Moonlit Merlot, romantic peignoir set from Certain Style

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 are looking for. Take a look at one of the size tags in her clothes, but please be sure to check something that fits (like an item she wore yesterday) and don’t stick with just one. Sizes vary far more than you can imagine, so it’s best to get a picture of more than one. Standard sizes allow for a woman’s hips to be two inches larger than her bust. Try to check her hip size as well, as many women are pear shaped and may need top and bottom in different sizes to get the best fit. If you really cant find out, choose a store with a helpful attitude, some have programs where they will contact the woman on your behalf and get her measurements without spoiling the surprise.

Before you buy think, about whether your gift will ever be worn. The chances are that if it is too revealing or makes her feel silly, it will end up stuck in a drawer. If that’s the direction you want to go in, you may have to get there in small steps.

Before you decide to buy, check that the store you have chosen has a well displayed telephone number and give them a call. You can tell a lot by whether the phone is answered. You want your queries dealt with promptly so if you call at a reasonable time (check where the store is) and there is only an answering machine, you may want to give them a miss. Best of all, use live chat if it is available.

Once you have basic size information look at the numbers. If all you’ve gathered is S M L or XL then you need to do a little more research. Most lingerie sites will have a size chart, check the values you have against this chart. If her bust is smaller than 30 or larger than 40, the chances are that most sites won’t sell her size, in which case you buy made to measure or look for a plus size store. If you are buying for a special occasion, made to measure is the way to go, though it is generally more expensive.

The biggest mistake men make when buying lingerie on the web is that they get enthusiastic about the pictures. You are looking at a model. She is probably very tall and usually a very small size. You may be buying for someone the same, but the chances are that the woman in your life in shorter and wider. There are quality lingerie sites on the web, but take a look at the prices. You get what you pay for. Cheaply made garments may not fit particularly well, this is fine with a loose style, but if you are looking at figure hugging perfection, consider that someone has probably pinned the garment at the back, where you can’t see it, to make it look that way.

Think about the shape of the woman you are buying for. If she is pear shaped, (more than 2 inches bigger at the hips than the bust – and most women are) then unless you buy made to measure you will not be able to fit her with something really figure hugging, so opt for something that will suit her shape, like a babydoll nightgown which is tight around the bust but wide around the hips. If you are buying this as a romantic gift, why not give her a romantic gown? Something long and silk, with a lace trim would be ideal. Transparent may be sexy, but it isn’t romantic. For the ultimate in romance, take a look at peignoir sets.  This is the item most women want, but won’t buy for themselves.

Women with large cup sizes may find that they burst out of standard size nightgowns. If this is the case then a nightgown where the skirt hangs from a yoke will look better. This doesn’t have to be the sort of style your Mom would wear, there are plenty of short sexy styles which don’t have fitted busts. If your wife has small breasts then something with ruffles or pleating over the breast area will often be the most flattering.

Have you heard her say she hates her legs? If so, pick something long. I promise that if you get her something she really likes, and most importantly feels good in, you’ll get the effect you are looking for more than if you went for something which really only appeals to you.

Finally, this is a gift, so get it wrapped. Some companies (Certain Style is one of them) supply in a lovely box as a matter of course, others stuff the item in a bag. The web site should say, but if not, call, don’t leave it to chance and if you don’t buy made to measure be sure you can return it if it doesn’t fit.

Barefoot Bride photo by Polina Osherov

The big thing about the web is supposed to be the opportunity for dialogue with customers. Rather than simply developing products and telling customers why they should want them, you get an opportunity to find out what the customers actually want.

I’ve come to the conclusion that many companies are paying lip service to this. They appear to be asking, but the truth is it’s business as usual, and it’s something I’ve been trying to avoid with Certain Style.

It’s my personal belief that many of the nightgowns for sale are  all about men, and not about the women who wear them. I like to feel good in a nightgown and that doesn’t usually mean exposing bits I’d rather were covered. I know a lo of your agree, but over the last few months as we strove to introduce a Bridal range, Ive also heard from women who want who have pointed out to me that sometimes their purpose in donning a nightgown is to be/feel/appear sexy, so we listened. 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.

Of course we didn’t stop there. I like animal prints, but when it comes to lingerie they can look cheap and nasty. A great deal depends on the fabric design. As a result I was overjoyed to find a gorgeous giraffe print for our new babydoll nightgown the fabric is ultra light pure silk chiffon and probably the most gorgeous fabric in our growing collection, but we don’t have a lot, so head on over to our website a grab one while you can!

Please let us know what you think of the new collection by adding a comment below.

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.

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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!

Bonnie is a beautiful plus size model.

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?

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

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!

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.

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Do you have a wrap? Silk wraps can be pinned in place to make supersmart tops for trousers.
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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.
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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.

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…

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.