Good foundations: problem solving lingerie
October 10, 2014 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
One shoulder, backless, nude, shapewear… you name it: this lingerie is guaranteed to solve all your sartorial problems
BY Stephanie Hirschmiller
09 October 2014
Backstage at Pucci and Valentino, AW14. Photos: Isadore Montag.
With each new season we have become accustomed to reassessing our current wardrobes and deciding what to keep and what to consign to the charity shop or Ebay. However, with the new shapes and silhouettes jostling for space in the closet come whole new dilemmas as to what lies beneath.
READ: 5 signs that you are wearing the wrong bra and how to find the right one
So with visible bra straps a definite ‘no-no’ (and yes, transparent plastic still counts as visible) and unsightly lumps, bumps and accidental nudity being similarly undesirable, read our guide to all your lingerie conundrums.
Shapewear
d
Mondaine Audrey bodysuit £162 and Spanx Slimming Teddy, £82
Sometimes we all need a little extra help but shapewear has come a long way since Briget Jones and her big pants. Trusted favourite,
Spanx
has launched its super pretty Slimming Teddy for medium control in black and nude. However for those in need of serious support, meet
dMondaine
the shapewear line founded by former eveningwear designer Kiana Anvaripour with its diamond panel and strategically positioned bands. Oh and just for the record, both snap open and closed at the base.
T-shirt
T-shirt by Frame Denim £90 and T-shirt bra and hip-hugging briefs from £34 at Victoria’s Secret
In the same way that flat sandals can give you just as many blisters as your favourite heels, (yes Birkenstock we’re talking to you), similarly the T-shirt can present its own problems when it comes to a bra. By all means let a pop of colour shine through a burnout white but seeing the actual contour of your bra is (nearly) as bad as a VPL even though VBL hasn’t quite found its way into the fashion lexicon.
Enter the solution; although you might be forgiven for thinking the opposite from its annual catwalk extravaganzas, Victoria’s Secret doesn’t just make sex kitten style lingerie to be paraded by a bevy of supermodels for the delectation of red blooded males the world over. It also does a mean line in T-shirt bras which come in a trillion different colourways, with just enough extra padding and a smooth finish that promises to disappear under anything and everything.
Nude
Nubian skin, push-ups, strapless and essential T-shirt bras, £29-£39
While nude lingerie isn’t exactly a breakthrough for white cauasian types, women of colour have, until recently, been sorely under-represented.
Nubian Skin
is set to change all that though. Lingerie shades run from Café au Lait, the lightest through Caramel, Cinnamon and Berry, the darkest, and ingeniously, the website equates each tone to the make-up shades worn by women with the corresponding skin colours. For instance, Berry would suit those who wear foundations such as Mac NW50, Bobbi Brown Espresso 10 and Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint in Beige 90.
The tux dilemma
Pierre Balmain silk-trimmed wool blazer, £540 at net-a-porter and La Perla Clematis, £484
From Balmain (pictured above) to high street versions (Mango is hard to beat in the tux department) there’s nothing like a tuxedo or smoking jacket worn with nothing underneath; it’s that winning combination of androgynous and sexy. However, if you’re keen to avoid wardrobe malfunctions opt for a body in a super deep V.
La Perla’s
Clematis, is, technically speaking, a swimsuit but we say ‘make it multi-task’ and (semi) justify the price tag.
Backless
Backstage at Pucci AW/14. Photo by Isidore Montag.
A backless dress with a halterneck is a gift from the fashion gods when it comes to lingerie. We love Italian go-to brand, Intimissimi (the Victoria’s Secret of Italy) with more outlets in the cities of its home country than Starbucks. This isn’t the only way you can wear the Eva but it’s certainly one of the most useful.
Intimissimi Eva microfibre multiway push-up bra, £28
Extreme backless
Miranda Kerr does extreme backless and Fashion Forms’ Go Bare self-adhesive backless strapless bra, £25
And then there’s ‘extreme backless’. Some of us can’t go ‘commando.’ Fact. So for the rest of us, if we’re to make like Miranda Kerr above, it’s all about
Go Bare from Fashion Forms.
With cup sizes from A-E and its self- adhesive wings, the makers say it can be worn up to 25 times and with the £25 price tag that’s only £1 per wear. Admittedly we’d express caution for those above a C but we’ve heard consistently good things about this label.
Asymmetric
Roland Mouret AW14, DMondaine Ava adjustable one-shoulder bra £80 and Wonderbra Multi-plunge £29
Both the
Wonderbra Multi-plunge
and
DMondaine’s Ava
have interchangeable straps allowing them to be worn in various different ways with the former boasting 100 permutations. However, if that’s all sounding a bit complicated, the Ava is rather more user friendly; it’s also reverseable so you can turn it inside-out depending on which shoulder you plan on baring.
The deep-v
Kendall Jenner on the Balmain SS15 catwalk, Fashion Forms Seamless U Plunge Bra, £26 and La Perla plunge bra £195
Once you’ve got over the slightly odd looking shape of these bras, you’ll realise they come into their own when worn underneath a deep-v top or dress.
La Perla’s
pertty lace version will keep one’s chest discreetly under wraps while the
Fashion Forms
option will give them some extra oomph.
Sheer brilliance
Backstage at Valentino AW/14. Photos Isidore Montag.
Sheer is big news in fashion land and it isn’t going away any time soon. Valentino’s autumn/winter collection was a transparent tour de force and as for next season, practically every spring/summer show fluttered with diaphanous organza.
SEE: Inside Agent Provocateur’s Le Salon
The solution? Invest in some beautiful bodies or corsets. Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Vixon Teddy and the
Agent Provocateur
Shina Corset are far too good to remain under wraps.
Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Vixon Teddy, £52 and Agent Provocateur Shina Corset £645
