Magazine "Beauty"

Every time I catch a flight somewhere I remember why it is I don't buy magazines anymore. This is the only time I will ever actually pick up a trashy mag to have a flip through, in the hope it will entertain me while I fly. I have the option of either airbrushed wholesomeness or "Stars without their makeup!" What is it about these women's magazines that make them think I want to see this? I truly don't.

The options that were before me featured celebrities shot in their natural environment, not looking like their cover/photo shop version. They used some complimentary headline ie "I am a real woman" while featuring a photo showing some more curves than we are used to seeing on a cover. Wow, she's a real woman?! Shock horror! Of course she is a real woman! Just as I am, just as Angelina Jolie is, just as my mother is, just as you are. I don't understand how these magazines still make it to print. But most of all I don't understand why we still read it. I don't want to buy into the so called beauty culture as it is nowadays. Summer-time especially angers me, as I see publication after publication using the same style headline constantly. "Our real beach bodies" "Young stars Secret Surgery" and "How we did it!" (lost the weight) I don't actually care...

I hate the fascination, we as woman, can actually have with these photographs. Hearing the dialogue in my own head and hating myself for it when it creeps in. "Wow look Elle Machpherson has cellulite! And she's a model??" Um she is also 49 and f*king fabulous! So, she has cellulite. Who cares?? This is what makes the cover? How in this day and age does this still happen? I understand what the magazine was trying to do. Show us photos of these normally done up, airbrushed, beauties in their natural environment. Giving us a reason to look and think better about ourselves (after two months prior, putting the airbrushed version of the same celebrity on their cover mind you). It shouldn't be about lowering someone elses image to make us feel better about ourselves. I want to fight back against this sort of publication. I want it to change. And I'm sure most women out there feel the same.

I have been dealing with females and their bodies for over 10 years and not one of them is completely happy with what they have. I often have clients actually apologise, for me having to see their bodies unclothed. It kills me to hear this and it hurts even more if they say that I wouldn't understand. "You're younger than me, you don't have fat rolls like I do, you haven't had three kids etc etc...."  And I feel I have to point out my physical faults and flaws in order to make them feel better about their own body. Again their perception of themselves being a result of a comparison to someone else. I don't want to hear you apologise for your appearance. I don't want to hear that the woman in the lingerie poster could wear it by you don't have the body to. I don't want to hear- "I'm too fat to wear something sexy. I'm too old to wear something bright. I have too many stretch marks to warrant wearing something beautiful." I'm tired of this self deprecation and as media gets worse and worse, so will this thought process. How will the next generation be? Self esteem built up on how many likes you get on that bikini clad selfie? I dread the thought...

I don't want to see ridiculously airbrushed celebrities on magazine covers. I don't want to read how I can shed 5kg is 5 weeks. I don't want to see only size zero models being featured in fashion spreads. I don't want to see photos of celebrities in bikinis on holidays with a tacky headline. I don't want to see advertisements telling me I need to dye my hair or wax my body. I don't want to compare myself to others. I don't want to feel I have to change how I look to feel better. I actually like who I am, don't make me question that.

I'm scared of this world of judgmental beauty and I don't want to see the next generation being even more self critical than this one. I'm over comparing myself to others. I'm over women judging themselves via how they look and judging how they look based on someone elses appearance. This isn't healthy. This isn't reality. Why cant we just be ourselves and be happy with it?

I have a project in the pipe line... I look forward to telling you more about it soon.

Rant over
My Lingerie Addiction

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Agent Provocateur in Australia (Part #1)

Agent Provocateur has finally landed in Australia and it's a label that truly needs no introduction. Most people, even those not familiar with lingerie brands, can automatically conjure up an image of what AP represents. The name alone creates images of sexy Russian secret agents from the 60s with big hair, big guns and big attitudes who kick enemy butt while dressed in not much more than stockings and suspenders. Well this is what I see when the name is mentioned anyway...

 I have talked about this label before and the story behind it, now let me tell you a little bit more about Australia's first Agent Provocateur concession stores. Located within Sydney and Melbourne CBD David Jones' lingerie department, you cant miss this raunchy boutique. The area is rather small for such a famous label but it's set up as an open concession making it easy for lingerie buyers to peruse the racks and up their lingerie level. What is on display is one of each style available in the sample size of 12B. Don't think it's like the rest of David Jones, with every single size hanging for you to grab yourself and head to the change room with. It's a fully manned area where you can get assistance (hopefully, but more on that later).

Agent Provocateur slipped into the Australian fashion scene in February of this year to a small amount of fan fare. Not as much as I expected to be honest, for this internationally known label. They launched in Melbourne at midday on Valentines day. Strange time to have a launch party, when every man needed to have already purchased their gift at least the day before or they'd get a not so fun hiding. I went along to the opening and watched B grade celebrities talking with the beautiful people, but no one seemed to be purchasing. Women mingled and talked about how cool the launch was, with champagne in one hand while they did their best skinny arm pose in front of Herald Sun photographers. It was exactly what I expected for a fashion event.

The turn out was pretty impressive for a lunch time launch. Guests made an effort in their best version of lingerie as outerwear, in an attempt to get photographed by someone....anyone. Models posed in the range just released on the Australian market. Black on black with a touch of black, the perfect Melbournian attire. Bra, bottom, suspender, stockings, and robe to match. It was good to see the garments on, showing the fashionistas how it's meant to be done. It wasn't too overt the outfits they chose, and they showed a good balance of raunch versus class.    

I got to speak to a few people about the label and what the brands aim was to be here. It's obviously huge around the world and Australia was a frontier they needed to conquer. I was looking forward to their lingerie domination in Melbourne especially. Marketing for this label is beyond phenomenal and they already have a huge Australian online following. What would happen when the label finally launched here? The sky was the limit. The lingerie boom was starting...
 

Let me give you a brief rundown on what is available in-store for those who cant make it to either the Sydney or Melbourne David Jones concessions. The stock runs same season as EU in order to keep up with public demand. Lingerie labels release stock the same as fashion brands, colours that work with the seasonal weather and current trends. Winter hues released in November overseas may not appeal as much in the warm Australian climate. However Aussies can purchase these garments direct from the Agent Provocateur website so they had to follow the brands release times in order to keep up.

Luckily, lingerie isn't like fashion, it's not seen by others (well perhaps only by a fortunate one) So trends and colours don't matter too much, especially with fun stuff when it comes to purchasing undergarments. Prices are high for this label but comparable with their overseas prices as they must compete with the online store. I felt a little awkward as I wandered, looking at tags and jotting down prices while staff walked around me, so I don't have a lot of prices here. But at least it gives you an idea of the cost for this label. Let me give you a basic run down of how much Agent Provocateur will be costing you here in Australia...

Ariel

Ariel Bra $235, Brief $205 Suspender $180 Stockings $50 so in other words that full set would set you back $670

Raphaella

Raphaella Corset $930 bottom not available in store....

Rizzo

Rizzo Corsollete $550 I didn't look at the prices for the bra set as the slip was the one I loved.

I have part #2 of this review coming later...

Have you been in to check out Agent Provocateur yet? What did you think?

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Do bras make your breasts sag?

How does an article on saggy breasts make it's way into main stream media? I'm sure you're hanging for that answer. Well they touch on a subject that capture a woman's attention by perhaps being what most would see as controversial; "Do bras make your breasts sag?" This article has done the rounds and found it's way into my inbox numerous times this week, prompting me to reply with my opinion. Now let me state this now, this is only MY opinion. I haven't done years of medical research on breasts but I have worked with women in bras for over ten years now, and that's got to count for something.

Here is a LINK to the original article I was sent and someones REPLY to that, for those who want to have a read. Otherwise let me give you a brief run down on why this article has started a breast conversation and subsequent anger from some women. French Research Proffesor Jean-Denis Rouillon, a sports science expert, claims that "bras are a false necessity." After 15 years of research on 320 woman, with and without bras, he states that "Medically, physiologically, anatomically - breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity. On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra." Rouillon and his team noted a 7mm lift in the nipples of women not wearing bras, for each year they went without. Research found that wearing a bra limited the growth of the supporting breast tissue making them degrade quicker. He found no evidence that bras helped ease back pain either and that wearing them could actually cause more problems.

One participant in the study swears by the results and hasn't worn a bra for two years. "There are multiple benefits. I breathe more easily, I carry myself better, and I have less back pain." Now tell me this before I listen with any depth... what size was she and was she wearing a well fitting bra before hand? Bras themselves, if fit correctly, shouldn't cause you back pain no matter your bust size. But if you are wearing a bad quality or ill fitting bra, it most certainly can cause you discomfort. In these cases, people may feel that the no bra option is a better alternative.

Rouillon emphasised the provisional nature of his data, which is not mentioned in most articles, and his findings do not mean all women should throw away their bras. "It would be dangerous to advise all women to stop wearing their bras as the women involved were not a representative sample of the entire population," that would require something like 300,000 subjects. His study only centered around women aged 18-35 and his years of research validated the theory that the bra was not needed to reduce the forever shifting sag, however he says that women who have been wearing bras for a long time would not gain any benefit from stopping now. So ladies, you don't need to burn your bras to get that extra lift and anger is not needed in regards to this article. It's just research.

Obviously testing this theory on only 320 young women, we don't know what size or shape they were, isn't going to be evidence enough as to the actual results on the general populace over a large period of time. He knew that, I know that, and you now know that. What sort of bras were they wearing and what size of breast were they comparing? 160 women in bras versus 160 women without, isn't a good enough representation of size variances in this world and 15 years certainly isn't long enough for the study to be truly conclusive. More research is needed.

Now let me tell you why in part I do agree with Rouillon's findings. Don't crucify me for saying so, but hear me out... If an 18-year-old woman who is say a size 10D, pushes her bust up and inward by 5cm from it's natural position every single day for 15 years, it can't be good thing, right? By forcing the growing bust into an abnormal positioning on the body, day in day out, can pull the breast tissue in an upward direction which is almost the same as age and the downward sag. With this forced anti-gravity, it can stretch the breast and create more drop later on. This is my theory.

So many women out there are not wearing the right bra for their shape or size. I see clients time and time again requesting something that just doesn't work for their bust. I'm not saying DON'T wear a bra I'm saying wear the right bra when it comes to your everyday-wear piece. Factor in you body shape not just the eras fashion trend ie the extra push up shape that is now popular. I don't think they are good to wear on a daily basis for all sizes. A bra is there for support, so find a good quality one that distributes the weight properly and is comfortable on you. Sometimes it means cupping the bust naturally and sometimes it means slightly compressing it to help prevent pain with movement. It all depends on your body, what it needs and what you feel most comfortable in.

I remember my grandmother, a woman who for 83 years never once wore a bra. She wasn't full, she breast fed six children and her bust stretched nearly down to her waist. Is the study saying that if she had worn a bra for all her adult life that they would then sit 49cm lower than where they did? Really? I don't think that's possible. I look forward to revisiting this study in 60 years time when they have used a suitable amount and variety of breasts, to come to a more realistic conclusion.

This study wasn't done to anger women and it wasn't done to tell us not to wear bras, so don't get them in a knot over this. It's just a study, and they are conducted on just about everything. So with or without a bra, do what you feel most comfortable in. If your bra isn't giving you the support or comfort you expect, please, go get a fitting.

Rant, over.

My Lingerie Addiction

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Would you buy second hand underwear?

I know this may sound really weird to some, but I love buying second hand underwear... Now get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking about old, used, stained panties from a vending machine in Japan (that story is for another time!) I'm talking about vintage pieces you will never be able to get anywhere else, ever again. I like to raid op shops whenever I get a chance, to see if I can find lingerie from different eras. Be it the flouncy teddies of the 1980s, the steel boned corsets of the early 1900s. I have a thing for 1970s polyester nightgowns and love a good old 1960s girdle. I don't usually wear the pieces that I buy, but I collect them like a time stamp of how far lingerie has come over the years.

The photo shoot I am using in this post feature my 1930s steel boned corset/girdle. I picked it up at a Sydney Op shop for $30 and if you follow me on Twitter.com/MyLingerieAddic you would have heard about it already. I always go straight to the dodgy lingerie/swimwear section of these stores to browse through the goodies no one else wants and that's when I found this piece. I actually screamed when I saw it and had to beg my friend to jump up and snatch it off the top rack as I couldn't reach. Now no one would've fought me for this piece, so I don't know why I reacted this way. It was old, used, stained and AMAZING! I was in love. I couldn't quite tell at the time how it sat. Was it a corset? Was it a girdle? Was it interchangeable? I had no idea but I knew it would live happily in my lingerie family for the rest of my life.

I wanted to use this corset/girdle in a photo shoot, as I thought the piece fascinating. I wonder who wore it all those years ago? It was well used, restitched by hand and damn ugly and beautiful at the same time. I wanted to see it on a model as a fashion piece like a skirt with the strap work visible. Back in the day it was used to control the body, now I wanted to use the body to control the garment and change the image it originally stood for. This to me was a statement piece and I just had to use it.

I was approached by the gorgeously talented Elisenda Russell to borrow some of my personal collection for an upcoming shoot she had planned. The aim was to combine some light and airy pastel hues in a sunset shoot. Mixing soft yet strong lingerie pieces layered with with fur, sequins and tulle. Her image was delightful and I happily opened up my wardrobe to her. The piece I immediately thought of was the corset. It was in the most wonderful pale pink colour but still had this controlling sense to it. It was teamed up with a Dimity So bra I picked up at the Bendon outlet for $5. And what an amazing combination it became.

Photography & Styling: Elisenda Russell
M.U.A: Kylie Fenech
Model: Aneeka Simonis

Gwendolynne: Tule&Sequin Bollero
Un Real Fur: Grey Racoon

This is only one of many second hand lingerie pieces I own and I will feature some of my more spectacular finds as the blog continues. 

Have you ever purchased second hand lingerie before or am I the only one?

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Do you Kiss, or do you Kill?

Halleluiah!! Finally there is a new Australian lingerie label on the scene. Not only that but she is from Melbourne! Let me introduce you to Kiss Kill. For those who know their lingerie brands, you may recognize the styling presented by this new label. Created by Jane Carrodus (formally designer for Bellechasse) she has released her first collection titled "Licence to Kill" last month, a range not for the faint of heart. A perfect combination of dominant bedroom attire versus high fashion wear, it is for the empowered woman.

I was lucky enough to have a chat with Jane and preview samples with her before the launch last week. It's always nice to talk in depth with designers and owners about lingerie, styling, inspiration and the stories behind their creations. Talking to Jane showed her passion for lingerie and what it represents to her. It isn't just about comfort and fit (though obviously it's a major part of it) but it's about the two personalities women can present to the world and their partner.

Kisskill is a metamorphous of two concepts.  Kiss represents the feminine side of a woman’s personality and sexuality and embracing the soft side of being a woman. Kill references the allure of a woman - the strong, independent and dominant side. She has a killer instinct she uses to empower herself and create an air of mystery to her personality. She wants to be loved but also desired as a sexual being. She is comfortable with her sexuality and who she is behind closed doors. Kill represents her use of sexuality to conjure an emotion leading to ultimately, killer sex appeal. 

www.kisskill.com.au 

Last week I was invited to Kiss Kills launch party in Richmond. We got to see all the lingerie out on show as well as be the first to view their TVC
 'Use me'
featuring the gorgeous Chrissy Walczak. All the beautiful people mingled with champagne, canapes and Kiss Kill Look books. Orders could be made on the night and credit cards were being pulled out left, right and centre. Here is what took place that night.

Stairway to heaven....

 

I will do a more detailed feature on this label after the products get a proper test run! Kiss Kill is currently available online only but will be at boutique stores very soon. Check them out at www.kisskill.com.au

So are you a Kisser or are you a Killer? 

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Lingerie photography, think you can help?

For the past six months of the blog I have been loaning out my personal collection to photographers and stylists to use in their photo shoots. The reason I do this is because I know how hard it can be for someone to get a lingerie loan direct from stores or labels unless it's for a major publication. I have worked for lingerie companies before and hear how many people try the cold call... Because of this, lingerie doesn't often get used in these amazingly creative photo shoots. The only shots the general public get to see are barely visible underneath multiple layers of clothing in a trend fashion magazine. Either that or a super cheesy happy pose in front of a white backdrop with some basic wear pieces. This to me isn't showing lingerie as it should be. None of this tempts me to purchase.

I love being involved in these shoots, be it as a stylist or just loaning, either way I receive some amazing photos out of it. I love that they have a different eye to me, a different style, a different technique and I learn things from other creatives every single day. I would love to continue being involved in these lingerie photo shoots. So if you are a creative and find it hard to get a loan or need some lingerie styling help, send me an email and I may be able to lend a bra or two. Trust me, my lingerie collection is bigger than a stores....

Here are a sample of the lingerie shots we have been able to produce. I will do a full feature on these beautiful photos soon with full credits. For now, enjoy!

 

I have to admit it's kind of strange seeing my personal collection on these gorgeous models, but hey, if it gets just one more person hooked on lingerie I will make the sacrifice! What do you think? Would you like to get involved?

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Call me Four Boobs...

Over the years I have amassed an amazing lingerie collection. From high end designer labels like La Perla all the way down to Target. I don't discriminate when it comes to lingerie. I buy what I like and I like a wide variety of styles and brands. But I know I have a problem when I buy two (or three) of the same thing. Now to some of you that may not sound strange, as women often buy two of the same shape t-shirt bra as it's your everyday wear piece. However I have around 250 bras and to realise I have more than one $300 bra, I think there is an issue... Let me tell you more.

I went to the Bendon Outlet last week on my second trip during their Nothing over $20 sale. I thought I had purchased all the good stock when I went in on the first day of sales. But the good thing about Bendon is they get stock in all the time and there's no predicting what you can get! I wandered in while waiting to meet a friend for breakfast and froze... On the rack in front of me was the Pleasure State Couture Swarovski Crystal bra rrp $299. "Oh my god. No way! That couldn't be $20?!" I grabbed it and held it in my hands like a child who received the best Christmas present in the world! I didnt care what size it was. I didnt care that there weren't any bottoms to match. I didn't even care that I didn't really like it! I had that feeling of euphoria rush over me in the knowledge that this bargain piece was now mine. Well once I paid for it, it would be.

I thought I better take a peek at the tag to check the size and I went into shock. There was a bright yellow price sticker on their screaming out $10! "I am frickin $10!!! Buy me!!!" The size was one cup size smaller than what I wear for Pleasure State, but I thought I could make it work. If not then I would surely use it in a photo shoot along the way. I grabbed that, raided the rest of the store and headed to the the counter to pay. I double checked the price with staff, as it seriously was too good to believe. They told me they had received a random mix of stock from Pleasure Stare Couture and all the bras they unpacked were $10 and all the bottoms only $5. They sent me to the back of the store where the other hidden gems were located and I walked out with a bag of bargain goodies. I purchased one chemise, one bra, three g-strings, one hi waist brief, one short, one suspender belt. Total Retail Value $1595.00 for a mere $89.85...

Now I'm not complaining about the amazing bargains, but the reason you're reading this post is to find out why I titled it Four Boobs. Later that night when I tidied up my show room I saw a glimmer under my pile of lingerie. Suddenly I stopped in my tracks. Is that what I think it is?? I looked to my right and I could see the unopened bag of lingerie sitting there from my purchase earlier that day. But in front of me I could see crystals. Not just one, but a scattering of them. All over a silk and lace bra. It was Pleasure Sate. It was Couture. It was the crystal bra...

Somewhere in my mind I only recalled seeing the bra when I was shopping last year but I didn't remember buying it. In the thirty seconds I stared, I actually remembered the purchase... During my crazy busy Christmas season I purchased the set at Myer in their 75% off discount price sale... I bought the bra and the bottom, at another bargain price but not as cheap as this. Now the embarrassing thing is that neither bra is my actual size! If I put on some weight I could fit into one and if I loose some weight the other will be perfect. Problem is, that wont happen. So most likely, neither of them will get worn! Sigh. This is what I do. This is my addiction.

So now feel free to call me four boobs. I accept the title. I understand my problem. But it doesn't discourage me a bit! I will continue buying. I will continue posting and I will continue having a lingerie addiction.

How many bras do you own? Do you double up on your favourites?

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