Basque-ing

Following on from my JPG blog yesterday, as promised, Im going to show you how I would style the beautiful Benmark smooth nude basque for both day and night outfits.

Benmark, Dominique Ariel longline bra in nude | http://www.dominiqueapparel.com/wdp/
Slouch Trousers in Black by ASOS | http://www.asos.com/
Longline Slouch Boyfriend Blazer in Black by Mango | http://shop.mango.com/

Anyone who knows me, or has even met me, know's my day time palette consists of black and nude... So coming from a personal angle I would wear my Ariel basque with high waisted slouch black trousers, my favourite are from ASOS. They're hemmed really well so you can wear them full length, tucked into the top of some ankle boots or with a few folds them become cuffed and a little shorter. 
This may seem like trivial matter but being five foot three I often come up against trousers that don't lend well to being turned up; this racks up huge alterations' bills! 

On a sunny day; you can remember what that feels like don't you.. This look is perfect with bare shoulders for after work cocktails. In this current climate I'll be throwing on this slouchy longline blazer from Mango. I hate it when "slouchy" becomes frumpy, but this jacket is tailored really well and is made from gorgeous soft fabric. It creates a gorgeously relaxed boxy silhouette cuts the body in all the right places. No one wants to look like they're wearing an oversized tent, which is always a risk when we walk the fine line between oversized and tailored.

This day time outfit would also work really well with a pair of high waisted ripped jeans and a leather jacket for a 'Sunday lunch at the pub' kind of vibe too.

Benmark Basque as referenced above
Two Piece Floral Suit from ASOS | www.asos.com/

For my evening look, baring in mind in this Autumn chill I can't even think about bare legs, I'd choose a two piece suit. A good two piece is something I always feel comfortable in; when it comes to power dressing it's a wardrobe staple of mine.. Hence why I own quite a few in version cuts and textures! 

Again the high waisted element is brilliant.. and the print on this suit is a fantastic contrast to the nude basque. I love the way the basque's structuring moulds to your skin and body shape; with the structured blazer over top you can't really tell what your wearing underneath, which is super sexy in an unconventional way. To make the outfit a little more dressy, after a quick commute on the tube you can slip off your blazer for a gorgeous figure hugging, hourglass look.

In general, the key elements to making it work, day or night, without feeling to revealing or uncomfortable is choosing trousers that sit super high on the waist and a jacket that cuts you in the right place for your desired silhouette, day or night. If your happy with these two simple elements, the rest falls into place. 
Now go and style up your basque! 

All about JPG

The inspiration for this post comes from an advertisement I came across in Glamour Magazine for Jean Paul Gaultier's new fragrance Classique Intense earlier today. 

The fragrance itself originates from Classique; a fragrance created in 1993. At the time there was a trend that lent towards androgyny in perfumery, Classique was a rebellion, leaning quite in the opposite way. The signature scent was made from a mixture of rose, orange blossom amber wood and touches of vanilla; the result was an addictive perfume imposing absolute femininity. 

So for the new scent, Classique Intense, you get all the luxurious elements of Classique but in a new intensified way.. Exactly what it says on the tin; that doesn't happen often with perfume, so sounds like a great idea! 

However, what I wanted to talk about was the advertisement image.. 

Jean Paul Gaultier - Classique Intense Perfume 2014 Advertisement 

This image reminded me how much I love corsetry, especially Jean Paul Gaultier style corsetry. I mean how can you forget the iconic looks Jean Paul Gaultier has brought to us, usually filled out by the form of Madonna?! You can't really get much better than that?  

These pieces are what I used to immediately dream up when discussing lingerie in the early years before me and my friends knew the difference between a balcony bra and a padded plunge... Even after being filled with lingerie know-how, I appreciate the luxury and artistry in these corsets. You know what I mean.. When you start to become more knowledgeable about something, the things you used to drool over become less impressive. However, these pieces create the opposite effect; the sign of something fabulous! 

90's Jean Paul Gaultier Corsets

How beautiful are these pieces?! Just imagining wearing these puts a smile on my face.. 

Seeing this ad reminded me of an outfit I dreamt up a few weeks ago but totally forgot about, so now it's time to share! I feel like I'm repeating myself, but, it's an underwear as outerwear proposal, I can't get enough of it! A corset that would be perfect to add an essence of Madonna in Jean Paul Gaultier to an evenings attire when you don't have the budget for a vintage museum piece and are seeking something a tad more wearable, would be this dreamy basque by Benmark.. 

 

Dominique, Ariel Hidden Underwire Longline Bridal Bra in Ivory by Benmark | http://www.dominiqueapparel.com/wdp/?page_id=133&collection=bridal&id=309

This is Ariel the hidden underwire longline bridal bra, the images are in the ivory model but I love it in nude. The shape and fit is beautiful and the nude colour makes it difficult to differentiate between when skin stops and the basque begins, which I love and find really sexy in a power dressing kind of way. This is usually worn as shape wear beneath luxurious dresses, bridal couture in particular, however I would wear it with some high waisted trousers and a blazer. I will post images tomorrow of how you can dress this basque up or down! But for now I hope I've provoked Jean Paul Gaultier inspired dreams and ideas of incorporating corsetry in to your looks.

Happy structured dreaming! 

Sheer Brilliance

Dreaming up fabulous outfits for the weekend is one of my favourite ways to make myself feel better on chilly day. Usually these day dreams would never be shared, however, when I was inspired mid day dream by an image from the Dolce and Gabbana runway I knew that number one; that was the perfect outfit to recreate, and number two; I should share it with you too! 

The outfit in question was from The Guardians top trends from Milan Fashion Week.. This one has definitely made to the top of my list for this season! 

Sheer Black Lace Dress by Dolce and Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week 

There has been many variations of this look by Dolce and Gabbana and many famous faces have adapted it and been seen wearing versions of it. 

The reason I love it so much is obviously the underwear as outerwear element and the fact high waisted knickers are so key to the outfit. Why not flaunt it beneath a wisp of black lace? 

Dolce and Gabbana isn't in my price range so to recreate the look I bought a black lace dress from eBay without a slip or under layer to keep things sheer. Alternatively you can always cut out the lining or attached slip to a black lace dress your willing to revamp. You can always add this under layer afterwards, there's never a point of no return! 

Black High Waisted Glossies Knickers by Gossard | http://www.gossard.com

Black Retrolution Suspender Knickers by Gossard | http://www.gossard.com

Glossies or Retrolution Knickers are the perfect knickers for this look as they aren't sheer and are really deep so sit high on your waist creating a desired silhouette beneath a layer of lace. The suspender attachments can also be removed so you can wear them as knickers or add them back on when you feeling like adding stockings to them again. 

Retroluation Staylo Plunge Bra in Black by Gossard | http://www.gossard.com

C Chic Sexy Padded Plunge Bra in Black by Chantelle | http://uk.chantelle.com/en/

The matching set to create this look would definitely be the high waisted suspender knickers and the staylo plunge bra in black by Gossard as the shape created by the outfit is beautiful. However, the C Chic Sexy Plunge Bra in Black is the most fabulous fitting bra, paired with the high waisted glossies would have the most similar effect to the Dolce and Gabbana all black look. 


With the recent chill in the air and for a little more coverage, I would wear some really thick, black opaque tights; Wolford Velvet De Luxe 66 in black spring to mind! So whether your braving bare legs for a party or wearing this look to more casual Friday night dinner, here is everything you could possibly need for your outfit! 

Happy outfit dreaming. 

S, is for Silk and Sunday

After a hard week juggling work and family affairs, Sunday is the perfect day for only leaving the comfort of your house for a couple of hours. 

A cosy brunch, maybe with a Bloody Mary is really the only reason you need to go anywhere.. 

Sunday's are meant to be spend with your nearest and dearest, either snuggling or just hanging out. You may have gathered we don't do pyjama days at Tallulah (unless it's cold, and they're cashmere..) so here are a few outfit ideas from our brand new silk pieces from Vivis to get you inspired to dress up even when your dressing down. 

Itica Silk Chemise in Blue, Latte and Pink by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Manou Silk Babydoll with Eyelash Lace by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Manou Silk Babydoll with Eyelash Lace by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Itica Silk Chemise with Lace Trim in Pink by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

The selection of shorter length chemise' and baby dolls and dreamy. All the colours are rich and gorgeous and they all have the most beautiful lace trims and necklines. 

Tallulah stocks Itica, the most perfect silk chemise, in Pink, Pearl Blue, Iced Latte and Ivory. Itica has cups in it's structure so fuller busts shouldn't get put off by the spaghetti straps because they work beautifully with or without a lot on top. 

My personal favourite from the short length options is definitely Manou which is detailed with the stunning black eyelash lace against divine coffee toned silk. Manou is a little shorter than the others, with roughly three inches of sheer black lace trimming the hem at the tops of your thighs, throwing on a little babydoll suddenly becomes gorgeously sexy. 

This is the Vivis I'd choose to spend a Sunday with the other half.. I'm sure they'll appreciate dressing up to dress down - And for you, very little effort is required as Manou does all the work. 

Monic Silk Longer Length Gown with Lace in Latte by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Monic Silk Long Length Gown with Lace in Latte by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Dorine Long Silk Slip in Nude and Pearl Blue by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Dorine Long Silk Slip in Nude by Vivis | http://www.vivisintimo.it/index_ing.htm

Being a petite 5 foot 3 I always edged towards shorter lengths when shopping for myself as I always felt swamped in long length pieces. 

However, Dorine and Monic are two of my favourite collections from Vivis this season. 

As much as it's nice to have one of a kind silk pieces, I really appreciate when silk is luxurious whilst still being versatile. Dorine ticks these boxes; the delicate V-neck, spaghetti straps and the way the silk is cut to drape the body is sexy and practical for any time of day. These elements are brilliantly executed creating an elegant simplicity which also works wonderfully as foundation wear beneath longer length dresses or to layer under a long skirt to create the effect of a tucked camisole. 

Then there's Monic in a colour that can only be described as something along the lines of your favourite summers' iced coffee.. There's a lace trimmed gown and robe in this collection, it's always satisfying to wear a matching set.

There's something cinematic when wearing this duo for your Sunday in. I couldn't think of anything better than snuggling on the sofa with a film and a cuppa draped in nothing but luxurious silk in Monic's golden tones. Each piece is dreamy along but together the full length gown and robe are flattering, comfortable and incredibly beautiful. 

These pieces from Vivis are really made for the weekend.. maybe a different silk for each Sunday in the month? Why dress down when it's so easy to dress up? 

Talisman

We love a Talisman presence at Tallulah, we have one under the counter and now we have a beautiful set by the same name on the shop floor - perfect! 

Talisman is the first collection from Implicite, Simone Perele's sister company to grace Tallulah's silk hangers and we love it! 
Implicite as a whole is super sexy and has a slightly younger feel than Simone Perele classic collections, but we think Talisman is the collection you will want to to take you from day to night and keep your evenings busy! 

Talisman Plunge Full Cup and Knickers by Implicite | http://www.implicite.com/

We have two shapes; a plunge full cup and half cup in the bra, a thong and a knicker and the most amazing longline waspie. 
The plunge full cup is a fantastic shape, on a smaller bust it fits similarly to a triangle, underwired bra and on more fuller bust the cut works perfectly, similar to a three part, providing all the support you need. 
It's rare you come across a shape that's so versatile across a wide range of sizes but this a really a diamond in the rough. 

I'm obsessed with cut out details on the back of knickers and thongs and Talisman has made the excellent choice of including this in their design. It's just super sexy and flattering, having that low 'V' at the bottom of your back is dreamy! 

Talisman Half Cup Bra, Waspie and Thong by Implicite | http://www.implicite.com/

The Half cup is divine, I love the architectural satin lines that are emphasised by optimum mesh transparency! However, the satin inserts are perfect for giving you slightly more help than a the usual half cup and the effect under clothing is fabulous. It really gives your body the shaping you desire from your underwear, rather than leaving it all unto you. 

As for the waspie.. I mean, how sexy is that! I adore the longline cut and faux ribbon tie up the front. You don't actually have to do and undo this every time you want to get in or out - there's fastening that runs up the side (shh, it's a secret!) 
I enjoy wearing suspenders when it comes to my Autumn and Winter outfits - on a practical level tights tend to move around and become uncomfortable to quickly for my liking. With the line of this waspie coming up so high I would use it as shape wear as well as a practical suspender belt beneath my dresses.. How gorgeous it is, really is the best bonus. 




The contrasting fabrics are perfect as is the fact it goes up to a 36 back and F cup - we're sold on the lucky Talisman!

The Richest Hot Chocolate

It's always exciting when we receive new collections from Fleur of England; our favourite luxurious, British-heritage filled designer. 

It's time for Autumn/Winter '14 in the form of Hot Chocolate. When talking about her gorgeous collection Fleur Turner, Fleur of England's founder and creative director says,

"Taking inspiration from my Scottish roots and beautiful Georgian buildings that surround us in the stunning South West of England, Autumn Winter '14 tells the story of decadent days and seductive nights. Our unrivalled use of colour continues in the dusky hues of 'Heather', the extravagant peacock tones of out tartan 'Edinburgh', the dedication platinum grey of 'Heiress', vintage gold embroidery of 'Caviar' and the rich mouth-watering 'Hot Chocolate'." 

Hot Chocolate Lace Balcony Bra, Briefs and Suspender Belt by Fleur of England | http://www.fleurofengland.com/

And that's exactly what it is, mouth-watering. I love the richness of the unusual colour; the most stunning chocolate brown with a hint of aubergine creates liquid silk and beautiful lace with dreamy brown, red and purple tones. 

Hot Chocolate is perfect for the coming season; as the nights start to grow darker and days become shorter, why not spend your extra hours of darkness dressed in this fabulous lingerie set?! I can't think of a better way to spend my Autumn evenings. 

Hot Chocolate Boudoir Bra and Tie-Side Briefs by Fleur of England | http://www.fleurofengland.com/

Hot Chocolate - Back View | http://www.fleurofengland.com/

Hot Chocolate Lace Briefs by Fleur of England | http://www.fleurofengland.com/

Hot Chocolate Plunge Bra with Lace Briefs by Fleur of England | http://www.fleurofengland.com/

My favourite shape from the collection is definitely the Lace Balcony Bra. The liquid silk thats luxuriously soft against the skin against the delicate eyelash lace on the cups and knickers, is so sexy and sheer. 

Attaching some some black or nude stockings to the suspender belt would be dreamy to slip beneath all of your special dresses for the coming Christmas party season! 



Google kindly informed me it's officially the first day of Autumn today - it's time to crack open some hot chocolate or drape yourself in it; even better! 

Why Lingerie?

As a Tallulah girl I encounter many different types of women who wander into the boudoir. I meet clients that have been coming back to Tallulah for lingerie to celebrate milestones in their lives and little payday treats for years, to the clients who just rang the door bell for the very first time.. 

Every woman comes with a different story; the deep red fitting rooms are never a boring place to be. Spending time with this eclectic mix of women is my favourite perk of the job! It also is the part of the job that really opens my eyes to all the many reasons women are draw to fabulous lingerie.. 

This point of conversation is something I've developed a passion for. Having the pleasure of hearing so many points of view of the topic I wanted to address it with a take of my own: Why Lingerie? 

With all of the retail sectors for women it's a valid question - why not shoes, dresses, coats, handbags, accessories etc?? 

Everyone has their favourite pick me up, go too's and lingerie is most definitely mine. I love all of the other things too, but there's something about lingerie that is very separate to all the other fashion items women buy and proudly display. 

Firstly I should probably say that by no means am I ruling out that lingerie is sometimes for someone else; your husband, partner, lover or man you haven't met yet but are hoping to bump into on the tube at rush hour.. What I'm talking about is everyday lingerie, the lingerie you pull out of your underwear draw, slide into in front of the mirror and from that moment onwards provides you with a spring in your step for the rest of your day! 

Women have been wearing lingerie for centuries, as has it been linked to women and society for this period of time; corsets worn used where so extreme that the wearer could barely move, implying that women of wealth had no need to be moving around but were to stay at home like a possession.. 

Lingerie and society has certainly come along way, instead of being purely for the opposite sex it has become about 21st century notions of women's self-esteem and empowerment granted to her by herself not by a man. 

Touching on the subject of lingerie for someone else (only to help with my point), for me it heightens the other person's senses to possibility; the idea of possibility is often more exciting than sex itself. 

Wearing lingerie under your everyday attire is sexy and adventurous, even if your not planning to show anyone. Wearing your favourite set under your office attire or uniform you have to wear everyday is your personal touch, you don't have to flaunt it because it's for you and you only. You've created a game of possibility with yourself.. Told you you don't need a man.

I feel like the lingerie designers Tallulah loves market their collections in a way that is very fitting with today's society. Not only do they create sexy, gorgeous pieces but they design with everyday wear and movement in mind - the modern women isn't just "slipping into something more comfortable" for her man anymore, she's wearing these designers everyday with all mundane tasks included. 

Apart from all things I have talked about before, such as wearing the right shape, being daring with colours, pushing the boundaries of your t-shirt bra, improving your posture and shape of your body etc.. Wearing lingerie everyday has become sensual as well as sexual in my life. And as bold as it sounds, lingerie has changed a lot in my life... Really! It makes perfect sense, forget worrying about fitting into an idealistic social box, my size box at Tallulah is the only kind of box I need in my life.. When you feel beautiful and have an appreciation and fond relationship with your own body this empowerment and positivity trickles through other areas of your life. 

You may have experienced a 'good underwear day'? You decide to wear a matching set, or decide to take something you bought years ago but never had the excuse to wear for a test drive.. I'm confident in posing the question: How bloody fabulous was that day?! 

So why not have a good underwear day every day? You feel ready for anything and at ease with your body - you know nothing is going anywhere it shouldn't and your looking fabulous whilst your lingerie manages that situation for you! 

I know there are many feminist debates on sexy underwear and whether it's really empowering or not. But, all I can tell you is that it empowers ME. I don't need an audience or a man for my thigh highs and pearl thong, just me, myself and my underwear secrets are empowering enough to bring a twinkle to my eye and a spring to my step. That's what matters after all - we're allowed to be selfish every so often, I just choose to be selfish and empowered under my jeans everyday. 

It's can never be a bad thing in this day and age to find something that brings a little bit more love to women's self-esteem and self-image. I'm talking about a crazy fad, but some thing that can stick with you and evolve with you throughout your whole life. If lingerie helps me to love myself a little more, especially when I need it then whats the harm in that? And even if your not sold of the idea of feeling quietly sexy my Nan always used to remind me.. What if you get hit by a bus and you have to get your clothes cut off at that hospital; you'd want to be wearing good underwear! Not the most joyful thought, but if that's something she fears then lingerie is proven to be the solvent of many problems. 

You never know when that bus is going to come.