Sexy smalls verses assertive drawers

Vargas Girdle from Kiss Me Deadly

The era of sexy, minimalist smalls is being pushed aside by bold, assertive lingerie. Our recent trip to the heart of lingerie trends in Paris has revealed to us that retro giant briefs, high-waisted girdles and retro longline bras are back in fashion! But don’t be fooled, Grandma’s knickers are still not the height of fashion, so keep those well hidden.

Delicate, simple and petite lingerie will always be available however, more and more brands are offering high-waist briefs that can be worn above the navel or even above the waist-line and below the bust depending on the style. There is also a surge in longline girdles that also rise above the navel and sit below the bust and longline bras that extend to the waist-line creating a flattering shape. These latest trends have emerged from the growth in popularity of shape wear and vintage retro lingerie and faux retro lingerie.

Brands such as Kiss Me Deadly and What Katie Did are experiencing a great interest in their dominant lingerie lines, but there is also demand for contemporary designed statement lingerie with a modern design and lighter more feminine fabrics.

Playful Promises have experienced a surge in demand for longline bras. The Ava range was extremely popular for us and for our Autumn Winter collection we have included high waist briefs and longline bras. These chunky lingerie pieces have almost sold out before even reaching the shops and our spring summer 2012 lingerie collection promises further longline bras and girdles and high waist briefs.

The need for smaller and delicate lingerie is still strong and stylists are using this opportunity to now juxtapose these bold, statement pieces of lingerie with smaller, lighter and delicate pieces. I love the mix of the soft-cup triangle bra from the Playful Promises Etti line matched with the bold block of the high-waist Etti brief. The high waist brief has additional tulle mesh inserts to lighten the bold block design. However, I love how the Etti range can almost be worn as outer wear. Match the Etti soft-cup bra with the hipster Brazilian brief too!

Longerline lingerie is also great under summer t’s, showing off bold shapes, interesting cutting edge design and patterns and something a little saucy.

Try the style yourself; the Ava longline bra works great under a loose black or white t-shirt or the black What Katie Did Maitresse bullet bra with a cropped t-shirt.



Brazilian Bottoms

Brazilian or Hollywood? This is one of the major dilemmas of the waxing world. But a Brazilian bottom is a whole new dilemma in the lingerie world and Brazilians are certainly taking it by storm this summer.

Brazilian briefs are becoming more and more popular across the UK. Brazilians are generally snug and tight fitting to the body yet will show no visible panty line which is making it so sought after. Brazilian briefs are also praised for elongating the leg and being flattering under skimpy summer clothes. Brazilian briefs can be described as ‘boy-shorts’ but are not quite the same. Cut straight across the top of the back and almost straight across the bottom too but cut higher, showing more cheek. The brief sits between a boy short and a thong.

Marks and Spencers have recently been in the news with record sales of their cheeky Brazilian cut briefs with a 64% increase in sales of this exotic cut knicker.

Playful Promises are eagerly anticipating our own Brazilian designed brief. The Etti Brazilian brief has a satin printed front panel and black mesh back and sides. The leg is cut slightly higher than our normal briefs and shows a little more cheek. We are loving this new style, but will you like the feel of more cheek on display? Teamed with our retro longline bra we love this blend of old and new.

The Brazilian originates in Brazil on the beaches of the colourful Rio De Janeiro. Sun worshippers and tanning specialists desired minimal beachwear to interfere with their tan lines, thus was created the very skimpy Brazilian thong beachwear.

However, the Brazilian only made an appearance in Lingerie around 2005 when Victoria’s Secrets designed a line of Brazilian cut briefs. It has taken a while for the brief to become of interest to the UK market but with tight fitting summer dresses as well as maxi dresses calling for invisible panty lines the Brazilian has found it’s niche.

Need some no VPL briefs this summer? Shop our briefs and thongs shop for the perfect choice!