All About Fashion, Underwear and Everything Inbetween | Bravissimo Blog » Lingerie

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Bravissimo — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:07:54 +0000

This coming month is a huge month for the movies. Our own BAFTAS film awards are taking place on the 12th February and the ultimate award ceremony: The Oscars, is later in the month on Sunday 26th February. We have already seen this year’s Golden Globes. The big winners included the silent fim, The Artist, which scooped Best Motion Picture in the comedy or musical category. George Clooney, in The Descendants, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in the drama category. And Michelle Williams, in My Week With Marilyn, won Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture in the comedy or musical category.

Ooh La La Corselette by Gossard

If you don’t know much about My Week With Marilyn, it follows the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl, and one week, when Marilyn Monroe was escorted by Colin Clark around Britain, while Marilyn’s husband Arthur Miller had left the country. Michelle Williams didn’t accept this role lightly; she seriously considered the magnitude of trying to portray such a huge Hollywood Icon.

She didn’t try to impersonate Marilyn’s accent, but Michelle has already received brilliant reviews for her role as Marilyn and it seems the resemblance and body language were spot on. There have been many actresses who have played or portrayed Marilyn Monroe, they have included Nicole Kidman for Harpers Bazaar, Lindsay Lohan for New York Magazine and Mira Sorvino in Norma, Jean & Marilyn. Not all of them possessed Marilyn’s amazing star quality though, as there is something fascinating about watching Marilyn Monroe on film. Marilyn was clearly not the best technical actress, but had so much charm, wit and sex appeal and that special ingredient that nobody can put their finger on, that she kept us all glued to the screen. Then there’s her very famous hourglass figure, (she was allegedly only a 36 D) but she made the most of her curves, which is a lesson to all of us Bravissimo girls.

If you feel of inspired by Marilyn, we have the most utterly gorgeous Ooh La La Corselette by Gossard, brand new to Bravissimo. It is so sexy; it could be straight out of a Marilyn Monroe Film. It is available in vintage cream and noir, it has a vintage 1950’s feel with lace overlay. It features an integrated belt detail, which highlights the nipped in waist and is decorated with a cute bow. It has lightly padded balconette cups and you can also where it as a multiway bra. It gives fantastic uplift and great shape. This Corselette will create an amazing hourglass figure that will make you feel like a Hollywood Icon every time you wear it.

GOODBYE OLD FRIENDS

Bravissimo — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:05:43 +0000

A few things are coming to an end this week, it’s the final of X Factor this weekend, it’s become part of our lives in the last 3 months, and even if you aren’t a fan it’s been difficult to ignore. The rating wars with Strictly, all the controversy about backstage bullying and bickering judges have made the news – daily. Strictly Come Dancing finishes next week also. No more glitz and glamour and Paso Dobles, what are we going to do with our Saturday nights now? Well, there are always Christmas cards to write, or you could do a bit of last minute Christmas shopping online.

Tiffany Basque by Masquerade

Bravissimo are saying goodbye to a few old favourites, we are discontinuing some styles of lingerie, so if you have your eye on one of these for yourself, or for a Christmas present then be quick as once they’re gone, they’re gone.

The stunning satin Tiffany Basque by Masquerade is available in black and ivory, the bodice is boned creating an amazing curvaceous shape and it is underwired and lightly padded and can be worn with or without straps.

The Miracle Body by Ultimo is so smooth, it is super comfortable to wear and creates a lovely silhouette. It has a thong back and the straps works in three different positions, so you can wear with a backless dress or top.

We are sad to see the Broderie Bra by Bravissimo go, as it’s such a pretty bra, it comes in black, white, violet, cornflower and apricot, so you have a colour for every day of the week. This bra is an underwired balconette and is made from lovely lace embroidery with threaded with organza ribbon. This would make a fantastic Christmas present with the matching shorts and thong.

The Ariza Bra by Panache comes in gorgeous delicate embroidery, it gives fabulous shape and support and is an underwired balconette. It is available in black, blush, peach, white, poppy/red, and midnight/pink.

The Rio Bra by Freya has been a very popular bra with our Bravissimo ladies. It is a simple supportive bra and has been used in our stores for our customers first fitting as it gives a lovely rounded shape. It’s a great every day bra and is available in black, white and nude.

So it is goodbye for now old friends and thanks for your support!

GET IT RIGHT THIS CHRISTMAS

Bravissimo — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:10:09 +0000

If you have a special someone in your life, then you might want to surreptitiously show them this latest blog. The Festive Season is approaching rapidly, and if your partner is looking to score major brownie points on Christmas morning, then some presents are clearly better than others. Here’s a list of no no’s: Pots and pans (unless it’s a posh Le Creuset), an iron (even worse, a new ironing board!), socks (especially festive socks), a kitchen bin and the old favourite – the bread maker.

Delphi Basque by Masquerade

However, these are some gorgeous gifts that us girls would be happy to receive; perfume (not cheap stuff), a leather handbag, a gorgeous silk nightdress, cashmere…anything, any luxurious bath soak or body lotion and lingerie (that’s where Bravissimo come in).

If you are shopping with your partner this weekend and you walk past a Bravissimo store, you might want to drop a few subtle hints…”OMG I love this place”, “If I had to show someone I really cared, I would buy them a gift from Bravissimo” or “It looks like rain, let’s just shelter in here for a few minutes…” Or, leave our page open on the computer, with a post it saying ‘Wondering what to get that wonderful woman this Christmas? My bra size is…’

The perfect Christmas gift would be the Delphi Basque by Masquerade, as it gives you the ultimate hourglass figure. It is available in black/graphite, with a wet look finish, diamante embellishment and lace. This basque is underwired and lightly padded and with clever boning and toning creates amazing shape. It is available to buy with matching briefs or a thong, which really finish off the look.

The Lola Luxe Basque by Bravissimo would be an amazing gift to receive. It is exclusive to Bravissimo and we have already had great reviews for this one. It’s our first ever basque available in a K cup. It comes in black/teal and is very pretty with the cute teal bow embroidery. It is extremely comfortable to wear and creates a gorgeous smooth silhouette. Choose either the matching briefs or thong, which are a must have with this stunning basque.

If you want to inject a bit of glamour into bedtime, then point your partner in the direction of the Ivory Silk Nightdress by Bravissimo. Available in antique ivory, it is a beautifully soft and elegant nightdress, exuding vintage glamour of old. It has an integral bra, which is wire free for comfort and a tie under the bust, which makes it very flattering too. Our Bravissimo ladies seem to really adore this nightdress.

So let’s get the word out to our poor confused husbands and partners. There’s no excuse this year lads, those Rudolph comedy socks just won’t do!

red hot and dazzling

Bravissimo — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:01:31 +0000

I hope all you Bravissimo girls are getting in the mood for bonfire night, it’s all about gorgeous jacket spuds, sausages, mulled wine and hearing that lovely cracking and snapping sound of the bonfire. The evening usually ends with a spectacular fireworks display, the thing about fireworks is, they only happen once a year, but they are always much more fun than we remember. It’s not only the kids that are screeching as the rockets shoot up in the air, you will probably spot some adults whooping too!

Demi Diva Bra by Bravissimo

If you are going to an organised display or you are putting on a party yourself, then wrap up warm and stay safe. For our ladies that are choosing to opt out and watch Strictly or X-Factor instead, if you have a spare ten minutes, why not browse our new styles of lingerie. We have some really stunning new sets that will turn up the heat (even if you are nowhere near a bonfire) and we are taking our inspiration from November 5th and all things red hot and dazzling.

We have introduced a demi bra, which has certainly got our customers talking. The Demi Diva Bra by Bravissimo will definitely light some fires as it is a half cup with underwiring, it comes in gorgeous pillabox red and is finished off with leopard print bows in the centre and on the straps. This bra gives incredible uplift and creates amazing cleavage, but it’s still supportive. There are matching shorts or briefs available, which are very cute with ribbon tie sides. (top tip…best tied while lying down) The Demi Diva is exclusive to Bravissimo.

Bettie Mae Bra by Bravissimo

Another sizzling new bra, is the Bettie Mae Bra by Bravissimo. This set is available in lovely satin like fabric in coral/black, with a tiny mesh polka dot and the cups are trimmed with black lace. This bra is an underwired lightly padded plunge, which is perfect for wearing with low cut dresses or tops. The Bettie Mae bra comes with either briefs or a thong, we love the briefs, they are naughty but nice, the detail is all at the back, where the briefs are sheer with a large net bow.

Both sets are utterly gorgeous and wearing either of these will be sure to cause a few fireworks of your own. Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.

Spot On

Bravissimo — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:19:10 +0000

The Crystal Bra by Freya

This summer the polka dot trend has been big and it looks like it will roll into the autumn too. It was all started with THAT stunning polka dot dress by Stella McCartney, that Kate Winslet wore to the Mildred Pierce premiere back in March. A sexy black little fitted number with a sheer panel of spots flowing down one side. Liv Tyler went on to wear the same dress a couple of months later and it was a close call as to who wore it better. Other celebrities currently sporting spots and going dotty for dots are Helena Bonham-Carter, Anne Hathaway and our very own lovely Holly Willoughby (or Hollywiloubooby as she is affectionately known).

Spots are a very wearable trend and do a good job of injecting some fun into everyday fashion. They are easy to accessorise too, if you opt for a shirt or blouse with a printed spot, then plain trousers, jeans or a pencil skirt will look great. If you choose a spotty dress, then you have lots of options, you could choose a fitted cardigan, in a vibrant colour and match with tan boots and tan bag. Or you could wear with a blazer in denim, a suit jacket, or a belted Mac. A spotty dress is easy to dress up or down, so can be worn day or night.

If you like spots but are not too sure about throwing yourself into the trend wholeheartedly, then you could try wearing it as an accent, in the form or a scarf – try the Spotty Scarf by Pepperberry.

Or if you are still not convinced, Bravissimo have some fabulous new dotty lingerie that is utterly desirable. Check out the gorgeous Crystal Bra by Freya, if you are a fan of the deco bra, you are going to love this one, it creates amazing uplift and cleavage and will give you an enviable shape. It is available in teal, with white spot. The matching shorts are really lovely, a must if you are going to buy this bra.

Also new and exclusive from Bravissimo, is the Dotty Spotty Bra by Bravissimo, this bra is so gorgeous, it must be shown off. It has a real 50’s starlet look and is finished with the cute bow detail in the centre. It is available in two colourways, aqua/red and black/café (which is our new colour for autumn). This bra is slightly fuller than a normal balconette, but it is still a very supportive fit. This bra is available to buy with briefs or shorts, for that added cute factor, the shorts have a cheeky little pocket on the back.

Wedding belles

Bravissimo — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:46:48 +0000

Evie Bridal Basque by Panache in ivory

The summer wedding season is in full swing. Marquees are being erected, cheesy DJs, jazz bands and string quartets are being booked, vibrant blooms are being tied and summer puddings are being prepared. Wedding dresses are strapless, full-skirted with acres of taffeta or straight and sleek in vintage lace. Finding the perfect wedding dress should be a fantastic experience for every bride, the journey to find THE ONE is as important as the end result. It doesn’t matter if your dress cost half of your total budget, or was handed down from your granny, or is from a high street collection, because when you try on your dream dress for the first time, nothing feels quite as special as that moment (apart from the second time you get to wear it on your big day!).

When choosing a wedding dress style, the same rules apply as you would adopt when choosing your normal everyday outfits. Sweetheart, deep-Vs and scoop necklines are best, full-skirted dresses or fluted bottoms are great to balance out the figure of a curvy girl. If you are a curvy bride approaching your wedding day or you are close to the curvy bride, you are also going to need advice on underwear. The right lingerie can make a big difference to your day, it is important for the look of the dress, that you have the right bra too. You will need to be comfortable all day long, and it is a very long day indeed. Our advice would be to come into one of our Bravissimo stores and ask for some free fitting advice, nothing can compare to one to one advice with our trained experts. Meanwhile, why not browse some of our elegant bridal styles below.

The Tiffany Basque by Masquerade, is a stunning basque, it is really silky to touch, it has lightly padded cups and a boned bodice, offering great structure, fit and shape. It can be worn with or without straps and is available in ivory, for under your wedding dress, but also black, which you could take on your honeymoon.

The Evie Bridal Basque by Panache, is so pretty and sophisticated, it comes in ivory with delicate lace detailing. It is structured and creates the perfect, flattering silhouette and will enhance any wedding dress you happen to choose. It has multi-way straps for a low backed dress and can be worn strapless. It also has matching suspenders to add that extra special something.

Remember, your wedding day is the biggest day in your life – but you have to prepare and plan to ensure it is also the best!

Blue Monday

Bravissimo — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:52:31 +0000

Melody Balconette Bra by Panache

We have bras to make the best of your boobs and enhance those wonderful curves in every colour and style at Bravissimo, but if you are a traditionalist when it comes to your bras and haven’t moved away from white or ivory let us try and convert you.

Blue has been one of the colours that featured heavily in the spring/summer collections this year and will continue to be one of the trends forecasted for autumn/winter. Going into winter you will see lots of intense blues and some vibrant turquoises.

To make a start in introducing some gorgeous blues to your lingerie drawer and to make sure your Mondays are always blue from now on, read on…

The Melody Balconette Bra by Panache in electric blue has received rave reviews, it comes in an absolutely gorgeous shade of blue, it is very soft and comfortable and we’ve been told it gives fantastic shape, whilst still being super supportive.

We are still loving the Thrill Me Bra by Curvy Kate, here at the Bravissimo office, it has that sexy burlesque feel, it is lightly padded and creates fantastic cleavage and shape and it fits like a dream. It is available in a lovely silky fabric, in azure and plum.

The Verity Bra by Pureda in cobalt is a really sophisticated and sexy bra. It is an underwired balconette bra and is a contrast of sheer fabric and pretty embroidery, but is still incredibly supportive and very flattering, again this bra has got lots of major fans.

Check out more of our gorgeous blue hues in our lingerie collection at Bravissimo.com or pop into one of our stores and ask the sales advisor to point you in the right direction.

ABSOLUTE PANTS

Bravissimo — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:28:03 +0000

The Poppy Bra and Brief

Knickers have certainly changed from thirty years ago. They now come in all shapes, styles and colours. And they can do wondrous things, like make your tummy flatter, your thighs thinner or just look so utterly gorgeous, that they should be worn on the outside of your clothes instead.

A major UK retailer recently reported rocketing sales of their Brazilian knickers. Now I bet, like us at Bravissimo you are scratching your head wondering ‘what exactly do a pair of Brazilian knickers look like?’ If it’s anything like the Brazilian you would receive at the beauty salon, well there won’t be much to them. But we can reliably inform you, that they are a higher cut short, offering no VPL (visible panty line). In our opinion Bravissimo have been offering this very style for quite a while now and there is no denying, that if you do not get on with a thong, this is a fantastic, comfortable alternative that will not show under your clothes, creating that dreaded VPL.

As bras so often take centre stage here at Bravissimo, we thought we would give you a quick lowdown on some of our great knickers that look fabulous, but also work wonders in making the best of your bottom. The Poppy Brief, is cut higher but is wider at the sides than your average brief. It features a lovely poppy print panel on the front, with the contrast of the gorgeous black lace sides, which makes these briefs a very sexy buy.

The Lula Mai brief by Masquerade, is cut lower at the sides, but you will have no VPL with these. They are available in antique ivory, and are a contrast of embroidery and luxurious satin. They have that antique look to them, but are sexy and sophisticated with it; you could also wear these with an ivory bra, as a mix and match option.

The Dotty Spot Shorts by Bravissimo are as cute as anything, Fifties inspired, these shorts have a panel at the front in the red dotty print, with a contrast of aqua sides. They are decorated with three gorgeous bows and a pocket on the back, just to increase the cute factor a little bit more; they are made in a super soft and comfortable fabric too.

The Tango Brief by Panache (which are exclusive to Bravissimo) are a great shape, they are again cut wider at the sides than the average brief and create a wonderful smooth silhouette with no VPL. If you want to bring some colour into your underwear drawer, these briefs will do the trick; they are available in spearmint, deep coral and petrol and plenty more vibrant shades.

For more sassy and sexy pairs like these, check out our website…Who needs Brazil when you have Bravissimo!

Sexy sets

Bravissimo — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:22:27 +0000

Lula Mai Bra by Masquerade

A high street lingerie store was featured on a TV programme the other night. The deputy managing director of the company went undercover and worked along side sales girls in various stores as a trainee shop assistant. When she reported back to the MD, her research found that high street lingerie stores were offering more sexy lingerie than ever before and they would need to update their own range if they were to keep up.

This is undoubtedly true, as there is so much choice out there if you want to buy beautiful and sexy underwear. Sexy underwear for Bravissimo is nothing new, but we are continuing to add to our collection with more stunning designs and what makes us different from our competitors, is that our range is purposely designed with your boobs in mind. And we are even making some of our smaller-boobed friends jealous with our fabulous range, so we must be doing something right! Here are some super sexy and delectable new additions to our sensational sets.

Take a peek at the antique ivory Lula Mai Bra by Masquerade (exclusive to Bravissimo), with its contrasting sensuous satin, embroidery & lace. This is a gorgeous ‘plunge’, and is lightly padded offering great uplift and shape.

The French Bow Bra by Bravissimo is both cute and sexy whilst still offering comfort. The combination of the French bow and candy coral stripes is such a lovely touch. It’s an extra low plunge, so you may need to go down a cup size to find the perfect fit. You have two options with this set; you could go for the shorts, which are little striped pants with contrasting bows on either side, or the briefs, which feature the contrast of both the bows and stripes.

Finally there is Simone Bra by Fantasie, which oozes sophisticated sex appeal. This set also features stripes (which are very big this season) but again, this contrasts perfectly with the transparent fabric and lace detailing on the bra. It comes in delicious mint & choc and is an underwired balconette. The fabric is very soft and touchable and the side seaming detail pulls you in, whilst giving you incredible uplift too.

All fabulously sexy sets, so keep checking our website for more like these.

In praise of the Super fan

Bravissimo — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:39:16 +0000

If you are a friend of Bravissimo on Facebook, you will have noticed that the Bravissimo Super Fans’ event took place in London the other night. Some of our past Super Fans got together and swapped their experiences of Bravissimo and what being a Super Fan meant for them personally. I know we may have mentioned it before (once or twice), but finding the right bra really can change your life and these girls a testament to that.

One fan had her fitting over the phone, at first she wasn’t too confident, however the fitter was knowledgable and helpful and talked her through signs that she should be looking for when trying on a bra. The Bravissimo parcel arrived and as soon as she tried on her new bra, she had her eureka moment.

Some Fans had been so unhappy with their boobs that they had even considered surgery, only to find that the right bra eliminates backache, corrects posture, which in turn improves the figure, knocking a few pounds off and creating a new feeling of self confidence as a consequence. All that from a bra, can’t be bad eh!

Another Super Fan was looking for some lingerie for her wedding but was not keen on the prospect of searching the high street for something supportive but dull, until she stepped into a Bravissimo store and was shown the Hestia Basque and couldn’t believe how sexy it was, whilst still offering great support and lift.

One of our other Super Fans was introduced to Bravissimo by a friend, after she had been complaining that there was nothing out there for bigger boobed ladies apart from granny bras, she literally could not believe her eyes when she actually saw how much choice Bravissimo offered and in so many gorgeous colours and fabulous styles.

We would like to thank our wonderful Super Fans and all our Bravissimo ladies for continuing to support us and being so passionate about our brand. We hope more and more of you will continue to spread the word, so women can get the very best advice in the future. And for anyone reading this that suspects they are wearing the wrong size, remember there is tons of information on our Perfect Fit Guide on the Bravissimo website, or you can pop into one of our stores or telephone us for advice on 01926 459 859.