Style AND substance, our hand painted silk robe, ideal for Spring

Silk is the most romantic fiber in the world. Used for wedding and evening dresses as well as high end nightgowns and lingerie, silk is highly prized, but did you know that techniques of silk manufacture were at one time regarded as state secrets? To find out more about silk and it’s unique history, read on.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

rosesWhen you want to buy something lovely, something personal, something expensive for the woman in your life, three things come to mind, perfume,  jewels and lingerie.  If it’s her birthday, or your anniversary, flowers are another good choice. How then do you decide?
A brave man will pick one and go with it. A generous man might give all four.

There are no women who don’t like flowers, but remember her prestige is at stake. It’s great to send flowers to her at the office, but not if you send something small. If the lady in your life is the CEO she won’t appreciate getting a single rose if her secretary regularly receives 2 dozen. The best idea here is to find out what she likes and stick to that, or find something unusual which won’t invite a great deal of comparison.  Best of all send a flower which has some personal meaning to you both, for example I don’t care for carnations, but if my husband send me a bouquet of white carnations I’d love it because it would remind me of the wedding lei he bought me on our honeymoon in Hawaii.  If you don’t know her well you might find out the official flower of the state she comes from and send her that – again it’s something personal and shows you went to a little trouble rather than just choosing the first thing you saw on the screen.

Flowers , given properly, are very romantic, but remember that they don’t last. Roses, especially, can be very disappointing, lasting only a few days, though there are some companies that offer unusual rose arrangements which make quite a statement.

Perfume can also be a problem. There are simply too many to choose from and choice is a very personal thing.  The simplest thing to do here is either just to buy a lovely set of which ever perfume she currently favors, or to consult with the sephora fragrance finder.  The fragrance finder uses the fragrance she wears now to predict others she will like, and people say it is pretty reliable. Be aware the every persons skin reacts slightly differently with scent, what smells very very good on one woman, might smell ghastly on the next. My view is that unless you know her well and are buying something you know she has tried and wants, give perfume a miss.

Jewels are a good choice, but can be expensive.  Buying costume jewelry is fine when you are in a long term relationship, but it’s not the right message for someone you’ve recently met and want to impress.   Good jewelry tends to be expensive, but there are items which are a safe bet.  Every women needs a string of pearls and few women will say no to another, even if she already owns one.  Styles are always changing as are colors. A single strand of pearls 18 to 20 inches in a medium size is ideal for most women, but if you’re feeling extravagant, a multistrand twisted necklace is a fabulous gift. But beware of size. We forget the jewelry has sizes; the 16 inch strands used for necklaces these days will strangle a lot of women and cause a great deal of expense (having it made bigger) or disappointment if that isn’t possible.

Beautiful lingerie and sleepwear are items most men want to buy for their wives and girlfriends, but fail to, either because they don’t know where to find them, or they are looking for the wrong thing.

For women sleepwear is not just about sex. Sleepwear is about romance. Most women feel romantic in a long flowing nightgown.  Do you know what her fantasies are? Does she have a yen for Mr Darcy? If so a regency style nightgown would be a good idea. Feed her fantasies and it is far more likely that she’ll feed yours! Does she believe you when you say she has fabulous legs? If so a babydoll style might be ideal. If she works hard all day some lounging pajamas are a great way to help her change rolls, from workaholic woman to personal playmate.

Lingerie and sleepwear sizes can be a problem. The designer companies rarely sell anything above a size 12 or 14, and since the average american woman falls outside that range it’s likely that they don’t sell the right size for the woman in your life.

In that case use a made to measure service. There’s no need to worry about her size, you can add a touch of mystery and romance to your gift giving by becoming a ‘secret admirer’

Whichever gift you choose, women love to see their gifts well wrapped.  Use a lovely gift box, add paper and a bow, or at the least wrap in tissue and put it in a decorative  present bag.

If it’s any consolation,  your problem isn’t nearly as bad as hers, most women have absolutely no clue what to buy for the man in their lives!  You could always solve her problem by  suggesting she buy herself lingerie, as a present to you!

Share

Bonnie is a beautiful plus size model who looks fabulous in everything.

Bonnie is a beautiful plus size model.

With all the recent talk about whether we want to see more realistic women in their fashion magazines, The Montreal Gazette recently published this article on mannequins.

Having spent ages simply trying to find mannequins we could use to display our clothing at shows or in occasional pictures I wasn’t surprised to hear that plus size mannequins aren’t common, but I was surprised to see the following quote from Leif Anderson, co-owner of Gender Mannequins, a Canadian company who sells mannequins throughout the world.

Asked

Magazines and fashion models are often blamed for creating unrealistic body standards for women. Surely mannequins contribute to that as well?

He replied

I don’t think so. They’re just coat hangers. I’m not trying to say that people should be one way or another. The fact is, clothes look the best on this type of shape. I’m not judging anybody for being one way or another. The fact is that if you put a pair of high boots on her (gestures toward a skinny mannequin) and a little mini-dress, it looks good. I’m selling clothes here. I’m selling a dream, not reality.

I have to disagree. I can think of lots of clothes that do not look best on ‘this type of shape’. Some styles actually need curves in order to look good. Ask anyone who has ever tried to sell lingerie! This attitude is however pretty typical in the fashion industry as a whole. Think of the fuss they make on project runway if they’re asked to make something for a plus size client! There seems to be some belief that fashion can’t look good on the plus size figure; we can all think of plus size stores that prove the point, but plus size models can look good, even fabulous. We are all a little more cautious about spending money at the moment, so surely giving us something we can relate to is MORE likely to make the sale? When I can look at something on a women with a real shape, AND see that it looks great, then I KNOW I want one. Am I alone?

Share

Hurray! Romance is not dead! It seems the trend to super translucent nightgowns has suffered a reverse and full length nightgowns are once again ‘in’. It’s an interesting observation. Many brides, unable to find the sort of romantic lingerie they were looking for for a honeymoon have in recent times resorted to vintage lingerie, reveling in the sort of nylon and lace which, while certainly feminine and romantic to look at is not very comfortable to wear.

Tina wearing our bloomer pajamas in pure white eyelet cotton. Can be trimmed with ribbons!

Tina wearing our bloomer pajamas in pure white eyelet cotton. Can be trimmed with ribbons!


This is Tina, from our latest photo shoot, showing off our bloomer pajamas, in pure, bridal white.
What’s interesting is that we find that although all Certain Style nightwear is customizable, so you can trim your white bloomer pajamas with the colors of your wedding scheme, most brides opt for white. Looking at this dreamy picture, you can certainly see why!

Share

Pure, butter colored silk nightgown with a halter neck and drawstring bodice.

Pure, butter colored silk nightgown with a halter neck and drawstring bodice.

A wise man once said that the UK and the USA were two nations divided by a common language – certainly as a resident of 12 months standing (just) I am struck by the many differences between life in the UK and my new life here in Florida.

Most striking is the sunshine – even with the news reports of doom and gloom it’s pretty difficult to feel depressed in all this sunshine – and it’s equally difficult to feel good about wearing all those sensible wardrobe ‘basics’. While navy, charcoal and black are pretty well the only colors you see in the UK, Florida sunshine seems to demand brighter, happier colors which would be regarded as pretty poor taste in Bond Street.

But it’s in attitudes that the differences become really apparent. While a European woman will dress for herself – understanding that much of her appeal lies in her self-confidence – women in the US still seem to dress for others. When we talk to women about the kind of nightwear they want they keep telling us what their husbands like, invariably something short, transparent and not for the shy. When pressed the same women admit that they actually fall into bed in an old, but comfortable sweatshirt.

Ladies of America! The pleasures of silk, satin and lace at bedtime are many and they ARE for YOU and not just for HIM. The fabric feels fantastic -you feel feminine – relaxed, elegant, comfortable, cool, in all senses of the word!

Share
Helen - originally designed as a nightgown, makes a great evening gown!

Helen - originally designed as a nightgown, makes a great evening gown!

Sometimes invitations come at the wrong time. You need to dress in a particular way but you can’t, perhaps you’ve had a stay in hospital or recently gained (or lost) weight or for any number of reasons you find you want to go somewhere and the appropriate clothes are hanging in your closet, but they don’t fit.

There are lots of ways to react to this

Rush out and buy more – if you have time, money and a local store that sells your size of the right sort of garment.

Buy from the Web – as above, if you have the time and can wait for the delivery.

Make something yourself. Have you done this before? Do you have the time? Maybe not then.

http://www.mccallpattern.com/ , http://www.voguepatterns.com , http://www.sewingworld.co.uk/Sewing_Patterns.html?gclid=CMCYgqbFkJYCFQXGsgodaAMxEg

Order something to be made – not as silly as it may sound – there are many ‘fashion emergency’ services to be found on the internet where you can get something made to measure in under two weeks, if you have the time, the money (there is usually a rush fee) and are willing to gamble that they will get it right. (Peggy Lutz at http://www.plus-size.com usually operates a fashion emergency service for size 12 and up (her 2X is equivalent to a size 36) and of course at Certain Style we are always happy to create something custom made to your size.

Decide not to go. This is defeatist and I’m ashamed of you. Hide your light under a bushel? Really that’s a no.

Go in what you have – much better. You’ve been invited for your company (probably) and your sparkling wit can sparkle in anything, so do your best and go anyway. This is great, and probably the ‘correct’ approach psychologically, but it’s not something I find easy. Try a variation.

You have got just the right thing. You looked in the wrong place. Look in your closet again. And your daughters and your husbands and your sons (if necessary, though probably to be avoided). Now look at your lingerie. Some garments are relatively ‘easy fit’ and far more forgiving of changes in size than others.

*
Do you have a wrap? Silk wraps can be pinned in place to make supersmart tops for trousers.
*
Do you have a camisole? These days underwear as outerwear is not just acceptable it’s fashionable. If the whole ‘what do I do with my bra straps’ thing bothers you – you can buy decorative bra straps from several internet sites.
*
Do you have a nightgown? It’s easy to ignore the possibilities of nightgowns, but depending on the fabric these can be very versatile garments. Nightgowns are rarely designed to be tight fitting, and with the right underwear and jewelry can make sophisticated evening or cocktail dresses as you can see in our picture.

Do you have a shawl or a sarong? Shawls can be pressed into service as evening stoles while throws can be used as capes or wraps in a fashion emergency. Sarongs don’t have to be kept for the beach. Tied correctly they can make fabulous dresses. http://www.sabinesarongsplus.com/

Clothes can have more than one use, think about that when you buy, and like Cinderella you can always go to the ball.

Share

greynailsThere is a chill in the air and the leaves are starting to turn. Fall is here. Make sure you are ready from head to toe to feel and look great this season!

Starting at the top, hair. Think of going a little darker or adding in some low lights to warm up you color. Bangs are the way to go look for the style that best suits you. Bangs frame your face and give your style a pick up without a major change.

Time to go to your favorite make-up counter and stock up on wonderful colors for fall. Think dark purples for the eyes and more browns and burnt colors for the cheeks and lips. Keep it subtle but fun. Remember you can accentuate your eyes or lips not both. So, if you go for a dark smokey eyes make sure to have neutral lips. Conversely if you are wearing a fun crimson lipstick play up your eyes but keep the color to a minimum.

A scarf is the perfect fall accessory. Look for one that is wide enough to be used as a wrap if necessary but still light enough to be worn as a scarf. This will give you versatility. Look for a color that will translate with much of your wardrobe. My favorite color is purple so I use merlot colored accessories that are neutral enough to match almost anything but give me that little flare.

As far as clothing look for things that make you feel great. Fall is all about being cozy, embrace it. Find fabrics you just can’t stop touching that will feel great on your skin. Flowing lines and fun layers are a must this fall!

For nails the color is silver and gray. Have fun with it. Do a charcoal on your toes and a flat gray almost white on your fingernails. Remember lighter colors show chipping less, so toes are best for the darker colors. If you are feeling adventurous go for something with some iridescence and sparkle. Hold the bottles up to your skin to make sure you find the shade that goes best with your skin tone, if you cannot decide ask your girlfriend or manicurist for their advice.

One of my favorite parts of fall are boots! Look for lots of structure and a functional look. We will be seeing more cowboy and riding boots this season. Just remember not to over do it, your looks should be inspired by the ranch not functional for it.

This will be a fun fall, full of color and fashion. Stay tuned to be sure you have that Certain Style

Share
Evening Rose - Chiffon and lace nightgown - but is it lingerie?

Evening Rose - Chiffon and lace nightgown - but is it lingerie?

What’s in a name? Was Shakespeare right? Does it matter? YES! What we call things is extremely important. Yes, it’s important from the viewpoint of search engine optimisation and all that jazz, but get down to basics. There’s nothing more important than the elevator pitch and something I discovered the other day.

Question: what do you do? Answer: luxury nightgowns Result. A polite smile, but no real interest.

Question: what do you do? Answer: luxurious lingerie. Result. Oh really? Do you have a shop?

When is a nightgown a nightgown and when is it a piece of lingerie? The dictionary doesn’t provide any clues but when I asked around the answer I got was that lingerie is what you buy for your wife or your girlfriend, a nightgown is something you would buy for your Mother. What do we make at Certain Style? Well it seems we make lingerie. And nightgowns. Here’s a picture. You decide.

Share
Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes
© 2012 Miranda Suffusion WordPress theme by Sayontan Sinha