Miss Underpinnings

The Middle Market A Year Later And Why I'm (Still) Planning to Take Over Freya

2014-08-15T15:22:00.001-04:00

This is how I feel when I think about Freya for too long.

There are times when I'm at Curve that make me want to beat my head into the wall until it's bloody out of pure frustration and disappointment. Seeing the soaring promotional images of Freya's Spring/Summer 2015 collection was one of those times and has brought me to the conclusion that my evil mastermind plan to take over Freya is the only way for us all to move forward.

I don't profess to know more than the experienced industry executives who are currently in charge and I could be totally, 100% wrong about who their market is and will be, but I do feel as if I see a future for them that they haven't glimpsed yet. Ironically, Freya's collection isn't that horrible because despite the circus-y nature of this upcoming collection, there are a handful of great designs. The problem arises once you hear who they see as their target customer and while that customer isn't bad and her taste isn't sub par, she's still a customer that everyone is going after right now. Cleo, Curvy Kate, Tutti Rouge, and Bravissimo's in-house label are all after the same audience! Freya -- who has ruled over this market since it's conception -- is shamefully battling the smaller brands for a share when they should be concentrating on who the next customer is and predicting what she will like.

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Curve NY: Fantasie Spring/Summer 2015

2014-08-14T16:50:00.001-04:00

Fantasie Spring/Summer 2015 Mae Basque

With their Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Fantasie is trying to cover all it's bases at once and time will tell if this is a reliably successful approach or if they are simply spreading themselves too thin. I'm leaning towards the former, as the lines seemed well-balanced between luxurious and utilitarian, embellished and minimalist, and fuller coverage and downright sexy. They're trying to offer something for everyone -- a goal many brands aim for and subsequently fail to achieve -- and I think they've hit that sweet spot. I'm quite pleased with the designs aimed at me and for those that aren't, well, they don't seem so bad either. But y'all will be the final judge, do you see something for yourself amongst their upcoming collection?
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Curve NY: Miss Mandalay Spring/Summer 2015

2014-08-07T22:11:00.001-04:00

Miss Mandalay Spring/Summer 2015

There are only two things I hate about Miss Mandalay lingerie -- that there isn't more of it and it's not more widely available. Since I had a lukewarm reaction to Curvy Kate's Spring/Summer 2015, I thought I'd post on a collection I really, really liked. I consider Miss Mandalay one of those "middle market" brands which roll out chic, fashionable lines for women who want lingerie that lies between the polar extremes of fuller converge conservatism and sassy girlishness. There aren't many DD+ companies who appeal to me as deeply as Miss Mandalay so I was overjoyed when I learned they would be at Curve. Although I wish the collection was bigger and everyone carried everything in every size, their seasonal offerings are super charming.

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Curve NY: Curvy Kate Spring Summer 2015

2014-08-06T16:40:00.001-04:00

Curvy Kate's Spring/Summer 2015 Collection

I had an extreme love/hate reaction to this season's Curvy Kate collection. Since I saw their offering on Monday, I've been trying to puzzle out why their designs inspired such extremes. Is half the collection a dud? Or -- more likely -- have I stopped being a Curvy Kate girl? Is this, like Cleo, a brand that I no longer relate to or "understand"? Have I "outgrown" them? Simultaneously, there's still an aesthetic vein in the girly British juggernaut that I find quite endearing. I also remember seasons past when they impressed me with almost every single piece and when I went online to find them, saw that many of those same killer colorways were completely sold out. Let's break down the love from the hate for Spring/Summer 2015:

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Curve NY: Tutti Rouge Spring/Summer 2015

2014-08-03T21:32:00.002-04:00

Tutti Rouge Spring/Summer 2015

Tutti Rouge is the ultimate "bang for your buck" brand, with some of the most modestly priced full bust bras on the market and tons of aesthetic embellishments that you'd usually only find with luxury labels. It's easy to tell that Jessica Prebble, the mastermind behind all this loveliness, takes incredible care with her designs, down to the tiniest detail. Each season, she [warmly!] haggles with her printmaker, ensuring her exclusive fabrics match her vision exactly and once they're done, the bras get the full "Tutti" treatment with matching bows, ruffles, ruching, and my personal favorite, eye drop-sized pink hearts. I wouldn't necessarily say that my personal taste is perfectly aligned with the T.R. look, but each season, this brand is so much itself -- unapologetically girly, frivolous and fun -- that I inevitably end up falling for each and every line. God dammit, Jessica, what kind of bewitching lingerie fairy dust are you sprinkling on these things?!

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My Dream Apartment: the Living Room

2014-07-31T18:17:00.002-04:00

1 // 2 // 3 sofa & pillow // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

Since I'm sleeping in my childhood bedroom (and yes, those Freddie Prinze, Jr. posters are still up! #neverforget) while my belongings are packed away in cardboard boxes, I'm in serious nesting mode. I've gone nuts on my interior design Pinterest board and go to bed envisioning high ceilings and French doors. Specifically, I love the clean simplicity of white furniture because it allows other knick knacks and accessories to shine and gives the room a crisp, fresh feeling. And just as I'm obsessed with fit-n-flare and sassy secretarial sheath dresses, I'm really into modern mid century stuff. Once those two trends are combined and mixed with a punchy bright color, my dream living room leaves a warm, happy impression. Oh, and it's super affordable! It would be easy to thrift some of these pieces, grab others at retro reproduction websites like Thrive Furniture and dive into Ikea for the rest. :)

A little side note...I've been thinking about writing on non-lingerie and non-full bust stuff and this post is an example of one way I'd expand. Lingerie is my first love, but it's not my only one; I was thinking of posting on books I'm reading or the television series I'm currently bingeing on.

What do you think? How would you feel if Miss Underpinnings covered a range of topics, in addition to the primary lingerie focus?

Countdown to Curve: Looking Forward to Curvy Kate Spring/Summer 2015

2014-07-30T20:44:00.000-04:00

Spring/Summer 2015 Curvy Kate "Madagascar"

Like a grab bag, Curvy Kate has a few lines each season that I'm into and the rest, well, I'm not. The Firecracker, the Portia's seasonal color way and Ritzy's Ruby version were all immediate personal favorites. And while I don't usually go for blue lingerie, the navy Princess and Roxie are delightfully preppy. On the flip side, the sparkle-y embroidery pieces and the sour candy colors -- "frost" and "boysenberry" -- are ones I'll be skipping. I had my usual reaction to the previews for Spring/Summer 2015. They're a mix between pieces I want now and designs that, like the "younger" sets from Cleo and Tutti Rouge, are too bright or too precious for me.

A HUGE Thank You and Good News

2014-07-28T18:20:00.000-04:00

I have the best blog ever. Why? I have the best readers ever. It may sound overly appreciative, but seriously, you guys are the coolest. Reading through your comments on my Where I've Been post, I got goosebumps. Hell, I'm tearing up as I write this...Your support and encouragement has meant the world to me and I'm deeply, deeply grateful to those who courageously shared their own stories or warmly complimented me, my writing or this blog. During this time, when I've felt frighteningly adrift, your gestures gave me a light at the end of the tunnel. I can't express in words how much that's meant to me.

Thank you. Merci beaucoup. ありがとう. Gracias. большое спасибо.

Lingerie & Loungewear to Get You Through the Blues

2014-07-28T16:18:00.001-04:00

I'm digging her pajama bottoms.

Around Valentine's Day and Christmas, a million posts go up exclaiming which pieces of lingerie would make the perfect gift and God knows, I eat those up. However, what about the other 363 days of the year? Why aren't their lingerie lists for when you're unemployed or when you're mad bloated on your period or when your current "boyfriend" happens to be a fictional character in a tv show? Forget the sexy stuff and the cute frills or bows, I'd like to share what I've really been wearing for the last six months. Truth time, bitches.

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Where I've Been

2014-06-30T18:32:00.000-04:00

Artist: Jeremy Lipking

Well, I think it's safe to say that 2014 has been my best year of blogging yet! Are we all in agreement? Funny business aside, I have to crack these jokes because the last six months have been an utter clusterfuck of horrible and if I stop laughing, I might start crying. When I set out to create Miss Underpinnings, I was determined that it would be my positive, warm little corner of the Internet. I can be a pessimistic, paranoid and anxious person in real life so I promised myself I'd weed that out of the blog. Besides, who'd want to read about my problems on a website devoted to fabulous lingerie?! Thus, when shit hit the metaphorical fan this year, I froze. I didn't want to break my self-imposed rule yet I felt as if writing an upbeat sentence would be as difficult as climbing Mount Everest. I relied on my years of gendered conditioning: when you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Since that didn't work, I've decided to tell the truth -- even if it isn't pretty.

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Let's Check Each Other Out on Etsy

2014-04-03T16:14:00.000-04:00

Among my friends and family, it's no secret that I have a preeeety obsessive personality so Etsy -- with it's seemingly endless treasure trove of indie boutiques -- is my kryptonite. I spend an embarrassing amount of time each week looking through what's new from my favorite shops and hunting for like-minded people to follow. Etsy recently launched their Pinterest-like "Pages" feature so I've also been curating like a crazy woman with collages on such topics as vintage clothing, personal stationary and of course, lingerie. Are you guys Etsy lovers too? And if you are, please let me know in the comments so I can check out what you're checking out! If you'd like to peek at my profile, it's here. :)

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The Sunday Intimates' Retail Website Launched Today!!!

2014-04-02T17:33:00.005-04:00

You guys, it's UP. It's finally here: Sunday Intimates, an amazing new brand from California, launched their website today and their Spring/Summer 2014 collection is now available for pre-order! No joke, I want it all. All of it. Every damn piece -- from the floral kimono to the glittery gold longline bra to the polka dot pajama set -- feels as if it was made just for me. If you haven't heard of this indie company yet or want more information on the darlings behind this brand, I highly recommend you peruse Sweet Nothings' exclusive interview with them. I also had a chance to try on this season's designs during Curve Autumn/Winter 2013 show so if you'd like to know what I thought of the comfort or fit, take a look at this post. :)

Lulu Tout, Exclusively at Figleaves

2014-04-02T13:26:00.001-04:00

Since I took an extended break from blogging, there have been a number of exciting developments in the world of full bust lingerie. And I've got to hand it to Figleaves, their new in-house label, Lulu Tout, is definitely one of them! I had the opportunity to get a look at the entire collection a few months ago and I left the preview feeling mighty impressed. The collection includes three lines which all deviate into two separate colorways -- the teal green or grey Coco Lace, the electric blue or black Amelie and the monochrome or purple Fleur Rose. Granted, it's a small debut, but in so many ways, it's the budget brand I've been waiting for. Shall we oggle more prettiness?

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Curve NY Autumn/Winter 2014 Trend Report Collaboration with Sweet Nothings

2014-03-11T15:52:00.003-04:00

I'm the nerdy one on the right going "Uh, what now?".

Last month, I was lucky enough to attend Curve with the beautiful & crazy smart Sweet Nothings and after a string of fervent and caffeine-induced discussions, we decided to collaborate on a trend report! That post was published this morning on her eponymous blog so if you're curious about what colors, prints and shapes you'll be seeing a lot of for Autumn/Winter 2014, head on over for a peek. For instance, anyone here a fan of blue lingerie? ;)

Curve NY: Freya Autumn/Winter 2014

2014-02-28T23:11:00.002-05:00

Back in September, I published a number of posts on Freya and we discussed what we'd like to see in their future collections. My opinions on this newest collection are based on those conversations so if you haven't read them, it might be cool to check out one of the posts below:

The Middle Market and Why Freya Should Join It

Freya's Deco: What Would You Like to See Next?

Tell Freya What YOU Would Like To See!

Freya's Five Step Recovery Plan: Lookbooks & Styling

Freya: Eveden's Achilles' Heel?

Curve NY: Freya Spring/Summer 2014

While no representative of the brand told me this directly, the collection seemed like a response to the aforementioned posts and the awesome suggestions you made then. Are the Freya Autumn/Winter 2014 pieces mind-blowingly cool and radically different from what we've seen in the past? Um, no. But I think something has shifted and if it continues to go in this direction, Freya has enormous potential to be one of the "middle market" brands we've wished for. In short, the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection is a vast improvement over Spring/Summer's and I'd like to see even bigger, more dramatic changes.

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Santa, Baby...Bring Me Some "Day of the Week" Underwear

2013-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've consciously skipped gift guides this year because I've realized 1) the pressure of the holidays make me spaz and I completely forget what my friends and family might like and 2) my friends and family ask for gifts that aren't on any traditional lists (No joke, Zack wants women's floral skinny jeans this year!?). But I know what's made my wishlist and there are a few people who'll be doing last minute holiday shopping (*cough, Mr. Floral Pants, cough*) so here are a few things I'd like to see under the tree. Day of the week underwear isn't exactly seasonal and I know that some ~~crazy~~ people find them silly, but Santa, let's get it on:

Full Bust Lingerie Review: Ewa Michalak Sm Nana

2013-12-18T16:06:00.002-05:00

The Ewa Michalak Nana is easily one of the best sets of 2013, one of the sexiest things I've ever put on my body and it's utterly unlike anything currently on the market for full bust women. The eponymous brand has had a strong season with the release of it's first babydoll, gorgeous new bridal pieces, and a fury of out-of-the-box prints. Over the summer, I read a few complaints (and might've done some complaining myself) that the soft cups they'd sporadically produced in the past had all but disappeared. The debut of their SM shape was a long awaited revival and since it's arrival, Ewa Michalak's sheer bras are a force to be reckoned with, both in fit and design. And with the exception of Miss Mandalay's Amelie and Cleo's Lori, they've blown right past the standard for sheer bras in Britain. The Nana is the pinnacle of that achievement and in my opinion, Ms. Michalak deserves a round of applause.
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Full Bust Lingerie Review: Freya Marvel

2013-12-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Even if the Marvel was uncomfortable to wear (it's not) or a poor fit (again, it's not), this bra represents a giant step forward for the brand who has been timid -- if not terrified! -- of stepping outside their technical safe space. Freya delayed the release of it's first soft halfcup multiple times and seemed oddly hesitant to discuss it in any depth. This once game-changing company has clung to it's successes lately, stubbornly committed to mining every profit from their bestsellers rather than exploring new territory. The Marvel is a break from that pattern which offers longtime Freya fans a glimmer of hope that the company's confidence is slowly returning. If the Marvel is any indication, I can't wait for what surprises the brand has in store for us.

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Full Bust Lingerie Review: Avocado Arielle, Caprice, & Greta

2013-12-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

Avocado is one of my all time favorite brands so when they recently released a bevy of new styles I was beyond excited. Their designs work that rare balance between sophistication and spunk, their fit never fails, and since the co-owners are material nerds, their quality never disappoints. They don't follow the strict seasonal schedule that big brands like Freya do, with two separate collections in one year. Instead, these styles have been released and their future will depend on market demand: Avocado will either sell through a design, add an additional colorway, or continue production, but these decisions will be made based on the response from their customers. Of the three I'll be reviewing today, there's one set I'm crossing my fingers I'll see again in a new color. Can you guess which one before we begin? If you got to make the call, which one would you keep around?

Avocado Sale & Free Shipping from Wellfitting!

2013-12-06T15:27:00.002-05:00

Avocado Kyoto

Two announcements showed up in my inbox this week that I've been dying to tell you about! Avocado has put some of their bestsellers -- including the gorgeous Kyoto! -- on sale. The Michelle, all the Nina colorways except the white, and both Kyotos will be €37 ($50.65) rather than €49.75 ($68.10) until 11:59 pm on December 8th, 2013.

The new online boutique, Wellfitting, has also extended a flash promotional code to Miss Underpinnings' readers: Enter "missunderpinnings" for free shipping until midnight tonight (Pacific Standard Time).

Full Bust Lingerie Review: Harlow & Fox Eleanor

2013-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last month, my mom and an old friend of hers dropped by my apartment for a visit and eventually, we began talking about lingerie. Specifically, lingerie that has emotional value and while it might not fit or be in the best condition, it's one of those things you hold onto because it's woven into the story of your life. My sister and I have long fought over this "vintage" Victoria Secret's robe and chemise set which belonged to my mom, who'd never really worn it. She had received it from the aforementioned friend, who was re-gifting it from her sister. The set isn't high quality and has little practical value, but it's important to me because it was of the first times I'd experienced lingerie that wasn't strictly utilitarian or bought in bulk from the Gap. It symbolized the type of mature femininity I idolized and to my preteen eyes, it was incredibly fancy.

When I previewed the Harlow and Fox collection, I immediately thought of my lingerie collectibles back home and how wonderful it would be to cherish those pieces and hand them down to my own daughter. I suppose it sounds strange to pass down underwear, but Leanna Williams' designs are as luxurious, evocative, and sentimental as any Victorian engagement ring or family china. Her line calls forth another era of lingerie -- silk! tap pants! dressing gowns! -- which I'm delighted to be transported back to.

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Win Your Fleur of England Wishlist!

2013-11-20T11:30:00.002-05:00

I'm not a big contest or giveaway person -- my luck is terrible! But when this announcement landed in my inbox yesterday, I decided it was too fun not to share. The steps sound easy and straightforward while the process of making a pinboard around my favorite Fleur of England lingerie is going to be downright fun. I'll definitely be participating and I've gotta warn you, I'm pinning to win. ;)
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My Top 5 Picks: DD+ Jackets

2013-11-18T13:09:00.002-05:00

Denim jacket layering. Image via Pinterest (Source: Home & Delicious & Refined Style)

Way back in June, I made a list of the designs I'd like to see from full bust clothing manufacturers and low and behold, a few of my dream items have arrived! There are bustier crop tops from Made in Preston and Urkye has a 1940's-inspired peplum blazer, but there are also tons of other cool DD+ jackets floating around. After talking to you guys about layering and winter style, I started to think about wearing thinner jackets under thick coats or sweaters. It's something I've never done, but I always thought looked cool. I've analyzed the selection and these are my five favorites:
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Announcement: Harlow & Fox's Website is Live!

2013-11-14T17:30:00.001-05:00

Harlow and Fox, the new luxury full bust brand, launched their website yesterday! The site looks gorgeous, with crisp images, extensive sizing/fit help, and a very appealing mission: "to create effortlessly elegant, beautifully luxurious lingerie, exclusively designed for sizes DD-G". Three styles are available now -- the Eleanor in Almond, the Alexandra and the Viola -- with the Lydia and the Eleanor in Mink following later for Valentine's Day and the Sophia completing the debut collection in March. I previewed the lines in August and was awestruck at designer Leanna Williams' commitment to fine quality materials and old school glamour. I'm especially obsessed with the Eleanor's tap pant and Downton Abbey-esque georgette robe! Just call me Lady Mary. ;)

Harlow and Fox has kindly extended a discount code for Miss Underpinnings' readers! Enter "MISS10" for 10% off your order, it'll be valid until Monday, November 18.

The Guide to Avocado's Constructions & Fit

2013-11-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

Avocado's A Shape: Greta, Jewel in Black & Kyoto

Purchasing a product from a new brand is stressful and ordering from an overseas company feels even riskier, especially when it comes to bras. Avocado is a wonderful company and after Wednesday's announcement that their international website was live, I was flooded with questions about their collection. Specifically, there seemed to be a lot of uncertainty about the various constructions they offer and how their bras fit. I've created this guide to cover the basics and share my own experiences of the line. I hope this helps! :)

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