Saturday, February 4, 2012
Pasties used to be relegated to burlesque communities and seedy scenes in The Graduate, but over the past few years they’ve been making a huge comeback. We’re now seeing pasties incorporated into traditional lingerie sets as well as being worn alone. Pasties are a great way to jazz up a boudoir look and create some sparkle, but they also work equally well worn alone with nothing but panties and your own body confidence.
First, a quick note: for boudoir shoots, double sided tape works best to attach your pasties. They’ll stay put, but they won’t be as tricky to get off as pasties attached with things like spirit gum can be. Today we’re going to showcase different ways that designers are incorporating pasties into their lines to get you inspired to try out pasties in your boudoir shoot or free time!
La Lilouche:
This season, Israeli designer Liya Amar used pasties heavily in her bridal line and her regular line to great effect. By using pasties to reflect the sparkle of Swarovski crystals, she creates an extra layer of visual interest.
 Image via Bella Bella Boutique |
 Image via Bella Bella Boutique |
 Image via Bella Bella Boutique |
 Image via Bella Bella Boutique |
Toad Lille:
Toad Lille is a wonderful handmade lingerie designer who makes sensuality classy all over again. Her pieces incorporate ties, cutouts, and pasties while creating a sense of luxury and supportive structure. The pasties in this Minx set help create more coverage, all while giving the set a seductive sparkle.
 Image via Bella Bella Boutique Frantic About Frances:
Frantic about Frances is a label that creates beautiful handmade lingerie with vintage inspired fabrics. Bullet bras, suspender belts, and all kinds of panties are part of her arsenal, but she also makes a set of handmade pasties to go with each of her sets. I love this look because it proves that pasties can be both sexy and sweet! Her Roses in the Parlour set is a perfect example of how to take pasties in a new direction.
 Image via Frantic About Frances |
 Image via Frantic About Frances |
 Image via Frantic about Frances |
Gothfox:
Gothfox is a leader in the pastie market, and makes some amazingly artistic creations. They create heavy duty pasties for performances as well as more casual ones for lingerie fans. Their signature looks are always strong, and won’t appeal to all. I really love their modern take on boudoir, and if you want to make a statement then this is the brand to look to.
 Image via Gothfox  Image via Gothfox
Saturday, January 28, 2012
With Valentine’s Day coming up, I’ve had lots of clients asking me how to give boudoir images to their significant other. Lots of women go with traditional choices like albums, but today I wanted to showcase some more out of the box ways to give the gift of boudoir.
 Image via Melissap6908 on Etsy The first way is pretty obvious: framed pictures. Picture frames are a great way to incorporate your decor or personal tastes into your boudoir gift. Boudoir photographers can generally do prints in any size, so take advantage of it by getting a series framed rather than just one. If you’re thinking about going this route, ask your boudoir photographer about setting up a series of photos that would go together well.
If you’re looking for a vintage inspired gift, a pocket watch can be perfect for the right man. Your boudoir photo can be inserted into the watch for a stealthy and sexy touch.
 Image via Nordstrom's.
Another great gift is a wallet with your boudoir photos already placed inside. He’ll be able to see your sexy pictures whenever he wants, while still keeping them secret in a classy wallet.
Sometimes you just want to be different. Forget the cutsie pastels and lace chemise, we’re going for the goth and skulls look! lol. I had a fabulous shoot the other day with Carmilla Jo. She was rocking the alternative look with some kick butt stockings and a crazy skull and heart scarf. The look was great on her and we were able to really bring out the vivid reds which worked great with her coloring.
Here are some of my favorites from the session!
I’ve had lots of inquiries about boudoir shoots during the last few weeks, and they almost always are accompanied by the same question: “What do I wear?”. Today, I wanted to showcase several different types of looks for a boudoir shoot, as well as talk about some ways to figure out what your personal lingerie style is.
The Girl Next Door Look:
 Image via Elomi Lingerie
This Betty set from Elomi Lingerie is a sexy yet simple way to dress for a boudoir shoot. I love the vintage details in combination with the modern cut, and red is always a favorite around Valentine’s Day. This type of look is great if you’re pretty comfortable with your body, but don’t want to bare all. It highlights your cleavage and your stomach, and will give your shoot a relaxed and natural look.
The Vintage Look:
Image via Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly is a wonderful vintage inspired company that make some truly unique pieces. This skirt combines sapphire blue satin with sexy garters, and can be worn as underwear or as outerwear. This is a piece that you could dress up with a sheer blouse for a shoot, or just wear with a bra and fishnets. This style of skirt works especially well on tall women, and the wrap design allows you to show as much or as little as you want.
The Modern Woman:
Image via Priscilla Jade
The Hera Robe is from the newest Priscilla Jade line, and currently comes in three unexpectedly different colorways. I’m enthralled with the black and yellow version, but those wanting a more traditional Valentine’s Day look have plenty of red to choose from! Robes are great for women who may want more coverage for their boudoir shoot, and work beautifully paired with matching panties. Those wanting even more coverage can wear a lacy camisole underneath instead of just a bra.
The Natural Woman:
Image via Marika Vera
Marika Vera Lingerie is all about showcasing natural sexuality. Her pieces are luxurious creations made out of chiffon and leather, and the high cut legs will make you look taller. Each piece is cut with discreet openings at the breast to help women embrace their own sexuality. This teddy would be perfect for a shoot that takes a more raw and unpolished approach to sexuality, while still remaining elegant.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
If there’s one thing you learn when you study people and history, it’s that nothing is really new. As everyone from boudoir photographers to lingerie companies gear up for their Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns, I thought it would be fun to talk about where Valentine’s Day comes from.
If we learn about the history behind Valentine’s Day at all in school, it’s about Saint Valentine who secretly married priests when the law forbid it. It turns out, that’s almost certainly made up by Chaucer (and promoted by greeting card companies). In the legend, the first Valentine was sent by Saint Valentine himself to the jailer’s daughter. He signed it “From Your Valentine”. With that one line, an entire marketing industry was born.
Modern scholarship believes that absolutely none of that is true. In fact, poor Saint Valentine’s holiday was removed from the official Catholic calendar because there isn’t any information about him. The historical record mentions not one but three Saint Valentines, all of whom were martyred because of their beliefs. Apparently too many saints with the same name is as bad as no saints at all, so his holiday was taken off the schedule. The only thing people seem to agree on is that at least one Saint Valentine was killed on February 14th.
When you look further, the origins of what we know as Valentine’s Day probably goes back to a Roman festival called Lupercalia. It was held on our February 13 through 15, and celebrated fertility (and quite frankly) nakedness. The Romans were generally a big fan of being naked whenever possible, so this holiday isn’t quite as unique as it sounds.
During Lupercalia men would dress up as some kind of satyr/goatherder combination and roam the streets in nothing but thongs. These men were a reference to Lupa, the she-wolf who miraculously raised Romulus and Remus who then went on to found Rome. Women who wanted to increase their fertility in the coming year would stand around as the men ran by and hold out their hands to have them slapped gently by a light whip. This conferred a blessing, either for fertility or ease in childbirth.
It seems fitting that these two old traditions make up the themes of our modern Valentine’s Day: romantic love and sex. We can thank Chaucer for the candy, flowers, and jewelry, and it’s very easy to imagine the Romans approving of many of our lingerie choices. Either way, we’re just acting out a very old set of traditions.
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