. I was involved in three photo shoots of different sorts, all within seven days. One for the blog, one for a photographer, stripping down to nothing for the sake of art and the other a loan out of My Lingerie Addictions stock. I love seeing lingerie used by different photographers and the different looks they can achieve. I will feature the shots gradually over the next couple months.

Today it's all about the most expensive lingerie item I currently own. I'm often asked how much I have spent on lingerie over the years....and I dare not think about it... All I know is I could have a deposit for a house in Toorak, but alas I don't. I live in a little one bedroom apartment surrounded by my ever growing lingerie collection. And I'm ok with that. Everyone has their own priorities right?


When I popped this corset onto my model last week I let her know that it would probably be the most expensive lingerie she'd ever worn. At $1000 for the two pieces, it was my most expensive set. When I mentioned the cost it actually didn't sound that pricey to me. How wrong is that?? But I am surrounded by lingerie of all different price points and I think of them all very differently. This one I treat like art work. I've only worn it once but she sits on a metal mannequin in my lounge room and is a talking piece, just like a painting would be.

This spectacular corset is by La Perla Black Label and is made of silk and boned into a hip bustle scattered with feathers. The print is exclusive for this series and features a 19th century style erotic print. Black Label was the most raunchy range by La Perla. It was exclusive, limited, sexy, unusual and very very pricey. But over the years I have gathered quite a few Black Label pieces and to be honest have never seen anything like them anywhere (unless a dodgy label does a cheap rip off of them.) The Stampa print pieces were done every release with a different theme behind the erotic print. Be it Karma Sutra style or pin up girls they always used erotica as their base.

Unfortunately Black Label has been cut by La Perla as they try to stream line the labels more. The stampa print hasn't been seen since.... I think this is probably one of my all time favourite pieces. Its not practical, I don't wear it, but it is art. And that is what lingerie is for me.

Photography by Natalie Rowe Photography
Model: Meg Goodes, Hair: Madeline Leon, Makeup: Candy.

What is the most you have ever spent on lingerie?

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The worlds oldest bra

I was so excited when a bra actually made it into the newspapers last week. Not photographed partially covering a buxom model, but an actual article on the discovery of the worlds oldest bra. I was impressed to find this featured in all the major publications, online, as well as being all over Twitter. It seemed to interest lingerie enthusiasts, academics and fashionistas alike. It brought bras into normal conversation and the discussion on when they were actually first invented.

For those who didn't read the article, this bra was found by archeologists in an Austrian castle whilst undergoing reconstruction in 2008, but only came to light recently due to the multiple tests that had to be done to determain the age of the garment. This, as well as three other bras, were found in a waste filled vault. The garments have been dated back 600 years. Back when bras were not meant to have been invented yet. This changes the history of lingerie completely.

These linen bras were found in different levels of condition and two resembled the modern day cut that supposedly wasn't created until the late 1800s. The one pictured above resembles a longer line style similar to what is in fashion now. Garments existed previously that were worn to cover, support or suppress the bust but as far as we knew never resembled the bras of today with actual cups. This discovery comes from a time when long chemises were the main form of lingerie being worn by women.

I didn't find it surprising that this garment existed, as what we read about the past doesn't exactly show every detail of clothing worn by every level of society. Paintings portrayed a small part of what existed in the 15th century, but usually showed a woman either fully dressed or fully undressed. Same goes with the written word as lingerie was taboo and not exactly expressed freely back then. The only times you read about lingerie from this era was often in an obscene way. In books and poems you hear about breast-bags or shirts with bags. This appears to be those garments that were spoken about way back when.

What did surprise me about this find was that the garments lasted this long... 600 years infact. And that these bras were embroidered with lace and designed to look pretty not just be functional. This was lingerie, not underwear.  Obviously a garment for someone wealthy, but astonishing that it survived all these years to make it into the papers here today. It's amazing how quality garments can last the distance. Will our polyester bras of today render the archeologists of the future baffled thinking we never wore underwear as nothing lasted the test of time?

What is your oldest bra? And what sort of condition is it in?

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Behind the scenes: Lingerie Photoshoot

Sorry I have been MIA for a while, but I got caught up in the world of lingerie again. I have been busy preparing to do my first My Lingerie Addiction photo shoot using my collection and an actual model. I wanted these garments to reach their full potential and be seen on a body, not just sitting flat or hanging off a tree... Though I do have fun with those shoots too.

I thought I would take you behind the scenes of our little escapade since I'm pretty sure not many of you have ever been on a lingerie photo shoot before. I wanted this to be based around, well, a young me. I was never rich, but I knew how to buy good lingerie, even from a young age. I was slight and didn't have much of a bust but I knew how to dress it. I would skimp in a lot of departments just to own some La Perla. So maybe my clothes were from the op shop and my house was wherever I could afford, but I was happy with my world revolving around my ever growing lingerie collection. And to be honest, I still am.

I found my location first. A most amazing place I like to call "The party shed" It is actually attached to the property I live in however no one knows about it but me! Until now... Years ago it was set up for a party and after that nothing was moved. Old couches, boxes, tables, bottles, t.vs you name it, it's in there. I thought this would be an amazing contrast to the delicateness of lingerie. I am a clutter bug myself, so the look of this place was an exaggerated version of my own house!

Natalie Rowe

Next step, find some talent. I called on Photographer Natalie Rowe who I have worked with before and we discussed a dark and messy style lingerie shoot. I found a stunning model, Meg Goodes. A talented Hairstylist, Madeline Leon and a gorgeous makeup artist, George G aka Candy. I had the lingerie and accessories, they had their own specialised talents. Together we created this shoot. So here's a sneak peek at why I've been away from here this past week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

For up to date details at My Lingerie Addiction follow me here
Twitter.com/MyLingerieAddiction
I'm new to Twitter so come say hello. You will get up to the minute photos and details from shoots, parades, showings and sales!

What did you think of the preview?

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Big is Beautiful

I put it out there to my Facebook followers last week to throw some random topics at me that I would try turn into blog posts. I realised I could turn just about anything into a lingerie post somehow! The selection they gave went from Football themes to wild animals. I thought I would give the challenge a go and do a few of them. One that took my fancy, and the first one that came up was Big is Beautiful.

I tend to not use the words big or small in regards to the female form as these are words that can be called complimentary sometimes and then offensive at others. Think about it... If someone told you, you have a big bum it can sound to be a negative. But if you were told you have a big smile or even sometimes a big bust, it could be seen as a compliment. It's all how we perceive the word and what it's related to.

I remember a time when I was 12 and my Mum pointed out to her friends how big my bum was. I had no concept of size or body image at that age but I knew the word big and heard this as an insult. It made me paranoid about it and I remember tying jumpers around my waist and wearing flared skirt options rather than anything fitted anymore. Years later I confronted my Mum about this one comment she made. She didn't really remember it, but I told her how much it had affected me. She was shocked I felt that way as she was saying it as a compliment! She had a flat bum and was envious of the fact I actually had a round one. It was the one thing she was most self conscious about when it came to her own body. So to her, big was beautiful.

What I wanted this post to be was to focus on some beautiful imagery that doesn't portray your stock standard model size. Media focuses on certain sizes when it comes to lingerie, just like with fashion, but the lingerie shape is different yet again. I often find stunning photography using all different shapes and sizes as their models. The problem is that these images don't make it into the general public's view. And even for me I think they are hard to find. Wouldn't it be nice if all body types were shown to us more in media. Then the difference between what we class as normal, big or beautiful would grow even smaller... (see, smaller as a good point not a negative).

So I present to you some of the beautiful photography I have saved up over the years of stunning curvier models dressed in lingerie. Now no one could tell me that these women are not beautiful...

 

 

Do you find the word big to be an insult but the word small to be a compliment? I want to change that... Have you had a negative body image comment said to you that you still hold on to? What's your story?

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