All About Fashion, Underwear and Everything Inbetween | Bravissimo Blog

WILD ABOUT PRINTS

Bravissimo — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:12:07 +0000

Ok, it’s not funny anymore, where has the start of summer gone? April showers are one thing but ‘pouring down May’ is not acceptable. While we wait for the British weather to cheer up, we thought we could bring a little bit of summer to our Bravissimo ladies. So, what is the remedy to this grey, dank and damp weather? Prints of course, nothing sums up summer better than a vibrant colourful print and Bravissimo have some sizzling sets that shout SUMMER! from the rooftops.

If you have a wild side just waiting to get out, you could choose a fabulous animal print. Lots of women think animal prints are not for them, and are just for barmaids from our favourite soaps, (think, Becky from Coronation St, Kat from EastEnders and even further back the fabulous Bet Lynch). However animal print on lingerie is gorgeous and sassy.

Wild At Heart Bra by Bravissimo

Bravissimo have come up with a new twist on their latest animal print, the Wild At Heart Bra by Bravissimo is an animal print, but if you look closely they are little hearts. It is available in Pink Animal and it is an underwired lightly padded plunge. One reviewer commented “Brilliant fit, incredible lift and really fun print”.

If you are loving the retro summer trend for spots, Bravissimo have brought out a new dotty design, the Olivia Bra by Cleo. Exclusive to Bravissimo, is an underwired balconette, it is available in Aqua, with gorgeous fuchsia contrast lace trim. This style is based on the shape of The Alexa bra and so far it is proving very popular with our ladies. It creates a lovely upfront and rounded shape and still offers fantastic support.

The Tabitha Bra by Freya is the loved classic Freya shape. It is an underwired balconette and is available in Lime, in a great zig-zag print. It is reminiscent of a print by Italian fashion design house Missoni, so it won’t date and will remain stylish forever.

All these stunning sets are available with matching briefs, shorts or a thong, so you can chase those storm clouds away and start thinking summery thoughts right now.

Why Don’t You?

Bravissimo — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:34:03 +0000

We have reached The May Day bank holiday weekend, which signifies the start of summer (we know, we had to stifle our laughter too). We hope you are winding down nicely from a very wet week and if you have plans, we trust that they don’t necessarily involve standing around in the great outdoors (that excludes football matches, picnics and outdoor festivals). However you could just ignore the weather, don your waterproofs and go for it anyway. For those of you wishing to venture out, here is a selection of events being held up and down the country.

If you live on or near the Isle of Wight, why not visit Mayfest, in Yarmouth. It is a traditional May Day Festival, it’s free to get in and it features a flag waving procession, morris dancing, and acoustic musicians.

Are you a foodie? If so and you live in the south east, Hampton Court Palace are hosting a food festival. There will be workshops, tastings of Champagne & Cavier, and various Michelin Star chefs will be demonstrating their celebrated techniques.

Haven’t had your fill of politics last week? You could enjoy a guided tour around the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. The tour is free of charge and runs all weekend. It covers a visit to The Debating Chamber, The Garden Room and The Committee Room. You will learn all about the work and the history of the Scottish Parliament and about the architecture of the building itself.

If you fancy a walk, why not go for a Welsh walk? The Wales Coast Path opens this weekend. The route follows 870 miles of welsh coastline, winding through villages and towns, along cliffs and sandy beaches. Over the bank holiday weekend Ramblers Cymru are organising The Big Welsh Costal Walk, which is a series of led walks. This event could be the biggest mass participation event that Wales has ever seen.

If you live in the midlands or Birmingham, Warwick Castle is holding May Day celebrations from May 4th to 7th. Visitors can see the Warwick Warriors battle it out in the courtyard. However if you fancy attending something more peaceful, you can watch the flight of the beautiful Golden Eagles over the castle walls.

However you decide to celebrate May Day, we hope you have a great time and don’t forget, Bravissimo has stores all over the UK. So if you are out and about, please pop in and say hello, even if it’s just to shelter from the rain.

the guest list

Bravissimo — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:52:18 +0000

This time last year we were all still reeling from watching Kate and William tie the knot. The whole country was swept along in the preparations and the big day itself. Weddings tend to do that to people, a normally reserved and unromantic soul can be turned into a sobbing wreck when two people make that ultimate commitment to one another and it doesn’t matter if you’re royal, famous, or neither, we all love a wedding.

Recently Kate Smith and Frazer Seed, a lovely couple from Preston in Lancashire, were the first couple to get married on a British beach in a Wedding Chapel/Beach Hut. They married on a Bournemouth beach on the 27th April and not only were they surrounded by friends, thousands of ITV’s Daybreak viewers also tuned in to watch.

So the 2012 wedding season has officially begun. If you have been invited to one this summer or maybe you have a whole summer of weddings to look forward to, then you are going to need a dress and this is the time to start looking around. Pepperberry, our sister brand, have three brand new and very pretty prom style dresses that are definitely worth checking out, all three would be perfect wedding attire and take you from daytime to evening.

Corsage Prom Dress

The first is the Corsage Prom Dress, it’s a lovely prom style dress from Pepperberry. It has a net underskirt and is a classic fifties shape. It can be worn with the satin belt and corsage, which is a lovely detail, or if you chose to wear it without, you can accessorise it with another belt. For a different look, try a gold skinny belt and matching gold clutch for a great evening look. The coral colour is great for summer too.

The second dress is the Silk Floral Prom Dress. This dress could be vintage it’s so lovely, it has a net underskirt too and a cute fixed bow at the waist. It is available in luxury silk blend fabric, in this fabulous floral print, which again looks like a print from the fifties. There is a matching Nude Clutch Bag, which is available in satin. This would look fantastic with matching nude heels and a tangerine tailored jacket.

The third and final dress follows the huge trend for lace, and the Lace Full Skirt Dress is totally gorgeous. It has a full fifties style skirt, with a ribbed waist tie and net underskirt. It is available in navy or red. If you opt for the red version, go for navy accessories. We know this dress is going to be a real winner with our Bravissimo ladies.

And if that’s not enough great wedding wear ideas, we have many more dresses that will help you get to the church (or beach) on time, at Bravissimo.com.

reasons to be cheerful

Bravissimo — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:22:16 +0000

What a wet week! Just when we thought it couldn’t rain anymore, it did and then it rained some more. In fact, a whole month’s rain in two days in some parts of the country. Our mood maybe a wee bit damp just like the weather, so here are two reasons to smile and start your Friday off on the right note…it’s nearly the weekend and it’s payday…Hurrah. The weekend means a lie-in (hopefully), copious amounts of tea or coffee, relaxing in front of Saturday night TV, (a whole night’s viewing and you don’t have to use your brain once) and maybe a bit of socialising.

The weekend is a great opportunity to catch up with friends. We all lead extremely busy lives and sometimes the most important things on our to do list get pushed to the bottom, making way for seemingly more urgent things, like washing the dog or cleaning out the fridge. And one of the most important things is to spend time with the people we love and love to be around. Something as simple as going shopping with a friend is time well spent, and most of us don’t do enough of it.

Primrose Bra

As women, we tend to rush around sorting out everyone else, but neglect time spent on ourselves. So if you do one thing this weekend, arrange to see your friends. As teenage girls we practically lived around each others houses and our friends were the most important people in our lives, but as we get older and build careers and have families, our mates take a back seat. So those friends that you haven’t spoken to for ages, why not text or give them a ring and those friends that live near enough, why not arrange a day out with them? You could plan a shopping trip or visit an art gallery, or both if you are feeling energetic. And if you are stuck for what to do, why not pop into one of our stores, and you both could have a bra fitting, if you haven’t had one in while. Ring ahead and book a 20 minute consultation with one of our trained fitters.

You will also get to see our some of brand new lingerie styles for summer. They are utterly gorgeous, like the Primrose Bra by Bravissimo, based on the shape of the bubbles bra, it is a combination of polka dots and floral embroidery. Available in white/lemon, it is so fresh, it will give you an instant summery feeling and it might even make you part with some of your hard earned cash.

However you choose to spend the weekend Ladies, enjoy yourselves and don’t forget your brollies!

Rain Rain go away

Bravissimo — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:47:27 +0000

How was your weekend, did you have a relaxing one? Maybe you had a worthy one, if you were one of the very lovely people who ran the London Marathon for charity (well done by the way). Or were you out braving the elements and dodging the April showers? Our prediction for the week ahead is, less rain and more sun (in our heads anyway). We couldn’t do any worse then the forecasters could we?

The start of a new week also brings a lot of excitement for us here at Bravissimo as we introduce lots of new summer bits to our collection, which is online now. There is gorgeous new lingerie, swimwear and some nightwear. But because we just know the sun will shine this week, our thoughts are drifting towards summer holidays and bikinis. If you are ‘Staycationing’ like Stephen Fry wants you to in the ‘Visit Britain’ campaign, or if you are still holidaying abroad this year, you will need a bikini that makes you feel confident, sexy and the ultimate beach goddess. Who can forget those infamous shots of Dame Helen Mirren on holiday in Italy, in that red bikini a few years ago? She chose the perfect two-piece for her figure and the result was stunning, she is also in her sixties, which proves theres a bikini out there for everyone. So read on and see which bikini style is made for you…

Elektra Bandeau Bikini

The new Elektra Bandeau Bikini Top by Masquerade Beachwear could be seen on one of our A-list celebrities on a far flung beach. Exotic is a word that sums this two piece up perfectly. It is available in stunning Ultra Violet and has beaded and ring details. It has lightly padded cups which offers great support and shape. The bandeau top can be worn without straps for tanning without lines. The matching swim briefs also feature the ring and bead detail.

The Cannes Halterneck Bikini Top by Free is perfect if you like a touch of glamour. This will look fabulous with a tan and with the embellishment of the beads on this bikini and briefs, you will be sure to sparkle on the beach. The top also has ruched cups that allow more or less coverage, depending on your preference. It is available in White Jewel and there are matching swim tie sides or swim briefs with wider sides.

The Limbo Bikini Top by Freya comes in Amazon tribal inspired print. It is a plunge style top that goes up to a size JJ cup, it has wooden bead detailing on the bikini top and swim shorts, there are also swim briefs available with this bikini. This bikini top will create amazing cleavage and shape because of the plunge style.

And if your still not convinced that you are a bikini babe, don’t worry we will be covering tankinis and swimsuits in future blogs. For more fabulous swimwear check out Bravissimo.com

Summer Loving…

Bravissimo — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:59:08 +0000

We know its tippng down outside, so we will have to try very hard to picture ’summer’. If you have hit the high street recently you will have spied a few trends which are sure to be big in the coming months; mouth-watering sorbet colours, bold florals and paisley.

It is one thing seeing these trends on the catwalk, or on our A-list celebs in fashion magazines, but you may find yourself wondering how you are going to shop with these trends in mind, as you might not fancy buying a paisley pair of trousers, or lemon coloured dress. But one way you can bring these trends into your life very easily, is through your lingerie. Luckily Bravissimo have covered the major trends and translated them to great sets, inspired by this year’s spring/summer collections.

Catwalk Trends For Spring/Summer 2012

Ellie Bra by Cleo

Florals are big, brave and bold, with lots of combinations of varied and clashing colours. Wear them from head to toe for a maximum impact. The fifties vintage look and seventies ‘large & loud’ florals are here to stay. For a gorgeous floral set with real flower power, check out the Ellie Bra by Cleo. This bra is based on the Juna shape, which we know our Bravissimo ladies love, as it creates fabulous shape and uplift. It is a half-cup, lightly padded and is available in a vivid abstract floral print of different blues, which is contrasted with gorgeous pink lace trim.

Sorbet… Some of the colours on the catwalk this spring/summer look good enough to eat. Lemon, peach, aqua, mint, and pinks feature. The way to wear them is together is try a pale pink jacket with mint trousers or a colour block geometric shift dress, in two different shades of sorbet. Take a look at our gorgeous Tango Plunge Bra by Panache. Available in tutti frutti, it is an underwired plunge, which is the perfect bra for a lower cut top. One Bravissimo customer comments that, “It is comfortable and discrete and very true to size”.

Paisley… It was only a matter of time until paisley came back round again. Stella McCartney and Paul Smith both used it in their collections, it is seen on the catwalks as an all-over print. Trousers and top worn together in a pyjama style (which is not for the fainthearted) as it’s a hard look to carry off. Translated to the high street, paisley works perfectly as floaty summer dress. Why not check out our striking paisley bra, the Alexa Bra by Cleo. We have had really fantastic reviews for this bra, our reviewers say “This bra is amazing, the fit, support and shape are brilliant” “Gives amazing cleavage” It is an underwired balconette and is available in a fabulous teal print. So treat yourself, if you want to bring some Boho to your bra drawer.

We have yet more new summer styles available this coming Monday. So check the website to see more like this!

A day at the races

Bravissimo — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 22:42:40 +0000

It was Ladies Day at Aintree on Friday. Ladies Day marks the beginning of the spring/summer events calendar and the first real opportunity for ladies to show off their fashion credentials and they certainly did it with a bang! If you Google ‘Aintree Ladies Day Fashion’ you will see such a diverse range of occasion wear outfits, some gorgeous, some really not so gorgeous. When it comes to fashion, Ladies Day is about standing out from the crowd (it’s not only the horses that are competing!) but while some have chosen understated glamour with the ‘less is more’ philosophy, some have gone for ‘more is more and lets just add a little bit more for good measure’

So if you have a posh event to attend this summer, how do you get it right when choosing occasion wear? And how do you avoid looking overdressed? The first step is to know your shape, take a look our Body Shape Styling Service and identify which shape you are. Are you Straight, Balanced or Shaped?

Let’s say you are shaped, which means your hips are wider then your shoulders, and you have a well defined waist. You should be choosing styles that fit under your bust or waist and skim over the hips (not tight or close fitting over your hips). This will balance your figure, so your bottom half and top half look the same. The Sheer Hem Dress by Pepperberry would be great for a shaped figure. It is a fantastic choice for many a swanky event, as it is incredibly versatile and can be dressed up or down. It is a wrap front style dress, which is very flattering for bigger boobs. The sheer and striped hem is a lovely detail and the bow around the bustline can be worn front or back.

Border Print Full Skirt Dress

If you are straight shape, you have slim hips and legs and a less defined waist. A perfect dress for you would be the Floral Print Dress from Pepperberry. This is also a wrap front dress, so is great over the boobs, it has lovely side pleating and is slim on the hips. The floral print is right on trend for this summer following the retro floral theme.

And finally if you are a balanced shape, this means that your hips and shoulders are the same width and you have a well defined waist, you can wear straight or full styles. The Border Print Full Skirt Dress by Pepperberry would look fabulous on you. Fitted over the bodice with a full skirt this is a classic fifties shape, it has cute cap sleeves and a stunning floral border.

And on the subject of occasion wear, Pepperberry have been nominated for The Prima High Street Fashion Awards 2012, for Best Occasion Wear Collection. If you love our occasion wear, you can vote at their website.

SLEEP EASY

Bravissimo — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:30:52 +0000

With Easter behind us and spring in the air, the nights not as chilly as they have been, now is a great time to overhaul your nightwear. Are you happy with your PJ drawer? Is it time to throw the old boyfriend’s T-shirt away, the nylon nightie that sticks to you when you are hot and those mismatched PJs that you have had since the year 2000?

Nightwear itself has had a bit of an overhaul it seems. Walk around any department store and you won’t see any traditional style pyjamas, retailers have realised that us women want more comfort for our money and definitely more style as sleep is too important to compromise on your nightwear. We all have different preferences when it comes to bedtime, some of us like to be covered up & cosy and for some of us less is more when we are tucked up. One thing us Bravissimo ladies all share, is the need for our boobs to be supported whilst we sleep, so you will find super comfortable integral support in every one of our tops or nightdresses. Here is a small selection of the gorgeous nightwear we have on offer.

Racerback Top

If you like your Pyjamas, but are not keen on the traditional type of PJ top, try the Racerback Top by Bravissimo, it is available in lemon sherbet, which follows the pastel trend for this spring/summer and it has a soft integral bra back fastening for added support. We have received great reviews already for this one simply because of the comfort it provides. One reviewer said “The top is amazing, I have never worn a PJ top that is so comfortable and really keeps you in place”. There are matching PJ Floral Bottoms by Bravissimo too, they have a drawstring waist and side pockets and are available in a lovely ditsy floral print.

PJ Vest Top

If you are not a floral print fan the alternative is our stylish PJ Vest Top by Bravissimo & matching PJ Bottoms. The top features a wirefree integral bra support with back fastening and is available in black or white. It is soft and comortable with some stretch and offers great support while you sleep or relax. You also love the matching PJ Bottoms, you have told us that the fabric is very soft and they are long enough in the leg, for all you taller Bravissimo ladies.

Satin Nightdress

If you like to feel glamorous when you are in bed, our Satin Nightdress by Bravissimo is the perfect nightwear. It is available in this pretty blue satin and is contrasted with black lace, it features an integral bra with soft underband support. This nightie has also got its fans, one Bravissimo lady said, “I was so impressed with how it fits, I feel so sexy and pretty when I wear it”.

For more inspiration, visit one of our stores or browse online and find out which night time style you are. Sweet Dreams.

Easter Eggstravaganza

Bravissimo — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:26:01 +0000

It’s the first day of the Easter weekend and with Bank Holiday Monday too, there are four full days off from work. If you were out and about last evening, you will have felt the excitement and relief in the air, as everyone is finishing their last minute errands and looking forward to some R & R at home or, frantically packing to go away on an Easter break.

The Lucy Bra by Cleo

Easter is great time of year; spring is here in most of country (sorry to the parts of the UK experiencing a cold snap). If the weather is mild enough to go out and about, there is plenty to do up and down Britain. If you want to indulge in some egg hunting, there are lots of Easter egg hunts taking place. One for the adults takes place on the Saturday 7th April at 11 am. The Bath Comedy Festival is hosting Arthur Smith’s Great Easter Egg Hunt (strictly no under 14s).

For the kids …if you live near, or are on holiday in Newquay, Cornwall, on Sunday 8th at 1pm there is a free Easter egg trail on the shore, which is followed by a sandcastle building competition. The National Trust have organised 280 egg hunts all over the country, check out www.eastereggtrails.com for one nearest to you. If you are at home over the Easter Break, and the weather is on your side, a spot of gardening could be good, and great exercise for this time of year. However, if it’s too cold to go out, why not turn your hand to a bit of baking? Hot cross buns, cupcakes or something chocolaty. There are some fantastic recipes on the Internet, try searching for ‘Hummingbird chocolate cupcake recipe’ to get you started. You could even decorate the top of your cupcake with a few coloured mini eggs. If you don’t fancy any of this and it sounds like too much like hard work, just kick back, do nothing, relax and enjoy the only time of year when you can eat chocolate without anyone making you feel guilty!

And if you want the perfect accompaniment to that chocolate egg and cuppa, why not visit Bravissimo.com and browse some of our brand new lingerie styles that are just in; like the Lucy Bra by Cleo. This bra, although it looks delicate, still offers super support and great shape; it is available in this zesty lime colour, with fuchsia bows, fresh and utterly gorgeous for spring.

Happy Easter to all our Bravissimo ladies!

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Bravissimo — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:50:41 +0000

The Pepperberry Tailored Blazer

It’s the beginning of another working week and the start of a new month. What will be your outfit of choice this Monday, a suit or jeans maybe, or something in between? According to a recent article in a tabloid newspaper, we are a scruffy bunch when we it comes to dressing for work. The accompanying survey said 65% people wear jeans in their workplace and 36% say jeans are part of their weekly working wardrobe. So what is going on? We used to be a nation of smart dressers, from the 40s to the 80s the suit was an essential part of the work look. Men in white collar jobs who didn’t wear uniforms would almost certainly be wearing a suit to work and ladies would wear a suit with a skirt worn, instead of trousers. It is true that many workplaces these days don’t require this level of smart dress, but it is also true that how you dress can affect your performance, change how people view you and how you feel about yourself. If you saw Mary Portas’s latest show on Channel 4; Mary’s Bottom Line, she interviewed hundreds of candidates for only seven positions, one interviewee got the job because he had made an effort with his dress. He had borrowed a suit from a friend, it wasn’t a perfect fit, but he still looked smart and presentable and that is what mattered.

As it is a brand new month you could perform your own work wear experiment. If you usually dress casually, ditch the jeans and opt for the smart instead. Try it for the week and see how it makes you feel, how people react to you and whether it makes difference to your performance and your week. If you are a bit light on work wear, take a look at these great items from Pepperberry’s spring collection, it might give you some ideas.

The Blue Stripe Shirt is a classic smart shirt, with small pinstripes and a lovely pintuck detail and there will be absolutely no pulling over the boobs in this shirt.
The Sweetheart Neckline Workwear Dress, is a perfect work wear dress available in mink. It’s a fitted tailored dress has a sweetheart neckline and stab stich detailing.
The Notch Neck Dress is another gorgeous choice for your working wardrobe, it is available in a cotton stretch fabric and comes in navy. This dress is tailored and skims those curves beautifully, and it has half sleeves with the same notch detailing as the neckline and is finished off with stunning pink lining.
The Tailored Pencil Skirt is following the 1940’s trend, enhancing the waist and hugging the hips, this navy skirt makes a real statement with the matching Tailored Blazer, which looks great with trousers too. The blazer has striped lining, which gives it a contemporary feel.

For more work wear ideas like these, check out our brand new Pepperberry summer range.