Archive for June, 2010

Ascot Attire

Hats, champagne and betting, Royal Ascot isn’t just a fun day out, it is the horse racing event of the summer. With over a hundred years of tradition it is a very British occasion that you have to experience at least once in your lifetime. This year the racing takes place from Tuesday the 15th – Saturday the 19th June. Although most people do dress up in smart attire for the event, there is no formal dress code for Grandstand admission or for Silver Ring admission. Premier Admission however is a different matter; men are expected to wear a shirt and tie, preferably with a dinner jacket and ladies must wear dresses/skirts of an appropriate length or other formal wear. Hats are not a must, but are all part of the fun of dressing up for the day. Many women opt for fascinators over hats as they are more resilient in the wind and won’t give the ‘hat hair’ look if your posh hat does get blown off!
Look at our great range of Ascot friendly dresses, perfect for this event or any of your summer parties. Fancy dress is allowed but only in Grandstand and Silver Ring admission areas and as long as it isn’t offensive or inappropriate, we wonder how many people might turn up dressed up as a horse, it seems the most fitting fancy dress for the occasion but might make betting a little tricky, especially if you’re the rear end! Royal Ascot has also become an alternative place to have your Hen Do and with great outfits, champagne and the potential of winning lots of money, we can understand why!

As well as Royal Ascot, there are also many events held at Ascot throughout the year, including;

• summer cocktail party
• horses for heroes
• beer festival
• food fair
• Christmas shopping

They also hold family days, so you can make it a fun day trip for the whole family to enjoy! Fine equine fun and champers all round then…

Pastel Trends

Pastel tones are now invading our make-up bags as well as our wardrobes. So here’s a quick guide to getting the pastel make-up revolution right.

1. Focus on the eyes. Hints of pastel shades should be worn on the eyelid and under your lower lashes.
2. Don’t over do it by applying eyeshadow too heavily, instead keep it looking soft and pretty by applying colours lightly.
3. Mix different pastel tones for effect. A brighter flash of green or blue on the lower lid can be balanced out with a more neutral pink or lilac on the upper lid.
4. Mascara should be applied sparingly, use just enough to define your lashes without clogging them and making them appear too heavy. That way your eyes will look soft and fresh, which is what this look is about.
5. With the colour emphasis around the eyes, keep the rest of your make-up simple. Use a light powder over your regular foundation to achieve a matte finish this will set off your pastely eyes perfectly!
6. Add a nude or pink toned gloss to lips to complete this soft bo-ho look, wear your hair in a loose braid and team with a floaty floral dress and denim waistcoat for the full bo-ho effect.
7. If you’re unsure about pastel tones and think they might not suit you make-up wise then try a pastel nail polish instead. Nail polish is huge this summer as we prepare for flip-flops and sandal weather but whether you decide to clash your polish or match it with your outfit, there is one rule; make it a pastel shade.

It is one of the most long awaited sequels in film history (well, by a lot of us), and now it’s finally here. The second Sex and The City film previewed last week at London’s Leicester square and fans turned up in their thousands to get a glimpse of the girls. Sarah Jessica Parker 45, Kim Cattrall 53, Cynthia Nixon 44 and Kristin Davis 45 proved to women everywhere that you don’t have to be in your 20s to look great. SJP wore a black strapless dress by the late Alexander McQueen and co-ordinating black lace hat by Philip Treacy. Some hard core fans camped outside the venue for 24hours and others wore custom made ‘I ♥ SATC’ tee shirts, proving the series’ popularity in the UK. Plenty of celebrities also went to the premier to show their support for the film, including; Kylie, Amanda Holden, Rachel Stevens, Emma Bunton, Peaches Geldof, Lisa Snowdon, Tess Daly and Kelly Brook.

The series began in 1998 and this could be the last time we see the girls together so if you are planning on going to see the film then why not make a night of it! And we know you’re as excited as we were for the sequel but try not to read too much about it in the press, it will only spoil the surprises and there are plenty! Why not watch the first film before hand and you could even go for a few cheeky cocktails afterwards! Cosmopolitan? Oh go on then!

Festival Fun

Festivals are fashionable places, but they’re also muddy, crowded and the fact that you only get a shower if you’re lucky makes it difficult to look your best. The general festival look is funky bo-ho, the kind of look that seems easy but actually takes a fair amount of planning and with limited wardrobe space in your tent, multi-functional pieces for clever dressing are essential.

Thanks to the glorious British weather, most outdoor festivals will become muddy so be prepared for anything, from a little soft ground under foot to full on mud baths! That’s why footwear choices should be sensible, don’t take your favourite pair of sandals as they will inevitably get ruined. Wellies are a good idea especially for UK festivals; however, novelty wellies are out. Instead go for a plain black or green and that way more attention can be paid to your outfit!

What to take;

• Utility style shorts, stylish and practical especially if they have pockets!
• Plenty of vest/tee-shirt tops always come in handy. Vests and strappy tops with integral support are great as you won’t need to take lots of different bras with you.
• A couple of skirts/dresses/playsuits, dresses are an easy throw on outfit and will save space in you bag for other things
• Something warm, we don’t want to sound like your mother, but it does get cold when the sun goes down so a couple of warm layers are essential. Plus a waterproof jacket, light weight layers are usually best.
• A few funky accessories will dress up a casual outfit, the more bangles the better and festivals are great places to get away with more unusual accessories such as hats, head pieces and more eclectic jewellery so don’t be afraid to be bold and try something new!

What to avoid;

• We do love a maxi dress, but they’re just not practical. Great for the city or on the beach or in a park but not great for mud, struggling through crowds of people or frequenting the porter-loos.
• Don’t take anything too expensive, the festival look is somewhat cheap and cheerful so don’t risk loosing your designer sunglasses, I-pod or favourite piece of clothing!
• Try not to take too many clothes as you will probably stick to a couple of pieces of clothing for the majority of the time (that’s why accessories are great, they allow you to change the look of an outfit without changing the whole thing!

Festival must haves;

• Cleansing wipes
• Toilet roll/tissues
• Anti-bacterial hand gel (clever invention)
• Sun cream
• Sunglasses (the more outrageous the better)
• Paracetamol
• Back pack, hands free handbag, that’s what we’re talking about!
• Dry shampoo and hair accessories to disguise unwashed hair

Happy festivaling!!

T in the Park, 10th – 12th June – acts include; Franz Ferdinand, BLOC Party, Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga.

Isle of White, 11th – 13th June – Jay-Z, The Strokes, Florence and the Machine, Blondie, Friendly Fires, Vampire Weekend.

Rockness (Near Loch Ness, Scotland), 11th – 13th June – The Strokes, Pendulum, Friendly Fires, Fatboy Slim, Ian Brown, Doves.

Beach Break Live, 14th – 18th June – This student festival held in South Wales, combines music with surfing, dry slope skiing and zorbing (obviously!). The line up: Vampire Weekend, Plan B, Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris, The Futureheads.

Glastonbury, 23rd – 27th June – hailed as the Daddy of UK festivals Glastonbury attracts a whole host of people from hard core music fans to laid back festival lovers as well as more celebrities than you can shake a muddy wellie at! The line up this year includes; U2, Dizzee Rascal, La Roux, Snoop Dogg, Scissor Sisters, Shakira, Dolly Parton, MUSE, Stevie Wonder, Pet Shop Boys.

Wireless, 2nd – 4th July – this hip-hop festival includes performances from Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Lilley Allen, Pink and LCD Soundsystem.

Oxygen (Ireland’s answer to Glasto), 9th – 11th July – Eminem, Black Eyed Peas, MUSE.

Big Chill, 5th – 8th August – the Big Chill has become less ‘chilled’ but more popular and is now attracting names such as Massive Attack, Kelis, Roots Manuva and M.I.A for 2010.

V Festival, 21st- 22nd August – this festival is a little more glam than the others, as V festival goers make more of an effort with their music listening attire. Line up: Kasabian, The Prodigy, Faithless, Kings of Leon, Stereophonics, Florence and The Machine, Calvin Harris.

Bestival, 9th -12th September – as this year’s theme is fantasy there will be plenty of sights to be seen, great line up too; Dizzee Rascal, The Prodigy, The Flaming Lips, Hot Chip.

For more festival line ups go to http://www.thefestivalcalendar.co.uk including weird and wonderful festivals from the cultural to the plain bizarre! Or why not venture over the water to sample some of Europe’s hottest music festivals on offer;

Festival of São João, Porto, Portugal 23rd June. Portugal’s biggest street party with music, fireworks and erm… sardines!

Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark 1st – 4th July. This year see the extremes of Jack Johnson to Motörhead at this Scandinavian field festival. Other acts include; Prince, Gorillaz, The Prodigy and MUSE.

Benicassim, Spain 15th – 18th July. See the likes of the Prodigy, Ian Brown and Kasabian as part of this year’s line up, no wellies needed at this sun fuelled Spanish festival. This festival also has a warm up/chill out before and after the festival itself.

Spirit of Burgas, Bulgaria 13th – 15th August. The country’s biggest music festival takes place on a stretch of beach by the Black Sea, a great value festival.

Make sure you get your tickets soon, as these great festivals will sell out very quickly, if they haven’t already!

Swimwear to suit you

Helpful advice on which shape bikini or swimsuit to choose for your shape. Us bigger boobed girls can have a tough time finding swimwear that fits, we’d like swimwear that keeps us in proportion whilst making the most of our assets.

If you want to define your waist; a full swimsuit will help to create a smooth silhouette and keep your stomach covered. Our Fern swimsuit will do just that, with its clever print that slims the figure and integral support to make sure your boobs stay in the right place. A strapless swimsuit can also help to define the waist, the Casablanca swimsuit in striking red has a detachable halterneck and light tummy control to help you feel your best on the beach!

If you want to slim your hips; a bandeau style top will balance a larger lower half. If however, you prefer a fuller swimsuit then the Chevron swimsuit skims the hips with flattering lines that will also balance out bigger boobs. The Skye bikini has tie detailing to the briefs that will flatter your hips and keep you a little more covered than other brief styles. The pattern on this bikini also creates complimentary lines to flatter your shape.

Boob flattering; styles; if you like a full swimsuit but also like to make the most of your assets than try the I love dots swimsuit. It gives great cleavage with its halterneck shape and deep neck line but remains modest by covering the tummy. With a little light padding the Sahara plunge bikini in cherryade will give your boobs a boost and get you noticed on the beach.

If you prefer to cover up; on the beach then a tankini and shorts combo could be your perfect beach wear solution. The tankini style top will give your boobs all the support they need, whilst the extra length will keep your tummy covered. Shorts also provide a little extra cover for those that are conscious about their lower halves. We have tankini options in the Sandon print which is a colourful spot print, the Athens print, a gorgeous blue and white print with white loop detailing and the Shanghai print which is a beautiful oriental floral print. We also have colour block tankinis for those of you that prefer something more simple. The Geneva swimsuit range comprises tankini, bikini, swimsuit, briefs, shorts and fold over briefs in black or coral pink (tankini and bottoms only). The Dare to Dazzle tankini in Azure is a classic shape in a bold colour which you will wear time and time again thanks to its flattering shape and reliable support! The Cyprus bikini comes with the option of a skirted brief which acts as a mini sarong for those conscious of their bottom halves.

For those sporty; types we have a range of swimsuits for swimming enthusiasts (rather than sun bathing enthusiasts) all with built in wire free support for extra comfort whilst you’re doing lengths!

Cannes Glamour

The celebrities were out in force at last week’s Cannes Film Festival and there was a distinct 1950’s Hollywood glamour theme on the red carpet. Big curls, red lips and diamonds made the festival what it is and the dresses lived up to the accessories. Salma Hayek wore a stunning red embellished floor length gown with thigh high split, Naomi Watts went strapless in a long elegant nude dress with sparkling stripes and Marion Cotillard kept it modern with her sequinned jumpsuit. All in all a very elegant affair full of inspiring styles and outfits. Although we might not have a red carpet event of our own to attend it will certainly give us some ideas for the up and coming summer weddings and parties we will be attending.

Get the 1950’s look with our Classic Floral Dress. It has a flattering V neckline and is pulled in at the waist for that all important 50’s hour glass figure. The cut of this dress will also help to balance out a top heavy figure and the print is on trend for summer. Possibly the perfect summer dress for all your occasions this season! Wear this dress with big soft waves or an elegant up do and plenty of red lip stick to complete the look.

The gossip from the festival;

• Christian Louboutin turned up with a mysterious black van full of shoes and circus dancers to promote his new line which was apparently inspired by Cannes.
• Eva Herzigova stopped traffic in her bright blue one shoulder mini dress (we’d like one too please, if that’s the effect they have)!
• Jenifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony became serial yacht hoppers as they jumped from one luxury boat to the next.
• And finally, Grace Jones performed (a mere 6 hours late) wearing a thong and a top hat and at 62 we’re not sure whether to applaud her or give her a pair of trousers!

Nautical Stripes

Stripes are back for summer and add a classic twist to a modern outfit! There’s something about a striped jersey tee that whispers chic, maybe we have the French to thank for that, but as we know, French women are amongst the most stylish in the world! Wear your stripes casual or smart to achieve completely different looks. Work your stripes with denim to achieve the former, our Grandad Tee is a great basic to have in your summer wardrobe, its navy and white stripes are given extra details with navy panelling and a buttoned neckline. The ruches at the front will also do the most to flatter your boobs, unlike some plainer striped tee shirts which can make big boobs look even bigger. Wear this soft jersey top with jeans and heels for a smart/casual look or with white linen trousers or shorts for the holiday cruise look. (This style top is also available in a plain cornflower blue or fuschia pink). Red and white stripes also look great with denim, just throw on a few red accessories to pull the outfit together and you’ll be good to go! When worn in the right places, stripes can be very flattering. Take our chevron swimsuit for example, the strategically placed striped lines on the plain black swim suit help to define the waist and slim the hips, whilst the integrated support and halter neck tie will ensure your boobs stay in place when in the pool.

Stripes suit every shape, age and style.

• Try a striped blazer or tee shirt with fitted dark wash jeans and heels for a sophisticated day look. Or throw the blazer over a dress for a quirkier way to do the nautical trend.
• A striped skirt will give a fashion uplift to your working wardrobe.
• Choose a cardigan in a thicker stripe to layer over your summer outfits.
• The classic fine stripe long sleeve jersey top will be your best friend all summer, as the weather is unpredictable, layers are still very much in need and a stripy tee will keep you going all season!
• Striped accessories will also liven up your summer wardrobe. A simple canvas bag will do the trick!
• Go for stripe detailing too. Our Estepona bra has a mix of floral print and subtle lines making this bra a hit for the summer print trend. And if the prints don’t get you noticed the cleavage this bra gives most certainly will!
• Our cute spring stripe crop PJ bottoms will keep you cool on hot nights.
• Lines of varying width and direction add interest to a garment and can create figure flattering results, so long as the lines are in the right place. Our striped cotton dress has a funky diagonal line pattern which is as flattering as it is colourful.
• Or let your stripes loose by wearing animal style stripes, zebra or tiger stripes will give your lines an animalistic feel!

It can be difficult finding stripes that flatter, especially for a bigger boobed figure, however when worn in the right places, stripes can make you look slimmer, taller or curvier, it’s just a case of finding the right fit!

Georgiana Bra

Gorgeous lingerie is one of a woman’s little pleasures in life. Great underwear can make us feel confident, fun and flirty and now with so many colours, shapes and styles available in bigger sizes we can have just as much fun with our underwear as we do with our clothing! However, if your lingerie drawer is less than exciting then invest in a couple of sets for those days when you just need an extra boost. As we believe it’s a woman’s right to own fabulous underwear!

We suggest;
The Jamie Bra in hot pink has a plunge shape to make the most of your assets. The contrasting turquoise polka dot ribbon and bows add a feminine touch too, you won’t help but feel extra special in this bra.

The Georgiana Bra, this gorgeous balconette bra is as fresh as the first day of spring and with light padding it will also provide a boob boost as well as a colour boost to your lingerie drawer!

The Lizzie Bra combines a fine blue and white pinstripe with floral detailing and hints of lime; it also has fully adjustable shoulder straps for the perfect fit. We think this bra could be one of our favourite new styles for summer.

Life is too short to wear boring underwear!

SATC2

Some loved it, some hated it, some still haven’t seen it yet but one thing’s for sure this film is worth a watch even just for the elaborate fashion and the idealism of jet setting with your 4 best friends without a budget (a girl can dream).

The sequel to the first Sex and The City film has been long anticipated and so expectations were inevitably high. We were dazzled in the first film by the outfits as well as the boisterous story line, the second film however combines a very (borderline OTT) glamorous storyline with the real issues of marriage, trust and modern relationships. As the girls adjust to new stages in their lives, three of them married and Samantha readjusting to the single gal life, we learn that all is not rosy after you say ‘I do’. The film also brings up the reality of motherhood and for those with children (and without a full time nanny like Charlotte and Miranda) there’s a moment of praise in there for you too!

Although there are plenty of ups and downs between the couples and the girls themselves (without giving too much away for those of you that haven’t seen it yet) they pull through for one another and remind us that no matter what is going on with our relationships, you can always rely on your friends. And if you’re friends with Samantha, get you into and subsequently thrown out of some of the classiest places in the world!