We haven’t talked much about Masquerade here on TLP, but I’ve admired so many of their pieces – and purchased a few too! This is the perfect time of year to spotlight the brand here though, because everything is so romantic! These new Spring/Summer 2011 styles are almost exactly the sort of thing I picture when I think of the perfect Valentine’s Day lingerie. Sweet, sexy, and sophisticated all in one.

The ladylike, sumptuous styles always seem to remind me of opulent paintings of Marie Antoinette. Do you see it?

Masquerade specializes in D-H cup bras, and you can find a retailer near you on the Masquerade website (where you can also see the pieces above in even more gorgeous detail).

Fast forward 70 years to 2010 in the same Waldorf suite.  Another young woman awakes, removes her silk eye mask from her eyes, and lets in the sun on a beautiful June morning.  The sheets are just as soft and the atmosphere just as timeless although the nightgown is traded for a cami and shortie and her strapless gown is all silk.

While much has changed on Park Avenue, the essence and classic style of the 1930s remains in walls and halls of the Waldorf.  It is no wonder that it was the perfect setting for the showing of the Ari Dein Collection including, Ari Dein in White, an absolutely exquisite bridal collection!

We introduced Ari Dein to you back in March and have been impressed with the collection ever since.  The classic, Art Deco styling is reminiscent of another era, yet also contemporary for today’s woman.

Like the pieces in the Fall/Winter collection, each elegant, ivory Bridal piece is hand-cut and sewn in Manhattan’s garment district, made of 100% silk, and finished with lion face buttons.  Whatever your style, there is something perfect for every facet of the wedding from waking up on the morning of and primping before the walk down the aisle to the wedding night and the subsequent honeymoon!  Choose from an opulent, showstopper of a long gown (with a back that will drive him wild), a flirty cami and short, or decadent chemise in silk charmeuse.  A cami and short are also available in silk chiffon dobby dot.  A vintage bride could pull off the silk high waisted bloomer for sure!  Complement any of the looks with the long robe in silk chiffon or the demi robe in silk chiffon dobby dot.  Pure elegance!

Whatever type of Ari Dein bride you are, there is something for you.  Ari Dein in White is currently available at AriDein.com.  For your bridesmaids who want something with a touch of color, also check out Faire Frou Frou in Los Angeles and Journelle in New York and Miami.

The La Perla Bridal Collection in Detail

The garments in the La Perla Bridal Collection are designed to be invisible under the bridal wear without compromising on that touch of hyper-femininity. The bustier, the panty, the push-up, the bandeau bra and the brief are all made in extremely comfortable, soft stretch fabric with only some parts, sides and edges, in lightweight Chantilly lace. A clever design that makes the most of the figure, invisible under the clothes yet full of the promise of the seductive charm that the “La Perla bride” has made her own. These creations all come in white and natural.

The collection also includes a lace and pleated satin push-up with coordinated g-string. A precious parure but at the same time “sexy chic” to indulge the seductive and playfully transgressive side of the “honeymoon”.

Among the nightwear, a seductive pleated georgette and satin slip enriched with large scalloped lace along the edge which gives the garment a seductive and slightly ‘20s allure. And for those who prefer a more linear style, the stretch silk georgette model with high satin edges and side slits is available in both long and short versions. A flowing, elegant style that caresses the curves of the body.

The dressing gown has always been a star piece in the bride’s trousseau. The new La Perla Bridal Collection presents a creation with great visual impact: a cloud of super-light Chantilly lace edged in silk georgette, in both long and short versions.

The collection is completed by two exclusive accessories: a hair band with a mischievous feather and, of course, the lace and pleated georgette garter.

Check out the collection on the La Perla site – it’s not cheap…

S/S 09 also sees the arrival of the underwire bra. A new structured addition to the usual softness so often associated with the brand.

I just love it. Ell & Cee seems to be making this extraordinary romance a huge part of their brand – and they’re making it work perfectly!

Photos courtesy of www.ellandcee.co.uk.

You tell me this Janet Reger Couture plunge bra and matching tanga don't just scream out romance!

Janet Reger‘s Couture collection is (what’s in a name) the classy, high-end Janet Reger. This summer ’09 collection – available in selected boutiques right now, is a true stunner.

“Learn the silent language of enticement and become the heroine as the story unfolds, an evocative silk-layered tale.”

Totally different from the bold colors we’re used to see in the Naughty Janet line – the pastels in this retro-like collection have a great soft and intimate feel to them. According to the designer, the colors are inspired by “crème brulee, nougat, lip gloss and lemon meringue” – and that can’t ever be a bad thing, now can it?

Soft tones and fabrics (lace, crepe-de-chine, pleated chiffons and obviously sweet silks), great attention to detail as we’ve come to expect from Janet Reger and a lovely romantic mood that just drips off the collection. Very convincing!

The designer says: “Soft chiffons cascade with contrast ruffles adding volume to the sweetest of lingerie we’ve ever made. Delicate gathers and minute attention to detail embrace this summer’s romantic mood. Airy transparency gives way to elegance and grace.”

More photos and information on the Janet Reger site – with its own webshop, if you can’t wait!

“It has always been my desire to create exquisite feminine clothing using the finest fabrics and precious details; to combine a vintage feeling with modern style…I have a very romantic vision of how fashion can embrace our beauty and indulge our dreams. I invite you to share that dream”

Claire Pettibone has a very definitive style – every piece looks like it belongs in an elegant fairy tale! Here are some of my favorites, but there is so much more to see on the website or in your nearest boutique (there is a store locator on the site). Some of my most favorite pieces weren’t in any modeled pictures, so it’s definitely worth a visit to the site to find the one you like the best!

Vanilla lingerie launched it’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection! With innovative new styles and fabrics with a very soft touch, the collection has something in store for everyone! The romantics are going to love the collection as you can see in the photos, but it will also appeal to those who like thing a little more modern. The collection is creative and romantic, without ever being anything but sensual.

Pics are from the Tayê blog as well.

The beautiful Seduzione Brazil LOLA Bra Set, obviously made in Brazil, is a romantic embroidered tulle molded bra and matching culotte panties set. It’s available in bra sizes 34B, 34C, 36B and panty sizes: small, medium, large. Retail price is under $100 at Bella Bella Boutique!

Don’t forget to sign up for the contest, today is your last day to get your entry in!

So, what should I choose for my first topic? Much head scratching and pencil chewing ensued while I searched for inspiration. You’ll be glad to learn that I dismissed important topics such as quarterly tax returns, import/export rules and search engine optimisation in favour of ROMANCE.

With Valentine’s Day only just around the corner the subject could not be more topical. Lingerie is almost unique among clothing in its strong association with romance, love and passion and is a top choice purchase among men looking for something special to give to their significant other. This is very relevant to ever-so-sexy because we specialise in the pretty and the sexy stuff – no woollen vests on our site!

Approximately 80% of our customers are men buying lingerie gifts for their partners and you can forget the stereotypical helpless male in the lingerie department of your local store because some of our gentlemen really know their lingerie! And for those that don’t there is the comfortable anonymity of the web coupled with the kind guidance of our customer care staff.

With romance as my subject I could recommend lots of lovely undies from the site, like the one pictured above, but instead of that I decided to access our sales stats to create a romance index – a list of where the most romantic men live…. Now that is a subject that should interest the single girls among the TLP readers on. Before the results I should apologise to the readers outside the UK as I have restricted the survey to the UK only. This is because we are based in the UK and the UK customer sample is larger for that reason. And the larger the sample the more valid the results – and here they are:

Results:
46.5% Southern
45% Northern
05% Scotland
2% Northern Ireland
3% Wales
3% South West

Interesting results! The first thought that occurs to me is that the Englishman is much underrated on the romance scale, and it really does not matter if he is a Yorkshire man of very little words or a smooth city trader from the South East, under the skin they are both love bunnies. Not so the Scots… very sad results from Scotland. In fact I will let you into a secret we have more women than men buying in Scotland which totally bucks the trend for our site.

Romance is very much on our minds at the moment at Ever-so-Sexy, not because we are in love (though some of us may be) its just because Valentines Day is just around the corner and all our thoughts are turned to what would be best to offer our customers… and I’ll continue on that theme with my next entry…

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!

The Papinelle brand is more than just loungewear, it’s life wear! The comfortable, stylish, and flirty theme is also evident in the extras such as slippers, soaps, and candles as well as their newly introduced frocks. Papinelle is available online with shipping throughout the world. Unless, of course, you happen to be in Sydney, where you can stop by and see the complete collection along with the store-only goodies.

We hope you stop by our forums and chat about your Papinelle purchases very soon!