Christmas gift review: Lady Unmentionable

A knicker in a tin, what a remarkable invention!

Lingerie is always a welcome gift from anyone. I truly believe that you can never have enough underwear, so whether a lover buys you a steamy set of lacy pieces or whether a friends treats you to a knicker in a tin, its just a win win situation.

Emma and the Playful Promises team make these rather delicious tins with a brief hidden inside. The tin itself has a very cute illustration and each brief is special with customized details like bows, lace and detailing.

I've been asked to review the Circus Pin-Up tins, but they really sell themselves. These tins are just great for the Christmas season, and for hen parties and even birthdays, and small treats for no reason. There doesn't have to be a reason to treat someone!

The Circus Tins are inspired by three typical circus performers. The hand-drawn illustration on the tin lid is delicately drawn to represent the; Ring Mistress, the Tiger Tamer and the Snake Charmer. Each circus act is wearing the brief that lays beneath.

What I really like about the tins, is that you can use the tin for other means than storing the brief. I've seen the Playful Promises girls propping up their computer screens with them! They need to be displayed, the tin is begging to be shown off as more than just a tin for a brief. The potential for the tin is limitless. Or you can simply store your beautiful brief in the tin in your knicker drawer!

The briefs themselves, are foxy pieces of cheek-wear. I'm not sure which one I prefer, it changes from day to day.

Tiger Tamer is a vivid pink, with just a simple bow on the front, it looks like any other brief. Turn around and a heart shape cut-out greets the observer with a pink lace centre revealing your buttock cheeks, this is a rather cheeky brief! This is very girly, and breezy, but I like the idea that it's a pant that can be worn every day, under any choice of clothes, it's subtle and only when undressed does it reveal it's cheeky secrets.

Snake Charmer is today's favourite. I like the rich purple colour of this brief, topped with a stripe of black its a dark and mysterious panty. I like the simplicity of the brief, the richness of the colour and the silky satin fabric exudes seduction and mystery. The two ribbon bows finishes off the pant and makes it that much more special. The tin illustration, of a snake charmer, is also my favourite. I like the envious green of the snake against the purple brief.

Finally Ring Mistress, a sleek all black number at first seems a little too common. On closer inspection this brief is all in the detail. The fine finish of the gathered seam on the back is very original. And the delicate lace trim at the top of the legs is subtle and beautiful making the panty more like a piece of delicate porcelain that needs protecting. The button detail on the front brings a little charm and cheek to such a graceful knicker.

At just £15 each, these briefs are a charming little gift, especially this Christmas. The receivers gets not only a playful and promising knicker but a tin, hand illustrated with more than just one purpose!

Promises team keep nudging me to also mention that these three tins are limited edition, so once they're gone, they're gone for good. Make sure you get hold of all three! Available in small, medium and large, something for every bottom.

Pin-up Queen; Bettie Page

Bettie Page; Pin-up Queen, glamour icon and underground bondage model. This surreal character crops up every now an again with an increased fan-base and a constant need to inspire the lingerie industry.

Secrets in Lace have been designing the Bettie Page lingerie collection inspired by her 1950’s photographs and stills making sure to remain true to the style of the era and the prints Bettie loved.

Playful Promises Boutique has been selling pieces from the very popular Bettie Page lingerie line for a while and the seamed stockings are one of our more popular items. We’re expanding the Bettie Page line to also feature online, but where does a pin-up’s career even begin?

Bettie Page always desired to be in the spotlight, she moved to New York after her first divorce to find work as an actress, but by day supported herself working as a secretary.

Whilst out walking one day she came across enthusiast photographer Jerry Tibbs. He put together her first pin-up portfolio and her career as a pin-up was launched.

By the 1940’s, pornography was illegal, therefore ‘camera clubs’ were invented to bypass the pornography laws. Bettie became a glamour model and camera club model posing nude on many occasions. Her lack of inhibitions brought her a great amount of work and landed her in men’s magazines of the era such as Wink, Titter and Beauty Parade.

Often the camera club models provided their own lingerie which has been an inspiration to many faux retro lingerie designers. Many pieces would have been made by the models themselves; in particular Bettie had a knack for combining fashionable prints with contemporary styling. An amazing insight into lingerie fashion of the era.

1952 was the year her pin-up career really begun as she worked alongside Irving Klaw who produced mail-order photographs. Here images of a pin-up, bondage or sadomasochist theme were produced and these images shot Bettie Page to stardom.

Bettie became a famous bondage model appearing in photographs, short-films and stills that Klaw’s customers requested. Although none of Klaw’s and pages work featured nudity or scenes of overtly sexual content they did feature fetish scenarios including abduction, domination, bondage, tying up and more. We’ll let your mind wonder.

Incredible lingerie fashions were used from tight leather costumes to lacy and silky nightwear as well as high-heel shoes and lace-up boots.

Furthermore Bettie appeared in several burlesque films made by Irving Klaw including Teasearama and Varietease. These films including dance routines and several striptease artists.

In 1954 a chance meeting whilst on holiday in Miami lead to a collaboration with Bunny Yeager. A model turned photographer, Bunny Yeager set-up a photo-session in a Florida nature reserve featuring two beautiful cheetahs. The ‘Jungle Bettie’ shots are some of her most celebrated images, she models a home-made leopard print bikini set as well as some renown nude shots too.

Bunny Yeager also set-up a photo session for images she later sent to Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy. The image, of Bettie in a Father Christmas hat winking at the camera, was chosen to be ‘Playmate of the Month centrefold’ in the Playboy magazine in January of 1955. This feature led her to be voted as ‘Miss Pin-up Girl of the World’.

Although it seems Bettie’s modelling career was short-lived she was one of the most famous models of the period and her career lasted longer than most of the industry individuals. She retired from her pin-up career and became a born-again Christian.

Since the 1950’s Bettie’s images have kept re-surfacing creating a cult following and an ever growing fan-base. Books have been published and more recently biographies and films have been made.

Bettie herself was in and out of the lime-light but was rumoured to not have been earning any money from the images used. Her photographs, films and stills have inspired generation after generation and her bondage scenes are still sought-after.

If, like us at Playful Promises, you are mesmerised by this intriguing character then take a look at the Bettie Page inspired lingerie and stockings and perhaps you can create your own Jungle Bettie photographs!