SS'15 Trends

Worried about what to wear for that upcoming pool party?

This season's trends has something for everyone, a blast to the past reliving 70s boho chic, layers of volume, mixing and matching fabric so the ‘what’s on my bedroom floor look’ is fashionable, prints, delicate intricate lace, sultry black sheers, metallic and accessories. It’s all about combinations!

Along the poolside why not indulge in our Geo Mesh Longline Bustier with matching high waist briefs for an on trend look. This print is very fashion forward, and when combined with the black mesh as the side transparent panels give a fun but sultry finish.

If you’d rather hear about the party from the comfort of your home, you can lounge around in a loose fitting powder pink Tippi Satin Chemise for a softer, more delicate look. To complete the look, accessorize with our Pamela Mann Microvelvet Hold Ups then finally combine the Fl*sh You & Me Samantha harness too for a layering effect.

The Tippi Satin Chemise is free floating for this trends bohemian feel, with satin fabric finished with black edging as a decorative trim to release the edgy ballerina in you.

Jumpsuits and teddys are both walking tall on the catwalk so perhaps you'd like your nightwear to be a bit bolder but still subtly sexy. The Sabriel Stork Print Teddy with intricate scalloped eyelash lace on the legs and neckline veil the body enhancing the provocative factor.

Do you think layering should be in or out? Just the perfect excuse we’ve all been waiting for to buy more Playful Promises, right?

Strap In: The Bondage Trend

Love it or hate it, the strappy lingerie trend is still going strong!

Typically only seen in the BDSM/fetish world, bondage (a constraint used for sexual pleasure) has entered mainstream fashion over the last few years. Although not a new addition to the lingerie world (strappy lingerie has been around in certain forms since the 1940s or possibly earlier!), 50 Shades of Grey certainly had a powerful influence on the rise of bondage themes within fashion.

Music videos now have an age rating as bondage has become more glamorized, mainstream and socially acceptable, with female musicians donning the garments. Although being constrained is typically a submissive trait, these women are anything but submissive, in fact, they seem to use the garments to exert power and strength. 

In "traditional" society, if you exposed your underwear it would have been frowned upon, whereas in this day and age you could turn your underwear into outerwear and nobody will bat an eyelash. Whether its body harnesses, cuffs or lingerie strapping decor, has this generation became more liberal to experiment with elements of BDSM?

As Playful Promises love all things playful, flirty and a little bit dirty we opened our arms to the curious and naughty. Our Cristina Black Satin and Mesh Longline Cage Bra with matching briefs features layers of strapping and a harness brief. The bra is a classic longline style which is both sexy and sophisticated. 

One of our guest brands, Hopeless Lingerie, is a specialist in bondage inspired lingerie. For the more daring wearer their Jennifer Frame Ouvert Knickers are perfect; with adjustable strapping giving a made to measure feel.

For a more subtle introduction to strapping why not try the Hopeless Lingerie Suzy Bralette. This is a less provocative but still strong piece with a soft jersey cup, which can be worn as lingerie or out and about as outerwear.

Fl*sh You & Me also create their own harnesses, which are at a slightly lower price point than Hopeless, with a more colourful approach. The Ruby Harness in Mint is a personal favourite, which brings colour to any summer outfit in the daytime or spice up an outfit in the evening.

For those who are more angelic and pure, but hold a secret love for strappy pants, the Fl*sh You & Me White Double Cross bra with matching garter belt and briefs is ideal as it's sweet and seductive. When wearing the garter belt with the briefs this is a killer combo highlighting the waist, and the multiple strapping on the briefs emphasizes the curve to the hip.

With imagery and video so accessible, and with more lingerie brands than ever before, will this bondage trend continue to grow? I hope so!

Do you love this trend? How do you style strappy lingerie as outerwear?

Getting Set For Autumn: Key Colours This Season

Image via Pantone.com

As the weather gets colder (all of a sudden in England's case) and pastels are gradually slipping out of the fashion consciousness, it's time to think warm thoughts!

When you look at our lingerie collections, you can always see a contrast between the Autumn and the Summer collections - this year's Spring/Summer trend saw vintage colours of purple, pink and green alongside delicate prints with the occasional dash of bright teal. In contrast, our new Autumn/Winter collection draws those same colours into deeper, richer shades with strong dark floral prints, fitting in nicely with the strong shapes of cage-strap detail and block bodies. 

We design our lingerie with these trends in mind, focusing on how colour can work with shape and print to give an overall warm atmosphere to the collection! The stunning soft cup Margarita collection is available in both Emerald and Vivacious, while the base of the Peacock set matches Mykonos Blue. Anastasia's dark floral print has hints of Acai, Koi, and Vivacious, while Tatiana is infused in Samba red. 

Of course, you needn't follow the fashion rules (personally my idea of injecting colour into my wardrobe is dark red - can you guess which season I prefer?)! This is why we make sure we have colourful or pastel lingerie available all year round, alongside eye-catching swimwear for those that have found a warm haven to run off to during the winter. 

What's your favourite season?

Lustful Love: Here comes our red vintage stitch!

Our gorgeous new Autumn/Winer 2012 collection is officially on it's way! First up are two absolutely beautiful corsets, which will be landing in our warehouse on the 10th April (fingers crossed!)

The Dominique Corset and the Love Red Vintage Stitch Corset are true show-stoppers, we can't wait to see these goodies on burlesque stars worldwide. In fact, we love these corsets so much we couldn't possibly cram them in to one post!

The Love Vintage Stitch Corset features the hand-sewn stitch detail that was so popular on Jasmine, updated with a raunchy red colour.

I can't wait to get my hands on one, which made me think about all the different ways it could be styled. Corsets should definitely not be resigned to the bedroom, especially overbusts such as this. Jump into the Underwear as Outerwear trend by wearing this on a night out with the girls. 

We put together some quick ideas on Polyvore!

Vintage Stitch by playfulpromiseslingerie 

Take on the vintage-inspired design and team the corset with a black silk shirt. This look is all about the accessories, so make sure you have a vintage cocktail ring and some killer heels to finish it off. Pop a big red corsage in your hair to really make the red pop!

Night by playfulpromiseslingerie

Skirts don't always equate to glamour! We would love to see this corset worn with some black skinny jeans and heels. Mix masculine styled accessories (here we chose a fedora) with some big statement jewellery - the glitsier the better!

We would love to see how you would wear this corset. Check out Polyvore, where you can make your own set using our Love Red Vintage Stitch corset item - make sure you post a link in our blog comments so we can have a look!

To ensure you grab Dominique or Love before they are all snapped up, pre-order now.

Seeing Red: Is red still seen as the sexiest colour for lingerie?

Love - Playful Promises AW12

Type in "red lingerie" to google and you are instantly bombarded with every kind of shade you can imagine, in a whole host of designs. From sex-shop style frilly teddies to sumptuously expensive treats, red has often been cited as the sexiest colour for lingerie.

It's not hard to see why - red is the colour of passion and danger, of energy and confidence. Some cultures honor the colour as a symbol of good fortune, celebration and purity. What do you think when you see red lingerie?

I'd love to know when the first trend of red undergarments first began. Strangely, in my searches I couldn't find any information on such an interesting subject! Was it during the Edwardian era, when synthetic dyes made intense colour possible? Or, could it be a little less savory in it's origins?

From as early as the 15th century, clothing worn by prostitutes had to be distinguishable from that of other women, mainly because society shunned their lifestyle choice. Often a harlot had a yellow stripe on her clothing, but more commonly the stripe was red. Of course there is nothing to say what colour their underwear was, but perhaps this taboo naughtiness kickstarted the ongoing trend. Not that wearing red lingerie means you wish to be a prostitute, of course, but it may have given the colour red that extra touch of kink!

A prostitute in New Orleans in 1912 by E.J.Bellocq

In this era, where lingerie has moved from 'strictly bedroom' to 'fashion statement', the underwear as outerwear trend still in full swing, I wonder if red lingerie has been replaced as the colour of choice when looking to seduce?

When we asked our followers on Facebook and Twitter which colours made them feel sexiest, they answered with pinks, cream, blue, purple, green, ever-present black and even neon pinks and yellows! Only two people mentioned red, with one specifically preferring dark wine red to the flashier tones of the 90s.

These can be seen, too, in the forthcoming trends (but which comes first, the trend or the fashionista?), with Spring Summer 2012 seeing a whole host of pastels and earthy browns, lemon yellow and teal, dusty purple and lilac.

Moving those colours through into Autumn Winter 2012, the colour tones become deeper, with rich and vibrant jewel tones, ruby and a stronger teal, contrasted against rich blacks. This is all thanks to one of the most prominent trends of the season, which is all about the body and the raw energy emerging from it. Red lingerie is back with a new lease of life, in darker, luscious tones combined with ultramarine and blush. Think hearts and veins and sinuous muscle! Kinda gross, but that's how we like it, which is why we named our AW12 collection "Anatomy of a Heart"!

Juliette - Playful Promises AW12