The Playful Holiday Guide: Swimwear Galore

Whether you’re planning a far-flung exotic getaway of a lifetime or strutting your stuff at a hip and happening music festival this year, the new luxe, sexy swimwear collections from Playful Promises and Wolf & Whistle has you covered.

Feeling the Caribbean Heat

Lucky enough to be jetting off on a tropical getaway this season? Look no further than our mustard floral bikini. The fresh, joyful colour could not be a better pairing for those sun-drenched beaches and palm-tree lined streets. Our exclusive in-house designed print and flattering high-waist brief will make your heart rejoice, whether you are a vintage vixen or a sun seeking beach bum. Pair with a stylish wide-brimmed hat, comfortable sandals and a sarong – or just show off the bikini set in all its glory – and hit the sun and the sea.

No tropical dream holiday is complete without the vintage floral print bikini – a dream for romantics and vintage-lovers alike. The soft pastel hues and the pretty bardot sleeve detail create the timeless glamour that will ensure you’re the star of the beach.

Attention all those curvaceous babes out there – our sub-brand Wolf & Whistle have expanded their stunning collection of swimwear to include curve/plus sizes! We are still not over the Hawaii vibes of their Peonie 3D Flower bikini set, available in sizes UK 8 to 26. With large, 3D flower embellishment, lush peach colour and flattering, high-waist briefs, this is the most dreamy set that will make you feel like the babeliest babe out there.

California or Bust

Feeling hot and bothered, and nothing but Californian sunshine will do? The promise of warmer weather has us dreaming of poolside cocktails in the warm sunset glow, and we can think of nothing better than to set this scene with our star bikini set – the Applique and Mesh set! With a wine colourway – the colour of the moment – and the most lush applique floral embellishment, nothing will turn heads faster than this sexy and playful little number. The cross-strap detail on the hips is just right for showing off some cheeky peeks of the skin. Pair this jaw-dropping set with your coolest shades and favourite pair of heels  - not forgetting your pool-side cocktail of choice!

Good girl gone bad? Our floral print & crochet bikini set will be the most risqué set to flaunt on the beach. With its exclusive, in-house floral print combined with crochet detail, this set is flirty fun, sporting a central cut-out in the middle of the high-neck bikini top.

Go for bond-girl pool vibes in the Wolf & Whistle Jett Metallic Gold bikini set in sizes 32-36B-F, 38-42C-42F and UK 8-26. The moulded, underwired cups ensure support and comfort, the high-waited briefs ensure a flattering cut, and the strappy, bondage-inspired details will have heads turning wherever you lay your beach towel.

A City Break

Have a more active, adventurous break planned that’s full of festivals, music and excitement? Looking for something stylish, fun, and easy to style with your holiday wardrobe? Our selection of black swimsuits and sets have you covered.

The black lattice swimsuit is perfect for pairing with a mini-skirt for a daytime outing, and is an equally stylish option when the nearest beach calls your name. The lace insert swimsuit is the perfect day to night transition piece, whether you are partying the day away at a festival in Madrid or dipping your toes in the lagoon off the coast of Lisbon.

Party like its 1989 in the fun and funky Goldie Black swimsuit with a removable chain – it is the perfectly flattering, versatile layering piece available in curve sizes UK 18 to 26 (along with other curve and core bikini options from UK 6/8-26). Draw attention to your décolletage with the plunging neckline – and who could ever resist the fun of pairing some sparkle with your swimwear!

So show off those curves, grab your favourite cocktail, and get ready to have fun in the sun!

Summer of Love: Indie Swimwear Giveaway

Yazzmin (and a friend!) wearing our Jungle Twist Bikini 

Some of you may remember the Love Bomb that went off this february and the year before that! No, not a literal love bomb (that could get sticky), but a declaration of love to our fellow independent brands!

The Love Bomb is a celebration of independent lingerie and swimwear designers. Each of the brands taking part in the Love Bomb is run by a handful of people (and in some cases, even one!), standing up against the mega-corporations to bring you innovative, quirky and unique knickers!  

Unlike the big spenders we are in this game for the knickers – like you, we can’t get enough of them! Many a day is spent lusting after other brands’ lacy wonders and structured glories, so we thought what better way to encourage support for indie lingerie than to gather together for a big, sloppy Summer love bomb!

There are 3 gift baskets up for grabs! Each giftbasket has a voucher, bikini or swimsuit from each brand, plus eyelashes from Sheeba Raye, as used in the shoot, luxury bath and beauty gifts from Mon Epris and a voucher for vintage designer sunglasses store Lunetier!

We put together a fun shoot with model Yazzmin and John Tyrell, who created these psychadelic, 60′s inspired Summer Of Love illustrations. The amazing makeup was by Cheyenne Raymond and hair by Doubravka Marcinkova!

Yesterday's featured brand was Kiss Me Deadly:

HOW TO WIN ONE OF 3 GIFT BASKETS

You can enter UP to 4 ways:

1. Share our Summer of Love image publicly (make sure you choose "public" in the drop down menu when sharing an image) on facebook.

2. Tweet this link with the hashtag #summerloveswim

3. Blog about the Summer of Love (email us on anna@playfulpromises.com letting us know!)

4. Reblog our Summer of Love image on tumblr

We’ll collate all the entries on the 28th August, and pick 3 winners on August the 30th.

Here’s the list of people taking part so you know who to watch out for:

Kiss Me Deadly, Miss Mandalay, Playful Promises, Paolita

Accessories:

Sheeba Raye, Mon Epris, Lunetier Vintage

Festival Survival Guide

Love it or loathe it, festival season is upon us again.

Why do we do it to ourselves? Surely the sanitary horrors, the medieval standards of personal hygiene, the food poisoning/sunstroke/hypothermia (suspected) and the post-festival trench foot (confirmed) would teach any creature with the ability to learn and evolve that these are places to be avoided?

I don’t have the answers I’m afraid. What I do know, as someone who’s done more than her fair share of festivaling both as a performer and a partygoer, is that there are some basic rules to remember if you want to go to a festival and come back with your sanity (relatively) intact.

1. No matter how good the forecast, how many offerings you’ve made to the weather gods, no matter what the evidence of your senses tells you, NEVER, EVER ASSUME IT’LL BE SUNNY.  The mere inclusion of a bikini top in your backpack is enough to make the skies darken and clouds gather ominously. However the corresponding principle is also true; come prepared for the worst and you’ll end up lugging an unopened backpack full of baggy jumpers and spare blankets halfway across the country. Only one thing to do really; tempt fate with your finest Playful Promises bikini top.

2. Accept that at some point you’ll be served a grotesque parody of food for which you will shell out hyper-inflation levels of cash. Literally wheelbarrows full of notes. You can bring as many of your own healthy snacks as you want but your tent will seem an awfully long way away after a couple of ciders and a few rounds of Gangnam Style (you were dancing ironically of course, we believe you.)

3. Buy a watch that you don’t mind losing. Sounds weird right? But you’d be amazed at how the time can slip past you when you’re far away from your laptop and your phone has run out of battery, and your nice designer timepiece has been (sensibly) left at home for fear of it ending up lost somewhere in acres of churned mud. Besides, if you’re planning on catching any of the scheduled bands, it might be helpful to be at the stage they’re playing  ten minutes (to five hours, depending on how popular they are) before they’re supposed to come on.

4. Leave the onesie at home where it belongs. It may seem delightfully whimsical to dress in a baggy felt badger costume but I’ll wager you’ve never tried to use a public toilet in one. Undignified doesn’t start to cover it. Instead, keep it classy and cool in our new shorts and trapeze top combo.

5. Bring socks. Lots of them. And for the love of god, all the baby wipes you can carry.

6. This might go against all the dire warnings above, but be open to spontaneity.  Some of the best festival times you will have will be after you lose the booklet and find yourself embracing the carefree spirit of the event; discovering new music, embracing new experiences, and generally just cutting loose and enjoying yourself.  You’re there to have fun; now go find it!

An Ode to Pastels

When this is posted, I'll be half-way through my week's holiday, visiting my parents in glamorous Cornwall.

Ok, so it's not the natural habitat of tanned billionaires, but it's a damn good Great British Seaside and I just find it dreamy.

So, here's my Ode to Pastels, the perfect coloured lingerie to wear under sundresses or countryside chic!

Top left: Eva Limited Edition | Top right: Heather Frilly Knickers

Bottom left: Ghost Bodysuit | Bottom Right: Absinthe set    

Minibreak Style Tips: Como

The 66^th annual Cannes Film Festival was a few weeks ago, and was, as usual, a veritable red-carpet of Hollywood stars and style-conscious celebs soaking up the spotlight. (So I’ve been told - I’ve never actually been to Cannes. Unless you count a camping holiday when I was 8.)

Ok so I didn’t get to attend the event, but I approve of the idea. There’s a part of me that’s always wondered what it would be like to be a screen siren living the high life in glamorous resorts in between shooting movies and having torrid love affairs with my leading men. Floppy hats and oversized sunglasses, paparazzi-dodging and hob-nobbing with the rich and famous - it’s a far cry from the reality of my usual day which tends to feature more running for buses and battling for the last salad at Pret, and fewer chauffeur-driven Bentleys and personal pastry chefs.

Strangely the tabloid press don’t seem too interested in documenting my days, which, I’m sure you’ll agree from that thrilling glimpse into my world, would make for compelling reading. However a girl can dream…and to that end, this week’s City Style Tips is dedicated to the gorgeous Lake Como, Italy, where I once spend a sumptuous long weekend swanning about and pretending I was in a Fellini movie. 

Romany Tea Dress | Magenta Bikini Top | Magenta Bikini Brief | Rorschach Kimono

There is definitely something cinematic about Como – maybe the fact that it’s been used as a backdrop in countless films, such as Oceans Twelve, Casino Royale and er, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. (It also counts George Clooney amongst its famous residents, if that sort of thing interests you…) It’s a great excuse to embrace the escapism and try something different.

Our Romany tea dress, with its pretty but striking rose print, has a soft femininity to it which is also bold and bright, both classic and contemporary, like Como itself. The lightweight fabric is perfect for beating the heat as you explore the old town, enjoy a pleasure cruise, or take in the amazing galleries and villas around the lake.    

If you happen to be in Como in mid-June, look out for the wonderful dance festival Swing Crash – it’s difficult to miss with lindyhopping couples filling the streets and live music until the early hours. Hundreds of sharply dressed hep cats and kittens make it their mission to cut a rug come rain or shine, and with competitions, classes and dance-offs in the central square of the town centre, you’ll be grateful for a cool frock with a loose skirt if you decide to join in the fun!

It’s not a great idea to go swimming in the lake itself, as the waters can become choppy when speedboats (captained by louche Italian playboys) zip past. But there are several local ‘beach clubs’ or lidos which provide a place to meet, sunbathe and swim, with a beachhouse bar serving up the favourite local tipple of ‘spritz’. If you’re planning on taking a dip, a one-piece is advisable (or risk an embarrassing bikini malfunction – this warning comes from experience) but if it’s lounging in the sun whilst looking every inch the movie star that interests you, grab yourself one of our magenta bandeau bikinis before they sell out (swimwear is flying fast off our shelves at the moment!) and a Rorschach Kimono Jacket to drape around your shoulders when the sun dips behind a cloud.

And if you do happen to end up partying on a yacht with Clooney and co, don’t forget to invite me – I’ve already done my packing…

Lydia x