Design | Miranda

Luxury Nightgowns and Robes – Why Fabric is Key
There’s something about silk which makes it a luxury fabric, and of course it feels fabulous close to the skin. Sadly a lot of people steer clear of silk in the belief that it is difficult to care for, which these days is not always the case. Many modern silks, including those we use, are [...]
Nightgowns and Why The Right Fabric is the Secret.
The best way to choose a see-through nightgown online is to pay little attention to the picture. The name of the textile used is generally more useful. Chiffon is one of the most commonly used sheer fabrics, as are georgette, tulle, double georgette and organza. Lace can be quite revealing depending on the pattern, and [...]
Nightgowns – Can They Improve Your Sex Life?
In a word, yes. A nightgown can be anything, from a simple cotton shift to a few patches of lace, a wisp of lace and a ribbon. It can be modest or revealing, sophisticated or sluttish, silk or cotton, long or short. The word nightgown covers a huge spectrum of very different garments, but there’s [...]
When Is A Peignoir Set Like A Pizza?
until around hundred years ago, if you bought new clothes, they were always custom made. Custom made was normal. Most women not only had a dressmaker they were capable of making their own clothes. If you were rich then it was always the dressmaker, and the result was two fold.

1. Clothes used to fit.

2. There were no standard sizes.
What? No Nightgown?
Those of us who have passed the first flush of youth, and I must include myself here, may find ourselves occasionally frustrated by the cult of the young. Fashion seems to be designed with the young in mind, both in terms of design and in terms of size. Style, however is something we ladies of [...]
Buy Lingerie For Your Wife Without the Embarrassment! Tips For Buying Lingerie Online
It’s much easier for men to buy lingerie for the women in their lives if they buy online, especially if you buy from us but there are some simple things to look for when choosing an online store which will make your task easier.Before you go online shopping try to find out what size you [...]
The Importance of Nightgowns
It’s no coincidence that when a woman dumps a man or becomes a dumpee, she often heads straight for the hairdresser. A new look is in order. Self esteem is at stake and confidence is the key to recovery. But there are times in life when confidence slips, just a little, and you’re not aware [...]
You Asked For It – Our New Bridal Nightgown
Today we’ve just finished adding our new ‘sunshine’ collection to the website, and part of that is a our new bridal nightgown set, Barefoot Bride. Consisting of a chiffon nightgown with tiny lace underlay, the chiffon is layered but still very revealing, fluttering, feminine but very sexy and designed for the bride who knows what she wants, and how to get it.
Getting a Little Lost
The Finale of LOST was so disappointing that it seems wrong to write about it. But here goes.
How to Choose Lingerie – Cotton or Silk?
It’s an easy choice, or so most people think. Cotton is cheap, practical and every day. Silk is for special occasions, it’s delicate, sensuous and definitely dangerous. Almost opposites. So you’d probably be surprised if I told you that cotton is often the more expensive of the two, and when it comes to strength, silk usually wins hands down.

Fast but not Fit (to wear)

Feb 222010

Picture from the Huffinton Post

Yet again there is fuss about the existence of plus size models. women who walk along a runway (that’s catwalk to us British) turn and walk back. Apparently it’s great that some of these come close to the size of the average woman. This whole thing is completely ridiculous. Is it good that larger women are being used as models? Yes, of course it is, but the sizes involved (US size 10, UK size 12) are not exactly large, are they. They’re not exactly average either. What amazes me is that there is, or ever has been an audience for stick thin models. Why?
But that’s an old point. ‘Designer’ (and it’s in quotes for a reason) Mark Fast is in the headlines for using ‘curvy models’. He is described, in the Huffington Post, as ‘brave’. Well yes. It is brave, because NONE OF THE CLOTHES FIT PROPERLY.

Is this some important fashion statement about plus size women? Frankly I don’t care. Design should be all about the customer. How to make her look good, and feel even better. Design is not, and should not be about the designer. Here’s one designer who has proved to me that he can take a stunning woman and turn her into the plainest of the plain. Great job. If the idea was to stat a trend for clothes that are too small, sorry, but no, Ive seen the result. If the idea is to start a trend for clothes that actually fit, sorry but you missed the boat. No-one with any sense has ever worn anything else.

What is the purpose of a designer? Purely and simply to save you time. If you know that a particular style flatters you, go to the designer who makes it and buy their clothes. That’s it. You have a name, you save time because you don’t have to look around. It’s the whole purpose of branding, and the only reason it survives, the convenience of the customer. But for some reason designers seem to think they are important, and the sad things is that women only have themselves to blame for a thoroughly shameful state of affairs where people with silly ideas like this one get space on the air and in print. In fact I wish I wasn’t talking about this at all, in case that was the idea. So I’ll shut up.

Mark Fast Sends Curvy Models Down His Catwalk (PHOTOS, POLL) (huffingtonpost.com)
Designer keeps it curvy on the London catwalk (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Designer Mark Fast Continues His Tradition Of Sending Plus-Size Models Down The Runway [Fashion Show] (jezebel.com)
Bigger Is Better At London Fashion Week (news.sky.com)
More Voices Join The Plus-Size Fashion Conversation [Style File] (jezebel.com)

When wearing a nightgown, Should You Carry a Briefcase?

Nightgown Things No Responses »

Feb 192010

I was planning to get my husband a briefcase for his birthday, then this landed on my desk. Dynamic Creations are making custom briefcases; apparently a man needs a briefcase to match his car. I suppose this is a reward for serial infidelity. First, there was me, then there was the car, then when I had almost come to terms with that, there was the laptop. Made from carbon fibre these custom briefcases are individually designed to match your car in design, color and interior. Only the best materials are used (of course) Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t say I really feel like forking out around $15000 so my husband can have a sandwich box to match his car. The designer says that the price may come down once the product goes into general production, but once everyone can have one, what’s the point?

Is the Bridal Nightgown More Important Than The Dress?

Bridal Nightgowns No Responses »

Feb 112010

Bridal Robe by Certain Style

It’s spring again and time for bridal season. You might imagine that at Certain Style we’d be wading in white chiffon and lace from the little wisps of nothing ordered by brides. Actually, no. We love brides and are happy to make whatever they want, but recently Bridal nightgowns and robes have become a lot more interesting.

Even weddings are affected by the state of the economy. While brides may spend a fortune on their wedding gown and wear it only once, their bridal nightgown is a different story. The nighttime ensemble a bride chooses for her honeymoon can be worn many times. It can easily be a more lasting memento of the wedding than the dress itself, if chosen well.

For most brides the whole of the wedding day is the realization of a fantasy, so why not use sleepwear to extend the romantic fantasy of a wedding to cover the honeymoon and beyond? Actually it’s quite difficult to do. When you talk about ‘fantasy’ and nightwear in the same sentence, it all seems to be about men. Fantasy nightgown? No. Think fantasy costume, french maids, schoolgirls etc. Now there’s nothing wrong with indulging male fantasy (which is usually what it is) but what about female fantasy? Sadly many brides choose honeymoon nightgowns that end up stuffed at the back of a drawer, usually because their owners feel embarrassed or uncomfortable when wearing them. But there’s no need.

Where sex is power, romance is vulnerability. The ideal marriage is of course a mixture of both; interestingly we find that it’s the second time brides who come to us looking for a romantic nightgown, but this could well be because second time brides are often a little older, and as a result more in touch with themselves. As one lady put it to me the other day, ‘Feeling romantic is

Empire Style silk nightgown, designed for a bride and inspired by the Empress Josephine.

what makes me feel really sexy’. We’ve been asked for is a regency style nightgown for a bride who had found her Mr Darcy, and a fur trimmed robe for a fan of Anna Karenina. Many tall women long for the romance of a full length nightgown as those in the shops only reach mid-calf. Despite our best efforts, we’ve not been able to distill romance into a single nightgown design, but then, would we want to?

What is the ideal bridal nightgown? It’s all to do with the way you want to feel. If your romantic fantasy is very ‘Gone With The Wind’, look for a nightgown and robe in the great Gothic style, Scarlet really new how to wear a robe! If you are more tended to ‘Pride and Prejudice‘ something in silk with a high waist and small cap sleeves will give you that ‘waiting for Mr Darcy’ feeling, and if Gothic romance is your thing, a full length, handkerchief linen chemise with a deep neckline, long sleeves and lavish lace trim should do the job admirably. Brocade, trimmed with frills and lace can be very regal depending on the style, while silk velvet cut with wide medieval sleeves and a beautiful trim will make you feel like a character in the ‘Lord of The Rings’ . The fantasy really doesn’t have to stop with the dress and you’ll wear the nightgown and robe far more often!

I love my job because every garment we make is unique, just like the woman who eventually wears it. Keeping romance alive is a major part of making a marriage successful. I can’t think of many things more important that that.

Tips To Help You Choose Your Wedding Colors (makeyourweddinginexpensive.com)
How to Dress for a Summer Beach Wedding (recycleemail.com)
How To Plan A Wedding (slideshare.net)

Tomorrow is Another (Difficult) Day

Nightgown Things No Responses »

Jan 252010

: Image via Wikipedia

Tomorrow I’m going to do something I should really enjoy, and that’s give a talk. I like talking, primarily as a result of ebing overly fond, as my grandmother said, of the sound of my own voice. Fortunately most people seem to find me easy and informative to listen to, so usually it’s a win win situation. But not tomorrow.

Usually when I’m talking it’s an aspect of business, and particularly business on the internet that I’m discussing, but tomorrow I’m talking about fashion, and in particular about wardrobe building and fit. Why is this a problem I hear you ask? Well because somewhere in the audience, and I’ve done this several time so I must ask you to believe me, there will be a lovely lady wearing something that neither suits nor fits, and I will be spending the whole time trying hard NOT to look at her.

For some reason my audiences for these things seem to include a lot of plus size ladies. That could be because plus size is really stupidly defined, or it could be that some people think made to measure is something only plus size people need (really? Yes, some people are that daft) and as we know, there is nothing worse than plus size clothing when it comes to fit and design. Yes, there are some great designers, but the majority? Who on earth decided that horizontal patterns, like border prints, were good for plus size women? No, in case you’re wondering I’m not talking about the size 12′s which have been so recently ‘discovered’ by the media (oh my, they may be fat but some of them are almost human) I’m talking about real women with some meat on their bones.

So tomorrow, I apologise in advance to the poor lady who is going to feel victimized by what I’m saying. If only I could make the people who sold her those ill-fitting clothes, feel as bad as they should, the it would ‘all be worth while’.

Blazers, vests and sweaters (fatchic.net)
Fashion First, Whatever the Size (nytimes.com)
New biz markets fashionable clothes for fat girls (the-f-word.org)
Sidibe’s Designer States The Obvious: “It’s All About Picking The Right Silhouette For Her Shape.” [Dressing For Success] (jezebel.com)

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Fast but not Fit (to wear)

When wearing a nightgown, Should You Carry a Briefcase?

Is the Bridal Nightgown More Important Than The Dress?

Tomorrow is Another (Difficult) Day

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Fast but not Fit (to wear)

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When wearing a nightgown, Should You Carry a Briefcase?

Is the Bridal Nightgown More Important Than The Dress?

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Tomorrow is Another (Difficult) Day

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