What’s your lingerie style?

As you may have noticed, over the last few months we have been bringing in lots of exciting new styles in classic black, naughty cupless and shades of shocking pink and mint green. As we were oohing and aahing over these in the office (and discussing which ones we wanted to snap up for ourselves!) it became clear that, even though there is a big crossover in our tastes, the PP girls all seem to be drawn to different styles of lingerie for a number of different reasons!  From customising and styling to layering and accessorising,  from carefully coordinating pieces to nonchalantly mixing and matching, from picking out styles that will drive our partners crazy to wearing things that just make us feel good that day; we all have our own style and preference when it comes to lingerie.

So it got me thinking – how do you wear yours? Do you rock a daring seamed stocking or a cage bra strap under your work wear, or is it strictly under wraps beneath your day-to-day clothing? Or maybe you save your fancy pants for special occasions – for seductive weekends away and ‘date night’ only!  Whatever your lingerie style, I’m pretty sure we’ll have something that will suit, from the ‘all eyes on me’ to the ‘for your eyes only’ :)

Nancy

Is your workplace dull and drab? Is your office dress code formal and stuffy, or the opposite, so laid-back and scruffy that it makes you want to scream? Fight back against the mundane - they’ll never know that beneath your work attire you’re clad in shocking hot pink and daring black eyelash lace!

Virgin Rose

Keep this religious-inspired printed bra close to your heart! Featuring gorgeous red roses, soft lace print, a ghostly Virgin Mary and a faded sacred heart, you’ll feel positively virtuous when wearing this retro-kitsch 50’s cut soft cup bra, also available with matching knickers.

Heather

Silky, feminine and luxuriant, slipping into this lilac bloomer knicker and soft cup bra set will make you feel like a film star no matter what your day holds!  So what if you’re running late for work or the trains are on strike? You’ll be too busy radiating glamour to care!

Lily Open Cup Bra

For when you need to bring out the big guns – as it were – our quarter-cup Lilly bra both tempts and teases, drawing attention towards scandalously exposed flesh whilst also offering support for your curves – right up to an F- cup. A hint of false modesty makes this bra the ultimate seduction weapon!

Nina Ouvert Knickers

With built-in suspender straps, soft lace on black satin, and a thrillingly ouvert peek-a-boo opening, these briefs are serious business – elegance, sensuality and unabashed titillation.  These are definitely boudoir knickers, but hey, the world is your boudoir! Just make sure you don’t have a Marilyn Moment and walk over an air vent in a floaty skirt. You have been warned.

Grace Cage Bra

Somewhere between deliciously demure, and unapologetically outrageous, lives our very own burlesque star Grace.  A simple open-cup bra with cage straps, this design is versatile and can be styled in the way that makes you feel most comfortable – and which makes you feel most sexy. Whether layered with other strappy bra tops, worn with playful nipple nipples, or simply as is – with décolleté bared – it’s visually striking and instantly alluring. Bravo Grace! 

Corsetry

The corset has been around since the 1300s (depending on who you ask) and it certainly doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. There’s something iconic about the corset and its transformative power; the styles have changed over the years, but in recent times there’s been a move towards corsets being ornate and decorative rather than merely plain and functional. Try pairing a waspie with a pencil skirt and a Bardot neckline top for instant glamourpuss chic.

Hella Body

Wearing underwear as outerwear is a smart style trick which was first popular in the 1980s and made a comeback on the catwalks a few years ago, with camisoles and suspender belts being mixed with shorts, jackets and blouses to create a look which is both intimate and streetwise.  Dress this one up with tonnes of chunky jewellery, or try layering it with sheer fabrics and belts.

Cage straps

We love cage bras at PP! That’s why you’ll find this feature on the Peacock, Anastasia, and Grace and Ruby lines. Adding a quirky twist to traditional bra support straps, this design will liven up a low-cut dress or add interest to a vest top or sheer blouse; or the Anastasia floral bodysuit could be worn with a bolero and high waisted skirt for a daring but sophisticated look. Or just with tights and heels if you’re channelling your inner Gaga… 

So tell us, what's your lingerie style?

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!

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