At Last Time to Show Off Your Lovely Lingerie...

I knew it! Eventually if you love something long enough it will come into fashion!

The catwalks have been filled with the underwear as outwear trend this season. Unsurprisingly the ladies at Plums Lingerie think it’s about time this trend came back. The iconic of image of Madonna in the cone bra Gaultier corset still looms large and Dolce Gabbana have always produced stunning corset inspired dresses. The trend is now firmly on the high street with cute little bra tops, lacey camisoles and pretty delicate pastels. Like all trends I can already foresee this pretty seductive trend being mutilated and some using it as an excuse to just flash the flesh. Those crops tops really should only be worn by the young and skinny. However there are lots of ways to take inspiration from the designers who have brought the trend to the catwalks of Milan, Paris and London. You may even be able to raid your lingerie drawer and give some of your favourite pieces a new lease of life.

Lace
Lace has become a firm favourite since the trend appeared in the winter. The lace is now moving away from classic black to the pretty delicate pastels, creams, pinks and nudes. A great way of flirting with this trend is by wearing lacey bras with tops that show just the edging of your bra or allow you to show the lace straps. You can also look at wearing a lace and silk slip like the Marjolaine Divine over a pair of skinny jeans or leggings. Alternatively the lace cami tops of the pyjamas would look great teamed with a pretty pastel cardigan and floaty skirt.

Corsetry
The corset dresses seen in the Christian Dior, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana collections are stunning. Many of the lingerie designers already produce bustiers that look great with a pair of jeans or a slinky pencil skirt. The key to carrying off this look is picking a bustier that doesn’t look too much like it is underwear. If the bustier is mainly opaque like the Marie Jo Rose bustier it looks more like it is designed to be seen. Marlies Dekkers also produces sexy bustiers that can be worn as a top. If you have a bustier that looks a little too seductive to be worn on its own a great idea is wearing it underneath a sheer blouse or a lace top. The Prima Donna Babel bustier lends itself perfectly to this and if you aren’t quite ready for the pretty peach pastel tone it also comes in black.

If you are willing to take the plunge you could go for the full steel boned corset. Eternal Spirits produce a fabulous range that are so versatile they can be worn out to a night club, dressed up with a tailored jacket for dinner or worn with a full length skirt for a black tie event. Combine the lace and the corsetry with the stunning lace Bettie corset. Alternatively there are the super sexy waist cinches that can be worn over a dress, or over trousers and a blouse.

This summers key trend is so easy to wear and play around with and a great excuse to show off your gorgeous underwear that spends so much time undercover

K cup bras hit the British High Street

I don't know if any of you ladies would be surprised to hear that Britain is getting bustier and due to the surge in demand of larger cup sizes the K Cup bra has finally been introduced to the British high street. Selfridges in London and Manchester have introduced the K cup made by Fantasie for the first time. According to new research, sales of bras in the D to G category have risen 50% every year since 2005. I can't say this surprises me, the average cup size of a Plums Lingerie customers is an E at least.

I think ladies are now becoming more aware of the importance of wearing a correctly fitting bra due to programmes like What Not to Wear with Trinny and Susannah and Gok Wan’s How to look Good Naked. We now stock the lovely Prima Donna Deauville in an I cup which is the equivalent to the UK J and they tick on quite well.

Apparently

'Breasts are getting bigger but it's not just because we are getting heavier,' biomechanics professor Dr. Joanna Scurr told the Telegraph. 'We don't yet know the reason, but it has certainly made women much more aware of the need for correct support.'

Lingerieblog.co.uk are currently running a survey to see what the average bra size is so if you want to have your say you can fill it in here

Burn those tape measures, not your bra

In our quest to ensure the women of the world wear correctly fitting bras I have had my little chums at Google scouring the web for questions on bra fittings. There are several questions a day about what bra size to wear and what is normal. I am not so much astounded by the volume of these queries or the confusion of the lovely ladies but rather by the answers from so called experts. Whoever came up with the concept of measuring around the rib cage and then around the boobs then doing some complicated mathematical equation to come up with your bra size must have been bonkers. Boobs, breasts, baps what ever you want to call them come in all shapes and sizes, no two the same. How can mathematics cope with the all the different permutations of the female form? Well in my experience it can't! If you are ever in a fitting room and someone comes at you with a tape measure just politely make your excuses and get the hell out of there. This is a woman with no concept that lingerie and its fit is an art rather than a science.

An experienced fitter will be able to judge by eye and asking a few canny questions. It may take a couple of goes with different sizes bras but really it is the only way to tell for sure. By making sure the band is nice and snug around the back you are supporting the weight of your boobs from underneath rather than suspended from your shoulder straps like a hammock. The wire should go around the width of the boob and not dig in under the arm. Those wires should also sit flush against your breast bone. If you put your arms in the air and the bra doesn't stay firm, its too loose. For those ladies who have had a proper fitting you know the difference the correct sizes bra can make. So I implore you help us spread the word, tell your colleague that that back strap on her bra shouldn't be riding up by her shoulders, tell you friend that 4 boobs aren't better than 2! And if you happen to send them our way and we manage to show them the light and they walk out with a new bra will give you a £10 gift voucher to say thank you for supporting the cause, just make sure they mention who sent them.