Araks has created the ultimate sexy little white bikini this season, in a subtle eggshell color with asymmetrcial straps.  The Zoe bikini top in Shell is modern and innovative, and the Tullah bikini bottom is simple and basic, but works well to ground the design.  It’s a little hard to tell from the pic, but the dual straps on the left side create a beautiful teardrop effect on your shoulder.  This one’s a bit skimpy for me, (or anyone over a size 6 to be honest) but I think I would be pining for it if I lost 20 lbs!

It’s crisp and fresh and clean smelling, just like newly washed sheets. Throwing on a dash of Cote Bastide linen scented body lotion is a really great pick-me-up. Something about it’s cleanness is really quite energizing. I remember growing up, our family dog, Sandy Denise Wong (God rest her soul) would go totally ape-shit after we gave her a bath. (more…)

God, I love the French spirit. Their fierce sense of independence, proud sartorial history and unflinching acknowledgement of their sexuality influences us daily, particularly in the business of lingerie. One of our absolute favorite brands, Princesse Tam Tam, is marking the anniversary of May 1968, the series of student protests that gave rise to liberal morality in France, with an “ephemeral advertising campaign.” Click here to read more:

http://www.princessetamtam.com/PrincesseTamTam.Site/en/Home/Events.aspx

I’m pretty sure no one is baring their breasts at an Obama rally. But maybe if dudes start flashing Hillary their junk she’ll finally call it quits. Guys? Any takers?

Yesterday as Sarah was suffering with a hangover, I was at home in bed suffering from severe cramps. Yeah, wasn’t I glad I didn’t drink the night before? No use compounding the pain. So while I’m joyously celebrating my womanhood, I suppose I’ll talk about every woman’s staple: the period pantie. (more…)

This is definitely how I feel right now, though I certainly don’t look as good as Lulu in all her black-bobbed glory. I would love to be lounging on a velvet chaise in a beautiful silk slip, weakly waving my hand at the help when I need more ginger ale. But alas, I am not a rich starlet in the 20s. When I’m feeling this rough, I usually search for some herbal remedy to ease my pain after, of course, declaring that I’ll never drink again. The aromatherapy experts recommend a massage with lavender, grapefruit, lime, lemon and rosemary essential oils. They also say lavender tea helps. Until I can get my hands on some, I’ll just have to settle for inhaling deeply around the lovely ElizabethW lavender-filled Lingerie Bags and Drawer Liners. Wish me luck for a speedy recovery!

I stole this image from the awesomely hilarious go fug yourself blog, of which I am a huge fan and fairly religious reader.  If you aren’t already, you should definitely get into this (http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/).  I hope they don’t mind the picture theft.  Thanks GFY.

So who is this schmoe?  Bras are fun and sexy and a very helpful part of many women’s life.  I say ban him and his stupid t-shirt.

We are all familiar with those little panty drawer sachets that smell like dried herbs if they’re good, or variously scented pellets if they’re not-so-good.  I feel as though throughout my life I have always had one, some how, although I have no idea where to purchase such a thing.  Lately, though, due to various moves, I have become sachetless.  Since the Sachet Emporium and Showroom is all the way across town, I have come up with a nice little DIY resolution.  Take  little pouch, if you have one, or else a piece of fabric and a ribbon- to be fashioned into an old timey moneybag type pouch- and stuff it with your used dryer sheets.  I like Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day in Lavender or Basil, but you can use whatever scent that you like.  The best part is that replacement used dryer sheets will (hopefully- dirty girl) always be readily available to re-juice your pretty smelling drawers.

We’ve been majorly restocked with everyone’s favorite soft and simple everyday bras and panties, the Eberjey Pima Goddess Deep-V Camisole Bra, T-Shirt Bra, and Low Rider Bikini.  We’ve already sent out a slew of notifications on this delivery because this  line is extremely popular and people are requesting it constantly as soon as our supply gets low.   So, yes, right now we are fully stocked and ready to rock, but I give it about a month before the available size/color combos start dwindling and the requests start piling up again.  What am I getting at?  Well, if you’re a Pima Goddess you better hop to it and come hoard them all before someone else does.

Oh, did I mention that this style now comes in a few new and very classy colors?  It does.  We still have the basics (Black, White, Buff, Espresso) and  now we also have Mocha (a cross between Buff and Espresso),  Charcoal (so good, I want), and Chambray (a smoky light blue, very chic).  It’s a veritable pima orgy… you know how those Goddesses were.

The adorable Make-Up Room sets by the Lake and Stars are in!  Available in the striking Ink/Lime (pictured above), or Wax/Tangerine (Ivory/Orange), they offer a fun splash of color on a practical base, for those of you who aren’t quite ready to dive headlong into the crazy spring colors.  The cute contrasting ribbon on the panty can be tied in the front or the back, and the bralette offers the same vintage inspiration as the popular Tootsie and Social Hour styles, but with a sportier look and a modern cut-away in the front.  The soft cotton/silk blend is sturdy and resilient, yet soft and comfortable.  Get yours soon before SATC/Lake and Stars mania grips Portland and we sell out!

It is not unusual for a customer to come into our shop and go straight to The Lake and Stars We’re On Break romper. It is also not unusual for the customer to comment on how adorable it is. Furthermore, it is not usual for that comment to be followed by “But, like, how do you wear it? Can it go under jeans? Is it just for around the house? Is it… a swim suit?” It is not a swim suit. It’s a romper. It’s for… romping in. You like to romp, right? I know that I do. You could wear it out under jeans too if the secretly scandalous vented front panel does not phase you, but peeing might be an issue as the romper is not a bodysuit and does not have easy access buttons. However, I have good news for those of you our there with small bladders. We just got in… drumroll… the We’re On Break camisole! Yes, that’s right, the same sassy style as the romper, but with all the access a girl could ever need. The cami is navy with a black panel as opposed to grey with a white panel, but fear not, the color change does not make it any less sexy and awesome. It’s also comfortable and could be worn as a standard lingerie piece or whatever too, but sexy and awesome! Sexy and Awesome!! (just like you)

Part Nine: Hosiery

To quote my dear friend Jessica, “I don’t wear socks. I wear hosiery, thank you very much.” Indeed, there is a big difference between your run-of-the-mill athletic socks and fine stockings, although technically speaking, the term does encompass any covering for the foot/ankle/leg. But “hosiery” certainly calls to mind a finer form of legware. I wouldn’t dare insult our vintage silk knit thigh-highs by calling them mere “socks.” To complicate matters, the British lump all undergarments into the category of hosiery. There does seem to be a bit of confusion surrounding the terminology, so I thought I’d clarify a few things for anyone who needs help… (more…)

For a lingerie store owner, my pajama collection is a sorry state of affairs.  Don’t get me wrong - I have a formidable array of lacy camisoles, silk slips, vintage nightgowns, kimonos, bed-jackets, and of course, bra and panty sets, which I proudly display in a beautiful glass case.  But I never want to risk ruining any of them with my constant tossing and turning, so I typically opt for the unflattering oversized t-shirt/boxer combo and end up looking like a Hanes Her Way commercial… not a good look for a lady.  This summer, I’ve resolved to sleep in prettier pjs.  At the top of my list is the Audacieuse Camisole and Boxer Short by Princesse Tam Tam.   Available in Clay or Ivory, this soft cotton/modal set strikes a perfect balance between comfort and style.  The subtle pointelle knit design and delicate trim adds texture and makes an otherwise basic sleep set very interesting.  Let the Pajama Party begin!

Actually, I’m back. But it is true that the “We’re on Break” romper by The Lake and Stars is featured prominently in the new Sex and the City movie, coming out in 2 weeks. We only have one of these amazing bodysuits left in Feather/Stone, but the camisole version will be arriving soon in oxford/ink (that’s navy/black to those of you who can’t translate designerese) and we can always special order your size if you just can’t live without it. As you can see in the pic, it’s a sexy little number, though I find it doesn’t expose quite that much skin on a normal person. (Sarah Jessica Parker being anything but with her tiny frame and phenomenal rack.)

Apparently, topping 99˙, Portland is the hottest place in the country today.  It is h-o-t, but the sunshine is welcomed.  It’s the perfect day to layer the soft and breezy white cotton Chloe camisol by Poet under the  foam colored organic cotton Ingid tank by Araks and then hit the town.  Now, I know what you’re saying, “Wearing lingerie on the town?   Isn’t that a tad scandalous?  Both of those items are so sheer!”  Au contraire my friends.   I have a long standing theory that two see-throughs make a solid and in this case my theory holds steady.  I tried the pair on together for fun and check it out:

Ta-dow! Adorable, comfy, cool, and totally fit for the masses.  And the best part about this pairing is that the low cut back of the Chloe allows the fantastically huge keyhole on the back of the Ingid to go show off some skin without disturbance*.   It’s a match made in Heaven for when it’s hotter than Hell.

*Unfortunately I can’t take a picture of the back of this.  I really wish you could see it, it’s spectacular, but my arms just aren’t long or flexible enough.  Boo arms.

Sara touched on the timeless charm of the new Stella pieces a few days ago, but I just had to elaborate on the glory of the “Grace Waking” bra and boyshort. Made from the most ephemeral shade of pale grey silk, the set is at once romantic and delicate in sensibility, yet still modern in form and function. It calls to mind Jane Austen novels and wind-swept moors, but would perhaps be more timely on Audrey Tautou in a new French rom-com. The low cut of the triangle bra is not unlike that of the Princesse Tam Tam Delicate which Sara waxed rhapsodic about yesterday. The juxtaposition of that incredible silk with a delicate but resilient lace is a match made in heaven, particularly on the boyshort where it sits just so on the derriere (see above.) To me, the most interesting thing about Stella’s lingerie is her ability to make such lovely and elegant pieces that still manage to be incredibly sexy. Many designers attempt this, but few execute the marriage so perfectly.

We already carried and have since sold out the the Delicate Lace Underwire Bra in blue-grey, but our last Princesse Tam Tam Shipment had more Delicates in there. The camisole bra (the same cut as the blue-grey one) is now in a fantastic clay color. I have the old color and I do love that bra. It gets a lot of use. It’s got the lingerie trifecta going on: comfortable, functional, and pretty. Now I’m sitting here at the computer, typing away, but one eye keeps wandering to Delicate rack. I want to hoard. I must fight hoarding. I have to let it go. Having the same bra in 2 colors is just selfish… although… we also have the Delicate Bra in a Demi Cup in LAVENDER!!! And hey, a Demi Cup Bra is a totally different bra. (Feel free to imagine me laughing maniacally.)

Today we received a few more bits of amazingness from Stella McCartney. The black Dolly Snogging T-Back Lace Bra with matching pantie is every bit as fantastic as I expected it to be, while the gray Grace Walking Underwire Bra with matching Boyshort is actually more amazing that I expected… if that’s even possible. Both sets have a wonderful quality to them (aside from their impeccable construction) it’s hard to put my finger on what I like so much about them. They seem like they are from another time without being referential to any particular era. Perhaps their timelessness stems from the somewhat of a worn-in feel that they have. Like really great expensive jeans, the Stella McCartney lingerie seems to be familiar and immediately specific to you when you put it on. There is something precious about it too. These are tactile things that have something interesting and endearing going on from all angles. Maybe I sound crazy, but once you meet Dolly and Grace I bet you’ll understand what I’m trying to say and why I’m so in love.

It’s Mother’s Day, and nothing says “I Love You Mom” like a black mesh Indiscrete Strapless Underwire Bra with matching Alea G-string by Eres. Just kidding. Although, we certainly do have a few things that can be appropriately gifted to Dear Ole Mom. For example, the Kumi Kookoon Silk Robe is luxurious and classy as is the Kumi Kookoon Silk and Chiffon Nightgown. Similarly, the Dessous Alice tank is elegant and oh so comfortable and although it is sexy, it doesn’t exude sex like, say, the Eve Giggling set by Stella McCartney. Plus, if “lingerie” and “mom” are simply two words you don’t want to use in the same sentence at all (ever!) we have a wide array of fabulous home, bath, and body products by Cote Bastide, ElizabethW, and Ciel. Clean Linen scented body lotion is a gift you can give to a nun without feeling funny about it.

Yes I realize I should have made this post a week ago, but perhaps the procrastinators and the forgetful ones among us can still benefit from my suggestions.

I Love You Mom!!

“Brevity is the soul of lingerie.” -Dorothy Parker

I love double entendres.

Yes, indeed, I now have the  Escale Bikini  (color: pale) permanently tanned into my skin!  I was not diligent about unhooking the halter strap and the back clasp while laying on the beach and sipping Mai Tais.  It’s cool though, I kind of like my new tan lines because I like my new 60’s style bathing suit and I like  conceptually wearing it around at all times.   Also, if you were wondering, Tan and Terra Cotta go very nicely together.  But, if you’re like Sarah and earthy reds intimidate you, fear not, because we got some lovely and cooler Grey and Navy tones on their way.  The Marina is also a 6o’s style halter top bikini.  It is grey and has chic black and white stripes around the bottom of the bra and the top of the bikini.  It is absolutely perfect for wearing on the deck of your 40 foot yacht.  It is preppy is the best possible way.   On the other hand we’ve also got the 70’s style fish bikini and one piece.   Both the Navy one piece and the Grey bikini have fun stylized cream colored fish printed on them.  Both also have drawstrings down the front and hidden underwire for support.  The bikini top also has removable straps for the fearless ocean goers.  Sorry, I’m kind of swimsuit crazy right now.  It’s the only way to deal with not being on vacation anymore…