Silence is golden…

Hello Lingerie Lovers, apologies in the long silence over the summer. I’ve no idea where the days have disappeared. It didn’t feel like too many of those long lazy days leading into hot sticky nights were had here in the UK, and now the trees are changing colours and decorating the floors with they're shedding golden leaves leading us into autumn my favourite season. 

Image found on pixcooler.com

Im not mad on summer fashions to be honest, I love the heat and the sun of the season, but only when on holiday where I can sip cocktails and dip my toes into the rolling waves to cool off. 

I much prefer to layer up, starting with my lingerie, then adding the hosiery choosing from stockings, stay ups or tights then top the foundations off with a lovely silk slip like this one pictured below from Vivis, the Italian silk fashion house. I love the shape, it cups the breasts nicely and has a slight A-line to the skirt part, and is a great heavy silk helping it to fall nicely and trimmed in gorgeous lace, perfect to sneak out under my outerwear hem line. In the boudoir we always have this slip in at least 2 colours.

As I mentioned before, I love to layer and the autumn is perfect for this, a sheer cashmere wrap on top of my lace blouse and then top with a leather biker jacket. The layers can be peeled off if necessary which can also come in handy-if you know what I mean Wink Wink!

Over the summer amongst others that I re-fitted was this one lovely lady, it turned out she was a journalist, I found this out afew days later whilst catching up on my inbox she had sent me an email complementing the service (and lingerie) that she experienced whilst in Tallulah and was planning on writing a feature on Tallulah. As you can imagine, this bought a huge smile to my red stained lips, I read on to find out she wanted to write about her wonderful and unique time in Tallulah and the amazing choice of stock she had offered to her for the Financial Times, How To Spend It magazine. 

As you know, we do not advertise, or pay anyone to write about Tallulah, and it is such a great feeling when someone wants so share their Tallulah experience for real over a cup of tea or a glass of fizz in with girl friends or in the media. It is such an honour and privilege to have this, everyone that enters the boudoir gets treated exactly the same, weather you are Press, an A lister ( or B or C…) or a ‘regular’ yummy mummy. Word of mouth is the best press, and there is nothing like a real life experience shared.

Below is the link, have a read, see what you think.

http://howtospendit.ft.com/womens-fashion/89331-tallulah-london-lingerie

Im going to apologise again, I started this blog of saying sorry, now I'm saying it again...

Sorry- enough blowing my own trumpet, I'm off to get ready for an event that Tallulah is collaborating with a neighbour tonight. Maybe details will follow.

Until next time x

New season and new collections, who said lingerie is seasonal...

Buying has started again in the world of Lingerie, we are viewing collections and placing orders for Spring/Summer 2016, just like in the Ready to Wear fashion world, although I do struggle with this concept of Lingerie being seasonal. If you want to wear soft blush in winter, deep gem colours in the summer or florals in the fall why have the fashion world dictate to you whats seasonal for your undergarments. But I do have to follow the rules sometimes and this is one of those times and twice a year I place the vast majority of beautiful lingerie, loungewear, silks and swimwear orders that will scantly decorate the boudoir for the next few months. Although the majority of orders are dealt with like this, every week I place top up orders, and place the customer orders that have been taken that week in the boudoir. Offering this service is what sets Tallulah and other independent lingerie boutiques apart from the big soul-less and life-less department stores who are unable to offer this personal ordering service. Most of the time we have a collection in one colour, but it is available to order in many other colours, so we go through the lookbooks and catalogues with our customers and choose the perfect shade of Chantilly lace to support and look pretty or that will go perfectly under a particular outerwear outfit, making it the perfect foundation wear.

Although the vast majority of the orders are placed twice a year, they do not all arrive in the boudoir at once. I place them in a way that there will always be something new and exciting for our loyal Tallulah customers that visit the boudoir every month, something new to wink at them when they enter and go weak at the knees as they leave with their purple bag sealed with cream ribbon full of lingerie lushness.

                             In Tallulah this summer from Miss Mandalay and Rosa Faia decorating the boudoir with one of Tallulah's vintage blue suitcases.

Im starting the buying season off with swimwear, I have to admit… not my favourite collections to buy at all. There is no lace, silk or any of the embellishments that make my heart skip a beat when I see the collection for the first time or when it finally arrives into the boudoir, but it is important to have a beautiful well-fitted bikini or sexy and suitable for the occasion swimsuit, lets face it that when prancing around in public wearing practically nothing its best to do this showing off our best features and attributes hence a well cut and great fabric swimwear trousseau. Miss Mandalay is always great for the E cup and above (going to a GG) bikinis, nice under-wired halter tops always with a choice of bottoms and with great prints. For the suit it has to be the fantastic MiricleSuit and with their tag line being (said in an over exaggerated twanged American accent) “Look 10lbs lighter in 10 seconds” who wouldn’t want one of these?! Im thinking of having a glance at the Seafolly collection this season, I know its widely available- as in it can be bought with ease online and from the dreaded department stores, but I’m really quite liking the look of the collection on offer…You will just have to wait and see what choices I make for Tallulah. Every year in the summer I visit some of my dearest friends in one of my favourite places in the world, Venice. They have a rather sexy speed boat, so we go out every day and pitch up at the local beach and just relax. Now as we know the Italians are known for their trendy trend setting fashion ways, so every year I take my ‘boat outfits’ very seriously and make sure I pack a few new bikinis so I know first hand how important a well-fitted swimwear wardrobe is, and if you hadn’t guessed by know, Tallulah is all about me! Below is the house we stay in, its just amazing. The shutters are a similar shade of emerald green to the Simone Perele lingerie set I am about to introduce you to ...

Very excitingly new collections arrived from the gorgeous Simone Perele this week. Mezmerising Emerald lace is the new colour in one of Tallulah’s top selling collections called ‘Celeste’. Infact if you are a regular Tallulah customer, chances are you have had this in at least one of the colours it has been offered in the past. We always have in stock the ivory, black and ’nude’ and due to this collection available in 30 backs it really is a great seller for us. 

Another collection to arrive recently is ‘Backstage’ a new one from Simone Perele in the most amazing deep ink navy blue. I really love navy lingerie, it is a great alternative to the traditional black, please do not take that out of context thou, I love black lingerie too! But something about this collection actually makes my heart have a little flutter, it must be something to do with the colour, the embroidery, the shell like scalloping edge and soft fine quilting detail of diamond shapes, it is also available to order in beautiful blush and to me this just puts the 1920s in my mind. It has an unpadded half cup and padded plunge shape bra with a couple of choices on the bottom, then the piece thats makes this collection so special is the deep waist-cincher style suspender belt. I do wish a belt was offered in more lingerie sets. The thing that is particularly great with this belt is that it can be worn as outerwear as a waspie over a dress or 2 piece.

Just look at that beautiful scallop quilted detail and embroidery, finished with a bow in the middle.

Hope you have a wonderfully hot, sticky and sweet week as it looks like that great big golden ball will be in the skies. Be sure to swing by the boudoir to see for your self the beautiful new collections that have arrived this week or to look through any of the look books to place your very own order, chilled water will be served all week, and the boudoir is on the un-sunny side of the street so its always cool for when your ready to strip off! Here is Something sweet from Venice for you to suck on (wink wink). 

So until next time, T x

The Fashion image at the top was borrowed from Pinterest, Thank you x

Did someone say Bridal Season?

Our beautiful silk bespoke knickers, these will make your loved smile when one bears her new name embroidered across the silk.

Bridal season is in full swing, mind you Bridal season seems to be all year nowadays, with lots of brides opting for a winter white wedding rather than the traditional English summer wedding. I have noticed lots of nuptials happening abroad, Italy being a top fav for Tallulah’s Brides-to-be this summer. I love Italy and last year I traveled to Marche (pronounced Markay) in the hills, near Umbria and oh my was it beautiful, even driving around the windy roads the views were breath-taking. The villa was surrounded by vineyards, all I did all day was chill, sip, eat and dip, it really was amazing! Below is an image shot whilst driving up the hill to the secluded villa I stayed in. I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful part of Italy, not as busy as it’s neighbouring Tuscany, but just as outstanding.

For our brides we have all sorts of lingerie for under the dress. From ’Spanx’  type knickers (we stock the original shapewear knickers, a Canadian company called Bodywrap, I much prefer the fit and feel of the fabric) to basques, the basques are either nude and smooth or a little prettier in ivory lace- they are by no means the prettiest piece in ones lingerie trousseau, but when one has spent so much on the perfect wedding dress it’s so important to get the foundations correct- get the idea of a wisp of delicate Chantilly lace draped over your nipples, it will look nicer but not with clothes on top- save this for the wedding night and go with the not so pretty lingerie! We have our basques altered too for those super low back dresses, doesn’t always work, but its been pretty successful so far as we have a super talented and very local Dress-Maker. It does annoy me when the bridal boutiques sell the most beautiful and inappropriate dresses to their brides-to-be, they just do not think of the underwear being a problem. well let me tell you now- if you are fitting a beautiful plunging neckline dress or equally a super dipped down back and your bride-to-be is above a D cup, it’s an issue, and even more of an issue if the dress is a beautiful fluid silk satin, oh the thought brings me out in goose bumps, it just doesn’t work, or we have to work much harder on finding the perfect foundations. One of my most favourite bridal boutiques is in Essex called The Bespoke Wardrobe- not only are the owners Reggie and Mo lovely, but they are honest too. They’ re wedding dresses are to just die for and if I were doing it all again, to the same person obvs (sorry being all Essexy there) I would head straight to these girls to sort me out! We have lots of their beautiful Brides-to-be visiting the boudoir, after the foundations are sorted, the real fun begins with the wedding night and honeymoon lingerie wardrobe to sort.

Above is an image of one of the basques we stock in Tallulah, its nothing glamorous but a great collection from Dominique. The suspenders are detachable and I would recommend a high waisted brief to finish off this basque giving the perfect silhouette under your dress, and it is available up to an F cup. You must remember though basques may come cup sized but one must take into consideration dress size as well as ones bra size. Or you could just visit the boudoir and let Tallulah help with the perfect size! So once the foundation wear is complete the fun begins, starting with an outfit fit for the morning of the wedding, so while your hair and make-up is being done and you are sipping your champagne, your bridesmaids are in the room with you all having curlers in their hair, the shots at this time that the photographer captures are often so fun and such a lovely way to start off the most dazzling day of a girls life, so you must be in an appropriate outfit i.e no terry towelling robe or baggy t-shirt will do, more like one of Tallulah’s beautiful Christine silk gowns or a soft printed cotton robe, it has to be easy to slip off your shoulders, you do not want to mess your hair and make-up once its done, that can happen later wink wink! 

Then the wedding night arrives and you can slip into something a little more revealing like this gorgeous new slip that has arrived in the boudoir recently from a collection called Ivette Bridal, boy do I love this piece, with its cut out back and diaphanous tulle trimmed in embroidery.

And sorry, but The Pearl thong just has to have a mention here. It has always and still is Tallulah’s number one seller in the boudoir and online- It is available in Black or Ivory lace with a double strand of Mallorcan Pearls. The delicate lace band looks beautiful on, and the pearls- well, they, tickle and stimulate us ladies clitorus and has the added bonus of massaging your Husbands bits while making love (also still stimulating your clitorus) who wouldn’t want this bit of kit in their lingerie trousseau? Its great, because once your partner knows and has experienced the Pearls benefits, you can wear them out maybe for dinner, not wearing jeans may i add, and whisper to him what you’ re wearing…

.its just a bit of fun for you both…

And I guarantee you will be home for dessert in no time!

Pearl Thong £69 online and in the boudoir- photography Mark Whitfield.

Hope you have a wonderfully fun week lingerie lovers x

Tallulah is Open & Sometimes I Feel Blue…

It is a week away from Tallulah celebrating the launch of this very blog. Thank you so much each and every one of you for your continuous reading and support over the last year. I hope you have enjoyed the subjects covered and the insight to ‘What Tallulah Did’ and of course Love’s.

I have been getting more open (like the cheeky Lascivious ‘Kitty’ Lingerie set pictured below) and personal over the last few posts, I just feel its best to be open and honest in everything one does in life, from serving customers and finding their perfect undergarments to my feelings. In the boudoir, everyone at Tallulah is open, honest and understanding. Its very important to me that any new staff understand and appreciate this- they must always be honest with customers. We hear all sorts of stories, stories of laughter and of woe.  It’s a little like being with the therapist when in Tallulah and you're standing in the fitting room in some sort of sexy but every day outfit- one just opens up and it can all flood out.

 

Sometimes I feel Blue and that’s when the new Simone Perele ‘Amour’ lingerie set comes in handy. This collection has been a top seller in the boudoir over the last few years. We have had some great colours, but to be honest, I think this is my absolute favourite. Originally the deep charcoal that is a continuous colour option was, but this has taken over big time! I love the dark navy base with the soft cornflower blue overlay of floral lace. Both the padded plunge and the sheer lace half cup are great fits and really do give a great shape depending on what the wearer prefers. Simone Perele very kindly sent me and the other Tallulah girls an Amour set each last year so we all know the great fit this collection has to offer and how wonderful it is to wear it. Wearing this beautiful blue amour set for the day makes feeling blue not so bad after all. Today is a blue day for me, didn’t start like that, but I just received some sad news whilst typing this blog. Think I need to go change my underwear. Here it is pictured below...

Flowers are always nice to receive, and lucky for me, some were delivered to Tallulah this week- Don’t you just love the delicate scent of Peonies and Freesias? These scents always remind me of sitting in a pretty English garden that is being warmed up by the sun blazing in the blue sky. Love the different shades of pinks, lilacs and blues too. This really was a great bouquet- Thank You (you know who you are!) 

So Tube Strike Thursday is in full swing and I'm off to get changed in to my Blue 'Amour' set. 

Good Luck Londoners travelling home tonight, if you are with someone look after each other, if you are alone look out for others, be honest with one another. Life is precious, surround yourself in people who love, respect, and support you-Just like well fitting beautiful lingerie should!

Hope to see you in the boudoir soon so you can be introduced in person to the beautiful new collections arrived this week. 

T x

Where words fail Music speaks...

As I write the sky is the colour of the Greek sea, and I'm listening to music that stirs and excites my soul and transports me back to our wonderful Greek holiday, I'm lounging on the beach in my Miss Mandalay bikini... Just hearing the base beats or the first 2 bars in a song can get my tears flowing, heart pumping and groin aching. Music can be thought provoking and emotional.

Music is a passion for some and a way of life just like lingerie is my passion and foot print in life- all passions have things in common and Music and Lingerie are no exception-

Listening to music well it;

1) can up lift (just like a well fitting bra) 

2) can make you moody (like an ill-fitting bra) 

3) can get you feeling horny (like an ouvert knicker does)

I'm very lucky to have someone very special in my life that is equally as passionate about music as I am Lingerie.

It really must be rather boring without a passion of some sort in ones life, or am I just being slightly judgmental there???

Through this certain someones passion for Music my heart and ears have been introduced to music I would never otherwise of heard, I will share and explain a little why I love them so, I warn you now, my taste is eclectic, I can't be that heavily influenced!

Music I like to decorate the boudoir with comes in the form of touching and soulful wonderful female voices like Nina Simone or Billie Holiday if I'm in the mood for some old school smoky jazz or for a more modern ardent voice it will be Alicia Keys. I went to see her at the Royal Albert Hall a couple of years ago, she was mesmerising, still get goose bumps when I think of her on the stage alone, just her piano and flickering candles to keep her company on the small intimate stage. It was an unforgettable and emotional experience, I even remember the beautiful Aubade underwear set I was wearing that night, no idea what was worn as my outerwear thou! If the gig was tonight I think I would properly wear this new set from Aubade-

Love listening to funky and warm Brazilian mambas on a busy Saturday bouncing through the boudoir, or some calming classical Bach. I love the Cello, penetrating and humming through my body, intruding my thoughts of mundane chores that haven't been finished that week- can be transported to a completely different place whilst listening on a quiet Sunday at home chilling, the silence being drowned out.

A little bit of the Isley brothers and 'For the love of you' just does it for me- makes me feel warm inside and smile instantly, and I have a safe feeling when I hear lines like "Love is real" and "living for the Love of you" This song is like slipping on a Christine of Vancouver Violet silk gown, lingerie is real as is love.

            

WARNING this is a controverial choice... Its Tweet "Smoking cigarettes' from her album back in 2002 called 'Southern Hummingbird'. Now I know its not right to think smoking is sexy, but come on sometimes (and only sometimes) it is!!! I know it has health risks, gives you bad breath and wrinkly skin, but there is something sexy in smoking- Remember James Dean?!?!?! Well think about being entangled in bed with your lover, all sweaty, hot, knackered then sharing that cigarette, no talking just listening to the beat, that slow and sexy hot beat with a tinkle of acoustic guitar delicately over the top.

Even Tweet sings that its not healthy to smoke cigarettes- she's craving her lover to help her quit, quit what though?

This song is the equivalent to leopard print and black lace together on a bra, really it shouldn't work (in my opinion) but actually it does. Not everyone likes the combo.......I do like this beauty from my beloved Chantal Thomass that arrived in the boudoir recently, as you can see, sometimes the 2 do work.

Have to have some Alicia Keys in my list, and if pushed I think I would say the track right up there for me is "No One" from her "As I Am" album from 2007 the absolute most- although that is a hard decision to come to and "Empire State of Mind" being a very close second, I'm yet to talk about my Passion for all things New York (will get to that some time).

A couple of the lines that stand out to me are;

"People keep talking they can say what they like, But all I know is everything's going to be alright"

"People search the world to find something like what we have, I know people will try to divide something so real".

I hear and feel a lot in these few words when sung, not everyone is nice in this world and unfortunately I have experienced quite a bit of this through out my life and this song just resonates for me, a definite "every things going to be alright". Apologies if I am getting too personal here, but thats what music does, its truthful and meaningful.

Alicia Keys is my Chantal Thomass; truthful, real and totally gorgeous!

One of my all time lift me up song is a 'Rare Groove' tune from the mid 70s - "Oops, Here I Go Again" sung by Edna Wright. Its a simple, warm, toe-tapping, feel-good, joyous song in a a way only the 1970s did. Its kicks off with the infectious "Oops" which is punctuated throughout this beautiful soulful song. Makes me want to sway around in one of my new great tassel kimonos that arrived last week teamed with my flares.

I would to love hear from you any reccommendations you think I should have wafting through my speakers and evoking my senses.

P.S I also LOVE to shake it off with a little Taylor Swift -wink wink!

Festival ready...

For those of you who are off to Glastonbury this weekend for some fun and mud wrestling, Good Luck! As much as I love the idea of going along- 1) i really do not do camping, no not even glamping it really is not me and 2) what if I do not like all the music going on- lets face it and if I'm honest I often have not heard of half the acts on some of the stages...
I like the idea of living a simple and chilled life for the weekend, lots of love flowing- or am I thinking of going to festival back in the 60s when there really was lots of love going around (along with lots of other things)!

 By some miracle if Glasto did manage to entice me, for sure I would be taking the festival uniform of my beloved kimono, denim cut offs and white 'delicate' Hanro vest.

                                        

And of course i would have flowers in my hair- maybe a handmade daisy chain, keeping the flower power going strong with braids too.

I mean if the weather holds off- "Please golden ball in the sky that we have been teased with today stay!" Im sure is what everyone is thinking if your at the festival this weekend or not- and if your not (like me) then maybe a lovely mini break away to the coast is in order? Recently I rented a wonderful cottage in Norfolk, Shouldham to be exact. It wasn't quite coastal (20 min drive) but it was truly idilic. In the village was a pub run by the locals and served gorgeous homemade food and a B&B 'The Chalk and Cheese' that served evening meals, the particular night i visited was 'pizza night', not super sexy, but delicious all the same.

Or if like me you are working (I'm pulling a sad face) then maybe some weekend shopping is in order!

Fun and sexy bright silk, lace, cottons and tulles- perfect to slip into on a hot and sultry summer evening whilst sipping your Pimms and sucking on the strawberries at the bottom of your glass (not eating pizza) but some wonderful Spanish tapas or Italian antipasti - mmmm yum yum, come on weekend, hurry up already!

What ever you have planned for this coming weekend, May you have a fully loved up and fun few days doing so.

Until next time,
T x

Lovers love the Summer solstice...

And it's here again, the longest & most dreamy day of the year- Midsummers Day. 

The celebrations begin on the Summer solstice Friday 19th June and finish Saturday 20th June-Midsummers Day. Originating in ancient folk traditions, Midsummer's Day marks the beginning of the season for rolling in the hay, well hay making season at least, sorry I'm just putting my own sexy spin on it! Summer is nearly here.

Its believed that young and old lovers wander through the forest looking for a lucky fern flower. According to the myth, this flower blooms for a very short time on the eve of the Summer solstice. The flower brings fortune and luck to the special person who finds it-hense it being called a lucky fern flower. Some even believe it brings the ability to understand and speak to the forest animals. Although if a flower is found it is always closely guarded by 'evil spirits'  and according to the myth whomever finds and picks the flower will have access to earthly riches, which have never benefited anyone (this could be make-believe don't forget!) So a tough decision is to be made, pick it or leave it alone....hhmmmmm what would you do?

To celebrate, Tallulah is inviting you to the boudoir for drinks, chats and sexy lingerie shopping.

Summer solstice - Midsummer's Day

11 am - 6 pm 

And let Tallulah introduce you to this beautiful new collection from our beloved Aubade...

Until this Friday 19 to Saturday 20th June enjoy the ......Golden Ball in the sky.