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How to buy lingerie for your Valentine

February 12, 2015 by  
Filed under Choosing Lingerie

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Don’t ruin Valentine’s Day with an ill-judged lingerie purchase. Photo: Tamara Dean

In terms of risk/reward it really is in a category of its own. You know what I’m getting at, don’t you? You got it – buying lingerie for your beloved on Valentine’s Day.

Get it right and reap the adoration. Miscue and the most romantic day of the year could take a very frosty turn.



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The trick to saving yourself a night in the dog house is to do a little homework. But where to start?

Size does matter

Don’t get too far ahead of yourself – more complex decisions will come later, but first you need to make sure of one thing: that you know her size.

When in doubt, ask for help with choosing lingerie. Photo: iStock

If in doubt, a quick rummage through her top draw will help solve it. Sure, this might feel a tad illicit, but if you’re going to buy some intimate apparel for your partner, you want to make sure you’ve got this right.

Otherwise, do yourself and your partner a favour and find help.

When in doubt – ask

“We’re really well rehearsed with looking after gentlemen. We have our own techniques in store for guessing partner’s sizes without referring to a fruit bowl,” says Despina Michael of luxury lingerie retailer, im Lingerie, which has stores in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.

Just a quick piece of advice: if you do end up hazarding a size guess, Michael soundly recommends going smaller rather than larger, for obvious reasons.

But getting the size right really only represents a pass mark, especially on Valentine’s Day.

No, on this day you really want to impress in your present giving. Upon unveiling, lukewarm smiles and sympathetic hugs must be out of the question. If you’re the kind of man who is known to simply grab whatever’s closest, make sure you also grab a second opinion.

New age guys

Michael says that men who visit im’s boutiques are increasingly knowledgeable, purposeful and less likely to choose something purely for their own tastes.

“I think there has been a change in buying patterns with our male clients. They’re more educated and more discerning, so they’re coming in and they know what they’re looking for … their tastes are more in tune with global trends and international luxury brands,” she says.

And when it comes to buying the best, Michael asserts it has to be Leavers lace, which is still made on 19th century Leavers looms in the French city of Calais.

“The laces are three-dimensional, very intricate, luxurious, very beautiful and you really can’t compare them to other laces,” she says.

Brand power

“The majority of our brands are imported from France and Italy. The average price point for a set is around $350, ranging through to $900. So we’re positioned at the higher, luxury end of the market. The quality is unsurpassed.”

Michael says if you really want to buy something exquisite, brands to look out for are La Perla, Lise Charmel, Parah, Christies, and Aubade – a French label that has has been around since 1875.

“There’s a lot of experience, not only in the history of these brands, but obviously in their techniques, construction and fit.”

If you’re keen on making your Valentine feel even more luxurious, Michael suggests considering lingerie pieces adorned with Swarovski crystals.

So whether you go classic, conservative or cheeky, make sure you do your homework. And if you get it horribly wrong, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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Halle Berry launches debut lingerie line

February 11, 2015 by  
Filed under Choosing Lingerie

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Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has launched an affordable lingerie range.

The 48-year-old actress, who married Frenchman Olivier Martinez in 2013, said she got inspiration after stumbling across a high-end brand while travelling with her husband, reported Daily Mirror.

“I came across this really luxurious lingerie line called Scandale Paris. Only sort of marketed towards the upscale, so not every woman could afford this brand. So I thought how could I revive this and bring it to America at a price point that every woman could enjoy?,” she said.

Some of her designs are now available to purchase at online shopping website Target and rest will be launched in Spring.

Berry pointed out that she has been instrumental in choosing the fabrics which will be available.

Asked who the line is aimed at, the mother-of-two said, “Every woman that cares about feeling good from the inside out. We care about what we have on under our clothes, we care about what we look like when we take our clothes off. The secret is that women don’t wear lingerie for men. We wear it for ourselves.”

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