Sultry London brand Lascivious has been up to all sorts of mischief lately — they’ve launched a beautiful new bridal range, and also a steamy and quite unexpected viral video. Here’s the details on both:

Bridal collection

If you’re getting married and fancy something a bit more naughty than nice, have a look at the “Laura” collection. Simple, sheer and sexy, this set includes a strapless bra, knickers (and ouvert knickers!), crystal nipple tassels, a Swarovski garter, and white stockings. A bride has everything she needs for a beautiful wedding day and a lovely wedding night as well. The bra and knickers are £120 — not too bad considering what you’ve spent on the dress! You can see the whole bridal collection at Lascivious’s (Flash) site.

“The Doll” Viral Video

Following in the footsteps of many others, Lascivious has teamed up with filmmakers Wyld Stallions (great name!) to produce a viral video that frankly, doesn’t suck. “The Doll” is a stylish, edgy short video that’s both sexy and unexpectedly funny – a great combo. We’re delighted to see a viral that’s not just about women dancing around in their underwear (although you do get a bit of that). You can check out the video below (warning, contains nudity!) or see a high-res version (totally worth it) at thedoll.tv.

Even more Lascivious!

If you’re loving the look of all this lasciviousness, you can get a sneak peek of the Lascivious Autumn/Winter collection at our Flickr gallery. These shots are from “The Doll” launch party, and shows off some of the collections you can buy later this year. Enjoy!

Jump straight to the evidence

As celeb-gossip blog devotees, we’re delighted that Britney is getting healthy, out of rehab and no longer attacking photographers with umbrellas. Even so, we’ve still got a serious problem with America’s favourite train-wreck: girlfriend needs to do something about her lingerie. We don’t mind that she’s romping around LA in her underwear (in fact we expect it), if only she would wear a bra that actually fits her breasts. Frankly, it’s embarrassing that one of the most well-known women in the world is walking around in a state of lingerie ignorance, so we just had to call her out on it:

Britney, please get a bra fitting, because your bra is way too small. Here’s how we know:

The evidence

Brit-Brit’s bra atrocities first came to our attention with this worrying photo. In it, she’s proudly exhibiting a classic case of quadra-boob, or wearing a bra that’s so small, the boobs are pushed out into little mini-boobs, leaving questionable lumps and bumps all over your chest. Here’s the photo, with our annotations:

In the photo, the blue dashed line represents the offending bra’s underwire, and the white dashed line represents where the bra’s underwire should be. As cup sizes go up, a bra’s underwire gets wider to accommodate and support all of the breast tissue — a good bra’s underwire should extend all the way back to below the underarm, encircling the entire breast. The pink bra above cuts off a few inches before the breast ends, and all that boob has got to go somewhere – in this case, down!

How to check for this problem
To make sure you don’t have Brit’s problem, use your fingers to feel your bra’s underwire. Can you feel a bulge of tissue just behind the underwire? Does the wire end halfway along the side of your breast, instead of under your arm? If so, your cup size is probably too small – try on a bra with one size lower in the band, and one size higher in the cup, then do the test again.

Need a few more examples of this problem? Here are a few more Britney photos illustrating a too-small cup size, with illustrated explanations:

Another tell-tale sign of a too-small bra can be found at the bridge, or the panel that holds the two cups together in the centre. If the bridge lies flat against your sternum, that means the cups are adequately covering your breasts and are the right size. If you can put your finger between the bridge and your skin, that means the cups are stretching across your breasts and probably not big enough. As you can see, Britney seems to be having that very problem.

Here’s another angle on the problem illustrated in picture 1. You can see where the bra should be ending, and the big stretch of fabric that’s there instead. This points to Brits wearing too large of a back size, trying to accommodate her larger cups by giving more room along the sides. Typically, women who wear the wrong bra size have their band size too large and their cup size too small, and we definitely think that’s the problem here.

The bright side

At least there is a bright side to all of this — just as Britney has taught us to avoid marrying our backup dancers, avoid walking barefoot in public bathrooms and to avoid velour tracksuits as wedding attire, she can now serve as a shining example to women everywhere for how not to wear a bra. If these photos look familiar, check out our Top 5 Bra Sizing Myths to find out more about how your bra should fit, and how you can find out your proper size.

(Wow, welcome Jezebel readers! you might also like our Top 5 Bra-Sizing Myths!)

We’ve been thinking… what can you do with old bras? You know, those slightly-too-small, way-too-fussy, underwire-pokey bras skulking at the back of your lingerie drawer? That one you bought because it was so gorgeous, but digs into your back like crazy? We’ve all got them, and Palila sent us a list of ideas for re-using old bras. That got us thinking, and we managed to find quite a few ways!

28 things to do with an old bra

Repair it

Many bras lose their lives to the cruel spin of the washing machine – they emerge with wires poking out, and you keep forgetting to take them to a tailor (or just bin them). You don’t have to be a seamstress to fix them, though — you just need a paperclip, needle and thread and can sew the wire back into place. If you’re caught at work with a pokey bra, grab a pencil eraser and some glue to keep the sharp edge from annoying you all day.

Pimp It

Got a perfectly healthy, perfectly boring old bra? Try dressing it up in something a little more “you.” This Etsy seller took a boring tee-shirt bra and turned it into a lovely lacy bra, adding French lace along the cups and back (pictured above). You could add sequins and make a belly-dancer costume, or create a burlesque look with some rhinestones. If you prefer something a bit more geeky, why not add electronic silicon LED’s?

Change it

Your old bra doesn’t have to be a bra – it could be a lovely lavender sachet (pictured above), an art installation, a local tourist attraction, quilt, and even a handbag. In fact, bra handbags are very popular, and you can find some lovely examples on Etsy– this is our favourite!

Display it

One thing we’ve always wanted to do was take an old lovely picture frame, pick out our favourite set that didn’t fit, and pin it inside the frame for some instant lingerie art. In fact, when we get a Knickers HQ that’s totally how we’re decorating!

Give it

If you barely wore the bra, why not donate it to a charity? Breasttalk are kind enough to take your old bra and donate it to a wide network of UK and overseas charities, helping out women who barely have anything, much less a well-fitting bra. If you’d prefer to give locally, you could Freecycle any bras to people in your area.

If the bra isn’t in good enough shape, you can donate it to art instead. Heck, you can even turn it into art then donate the art for charity!

Other ideas

Here are some other ideas you can try out:

• Cut off the straps and turn them into earmuffs –Danae’s mom
• Cut off the lace and use it to cover old buttons
• Use them in the garden to support growing vegetables
• Give it to a random stranger on the internet
• Use the cloth to sew an iPod pocket on your sports bra
• Turn it into a hat (ha!)
• Sew it into a camisole for support
• Buy The Bra-makers Manual and use an old bra to practice

What did we forget?

We’re sure we haven’t found all the uses for an old bra — what do you think? Tell us in the comments!

As our longtime readers will know, we love a good charity event. We’ve raised money for cancer charities at our Sample Sale and with lingerie label Made by Niki, and this time, we’re going the extra mile. Actually, make that 6.2 miles.

Despite having no athletic tendencies at all, your faithful editor will be running jogging the BUPA Great Edinburgh 10k here in Scotland, raising money for the Marie Curie cancer charity. This charity dedicates itself to caring for cancer patients through their illnesses, as well as researching potential cures. We can’t think of a better way to jump-start a healthy, happy summer than to do it for a good cause.

As an added bonus, we’ll be doing the ultimate product review during the run — we’ll be wearing the Shock Absorber Level 4 bra (US, UK), and will report back post-race on how it handled a 10k for a G-cup. A quick preliminary review: the back sizes for this bra are really small — we normally wear a 34/36 in the back, but had to go up to a 40 in this bra. Keep that in mind if you order!

The Shock Absorber is one of the few sports bras available for larger-cup sizes, so we have high hopes for it!

How to Donate

The run is next Sunday, 6th May, so we’ve set up a donation page for one week to collect donations. If you’d like to support me in the run (and trust me, I’ll need a lot of support!), donate as little or as much as you like using the links below:

UK readers, Donate to Marie Curie at our fundraising page for the race (our goal is £150!)

US readers, we’ve set up a fundraising page with the American Breast Cancer Foundation, also with a $150 goal!

Some of our most loyal readers here at Knickers never visit this webpage — they get their daily fix through our e-mail service, which turns each of our articles into a sweet and simple e-mail. We’ve been getting some reports, however, that a few people couldn’t get the service to work, so we’ve made a few changes and added a few features. Here’s the skinny:

New Features

• At-a-glance titles: The old newsletter used a fixed subject line for the daily e-mail, so you couldn’t see what the article was about until you clicked inside. Now the article title is in the subject line, so you’ll know exactly what lingerie goodness lies within
• Quicker e-mail delivery: Instead of getting an e-mail summarising yesterday’s articles, you’ll get one e-mail per article, about an hour after we post. So when we post last-minute deals, you won’t be reading yesterday’s news!

What you need to do

To get the new newsletter, you’ll need to sign up for our new list (We’re calling it the Knickers Daily Fix). If you’re already a subscriber, you should get an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription to the new newsletter (the subject line is “Activate your subscription to knickers”). If you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up below (existing subscribers can do this too, and just ignore the e-mail).

We’ll keep the old list running for a wee while as we make the transition, and will keep our eyes peeled for any problems. If you have any trouble signing up to the new list or with your new e-mails, just drop Danae a line.

Sign up for the new daily newsletter

Lingerie Product Review Week

We’ve been trying out so many lingerie sets that we’re dedicating a whole week to product reviews — we’ll be covering everything from sexy strings to soft cotton sets, so everyone should hopefully find something useful. We’ll start the Week tomorrow and run through to Saturday, with a new product each day.

Want to make sure you see them all? You can sign up for our daily newsletter and get the full reviews delivered to your inbox. To sign up, just fill in the box below:

Seventh Sin Mag

Before we get started with our reviews, go and check out Australia’s Seventh Sin magazine and their all-lingerie issue! The issue is chock-full of advice, featured products, and even features an interview with Kay Cohen from sultry-chic label Pleasure State. You can flick through the magazine in Flash, and they’ll be publishing a plain HTML version soon.

We know you’re scared of nipple tassels. Sure, they look amazing when worn properly, but you couldn’t possibly wear such a thing, right? What if you looked silly? Don’t they hurt? How do you even put them on?

In reality, tassels can look spectacular as part of a lingerie set, will suit a variety of personal styles, and aren’t going to do anything horrible to your tender bits. Once you try them, you might find that they’re the secret sauce you never knew your lingerie drawer needed. If you’ve got a secret hankering to let your burlesque side out, we’re here to hold your hand and guide you through the world of nipple tassels — from where to buy them to how to wear them. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Where to buy nipple tassels
How to attach nipple tassels
What to wear with nipple tassels

Where to buy nipple tassels

There’s a huge range of places to buy tassels from, although many of them are still relatively “underground.” We’ve done the hunting and picked out some of our favourites from the extravagent land of tassels.

First up is a designer favoured by the lovely Immodesty Blaize and countless other burlesque performers: the nipple tassel designer Titmore & Asspley (what a name!). These crystal concoctions (above left) aren’t exactly what you’d expect from nipple tassels — you might have imagined red hearts, but what about skulls, bows, devils and even snowflakes? There’s an option for any personal style – from edgy to girly, flirty to vixen. Titmore’s site is not up and running yet, but you can see their entire collection on MySpace (requires registration, go to pics, prices are listed below). As a hello to Knickers readers, Titmore & Asspley is giving every Knickers reader 10% off any order — just drop designer Sarah a line at titmoreandasspley@hotmail.com.

If you fancy something a little more simple, check out Agent Provocateur’s collections of pasties and tassels – we love this little gold star set and this sugary pink set is just adorable. Coco de Mer also has a lovely black set (pictured above right), and She Said Boutique has a great collection at reasonable prices.

Tassels haven’t quite hit the mainstream yet, so you can find some really unique ones in unexpected places — craft-site Etsy has beautiful orchid pasties, black hearts, and lovely flowers for around $20, all handmade by independent sellers. Even eBay has a outrageous peacock feathers pastie for the more adventurous.

Make your own tassels!
If all those prices still look too dear for you, there’s a great step-by-step guide at Think Pretty showing you how to make your own tassels. For more information, try checking out this thread at the Ministry of Burlesque forum — it’s chock full of detailed instructions on how to have a go at making your own.

How to attach nipple tassels

To attach your tassels, you’ve got two choices: tape or glue.

Attaching with tape
Some tassels you buy will already come with a “pastie,” or a disposable tape for attaching the tassel. Once those run out, however, you can simply use “tit tape” or “boob tape,” or any other double-sided tape. We recommend Hollywood Fashion Tape from the Useful Chick Stuff Company — we tried out a lot of their products at the big show in Paris this year, and unlike a lot of brands capitalizing on this industry, they really go the extra mile to make sure their products are useful for women.

Attaching with glue
If you’re planning on some serious tassel-twirling or are just nervous about the tassels falling off, you might prefer to use glue — there are two common kinds, eyelash glue and a tackier spirit gum (used by costume departments). Spirit gum requires a remover liquid to take off, and you’ll also need to use the remover on the inside of the tassel to keep it from being damaged. Also, either glue could irritate your skin, so definitely test the glue out on a less sensitive part of your body first!

What to wear with nipple tassels

This is all very pretty, you say, but what in the world would i wear nipple tassels with? If you’re like us, you’re probably not very comfortable with the tassel on its own and want a bit more support (not to mention something to cover a bit more skin!). There are two simple solutions: quarter-cup bras, and underbust corsets.

Quarter-cup bras and nipple tassels
Quarter-cup bras only cup the bottom of the breast, but leave the nipple exposed, perfect for a cheeky tassel. Agent Provocatuer takes the prize for this beautiful ribboned “cupless” bra for £75 (pictured above left). It’s the perfect combination of sophisticated and naughty, and we love the whole look.

For even more quarter-cup bras, GlamAm (who ship to the US and UK) has a lovely set from Valisere (warning, photos is not safe for work!), and here’s another from Frankly Darling. US readers, Azaleas also has a quarter-cup bra available in limited sizes for just over 30 bucks! There’s also a $40 demi bra from Duet that we think would probably work as well, and is just so heavenly you should buy it anyway.

If you can’t find a quarter-cup bra in your size, try this bra from Wicked Tickels that comes in S,M, and L. Sure, it won’t be the best fit, but unless you’re planning on having a very naughty secret at work, the bra probably won’t stay on too long anyway.

Underbust corsets and nipple tassels

The other option for wearing nipple tassels is to wear an underbust corset — these corsets nip you at the waist like normal, but stop right below the breasts to allow you to show off your tassels. Underbust corsets can cut off in a straight line right under the bust like this example, but others will curve right around the shape of the breast (pictured above right), giving the tiniest bit more support and creating a very dramatic look. Corsets will naturally be more expensive than a simple bra, but an underbust is surprisingly versatile — you can wear the corset over a blouse , and we reckon it would look amazing over a dress like this.

The best place to find an underbust corset is at British designers Eternal Spirits and Velda Lauder (pictured at top of article), and there’s also a great selection at She Said Boutique. Most of those shops will ship to the US, but American readers should also check out the selection at Absolute Corsets.

Update: If you’re looking for even more things to wear with your tassels, we’ve written a follow-up post with more burlesque-inspired picks.

Phew! Hopefully you’ve found something to suit you in the variety above, but if you haven’t, just leave us a comment with your questions and comments. And if you’re a tassel-wearer yourself, feel free to chime in with some expert advice!

Because we adore numerical order above even mint chocolate ice cream, the following carefully-selected snazzy underoos ascend by price from $8 to $50. Happy bargain hunting.

Everyday bras will not get cheaper, ever: Lily of France microfiber bralette – two for $8.

Lovely midpoint between pretty and utilitarian: Rampage Rosey bra, a demi bra of stretch mesh and velvet accents. On sale for $10.

Bargain Cat: Puma Sheer Cat Soft bra on sale for only $13 (75% off).

Must-have boy pants: Elle Macpherson Intimates french knicker on sale for $17.

Don’t be fooled by the boxer label, these are as girly as it comes: Daniel Hechter Tiffany’s boxer on sale for $20.

For the vixen on a mission (and a budget): Felina Gia Rose Balconette bra on sale for $25. The matching panty is on sale for $15.

Sweet deal for those with serious cleavage: Freya Dolly Mixture Underwire Balcony bra for D cups, on sale for $27.

Button buster : Felina Marlena Bustier on sale for $30.

Luxury steal: Lisi Valle Lili soft bra with silk charmeuse, on sale for $42.50.

Stunning blue, not so much under sheer white tops: Aubade Promenade du Couchant demi cup bra on sale for $45.

Winner of this week’s best sale set award: Elle Macpherson Utopia soft triangle bra, on sale for $49. The matching thong is on sale for $20 (or here for $17.50).

Polka dots and velvet for aspiring pinup girls: Mimi Holliday by Damaris silk chiffon polkadot bra on sale for $50.

There’s only a few days left till Valentine’s Day, and you think you’ve probably left it too late to pick out something really special. Luckily, we’ve made a list of our 25 favourite brands for the big day, focusing on unusual and couture brands that go way beyond the big pink stores in the mall. If you’re looking to really spoil her this Valentine’s Day, look no further!

We’ll start off with something stunning — if you want to go all out this Valentine’s Day, buy a beautifully made corset from Eternal Spirits. This label blends sexy, powerful looks with delicate touches, making any woman wearing it feel 100% sensational. You can even get a bespoke version of each corset or waspie made to an exact size.

Price range: £230-£450 (~$380-$900)

Buy Eternal Spirits at their online Boutique

If you fancy something a bit sweeter, why not indulge in a collection inspired by ice cream? English designer FleurT creates lingerie that is simple, sweet, and terribly british with its sophisticated lines and luscious fabrics. They’ve also just introduced a bra that goes up to a GG cup, making this beautiful label perfect for women of all sizes.

Price range: £50 – £70 ($100 – $140)

Buy FleurT at their online boutique, or at Glamorous Amorous

We love Guia la Bruna. If you’re looking for pure Italian decadence but think La Perla is a bit too fussy, try the sensuous shapes of Guia la Bruna. Guia’s designs are flowing and fresh with amazing prints and guaranteed to make any woman feel amazing. It’ll set you back a pretty penny, but this is one heck of a way to make a big impact.

Price Range: £180 – £340 (on sale for $90-$400)

Buy Guia la Bruna at Glamorous Amorous in the UK, or Faire Frou Frou in the USA (on sale!)

If you want to buy French lingerie for Valentine’s Day, why not go for the royalty of Paris? Chantal Thomass has been designing lingerie since long before we were kicking about, and consistently creates amazing, couture collections. This is not cheap and you’ll have to brave a German website to get the best selection, but trust us: it’s worth it.

Price Range: £70-£200 ($60 – $200 at US stockists)

Buy Chantal Thomass at Cazar Germany or an older collection at Underwear Options

Lingerie isn’t all about frilly bras and knickers, it’s also about sumptuous, yummy loungewear that women can feel slinky and sexy in. That’s why we love Lounge Lover, created by a Belgian designer living in the UK. These pieces are great for Yoga, running to the shops on a Saturday, cuddling in front of a film, or any other time a woman wants to look lovely while feeling comfortable.

Price Range: £69-£99

Buy Lounge Lover at Bibi Beautiful in the UK (sorry, we can’t find any US stockists!)

Once upon a time, women blessed with larger chests were punished with boring bras, old-lady styles and a generally depressing selection. But then, a recently-pregnant woman set out to buy a bra herself, and when she couldn’t find anything she liked in her new size, she vowed to create a label herself. And so, Miss Mandalay was born. A young, colourful, fresh label for women with larger cup sizes who still want to feel beautiful.

Price Range: £20-£50 ($30-$77)

Buy Miss Mandalay at Figleaves US, or FIgleaves UK

For a more traditional larger-cup treat, look no farther than Belgian label Prima Donna and their beautifully embroidered bras and basques. We especially love the little details in these pieces — the embroidery along the straps, the excellent fabrics, and the fantastic fit this label provides. This label is a great way to give a larger-cup woman the same European treats as everyone else.

Price Range: £43- £159 ($76 to $150)

Buy Prima Donna at Rigby and Peller in the UK and Bits of Lace in the US

If you’re not sure what to buy for Valentine’s Day, Aubade is never a wrong choice. An institution of French lingerie, Aubade has consistently produced beautifully made, beautifully designed lingerie for over a century. Their new, couture “Lingerie de Luxe” line has produced even more creative, beautiful designs, so you really can’t go wrong with this brand.

Price Range: £25-£80 ($50 – $150)

Buy Aubade at Figleaves UK, or Figleaves USA.

Created from the ashes of an old Romanian factory, I.D. Sarrieri is a modern luxury brand, blending sex appeal with chantilly lace and creating some amazing lingerie as a result. Their signature style is ladylike and tailored, often decorated with bold splashes of colour or a generous helping of eyelash lace.

Price Range: £100-£400 ($50-$200)

Buy I.D. Sarrieri at Boudiche in the UK, and on sale at Nancy Meyer in the US

Created by a writer-turned-designer, Made by Niki is one of the most exciting brands coming out of the UK right now — all of her pieces are hand-numbered and limited edition, the prints vary from silk to linen printed with hounds, and the designs even range on the controversial. Niki’s latest creation, Rosary, includes a detachable rosary that you can either attach at the knickers, or wear as a necklace. Needless to say, some have not been amused at her sexy interpretation of the beads. Personally, we love the collection and know that any woman receiving Made by Niki will treasure such a beautifully-made piece of lingerie.

Price Range: £67 – £275 ($120 – $550)

Buy Made by Niki at Glamorous Amorous, who ship to the US and UK

Speaking of wonderful smaller, independent designers, N de Samim is really something special. Inspired by Victorian “bumless” underwear, Nona de Samim has created a new brand that is part old-fashioned, part-modern, and with all those bumless pieces, very cheeky indeed. Her backless sans-coulottes are the entree, but Nona has many more beautiful pieces to offer.

Price Range: £100 (£200)

Buy N de Samim at their website (drop them an e-mail!)

If you’re looking for something a bit less structured and more flowy and light, we highly recommend Aussie-brand Bulb. We could go on about the fabrics that designer Julie sources from all over the world, the unbridled creativity and sunshine each piece seems to reflect, but suffice to say that this brand is perfect for women who love camisoles, little dresses, and anything flimsy and pretty.

Price Range: £150 ($300)

Buy Bulb at Glamorous Amorous, who ships the UK and US

Like the look of loungewear, but looking for something a bit more… French? Look no farther than Elise Aucoutier, a designer just emerging from France with some beautiful designs. She could use silk, but she’d rather use stretch bamboo jersey, and only the best lace from Calais will do for Elise. This label is perfect for women who prefer loungewear, but still want something high-end.

Price Range: £79 – £180 ($150-$370)

Buy Elise Aucoutier at Mio Destino, who ship to both the US and UK

Here’s another new French brand that’s worth a look: the lovely Bien Fee Pour Toi, a fairy-like brand of sweet and simple designs and bold colours. If you’re buying for a woman who has seen it all when it comes to lingerie, this little gem might be just the surprise she needs.

Price Range: £30-£40 ($60-$70)

Buy Bien Fee Pour Toi at Mio Destino, who ships to the US and UK

All this talk about French this, Italian that, but what about the Americans? Lucky for us, a hot new brand has emerged from New York, and it is taking no prisoners. Kiki de Montparnasse isn’t just a lingerie label, it’s a lifestyle brand offering accessories, sex toys, and a killer luxury lingerie line on top of all that. Everything they’ve produced, from a crystal vibrator to their stunning Valentine’s edition lingerie, is creative, original, and instantly desirable.

Price Range: £50 – £150 ($100 – $300)

Buy Kiki de Montparnasse at their online boutique

Looking for something a bit more rock and roll? Dark and decadent brand Bela’s Dead is just what the doctor ordered. Inspired by rock music and fantasy illustrations, this label combines simple, sexy shapes with elaborate embroidery to create a bad-girl look. If she’s bored of all those laces and frills, try treating her to a little something edgier.

Price Range: £40 – £180 ($80-$350)

Buy Bela’s Dead at Glamorous Amourous in the UK and US, or Mixona in NYC (in-store only)

This brand has an unfortunate name, but makes some killer lingerie. Cotton Club is a sophisticated Italian brand, ranging from relatively simple sets like you see above to full-on Swarovski-encrusted masterpieces that range into the thousands. Lucky for us, most pieces don’t cost a mortgage payment, and this lovely little gem is sure to delight.

Price Range: £75-£250 ($150 – $500)

Buy Cotton Club at Silk Storm in the US and UK, and limited pieces available in the US at La Petite Coquette

Valentine’s Day is always too cold, so why not warm it up with some summery lingerie? We love Wendy Glez’s beachy, retro looks and for any girl that fancies something a bit 50′s, it’s a perfect gift. Pieces range from little jackets, camisoles, to cute pajamas.

Price Range: $25-$140

Buy Wendy Glez at Azaleas NYC in the US (sorry, no UK stockists!)

Speaking of camisoles, we just had to point out the reigning queen of the silk cami: Leigh Bantivoglio. So nice you wouldn’t think twice about wearing it outdoors as well as in, these camis are stylish, beautifully made and come in a glittering array of colours. A beautiful lingerie gift that she’ll be able to wear anywhere she wants.

Price Range: £120 ($75-$250 in the US)

Buy Leigh Bantivolgio at Figleaves US or Figleaves UK

Leigh’s silk camis might be romantic, but Jonquil takes their sleepwear and camisoles to a whole new level. This is the kind of romantic, fairy-tale lingeire that women imagine themselves wearing on a hacienda in old Spain or maybe just on a particularly romantic saturday morning. If she loves lace, she’ll love Jonquil.

Price Range: $70-$400

Buy Jonquil at Lingerie Studio in the US

After all that ornate loungewear, here’s something a bit simpler: pure pima cotton, simple shapes, and a dedicated celeb following. Skin lingerie is a perfect treat for any woman, as it’s all about comfort and natural sex appeal.

Price Range: £50-£100 ($75-$200)

Buy Skin at Figleaves US and Figleaves UK

Okay, all of this is pretty boring and you’re looking for something really different. You want vintage, you want modern, you want punk and you want colour. How about Twisted Thrift? They’re one of our favourite new lingerie designers and their designs are unique, bold and unmistakably sexy. Don’t miss the “Tudor Gold” collection as well as the “Bellebathan” pictured above.

Price Range: £30-£100 ($60-$200)

Buy Twisted Thrift at Playful Lady, who ship to both the US and UK

If you liked Twisted Thrift, you might also want to look at Ophelia Fancy, a Victorian-inspired label that borders on costumery and is perfect for anyone with a flair for the dramatic. Pieces include naughty-nurse outfits circa 1850, nipple tassels, amazing corsets and some cheeky garters. A truly unforgettable gift for a one-of-a-kind woman.

Price Range: £28 – £700 ($50 – lots!)

Buy Ophelia Fancy at their online boutique (click shopping)

Phew! With all that vintage lace and bold colours, we thought we’d end on two sleek, chic and sophisticated brands. First up is french label Huit, one of our top picks for Valentine’s Day – their styles are so lovely, so simple and sexy that they’ll suit a wide range of personal styles and can make any woman feel lovely. When in doubt, buy Huit.

Price Range: £12-£50 ($40-$100)

Buy Huit at Figleaves US and Figleaves UK

Finally! We’ve been to the fringes of the lingerie world and back, and now we settle on a lingerie brand that has a little bit of everything. Italian? Check. Stylish and sexy? Check? A little edgy? Check. Argentovivo has it all, and is another no-brainer for a Valentine’s Day gift. They’ve got everything from basques to bra sets, and will always be a wonderful gift for any woman.

Price Range: £50 – £250 ($100 – $500)

Buy Argentovivo at Glamorous Amorous or Silk Storm, both will ship to the US and UK

Phew! We’re back from our whirlwind trip to Paris, and have got lots of photos for you! We managed to salvage some of our overexposed Ultra Lingerie photos to show you the mad one-off couture pieces, and have tons of photos from the main catwalk line as well. You can view the whole collection at our Flickr page. We’ll be adding in the designer names over the next few days (it’s a nightmare to match them up), so enjoy for now!

View our lingerie catwalk photos!

It’s that time of the year again, when a young blogger’s thoughts turn to croissants, catwalks, and everything fabulous — we’re going to the Salon de la Lingerie! This is the big show for the year, and we’ve got you covered for the latest and greatest in lingerie – from catwalk photos (and maybe a video or two if you’re lucky!) to highlights on new designers, we’ll be there steadfastly telling you all about it. We’re flying out on Friday and you can expect our coverage to start in the afternoon (GMT), then we’ll be at it till Sunday afternoon when it’s back to the UK. While you’re waiting for the coverage, why not check out our photos from last year’s show?

If you’re coming to the show and would like to say hello, please drop me an e-mail! Just send an e-mail at danae@knickersblog.com to tell me where your stall is or to arrange a time.

We’ll have regularly scheduled programming till Friday, and will be kicking off a season of Valentine’s Day picks to make sure you find something fabulous!

See you in Paris dahhling,
xDanae

Teaming up with a celebrity is not a new idea for fashion labels, but it’s grown into quite a trend for the lingerie industry, with some interesting results. In the wake of Agent Provocateur’s wildly successful partnership with Kate Moss, even more lingerie brands are finding that good old-fashioned star power can help define their brand and bring recognition.

Pussy Glamore, a cheeky lingerie line designed by Marissa Montgomery, has tried their hand at the celeb-lingerie viral by showcasing their Autumn/Winter 06 collection on the figures of celebrity model Elizabeth Jagger and Britain’s Next Top Model runner-up Abigail Clancy. To add a touch more glitz to the proceedings, they even got Bryan Adams to shoot the video — apparently he’s quite a good photographer, and his photographs have been published in Vogue and Vanity Fair.

The video itself is taken during a photo shoot for the range, and while it verges on the banal (it really is just a photoshoot and a catchphrase), it does provide a good opportunity to see Glamore’s range “in the flesh.” There’s a particular cute little black and white babydoll that we loved, but all the lingerie looks young, cute and very sexy. You can watch the video by just clicking on the play button above, or can visit its YouTube page.

Unfortunately, it’s not too easy to get your mitts on these lovely duds. Pussy Glamore isn’t stocked in too many places yet, mainly in London and New York — but you can peruse all the stockists at the label’s website.

Just a quick note to say happy holidays to our glamorous readers! Thank you to all of our wonderful readers for dropping by and telling others about the site — we’ve had a fantastic first year and I can’t wait for the next. We’ll be back with regular updates after 4th January, when we’re back in the UK and raring to go again.

May your new year be filled with happiness, prosperity and well-fitting bras!

Update: Immodesty Blaize is signing our waspie!

Last week, we told you about Made by Niki auctioning off the first five pieces she’s ever produced – since there were only 20 items ever made, you can see why that’s a big deal! Celebs have been snapping up the collection so far (Gwen Stefani has the #17 bra and Victoria Beckham has a waspie), but the first five are reserved for collectors and VIP’s (Sign up for the VIP list here, where you’ll also be able to pre-order your size for new collections). The first auctioned waspie, Number Five, sold yesterday on eBay, and today we’re delighted to say that we have Number Four for Knickers readers!

Our auction is a wee bit different, as we’re donating our share of the auction to Breast Cancer Charity – that means whatever the waspie sells for, 25% will go straight to charity just in time for Christmas. It’s a perfect combo – pick up something truly unique, and help out a good cause at the same time!

The fourth waspie is the “Brown with Hounds” print (pictured above), and true to its name, the fabric features tiny little hounds hunting across the brown stripes, contrasted by black. Hand-numbered in gold, it’s a beautiful handmade piece and as a bonus, can even be turned inside out for a white colourway (pictured above right). Number Four is a size L, with extra-long strings so the waspie can be adjusted to fit a variety of figures. You don’t have to wear it, either — personally, we’d buy it and display it on a dressmaker’s form to decorate our boudoir!

So that’s handmade, unique, beautiful, extremely exclusive, and a bonus of donating to charity — what are you waiting for? The auction will close Next Monday at 8 p.m. GMT (Yes, US readers can buy too!), so you don’t have long! Go and bid now!

Hi lovely reader, we miss you!

We haven’t forgotten you, dear readers, we’re just swimming in knickers at the moment! Our lingerie sample sale is next Thursday in Edinburgh, and between sorting the stock, the catwalk show, and everything in between, we’ve been busy little bees. Don’t worry, though, we won’t neglect you! Amber will be treating you to a bargain post tomorrow, and normal posting will resume after Thanksgiving. Until then, why not check out a new brand we’ll be featuring in the sale, the beautiful Om London? They’re all about luxurious beaded tunics and beachwear, and we’re really excited to have them.

See you soon, reader!

We didn’t want to launch a fabulous event like the Knickers Sample Sale in Edinburgh only to leave everyone else out of the fun, so it’s time for another giveaway! This time we’ve teamed up with the lovely SilkStorm.com, who are giving one lucky Knickers reader a £100 voucher to their store, plus free shipping! Silk Storm has all of the amazing French and Italian designers, so with your £100 you can splash out on beauties like this stunning “Intaglio” set from Cotton Club (pictured above).

We’ve also added a new twist to our competition this time — if you tell your friends about the giveaway, you get more chances to enter! When you sign up, just include up to five e-mail addresses of friends you think might be interested, and we’ll drop them a quick e-mail telling them about the competition. For each friend you refer, you get an extra entry into the competition!

As usual, this competition is open to US, UK, and Canadian readers who are 18 years or older. All the contest rules are here. The competition closes at 11:59 on the day of the Sample Sale (23rd November 2006). As usual, if you’re already subscribed to the Knickers newsletter, you’re already entered — but you can still fill in the form and refer your friends to get more chances! You’ve got less than a month, so hurry up and enter now!

Sign up for the giveaway now!

We love that more and more lingerie brands are switching on to blogs and the fun of talking about lingerie online — we’ve got all kinds of designers from Spoylt to Gentry de Paris (hi, Gentry!) reading Knickers, and more and more brands are branching out to create their own little bit of cyberspace. The sites range from an insider’s looks to creative new ways to communicate, and all are a great step in helping women learn more about their lingerie.

Webcam shopping

One of the most interesting ideas we’ve seen is Fishnet Lingerie’s “webcam shopping,” where you can book an MSN or Yahoo appointment with the girls at the store in Yorkshire, and they’ll give you a guided tour of their latest stock. It’s a great way to keep women informed of products that haven’t gone onto their site yet, and could be pretty fun to get a personal shopper from your computer chair. Fishnets has also just started shipping to US and European customers as well as UK, so everyone can have a go. If you’re interested, just contact sales@fishnets-lingerie.co.uk.

Blogleaves

Lingerie giant Figleaves.com has started their own blog called Blogleaves, pointing out new items at their store and talking about trends in lingerie. It’s just gotten started and we’d love to see some more insight into the company itself, but it’s a great stop for a Figleaves fan who wants to see what’s new.

Inside look at a lingerie brand

Our favourite new find is The Amoralia blog, a behind-the-scenes look at the luxury maternity designer Amoralia. They’ve taken a personal, laid-back approach to their blog and talk about things like casting their new models, charity projects they’re supporting, and other maternity brands they like. Our only gripe is that they should update more often!

More and more brands are starting to come online, and we’re really excited to see more information being put out there for women who want to learn about their favourite brands. Hopefully soon we’ll have a big network of designers, retailers, and readers all talking to each other!

Hello Lingerie Buyer readers, thanks for stopping by! We’re pretty chuffed about Lingerie Buyer’s feature of Knickers in their October issue, and wanted to give the magazine’s readers a little more information about what you can find here at the site. Here’s a quick overview of the site:

What does Knickers do?

• We write about new collections, sales, and designers every day
• We give advice about everything from bra-sizing to shopping for women
• We hold giveaways, contests, and exclusive deals so women can discover new products

How can I participate?

Short answer: E-mail Danae at danae@knickersblog.com!
If you’d like your brand to be involved with Knickers, there are lots of ways to participate. You can donate a prize for a giveaway, send us a product to review, give our readers an exclusive coupon, even advertise on the site, but the most important thing is to stay in touch! Just drop Danae an e-mail and tell her all about your brand, whether you’re a designer, retailer, or anything else to do with lingerie!

Do I have to visit this site every day?

We know most people are too busy to pop by Knickers every day, so we have a service where we’ll deliver our posts straight into your e-mail inbox. If you want to stay informed, just put your e-mail address in the box below, and you’ll get one e-mail every day that we post to Knickers. Simple!

Thanks for stopping by, and many thanks to Lingerie Buyer for the fantastic feature!

Named for the fig leaves first sported by the biblical Eve (we assume, we didn’t actually research this), Figleaves offers modern woman quite a bit more selection than was available to our apple-chomping forebear. Lingerie lovers on both sides of the pond can now rejoice, as Figleaves U.S. and U.K are both having sales, which you can explore respecively here and here. Below are our picks.

Vintage clothing is both figure-flattering, hip and downright beautiful. Vintage underwear is a tad bit…dodgy. Do you really want to wear 60 year old rayon that’s been god knows where? We didn’t think so. So here’s a modern twist on a vintage lingerie classic. Elle MacPherson Illyria french knicker is stretch silk with a lace overlay, down from $35 to $24.50. Just lovely. Not to mention new.

Double strap detailing makes this Calvin Klein Mesh Frills Balconette Bra a real score, available in lilac for £17.50, down from £21.

After trolling Figleaves for your lingerie sale fix, check out the Helena low-rise hipster. With a cheeky transparent back, there are only two left in stock, so nab yours now for $10. You can snag the matching camisole for $25. If you’re in the mood for something a bit spicier, try Arianne lace-up cami corset in black for $25. Or just head into the garden and pull a few fig leaves off the tree. Absolutely free. Now that’s a deal.

We’ve got a new interview for you, dear readers, and it’s a fantastic one! Miss Immodesty Blaize, acclaimed burlesque performer and overall fabulous celebrity has told us all about her burlesque work, her collaboration with Madame V lingerie, and even her bra size! Go and read the interview!

Update: If you’re interested in the Live, Love and Seduce workshop that Immodesty will be teaching, here are the details for signing up:

Showtime
The premier workshop from Madame V’s Live, Love and Seduce Workshop Series
First event – Monday 13th November 2006
Hosted by The Club Bar and Dining
Tickets £150.00

Available from
Madame V
0870 740 5333
www.madamev.co.uk

Kate Moss’s collaboration with Agent Provocateur is now available online, in the form of four racy videos titled the “Dreams of Miss X.” We covered the announcement of the videos a little while back, and from the buzz surrounding this release it looks like Agent Provocateur is cashing in on its investment of Miss Moss. You can watch the videos here, and for an overview of more viral videos in the lingerie business, check out our previous post about this topic.

Your faithful editor is in Harrogate, England today, attending the UK lingerie trade show over a three-day bonanza of beautiful new collections and catwalk shows. We’ve got a sneaky peek at the beautiful new Spring/Summer 2007 collection, and as soon as we find a proper computer, we’ll upload some fantastic photos with new offerings from SPANK, Janet Reger, Yes Master and a lot more. Stay tuned!

The Rebels might have won the Knickers Wars of Independence, but a war is won in its battles, and the Redcoats had some close calls to taking the spoils themselves. Which designers won in our Wars of Independence battles? Who triumphed in each US/UK vote? Here’s the breakdown of votes for each pair:

Lascivious versus Vagin Pouvoir

This was a close one, as both brands were fighting at top form — it looked like the Redcoats might pull it off for sultry brand Lascivious, but the Rebels made a last-minute resurgence and secured a narrow victory for Vagin Pouvoir.
Final count:
Lascivious: 590
Vagin Pouvoir: 696

See all the winners by clicking below!

Miss Mandalay versus Jodi Gallaer

In the battle for the larger-cup sizes, both sides performed admirably — newcomer Jodi Gallaer was well-represented by the Rebels, but in the end, Miss Mandalay and her Redcoats took the prize. Larger-cup onlookers didn’t care who won on the day, they were too delighted that they had anyone fighting for their cause.
Final count:
Miss Mandalay: 732
Jodi Gallaer: 516

Damaris versus Honeydew

Early bets picked Redcoat-luxury brand Damaris as a favourite for this battle, but on the day, it was Honeydew who prevailed with a resounding victory. When analysing Honeydew’s surprise victory, military historians will no doubt blame Damaris’s defeat on the lack of her signature bow-backed knickers in the contest. With no cheeky bum-cleavage on display, Damaris’s achilles..er.. heel was open for Honeydew’s attack. Well played, Honeydew.
Final count:
Damaris: 398
Honeydew: 820

Jane Woolrich versus Jonquil

We’re a little alarmed at Jonquil’s close victory over Redcoat Jane Woolrich — with a vote of 666, can Jonquil’s narrow win be traced to otherworldly influence? Superstitions aside, both brands performed admirably on the day, leaving a narrow victory for the Rebels.
Final count:
Jane Woolrich: 545
Jonquil: 666

FleurT versus Leigh Bantivoglio

This was the closest battle in the contest, and a hard-won victory for the beleagured Redcoats. Already defeated in sleepwear and luxury lingerie, the Redcoats made a tremendous final stand, and won their victory. Leigh Bantivoglio’s stunning work was well-represented by the Rebels, but in the end, the Redcoats wanted it more.
Final count:
FleurT : 615
Leigh Bantivoglio: 587

Lounge Lover versus Skin

After their hard-won victory in the last category, the Redcoats could do little but watch as the Rebels secured this landslide victory in loungewear. Skin was the clear winner in this battle, but we think this contest might have been thrown a bit by environmental conditions, including the differences between the photographs. Perhaps soon, Lounge Lover will have their day.
Final count:
Lounge Lover: 221
Skin: 971

Gossard versus Wonderbra

It hardly seemed fair, pitting the Redocat Gossard against the mighty empire of Wonderbra. Many expected the Redocats to fall at the first blow, but the Redcoats fought valiantly, battling it out to salvage a respectable defeat. In the battle for push-up bras, perhaps Wonderbra’s days are numbered?
Final count:
Gossard: 480
Wonderbra: 710

Frankly Darling versus Mary Green

Both sides were a little hesitant to do battle over something as frou-frou as a fluffy-feather robe, but after some convincing, they did their duties to represent their country. The Rebels’ hearts weren’t in it, though, and in the end Frankly Darling and her Redcoats won the day. While the Rebels were defeated, the real losers were the poor ostriches plucked for the spoils.

Final count:

Frankly Darling: 805
Mary Green: 380

Maise & Lilly versus Wendy Glez

As the war waged on, it was becoming clear that the Rebels would have the final prize — the Redcoats fought on, but couldn’t match the momentum held by their rebellious cousins. Rebel label Wendy Glez trounced Maise & Lilly’s lovely sleepwear, leaving comfortable cotton scattering the battlefield in the aftermath. A victory was won, but it was a sad day for lounge lovers everywhere.
Final count:
Maise & Lilly: 426
Wendy Glez: 754

Agent Provocateur versus Jezebel

Held to the line and left with little options, the Redcoats brought out their last hope — lingerie giant Agent Provocateur. Towering over the smaller Jezebel, it seemed that the Redcoats just might fight back the Rebels and win afterall. The gamble was too much, and the Rebels used their smaller size and flexibility to their advantage, eventually confusing and toppling the giant. Agent Provocateur was defeated, and with it, died the last hope of the Redcoats. The Rebels had won.
Final count:
Agent Provocateur: 410
Jezebel: 777

As some readers know, your faithful Knickers editor is an American expat who immigrated to Scotland, finding her way to the lovely city of Edinburgh. It’s not difficult to fall in love with Edinburgh — it’s a beautiful old city, and one of the few places you can go shopping under the gaze of an ancient castle! Edinburgh is well known for its film, drama, and comedy festivals, and this year marks a new one — the Edinburgh Fashion Festival. We don’t have to tell you how delighted we were to learn that Matthew Williamson, Vivienne Westwood, and Johnathan Saunders would be showing their collections on a Scottish catwalk, and we were even more delighted when we found out we could go! The fashion festival is mostly outerwear collections, but who could resist such an event on their doorstep?

Our happiness is your happiness, so from this Thursday to Saturday, we’ll be covering the Edinburgh Fashion Festival first-hand, bringing you catwalk photos, reports from the myriad of other fashion events, and features of lovely new designers we’ll discover. And don’t worry, we’ll still have some lingerie finds as well — we’ve already got our tickets to the lingerie show dressed by chic boutique Boudiche.

You can check out the full events schedule here, and if readers have anything in particular they’d like us to go to, please let us know! Before and after our coverage, it will be regularly scheduled lingerie programming, so get ready for a rare treat of mostly-dressed women and Scottish haute couture!

Knickers is pleased to present the next installment of our interview series. This time, we chatted with Chloe Hamblen who is the woman behind nearly every aspect of the Lascivious brand. You can read the interview here. Chloe works with just a few people, including her brother, to produce, market, and sell the Lascivious brand. Read the interview to find out more or click here for the Lascivious home page.

We’re delighted to finally announce our latest lingerie guide from Knickers: The Knickers Bridal Lingerie Guide. Designed for brides getting ready for their big day, this guide recommends our favourite beautiful lingerie for both the big day and also the honeymoon. Our goal for this guide was to find something beautiful for every bride, so we’ve broken our recommendations down into sizes (smaller, average, and larger), as well as budget (cheap and chic, mid-prices, luxury). If you’re planning your big day or know someone who is, this is the perfect place to find something special to wear under that knockout dress!

So what are you waiting for — read our Bridal Lingerie Guide now!

Emma Benham is one of the hardest working ladies in the UK. She’s responsible for the Playful Promises line (click to see archives), which we have always enjoyed at Knickers. She also does contract work for many other firms. Knickers conducted this interview during February and March of 2006. Click here for the interview.

We’ve told you about the history of the Waspie and where you can buy them, and now it’s time to show you their future. One of the big trends emerging from the Autumn/Winter 06 collections is the belted waist, and generally creating a svelte, womanly silouette by cinching the waistline in. This trend is all about the big chunky belts that pull you in — every high street store in the Western World will soon be carrying knockoffs of this style. Thanks to this trend, waspies are also seeing a resurgance, gracing the catwalk for a variety of designers. Our favourite picks are listed above, from the everyday to the ornate, the waspie is certainly back.

Our favourite collection is the lingerie-inspired work of Camilla Staerk, who in her collection has beautifully transformed many traditional underwear pieces into couture outerwear, including the waspie. This white waspie (pictured left) perfectly finishes off and contrasts the dress underneath, adding a final feminine polish to the look. You could easily pull the same look off with your own waspie, just pair it up with the Little Black Dress and coordinate your shoes to the waspie.

Zach Posen has taken the waspie super-chic, breaking it down to its simplest form to create a beautiful, clean shape in this piece (pictured middle). This piece’s simplicity is its strong point — it holds together the rest of the garmet, but by blending in with the colours, creates a beautiful shape on the model. You could try pairing a simple black waspie with a dark grey dress, or other similar shades to achieve a similar look.

Finally, taking the waspie to the extreme is Jean Paul Gaultier, whose over-the-top collection featured this amazing gold piece (right). We love how such an elaborate garmet is paired with a simple white suit, and definitely think that you could pull off a similar look with a silk brocade or beaded waspie. Save it for special occasions, though!

So there you go, ladies, it’s time to bring that underwear out of the drawer and flaunt it! Check out the waspies we recommended in the first part of this special, or browse our waspie category to find the perfect style for you.

If you loved our coverage of the Salon de la Lingerie but were left wanting more, here’s a treat: we’ve loaned Glam.com our favourite catwalk photos from the event, and you can browse all the Autumn/Winter designs at their site. Each photo is labelled with the designer, so make a note for this Autumn if you see something you like!

At Knickers, we’ve always been fond of the waspie. We have a category for waspies where you can find all of our previous posts. The waspie was invented by Marcel Rochas and Dior between 1941 and 1947. Rochas favoured the hourglass shape and invented the corselette while Dior revamped the underbust corset. The design was known as a “waspie” in the UK and the US for the wasp like waist it created. In France, it was called the “guepiere”. The revised corset did not stay fashionable for long. It mostly disappeared as new fabrics and manufacturing introduced different ways to build foundation garments with control. The corset was adopted at various times by underground cultures but never regained the prominence it once had. The resurgence of lingerie and the emergence of gothic fashions has pushed the corset and the waspie back into the mainstream. You can now find waspies as part of elaborate lingerie kits and the garment has begun to be shown as outerwear.

Here’s a round up of just some of the waspie selections available to you that will make interesting outerwear.

Lascivious in the UK has released the Poppy Hunting Belt. I’m not sure what you would be hunting, but I think it does make an excellent waspie. It has horizontal bands of ribbon and a lace up back. You can find it for £110. It would look great over a fitted blouse and slim pants.

The Other Woman in the US is a corsetiere that makes fabulous waspies, corsets, and suspender belts. This is the Leda. It is brocade and is cut with more material below the waist than above the waist which makes it an excellent first corset since you have freedom of movement. You can pick it up for $300

Why do corsets seem so expensive? Most of them are made to order. Most of them have a lot of parts and take a lot of time. Just look at the typical cut patterns for making a corset.

If you are interested in making your own, there are links at the bottom of this article for supplies. If you are successful, let use know.

Fairy Goth Mother has this tight lacing waspie with contrasting panels featuring small polka dots. This is not made to order, but does come in a variety of sizes from 18-32 inches and three colour choices too. You can find it here for £175. The polka dot skirt is also available for £49 and they also carry the petticoat to complete the outfit for £55.

Velda Lauder is a corsetiere in the UK. Velda recently participated in the Knickers interview. Velda makes custom designs. On the left is the Matt Buckle Pinstripe with a sharp belted waist for extra flair. You can get this for £150. On the right is the Scarlett with a very sexy blend of mesh panels and satin. It is £190 and would look great as club wear with long black gloves.

Another corsetiere in the US is Isabella. She makes a wide variety of corsets including some waspies that will make great outerewear. On the left is the Classic Cincher. It is four panels with several choices of fabrics and great contrasting piping. Pick it up for $220. On the right is the Butterfly Cincher. This is a slightly longer waist than the classic. This is made from a great silk print with a periwinkle base and is available for $225.

Further Reading:

• History of Fashion Designer Marcel Rochas
• How corsets are made
• Fashion trends for cinchers
• Find corsetry parts to make or repair your own
• Hundreds of corsetry links