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.
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 [...]
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.
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.
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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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.
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Do you ski? It’s so cold outside I almost wish I did, then I’d have a reason to enjoy the weather, but having been brought up in Scotland I don’t find myself desperate to go out in the snow, just happy to be able to avoid shoveling it. I have too many memories of having to help dig the car out in order to get to school in the morning an occasionally having to wade thigh deep in the stuff dressed only in tights and ankle boots because our school uniform code said girls were forbidden to wear trousers. How did they get away with stuff like that? (Apparently trousers were ‘unfeminine’ unlike ties, which were of course a normal part of female attire in the early seventies. 
Anyway, I digress. If I were going ski-ing then here’s a new expensive toy to ski with. Bentley ahs partnered with Swiss firm ZAI to create a ‘supersports’ set of handmade ski’s – a limited edition of only 250 pairs. They are made from carbon fibre with a natural rubber core and at $9,800 for a pair are the most expensive skis available. (see the top pair, pictured)
So, there you have it. Cosy and warm by the fire in your nightgown and fur trimmed robe, or out adventuring on the peaks in your Bentley Skis? What I love about it is the fact that it makes the nightgown and robe option look so economical!
As you relax, swathed in your silk, satin and very expensive lace nightgown, you enjoy a glass of wine, watch the scenery from the yacht, but every so often your hands feel idle and you need something to do. A way to fill in the hours between the many beautiful things you do with your life, in short, you need a hobby.
But not just any hobby. It has to be a beautiful, luxurious hobby, something worthy of your lifestyle and surroundings. Could it be collecting? Let’s face it you’re probably into that already, and while it may be elegant and cerebral, it’s not exactly an active pass time. How about yoga? A little too physical perhaps. Pottery? Too messy. Embroidery? Maybe a little old fashioned.
Worry not, we have the ideal hobby for you. It’s traditional but trendy, sedate but sophisticated, common, but creative. What is it? Knitting!
Once upon a time hand knitted items were reasonably common, grandmothers made them in order to save money. But time has passed and very few of us listened to grandma, there aren’t many people left who can knit, so suddenly it’s trendy, hand knitted items cost a small fortune and knitting wool has become reassuringly expensive.
‘String’ luxury yarn is made from 100% cashmere, costs $180 per ball and comes in a whole seven colors. But if you’d prefer something even more interesting, try knitting with Quivut. Available from Windy Valley Muskox in Palmer, Alaska, this yarn is made from the undercoat of the muscox and is one of the most luxurious fibres in the world. The same company also provide my personal favorite, Alpaca, in a wonderful range of colors including pastel and jewel tones.
So it’s OK. We can knit to our hearts content knowing that, at $180 a ball, knitting with ‘string’ is a genuinely jet set hobby.
Picture our Elizabeth robe, but in sumptuous silver grey, lined with deep pink and edged with softest silver fox (faux, of course). The nightgown is a soft pink trimmed with tiny bows and decorated with tiny pearls. It’s my favorite robe, but it demands with right setting. It’s not the sort of robe you wear while frying eggs, for example, and it even draws the line at emptying the dishwasher, it is, however, just the right robe for a romantic break, ideal for breakfast in your suite and THE thing in which to pour the perfect cup of tea.
The choice, must of course be Earl Grey, drunk in the English fashion with sugar to taste and a splash of milk. (though with tea with honey and lemon might also be possible). Imagine my joy then when I found the perfect tea pot, the ideal accompaniment not only for my morning cup of Earl Grey, but for my robe. Happy Aladdin is only one an amazing range of stunning hand blown glass teapots from french tea specialist Mariage Freres. The names, as well as the designs and descriptions, and completely irresistible, and an absolute must have for the serious robe owner!
Paul Allens No 2 yacht - Octopus
My husband and I were having a discussion the other day. If for some reason we want to go somewhere and the Rolls isn’t available, there’s no real problem, we can always use the Aston, the Ferrari or even the Bugatti. But what do we do when the yacht’s not available? I can hardly be expected to transport my nightgowns in some cramped suitcase, or navigate the vulgarities of a commercial airline.
So the solution is of course, buy another yacht. I have to admit, I thought that would be quite an unusual idea, at $100 million or so each, luxury yachts don’t’ exactly grow on trees, but it seems that Paul Allen had the idea before us. In addition to Tatoosh, the 301 foot yacht he purchased in 2001, the Microsoft founder also owns ‘Octopus’ the worlds eighth largest superyacht. Clearly Mr Allen agrees with us that luxury needs backup. Octopus has two helicopters as well as two submarines, so no-ones going to spoil his fun anytime soon.
Of course the good thing about having two is that while you’re using one, the other can be earning. The eldest son of the President of Equitorial Guinea reportedly paid $600,000 to rent Tatoosh for a Christmas cruise. Just enough to fill up Octopus fuel tanks.
My current favourite, 'Josephine' our Empire style nightgown. Why feel like a queen when you could feel like an Empress?
I recently realised that my closet was simply not luxurious enough for my nightgowns, but what to do? Some valuable paintings for the wall? There’s no wall space left between the hanging rails. It’s a difficult problem, I finally had to choose between a mural for the ceiling, or a brand new gold floor. Or aluminium. Or copper, or (heaven forbid) imitation gold leaf. And the best thing about all these choices is that each is available on sustainable and renewable hardwood, bamboo or engineered wood floors from ecolux.
Sounds good, and should look good too, but I’m wondering if gold is a little vulgar, or maybe too down market? Perhaps I’ll wait until the platinum version is available.
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