Wishlist: La Lilouche

It's actually quite rare that I fall in love with a lingerie brand. 

This is how it normally goes. Normally, I fall in love with the ridiculously extravagant lingerie that I definitely cannot afford (see the Made By Niki String Skirt - I don't even like pink, but I WANT that). I lust after it for a ridiculous amount of time until it disappears. Or I end up buying it in a sale and wondering what, exactly, is worth over £200, because it certainly isn't the fit.

La Lilouche, on the other hand, appeals to my need for extravagant lingerie, but won't hurt my bank account too much.

Their recent collection is full of golds, blacks and burgundy *swoon* - so I've put together a wishlist!

Mila Sequins Playsuit

It has gold, it has sequins, it has cage-effect straps. I NEED it.

Damaris Bow Tie Skirt

This just screams outerwear to me. I love the cris cross effect and the romance of the flowing skirt!

Lily Pearl Burlesque Open Fringe Bra

This one I'm a bit torn on, but I think the fact that it mainly comprises of gold fringe makes my magpie senses tingle. But does it look too much like something your cat has been chewing at?  

Also I just have to say that I love the styling on this photo!

Goldie Silk Chiffon Night Gown

I LOVE the draping of the arms.

Delia Burgundy Silk High Waist Panties

Almost my entire everyday wardrobe comprises of burgundy or wine red, so it only makes sense to match my lingerie too! 

I just can't decide which to go for first! Perhaps the black skirt - it's so romantic and I could easily wear this for everyday or for going out. 

Inspiration: Suited and Booted

I know this may be somewhat of an unpopular opinion, what with the ladies magazines shouting SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER BEACH BODIES SUMMER, but I am looking forward to cooler weather.

Why? Well, I'm suffering. I can't really get summer fashion right, I'm sorry to say. I'm no fashion blogger, I don't have wavy blonde hair or the ability to pose like I'm constantly walking somewhere. I can't wear heels and I don't want to get my bare legs out. 

I want to wear more suits. I wish I were Marlene Dietrich (obscure Vagabond Opera reference there...). But until it gets cooler again, all I can do is stare at pretty people in exquisite tailoring.

Mary Pickford

Douglas Fairbanks

Merle Oberon in A Song to Remember

Marlene Dietrich on the set of Morocco

Shalom Harlow wearing John Galliano, shot by Ellen Von Unwerth

ALL the girdles!

I really like girdles.

I mean, really like girdles.

I even made Catherine from Kiss Me Deadly this, which is my reaction when I recieve her girdles. 

There's something very attractive about showing one's stocking tops and suspender straps. At least, there is to me, but I imagine I probably have a 1920s mindset. 

Girdles are magical things, and are such a strong representation of the emancipation of women at the beginning of the 20th century. 

We all know how the Victorians loved their corsets and bustles, but there was such a drastic change in fashion in just 20 years. World War One brought about the need for women to take on roles that were not traditional to their gender (and you thought the '50s was sexist central...). Such an active lifestyle required a new undergarment, something that allowed freedom of movement. 

Corsets and crinolines were abandoned, with corsets often being donated to the war effort, so desperate was the need for steel. Girdles covered the waist to the upper thighs, which opened doors for the invention of the bra. However, these were still not a world away from corsets; often featuring a metal busk and lacing (god how I love fan lacing).

Fashion has always been fickle, and by the end of the 1920s the girdle briefly fell out of favour. Flappers preferred individual garters worn above the knee; the stocking rolled over the top to ensure it all stayed put while they danced. And boy, did they dance. 

Here is my dream team list of girdles (or.... items with garter straps on), in which I would also dance.

Kiss Me Deadly's Peacock Longline Girdle or... How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Teal Lingerie.

I had never really worn much teal, or similar shades, but now, I approve. I also have this in black, plum and red, so you could say I really fucking love this girdle. I could also see the Peach version working well in a flapper outfit. 

Playful Promises Vamp Corselette Dress 

Alright I'm probably quite biased, because I DID take this photograph. But I normally wouldn't go for something like this, because I wouldn't expect the cups to fit me. Well, I was wrong, and it fits so damn well. I think I might even customise it somehow (shiny things!) and wear it out as a dress with a kimono over the top.

What Katie Did Marlene Girdle 

I don't own this... yet, so I can't comment on the fit. But it's on my wish list. I LOVE the deco design. The only thing I'm not sure about is the side hooks... It's also named after Marlene, so, that's bonus points.

 

Lascivious Roxy Bodysuit

This is my love/hate relationship. I bought it in a sale a few months ago, because just look at it! I love fringing, and I am even more obsessed with gold and black. I bought a small, because I am, at the most, a size 10, and according to the Lascivious fitting guide, I should be a small. Imagine my disappointment (and feeling too fat for the first time in my life) when it arrived and didn't fit me in the slightest. The main issue was the length, and given that I'm no taller than their models, this was a surprise.

I had it exchanged for a medium (don't get me wrong, their customer service was brilliant, and so quick), and while this was a slightly better fit, I still had to keep yanking it up, and had the straps so tight they dug into my shoulders. Evidently, whoever fitted the first samples was particularly short. 

Unfortunately, I didn't learn, and I was enticed by the new sale and ended up buying the Roxy Highwaist Knickers. These were a whole different issue regarding fitting. Bizarrely, the boning in the sides of the knickers bends in a strange angle - as if I need more meat on the sides of my hips to fill them (I assure you, I don't need more meat for a size small). Friends of mine also had the same issue. Luckily though, these are wearable, and I have worn them under shorts with the fringing poking out the bottom. 

As for the bodysuit, I'm unsure whether to sell it or hold onto it. It is so pretty, but I'm just not sure if it flatters my body type. And if it doesn't make me feel sexy, surely it isn't doing it's job?

Are you a girdle fan? What are your favourite girdles? 

Giveaway: Amore de Mori

Some of you may be familiar with Amore de Mori, if not, all will be revealed!

Amore de Mori is the brand encompassing the work of inspiring British artist Bonnie Wood. Loosely explained as taxidermy and osteological adornments, Bonnie's projects have expanded over the years, from her first collections of beautiful accessories created out of or including bones, feathers and fur to a wide range of creations. 

Alongside her Amore de Mori pieces she also creates larger taxidermy work under the name of Sleep and has recently opened an online boutique, Once, which features more affordable pieces of wunderkammer. Like all of her work, each piece in the Once boutique is handmade and completely one-of-a-kind, including items created in collaboration with other illustrators and artists.

Searching on Etsy for "taxidermy accessories" gives all kinds of hideous results, mainly pieces that use wonky or over-stuffed taxidermy just for the sake of using it. Of course, there are many issues as to where the animals came from, and the ethical issues of taxidermy used as fashion. Personally, I feel that the beauty of animals shouldn't be wasted, which is why I am comfortable wearing vintage fur (much of which has been in my family for decades). There is a strong difference between Bonnie's work and many of the pieces on Etsy; the care and attention gone into her presentation transports the dead into second life, angelic and classic. The Sleep art pieces could easily stand up to the work of popular taxidermy artists such as Polly Morgan and Angela Singer.

Below are a few of the photographs I have taken either featuring Amore de Mori pieces, or in collaboration with Bonnie.

Self portrait, 2008

 Self portrait, 2010

Product shot for the Memento Mori collection

If you would love to get hold of a piece of Amore de Mori artwork, you could be in luck! Bonnie is running an amazing giveaway across her facebook and tumblr!

 

The giveaway consists of 3 stunning prizes, the first being Garcier and Dalia, a one of a kind taxidermy artwork. There is even a story behind these conjoined chicks, and being a wannabe carny, theres nothing I love more than stories of Louisiana hoodoo, fortune tellers and spit-and-sawdust carnival freakshows. 

The second prize is the head of the dastardly villain that took Garcier's eye!

And the third prize, the preserved heart of Garcier and Dalia, presented as a gorgeous necklace in a coffin box. 

HOW TO ENTER

‘like’ the Amore de Mori facebook page and share the giveaway post here

OR

Follow the Amore de Mori tumblr and reblog the giveaway post here

Each time you share/reblog either on facebook or tumblr, you gain another entry. Therefore, the more you share, the more likely you are to win!

The competition closes when the Amore de Mori Facebook page reaches 1000 likes and the Amore de Mori tumbler achieves 500 followers.

The winner of the first prize will be the person with the most entries. The winner of second prize the person with the second highest number of entries and the winner of the third the person with the third highest number of entries!