Kasiopea set by Roza Lingerie

Gill Fernandez from Ever So Sexy (screenname Gillf) let us know that the choker wasn’t available and was made only as an accessory for the photo shoot. Only weeks later, she has managed to convince Roza to make some of these chokers available to the public, and this special limited-edition batch is now available at Ever So Sexy!

The company newsletter said:

If you like this choker collar then we strongly recommend ordering it now.  There is no guarantee that Roza will make any more.  It could become a collectors item!

Roza Kasiopea Choker

In the last few weeks in the UK a number of small to medium size wholesale lingerie businesses have bit the dust and no doubt many retailers are hanging on by their finger tips if they have so far survived this recession.

This week news broke that Intimas, the company behind brands such as Charnos and Lepel among others, has gone into administration with 200 jobs threatened here in the UK.

Now for those who don’t follow this sort of stuff – administration means that the company could still survive. A specialist firm or firms will have moved in to see if or how they can save the business. But if a big company such as Intimas does follow some of the earlier victims of the recession then the longer term impact on the lingerie buying public cannot be ignored.

Some might say that the lingerie industry is over crowded with far too many designers, manufacturers and retailers, especially after the last few years when so many new brands and companies have emerged. However, as you might expect, I am not one of those people!

The volume and diversity of our lingerie businesses results in wonderful choice for those who buy lingerie. As businesses go under and products disappear choice will decrease and while in the very long term new businesses will spring up and give you choice again, it may be your favourite brand, designer or shop that has gone for ever.

So the money may be tight but this a call to all you lingerie lovers to support your favourite brand, designer or shop where ever you are and who ever they are. This is not a plea specific to our lingerie shop which is still growing nicely, and long may it continue to do so, despite the recession. But it is a plea on behalf of the lingerie industry as a whole. If you want to have choice and diversity in lingerie then spend a little money on it now – after all there are some great offers about.

More TLP reads on the lingerie business and the recession:

• How is the Lingerie Industry Faring in the Economic Crisis?
• The Ups and Downs of Lingerie

Gill Fernandez – Ever So Sexy
A background in finance and sales but a deep desire to do something more feminine brought Gill into the world of lingerie when she decided to form her own company Crysalis Ltd which trades on line under the name www.ever-so-sexy.com and specialises in the glamorous, pretty and down right sexy stuff..

Read all posts by Gill Fernandez right here!

My personal favorite is this Flamenco Open Thong, “an exclusive limited edition luxury thong made in black Austrian Tulle. The black tulle is adorned with a red rose and black satin rose buds at the front and back complete this luxury open thong. “

There’s quite a few more Delicious Thongs at Ever so Sexy — browse them all right here.

First up: they’ve added Sonata Lingerie! The label by Lithuania-born Sonata Rapalyte recently launched a webshop of their own — but as we love customer service at Ever So Sexy we gladly recommend them!

To compliment the Lola Luna range they’ve also added the Brazilian brand Sensualle.

Most recently they added Delicious Thongs Co. Based in Scotland, the Delicious Thongs co specialise in high quality thongs using genuine cultured pearls. They also have a design using real diamonds sourced from Hatton Gardon, London’s diamond centre and real gold. You would need to have deep pockets to buy these – the 9 ct version is £899 and the 18 ct version is £1099. Thankfully the pearl thongs will not break the bank at £39.99. All the thongs are made to order so larger ladies can be accommodated. The whole Delicious Thongs range at Ever so Sexy is right here!

All very sexy, and very exciting! Way to go, Ever So Sexy!

The new range from Diane is small but very glamorous. Six g-strings, four of which are open, made with silk, lace and decorated with diamante, pearls and sequins. With romantic names like “My Hearts Desire” and “Forever Darling” — these little g-strings are sure to be excellent (and romantic ) gifts. They’re made to measure so it is the opportunity for those ladies who don’t fit into the standard range of other manufacturers to own a sexy little work of art that will flatter and seduce.

Check out the whole new Diki by Diane Rubach range on the Ever So Sexy site — or in the photos below!

At £65.00 a piece these aren’t cheap — but delicate stuff never is, right?

The next stop is Axami. TLP introduced you to Axami in March of this year. The company produces a large number of collections and lines. You can sample some of the breadth in the thumbnails below. The company produces their website in Polish, French, German, and English. There is no company store, unless you live in Poland. Outside of Poland, Axami has established a healthy distribution network. If you are in the US, you can contact Grabit if you are interested in picking up the line for wholesale distribution. If you simply want to pick up these designs as a retail customer, try

• Pampered Passions
• Azzuma
• Ever So Sexy

As Mandolina pointed out in March, there’s not a signature in the Axami collection. The range includes heavy spandex basques looking like Luxxa designs, Bridal basics, and ornate brocade pieces that look similar to Aubade.

Kostar dates from 1989. On their website, they mention they had some problems early on with material supply, but have overcome those issues and now import from Italy, France, and Switzerland. The Kostar company also leans heavily on computer automation including sewing room automation and laser cutting of embroidery. The Kostar offering is smaller compared to other Polish companies. There are two lines: Elegant and Private. Elegant is the fashion line and Private is the everyday basics. The site is available in English, German, and Polish. The collections look like they have bras in larger sizes and can be found online up to 95E (~UK 42E, ~US 42D) and the bottoms are cut up to 4XL.

Kostar is available online from:

• Garderoba (Poland)
• Ever So Sexy (UK)
• Chicque Lingerie (Netherlands)

On the high street shoppers mostly buy off the rack with a glance at the sizing label before they head to the check out. Online is really no different except that there is often more sizing information available if the customer wants to read it.

Here at www.ever-so-sexy.com we give comprehensive sizing information to avoid the need to return items. Even so we do still receive a few returns for the reason of wrong size, so we are in the process of reviewing all our sizing information to make it easier for our customers to access and understand.

It is nearly two years since we last reviewed our sizing guides and I was relieved to find that it is still all valid. But I had forgotten just how confusing the different sizing methods can be.

The US and UK use a similar system based on imperial measurements (inches) and US inch and an UK inch is exactly the same but the systems diverge when they get to the bigger cup sizes. Europe has a standard system based on the metric system, except for France who still use metric but different numbers and Italy who do their own 1,2,3 thing and in Australia they base bra sizes on dress sizes. Confused? You would be forgiven for being completely befuddled.

If you then add in the factor that certain styles and manufacturers cut on the small side then you realise just how hit or miss the whole business of lingerie sizing can be.

So what to do?

We in the industry have a responsibility to supply as much information in a clear and understandable way to our customers as is possible. But customers have a responsibility too, which goes beyond reading the information we provide.

We did a poll here at www.ever-so-sexy.com to check just how many of us really know our size. Armed with a tape measure we stalked the office and stores asking our team to tell us their size and then challenged them to a check with the tape measure. 20% of us gave the wrong size information and I wonder just how well our customers know their size.

So customers – get that tape measure out and check. Here’s how to be sure you know your real bra size:

With a tape measure take the measurement of your rib cage just below the bra band. Then add five inches to that measurement to get the band width. For instance if your rib cage measures 29 inches + 5 inches gives you a UK/USA bra size 34 (75 Europe, 90 France, 2 Italy, 12 Australia) If the calculation results in an odd number then round it up by one. Now for the cup size; take the measurement again but this time measure the fullest part of the bust. The difference between this measurement and the band width gives you the bra cup size as follows:
1 inch = cup size A
2 inch = cup size B
3 inch = cup size C
4 inch = cup size D
5 inch = cup size DD (USA E or DD. Italy DD, Australia DD. Europe E)
6 inch = cup size E (USA F or DDD. Italy E. Australia E. Europe F)
7 inch = cup size F (USA G. Australia G)

Starting off with the right size information will definitely avoid disappointment and the need to return a purchase whether it was bought on the high street or online.

Gill Fernandez – Ever So Sexy
A background in finance and sales but a deep desire to do something more feminine brought Gill into the world of lingerie when she decided to form her own company Crysalis Ltd which trades on line under the name www.ever-so-sexy.com and specialises in the glamorous, pretty and down right sexy stuff..

Read all posts by Gill Fernandez right here!

Coemi has been a leading manufacturer of women’s high class lingerie since 1994. From the very beginning, the main objective was to manufacture products of the highest quality and unique design. We are able to achieve these objectives thanks to modern production equipment as well as qualified staff. In our variety of goods we offer a basic and cotton collection as well as the most diverse and yearly-modernized “Fashion” collection.

Similar to other Polish brands, Coemi offers a very broad collection. On top of four Basic offerings and eight Cotton offerings, there are 33 choices in the Fashion collection for 2008. Take a look at the thumbnails at the bottom of this article. Coemi differs from some of the other Polish brands because there is certain continuity to the offering. Coemi designs chemises, night dresses, pajamas, baby dolls, and dressing gowns in lovely satins with hints of lace and ribbon. The offering looks similar to Diane Rubach’s Diki line and the old DePledge line.

Shop for Coemi at TLP favorite Ever So Sexy and from the company store (if your Polish is up to par).

Photos are from Coemi web site and were photographed by Francesco Chiappetta

We stock Mar Egeu Brazilian bikinis which are both flattering and practical. They are genuinely Brazilian and I am watching them now, via FedEx tracking, making the long journey from Brazil to the UK.

Call me a sad nerd, but I get a strange kind of pleasure watching as each leg of the journey is completed. On the 28th the bikinis left Mar Egeu and travelled to Campinas in Brazil before flying up to Memphis in the US and then on to Newark, again in the States, before taking the big flight over the Atlantic to land in Stanstead in the UK today (31st March). Now I can expect a delay as the bikinis have to clear UK customs before they can be transferred to a UK courier but I know that within a matter of days we will be opening the parcel of 2008 bikinis – and then all we need is the sun.

Gill Fernandez – Ever So Sexy
A background in finance and sales but a deep desire to do something more feminine brought Gill into the world of lingerie when she decided to form her own company Crysalis Ltd which trades on line under the name www.ever-so-sexy.com and specialises in the glamorous, pretty and down right sexy stuff..

Read all posts by Gill Fernandez right here!