Oflambsandlace's First Birthday

In case you weren't keeping tabs, the 27th of December 2012 was the day oflambsandlace was conceived and created on. I've been considering for some time now, just how i can mark this occasion. I know many blogs host lots of giveaways on their birthdays, some blogs go back over the year and highlight some of their favourite posts and most blogs take photographs with a cake. But lets be honest, i don't need an excuse to eat a whole cake by myself, hosting giveaways makes me anxious (no really, but what if no one enters?) and i'm sure if anyone wants to relive a whole year of oflambsandlace posts, they can just read the originals. Eventually i settled on something simple so i can commemorate the occasion without making too much of a fuss. Therefore, i'll keep this short and sweet.

Oflambsandlace was born out of a need for some kind of creative and frivolous outlet during a particularly tumultuous period in my life. It was and still is, purely self indulgent. But whilst initially, the indulgence came from providing a justification to my spending, something i did only as a respite from the blues, now i indulge in something different altogether. I take pleasure in interacting with the wider lingerie community and have met so many incredible people, all who share a common interest. When once, i could feel quite lonely and dismiss my passions because they appealed to no one i knew, now i am connected to people who understand where i'm coming from. I am also very privileged to have met someone who i consider to be one of my closest friends and my "separated at birth" twin through this blog. Someone i will treasure long after the end of Oflambsandlace, whenever that will be. This whole process has also inspired my foray into a long time family tradition of photography. I'd previously been reluctant to try my hand purely out of despondence that any photos i'd take would have no purpose. And whilst i was no where near a natural like many of my close family, this blog gave me a platform to post, scrutinise and improve on my skills. I now have the confidence to take photographs for pleasure and feel a sense of pride over my improvement (and sheer embarrassment over my early attempts).

Oflambsandlace has enriched my life but it would have been nothing without the never-ending support from those who read, promote and interact with it. So here's a big thank you. And here's to another lingerie filled year.

Highstreet Lingerie to treat yourself to this winter

I have a never ending lingerie wish list and Christmas is the one time of year where i can pass this list over to someone who loves me and expect to receive at least one item i'm lusting after. Of course failing that, the January sales are just around the corner and what's the point of working two jobs if not to bury myself in discounted Agent Provocateur come payday?

I am, however, hyperaware that not everyone has partners (or mothers) that are so understanding about the importance of lingerie and that buying christmas presents for yourself is totally an acceptable use of money. So i intended to put together a little list of the best high street lingerie but most stores are actually lacking in anything special and i got stuck after Asos and H&M. So here's a brief list of all the lingerie i'd be treating myself to if a) i could afford to spend anymore on myself and b) it came in my sizes. Enjoy!

From top left to bottom right:

ASOS Boudoir Lace Overlay Demi Cup Set - In sizes 30A to 36D and XS to XL.
I'm so pleased that ASOS has expanded their own lingerie range to accomodate 30 backs in smaller cup sizes. This particular set is one that made it's way onto my own Christmas wishlist and will probably become a part of my collection even if my mother doesn't, ahem, cough up the goods. 

Gossard Egoboost Sequin Set - In sizes 30D to 38G and XS to XL.
I love how festive and frivolous this set is. I secretly a massive lover of all things sparkly and red so it's such a shame that Gossard doesn't produce it's bras in sizes appropriate for very small busts but the 32A is looking mighty tempting.

Jack Wills Hartford Boypant - In sizes 8 to 14.
Granted this particular style of knicker is the most unflattering cut ever known to woman but oh gosh, they're the most comfortable knickers you'll ever wear. Especially since they're 100% cotton.
B'Tempted La Parsienne Push up bra - In sizes 30D to 38C. 
And missing so many sizes in between.
ASOS Boudoir Strappy Lace harness set - In sizes 30A to 36D and XS to L.
Yet again another from ASOS' own lingerie line that accommodates a wide range of sizes. I love a bit of lace, longline and harness detailing so this set is a winner.
Vero Moda Bella Lace set - In sizes S to XL.
As soon as i saw this set i was immediately reminded of *that* Agent Provocateur AW13 set that i doubt i'll ever save up enough to own. 

From top left to bottom right:

Padded Underwired Bra - In sizes 34B to 36B.

And missing so many sizes in between. This is basically as close as a dupe for the Agent Provocateur Whitney bra as you can get for £14.99 but unfortunately in a ridiculously limited range of sizes. Well worth treating yourself to if you do fit in that range though!

Lace Slip - In sizes XS to L.

Not going to lie, i actually know this will be making an appearance in my christmas stocking. Having seen it in person I can tell you the lace on this delicate slip is divine. 

Balconette Bra and String Briefs - In sizes 34B to 36D and 8 to 18.

Yet another lovely bra in a scary range of sizes but the embroidery and detailing on these is hard to pass up. 

Lace bra and Hipster Briefs - In sizes (you guessed it) 34B to 36D and 8 to 16.

Its such a shame h&m refuse to make the majority of their lingerie in sizes suitable for small or full busts. I love the lace details on these though and the knickers are so unique. If i can't wear the bra, i'll probably buy the knickers. 

Non-Wired Bra and Microfibre Shorts - In sizes 10 to 14 and 8 to 16.

Something tells me this bra runs small and could easily be altered to fit small back sizes. The bra would also make a gorgeous top if paired with something high waisted and layered under something warm.

Triangle Bra - In sizes 8 to 16.

 I'm a sucker for a cutesy triangle bra with a big front bow.

Soft Cup Bra - In sizes 8 to 16.

A very cheap but completely useful little bra, perfect as a stocking filler for yourself...

Angela Friedman Lingerie

You know that awful festive song that goes "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." well consider me your true love and consider today the first day of Christmas because i'm sharing a real treat with you today: Angela Friedman lingerie.
Working from New York and sourcing all her fabrics locally, Angela previously ran the costume department at the NYC Ballet. It's quite clear to see the influence working in this industry has had on Angela's own lingerie and loungewear designs. Functionality and style go hand in hand, with neither being sacrificed for the sake of the other. The fabrics and colour palettes used in each collection are so very reminiscent of the indulgent costumes and sets of a big Ballet production. 

It's not much of a secret that i have a little girl crush on Angela. I follow her on Instagram and I swoon every time she posts a selfie (because hello, total babe) or a photo of her work. So whom would be more fitting to feature in the 100th post on oflambsandlace than her?
Angela is well known for her stunning bespoke corsetry but also specialises in lingerie created from luxurious fabrics. She was kind enough to send me this silk chiffon Cecile bralette and thong from her SS13 collection in an XS.

First things first. I have really small shoulders and it was only after i'd put together this shoot (there's always something) that i realised the straps on this bralette are fully adjustable and could be made considerably tighter so my apologies if it looks like one of the cups is falling off. I'd reshoot but i'm pretty pleased with these images and it'll be hard for me to find the time again to catch the brief period at dusk i need for this light. 

The fit of this lingerie set is actually perfect for me. Both the band on the bralette and the waistband on the thong are made of elastic covered in ruched fabric, with both having enough stretch to cover a wide range of sizes within the XS range. I can already tell that i could wear this set for an undisclosed amount of time over a very active day and i'd still not get that awful rib ache or be left covered in red pressure lines. I'm a big sucker for lingerie that is practical as well as a little frivolous.

The silk chiffon fabric itself is sheer and very delicate but this lingerie has been sewn with a double layer so only a semi-translucency remains. Considering these were a sample set from the SS13 collection i was completely ready to accept any flaws in construction, but of course, there is none. All the seams are so very miniscule i can't fathom how someone could actually, humanly, be so neat. It goes without saying i'm now demanding my entire wardrobe be replaced with silk chiffon clothing because i've actually never felt anything so luxurious and comfortable (even velvet has nothing on this fabric). 

I've had a great deal of lust for everything Angela has produced so i'm so over the moon to finally own a set from her collection and my ambition to save up for a waspie might just have to become a reality in the near future.

Since its christmas soon and i'm sure i'm not the only one who has emailed a close loved one (you should all feel very sorry for my poor mother right now) with an extensive lingerie wishlist, Angela has very kindly offered oflambsandlace readers (and their loved ones) 20% off! Just enter the discount code "LAMBS" when making any purchase from her etsy store before the 31st of December. So naturally its as good a time as any to treat yourself or some other lucky person!

*This item was sent to me for free to review, all opinions are most definitely my own

Tips From an Amateur Photographer

   

Recently i've received a lot of positive comments on my blog photography and had a few people assuming that i'm some kind of expert and asking if i'd consider giving out lessons. I most definitely am not qualified to give out proper lessons! If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know that for the first few months of it's life, oflambsandlace had some pretty appalling photos. I was shooting at nighttime on full automatic mode, with no remote and overediting using an app on my phone, a fact that is actually shameful and hard to confess to. Around April i became tired of the extreme jealously i'd feel when i read some of my favourite lingerie blogs (see thatjenesaisquoi, thelingerielesbian and oh baby pipe dreams here, lostinlingerie) and saw how aesthetically pleasing their blog photos were. So in the eight months since, i've completely taught myself (with the occasional bit of help from pinterest or phonecall to the impeccable film photographers in my family) how to use my camera in manual mode, how to stage and how to edit my photos. Everything i've learnt so far has been completely down to trial and error and i'm still improving.
So since i'm an amateur photographer and self taught, any of the tips shared here may not necessarily be techniques favoured(or even agreed on) by other photographers and are tailored to suit my own aesthetic style. I've also based these tips around how i take my blog photos, but a lot can be extrapolated to apply to photography outside of lingerie blogging.

Kit

I shoot with a DSLR because i enjoy the freedom you can get with the manual functions but i've seen some incredible blog photography with point and shoots and even phones (i kid you not), so it's certainly not absolutely necessary to have an expensive camera.

As you can see my Canon EOS 350D has seen better days. It's old , battered and i bought it second hand for cheap. Production on this baby ceased in 2005 so it's no where near up to date, or in full working order, but we get along just fine. My Canon 50mm f/1.8 (which i will explain later) static lens was bought new from ebay for <£70 and is the lens i use most frequently, the other that gets occasional use being the "kit" lens that came with the camera. The reason i prefer my 50mm is because it has a higher aperture but, as it is a static lens (no zoom function whatsoever), and due to the nature of the mirrors in the camera, this means it has to be at least 5ft away from the subject you're shooting, which doesn't half make it difficult to shoot some particular blog photos. 

I also use a remote and tripod, both bought for cheap off of amazon. I have a compact (3ft) tripod which is a little (very) flimsy and i still have to prop it up on table or shelves for a better height. Before i got my tripod i'd just use a mountain of textbooks, shoe boxes, whatever to rest my camera on but really, to get any kind of angle except straight on, you need an adjustable mount (not a flat surface). A remote, i would say, is essential. Shooting self portraits means that i almost always use the autofocus function. So to ensure i'm in focus, i need to already be positioned in front of the camera before triggering the shutter. Hence why the remote comes in handy.

If i'm shooting myself: I position the tripod and camera, put the camera on "autofocus" and "timer mode", set my aperture (more on that later), position myself and then use the remote to take the photo. I then check the image, adjust and repeat multiple times. 

If i'm shooting anything other than myself: i put the camera on "manual focus", set my aperture and focus, frame my subject and then take the photo.

Lighting

*Both these photos are unedited*

I cannot stress enough how important shooting in natural light is. It makes such a massive difference to all photos if you have a good natural light source. So unless you specifically want to shoot at night (and in that case i am pretty ignorant when it comes to diffusing flash and using artificial lighting rigs) make time during daylight hours to shoot and pick a place with lots of natural light. 

One thing i've learnt as an amateur photographer is to avoid positioning my subject directly infront of my major light source. I've seen so many gorgeous photos where this works but no matter how many times i've tried, i've never been able to resolve any detail on the front of the subject without ending up with grainy, over-saturated, images. If i'm absolutely determined to have a window as a backdrop then i like to diffuse the light with net curtains, which helps a little. If you don't want to resolve any detail on your subject and are aiming for a silhouette then by all means do the opposite of this and make sure the subject is out of focus.

Ideally you want to have your subject off to the side of a major, natural, light source, in a well lit area. Unfortunately as is oft to happen in the winter months, even the light in the very middle of the day can be low so it's hard to shoot a subject without having them face the light source. This can give a dull cast to the photos which can be fixed easily with basic editing but sometimes i prefer to wait and reshoot when the lighting is more appropriate.

Aperture

I always shoot in the slightly, but not fully manual "aperture priority" mode on my camera. This means that while i set the aperture, my camera automatically sets an appropriate shutter speed to ensure the photo is not over or under exposed. Ideally i'd love to shoot in full manual mode but my camera's light meter is broken and therefore to set my own shutter speed would be a long and arduous task of trial and error for every single photo. I find it's more important, for the kind of photos i take, that i am in control of my aperture than my shutter speed anyway. The aperture gives me effect i desire: a shallow depth of field.

I'm a firm believer that a shallow depth of field can make any amateur photos look really professional and if you take a look through my blog all the way back to early summer you'll see that it's a technique i use a lot. You can always edit a blurred background into your photos but if you have a manual camera and a lens with a relatively high aperture then it's so easy to master this.

The aperture is how wide your lens opens and therefore how much light it lets in. All camera lens' vary with how wide their aperture will go and this is indicated by the f-stop (the focal length). So here's the tricky bit, a wide aperture corresponds to a low focal length (e.g. f/1.8 to maybe f/6) and therefore a shallow depth of field. A narrow aperture corresponds to a high focal length (e.g. f/10 and above) and therefore a very deep field.

Shown above are three examples from a very high aperture of f/2 to a slightly lower aperture f/8, to illustrate what i mean when i say a "shallow depth of field." As you can see in the first photo, only a small portion of the subject is in focus and the background is heavily out of focus (if this background held a light source you would see what is referred to as "bokeh"). With f/4 there is still a significant blur to the background but i'm able to get more of the subject into the frame and i'd say this was the best aperture to use for this particular set up. With f/8 it's quite clear that the depth of field has increased greatly and the background starts to look noisy and distracting. Obviously depending on the subject and the posing, this will vary.

When working with a shallow depth of field it's important to remember that there is one plane of focus. What this means is that once you focus on your subject, anything, anything in the foreground or background  of this will  be out of focus. The higher your aperture (lower your f-stop) the shallower this field is. So when shooting you need to take this into consideration and ensure everything you want to be in focus is within that plane and not infront or behind it.

I usually shoot around f/3 for self portraits where my posing is all in one plane. I increase this up to f/6 or f/7 when my posing spans multiple planes as i need a much deeper field. For products and detailed shots i stick around the f/2 or f/3 mark but as seen above, sometimes f/4 is a better choice. Honestly, trial and error it. Decide what you want in focus and what you want out of focus and then try multiple apertures until you get one that you feel encompasses this.

Editing

Great photographers don't believe in taking a photo already with the knowledge that it can and will be improved with editing.  I however, am not a great photographer. I know every single one of my photos will look significantly better after editing. And you don't need to be a photoshop pro to get a professional looking finish.

I personally use a free online editor for all my photos. Granted it's completely in chinese but once i figured out what everything did (trial and error is your friend), i found that it suited my needs perfectly. 

A basic edit can be done with almost all editing software, from the free "preview" program that comes pre installed on a mac (and i'm sure microsoft has something similar) to all free online editors. These minor changes can make a huge difference to photos and i, in the vast majority of my photos, tend to follow these acquired habits:

- increase brightness by x amount

- decrease the exposure by approximately two to three times x amount

- increase the saturation slightly by a few counts

-play with sharpness (optional)

I then, always go on to do a full edit which is a little more thorough and how you go about this will depend on what editing software you're using.

I usually:

- Use the clone tool to remove any blemishes, the occasional nipple, etc.

- Add a photo filter on low to mid opacity (this is very lazy way of playing with levels and colours of a photo).

- add low opacity circle and text (optional: for header images).

A  Run Through

When i'm actually taking blog photos i act purely on a trial and error basis (are you seeing a theme here?) I always somewhat plan my shoots out in my head for a few days beforehand but often when it actually comes down to it, some of the photos i imagine go beyond the realm of physical possibility when working with a tripod and yourself as a model. So often it's an ongoing process of posing and then peeking at the photo, adjusting and repeating. It can get pretty exhausting but i've learnt that it's so much better to spend an extra half hour and end up with too many good photos than thinking you've got "the shot" really early, when you don't, and ending up having to completely reshoot. 

So with that in mind i staged an impromptu shoot that, from set up to "completion" took me about 5 minutes so i can illustrate my thought process when staging photos.

I staged this entire shoot with a low natural light source, due to it being late in the day (4.19pm, mid november) and this being a last minute idea, coming in diagonally from the lower left corner. My aperture was set at f/5 and my ISO (for anyone who wants to know) seems to be permanently set on 1600 because i always forget to change it. No flash was used and all these photos were given a full edit (generic details above) as they would be if they were intended for a proper blog post.

Attempt One

- Badly chosen setting. The colours of the sheets don't suit the lingerie. Not to memtion: seams and colour gradient of sheets are in shot and distracting.

- Unflattering pose.

- Bra is out of focus and knickers are almost completely hidden.

-Poor use of space. The eye is drawn up from the focal point of the unfocused upper chest to the mass of empty space on the left of the photo.

Attempt Two

-Change of setting. Sheets are of a colour and texture more suited to the lingerie.

-Slightly improved pose. Not good enough. Awkward angles from rib cage are the central focus.

-Bra is in focus but half out of shot. Hips were elevated with a pillow therefore knickers in shot.

-Spacial use is still poor. Too much space disused to the left of the photo. The small patch of the room visible between the thighs is distracting and ruins the cohesion of the photo.

Attempt Three

- Better pose however the arm in the background ruins the entire shot. Very disjointed. The twist of the shoulders, looks a little unnatural too.

- Bra is in focus. Knickers are slightly out of plane of focus.

- Unused space at the front of the photo. Curved line of body juxtaposes against the straight line of the sheets in a unpleasant way.

- Central focus of the photo is the ribcage.

Attempt Four

- Better pose. Much more fluid.

- Yet again bra is in focus, knickers are not. Hard to correct if you aren't a contortionist. Would either have to consider making the bra the focus of one photos, and the knickers the focus of another or decrease the aperture to get the knickers in shot but lose any depth of field. 

- Unused space at front of the photo has been reduced. The sheets curve with the body which is more flattering. Adds fluidity.

- Central focus is a little below the rib cage which is an improvement. Still unpleasant (i'm a total skelator at this angle). ideally would like to bring the bra forward and further into the frame if humanly possible. Probably should attempt a change in pose.

I certainly wouldn't be fully satisfied with including this final attempt in a blog post and if i were shooting for real i'd probably reposition my camera or adjust my aperture to try and get a better shot. Just a heads up. i usually take between 30 and 50 photos in one session and on a good day i'll manage to get maybe 5 photos max that i'm happy to use. The problem with me is that i'm a perfectionist but by focusing on what i don't like about my initial images i'm usually able to correct any glaring mistakes and get something half decent.That's not to say i've never got some incredible shots completely on a whim without planning in advance or having to readjust anything. I have, but happy accidents are a rarity and are kind of sad because it's so hard to recreate those conditions.

I think the biggest factor in my improvement as a photographer was/is my constant need to better my work for the sake of my own sanity. Never being completely satisfied leads me to strive to never remake any mistakes that drive me mad in some blog photos. I also play around with my camera for the blog a lot and so i've become familiar with my equipment and techniques. Hopefully this rather brief (yet long) guide will help any other amateur photographers looking to improve their photography. Feel free to leave a comment or email me at oflambsandlace@live.com if you have any further questions. I'd be happy to help out!

Beautifully Bound

Harnesses are everywhere right now. They've been slowly but surely becoming the "in" thing for a while now. Being popularised by some incredible independent designers such as Hopeless Lingerie, Karolina Laskowska and Creepyyeha. I've been on the lookout for one, or several, to add to my collection for a while but my criteria has been very strict (it must be within my very low budget, good quality and preferably made by an independent British designer) and so i hadn't been having much luck. Enter Beautifully Bound:

Whilst perusing Etsy (of course) for presents to send over to Amélie, i came across a newly opened Beautifully Bound and snatched up a Pentagram Harness thong for her, with the notion that if it looked like it wasn't going to fit or wasn't of a quality up to her standards,i'd be happy to keep it myself. Anyway, cue less than a month later and we both own matching thongs and i, naughtily, went one further and treated myself to a post break up Pentagram Harness bra.

Pentagram harnesses have been done multiple times before, don't get me wrong, but these pieces really stood out to me. The harness bra has the pentagram design on both the back and the front so would look equally as impressive under something backless, as it would under something sheer or low cut. This particular harness thong is actually a design i haven't seen before and i love the way it follows the natural shape of the body. I'm a big fan of the use of chunky elastic on these as well, it makes for a bold look but the increased surface area also helps to reduce the amount the harness digs into any softer areas. 

All of Beautifully Bound's creations are available in custom as well as standard sizes, so getting the right fit isn't a problem. I opted for a standard XS in the thong and whilst it is a little large on my hips, i think i prefer having it oversized for comfort (no Pillsbury DoughBoy moments, ahem). When ordering for Amélie, i requested an inch to be taken off all the XS measurements (because i was unsure of her actual sizes) and i was assured this was no problem at all. The bra i requested to be made to fit a 30 back and so fits as snugly as any of my other lingerie. Due to the nature of the design, the straps underneath the arms can feel a little restricting or rub slightly. So this is something to take into consideration when ordering. 

Something i always like to concern myself with is practicality. Lingerie is still a complete luxury for me and i always like to weigh up if a piece is worth dipping into my already limited funds. So naturally a Pentagram Harness thong that is incredibly low cut in the front wasn't something i'd have usually allowed myself to indulge in. A piece like this is hardly practical for someone who is newly single. That being said, i actually very happily cleaned my flat (and felt mighty wonderful whilst doing so) in this thong yesterday. So, coupling that with the very affordable price, i'm not regretting my purchase at all. If you are feeling less frivolous than I, Beautifully Bound will alter this harness into actual knickers, on request. The Pentagram Harness bra is a practical purchase for me though. It's something i will regularly layer over a bra and have peeking out of my outfits. 
Considering all of these items are made to order, i was pleasantly surprised to find that on both occasions, everything arrived less than a week after my orders were placed. Not only that, the communication between Beautifully Bound and myself, the customer, was impeccable. She confirmed any sizing, let me know a timescale for production and updated me frequently on the timescale for shipping. Something i love about supporting independent stores is how personal the shopping experience is and, as i ordered quite a few pieces on two separate occasions, i was sent a leg garter as a little something extra, free of charge. Unfortunately it is marginally too big but i plan on enlisting someone with elastic sewing skills and/or a sewing machine (probably my poor mother) to alter this as i'm eager to wear it over tights this winter.

You can purchase your own Pentagram harness bra and knickers from the Beautifully Bound Etsy store here

P.S. If you mention you're a reader of oflambsandlace when making a purchase from Beautifully Bound you'll get a free tri strap garter like the one pictured! As if you needed any more incentive!

What Lamb's Wearing Wednesday

So it is officially Autumn in the northern hemisphere. However, as per the UK is just experiencing wall to wall rain, something we get to enjoy across all the seasons. In weather like this my life revolves around staying warm, dry, comfortable and finding tights or stockings to wear that don't have massive holes in them (no mean feat). For my early morning starts i almost always default to a black base layered under a comfy jumper.
 Today i made the wholly wrong, executive decision to go sans bra, which doesn't necessarily produce any visual problem under so many layers but it's not so pleasant when going up and down flights of stairs all day.
As i'm forever chasing the Addicted to Love aesthetic, and refusing to succumb to wooly tights (just yet), i'm wearing stockings most days. Thus i'm choosing to wear skirts and dresses that aren't tight fitting or so cheek grazing. For optimum comfort i'm wearing an old suspender belt (although i do desperately need to invest in one with more than 4 clips) and this Nichole De Carle thong, which is two sizes too big. Luckily i have sizeable hips and so don't have to worry about these knickers falling down.
Anyone else have a go to "look" for Autumn?

Playful Promises AW13

One of my first posts on oflambsandlace, and actually one of the reasons i founded this blog, was my Playful Promises bras. I'm a self confessed lover of the independent, UK brand so when they shared their AW13 collection, a collection inspired by the most gorgeous vintage Russian fabrics, with me i experienced some serious lust, followed by a little bit of heart break. Understandably, Playful Promises only manufactures their underwire bras in a limited size range, the smallest being a 32A (which, and i don't care what anyone tells me my equivalent bra size is, will never fit quite right), so most of their collection was off limits. However, fortunately for me, they do have some equally gorgeous soft cup bras and bodysuits. I am honestly so in love with so many pieces in this collection and having heard rumblings over the twittosphere, i'm exceedingly excited for their SS14 release too. They were kind enough to offer to send me something and i jumped at the chance of owning this Opulence set.

I really couldn't live without this set now that i know it exists. With the bra being modelled on vintage bullet bras and the high waist to the knickers, these give such a classic silhouette. The detachable, 3 tiered, chains, the visible stitching and the mesh bum however, take this set from being quite simple to something worth getting excited over. It's these little details, that make the most impact. 

I requested a size small in both the bra and knickers, which is the lowest size available, and the fit seems to be pretty on point for my size 6/8 bum and not noticeably too large on my 30C bust. There is space in the bra for a larger bust, but when worn on the tightest hook this bra fits like a lot of the XS bralettes i own. The knickers, when worn, have a bit of stretch left in them so could fit up to a small size 10 i'd reckon.

The chains are easily detached, and if you have a bum on the larger side, like i do, then you'll probably need to unclip one side to get the knickers on. Unfortunately, maybe to allow for this, they are a little on the loose side so hang very low, with the lowest tier reaching the tops of my thighs. For the purpose of these photos i chose to tie them (with a hair bobble, how very Blue Peter of me) in the back but i'm sure a few cleverly placed knots or twists would be a better, more permanent, solution. Or, if you have the patience of a saint (and short nails), you could just remove a section of the chain with pliers. 

I'm a big fan of functional, but still stylish, lingerie. I like to know that i'm going to get decent milage for my money, so loose hanging chains might not seem like the most obvious choice in that regard. However, i've already had great success (and many compliments) layering this bra under a low cut top and wearing the chains separately to accessorise otherwise plain outfits. Not to mention, a girl can never have too much black satin in her lingerie arsenal.

You can purchase you own Opulence Set here or shop the entire Playful Promises AW13 collection here (go on, treat yourself).

*This item was sent to me, to feature, free of charge. All opinions are my own

FRKS Lingerie

So hello again, it's been a while. I've recently moved into a new apartment and have been waiting all this time for my internet to be connected. I've had some grand ideas but executed absolutely none of them (mostly out of laziness but a little out of despondence) so you'll have to bear with me whilst i get this blog back to normal. I'm sorry to anyone who noticed this extended absence and missed me. 
Okay so, if you can remember that far back, i have a little obsession with Etsy. I'm pretty sure i could furnish my entire apartment and embellish my entire wardrobe with items from etsy, i love it so much. I'm usually completely on the ball when it comes to new lingerie designers, that being said, i completely dropped the ball with FRKS lingerie. So a big thanks to Amber at Scarlet's Letter for bringing their existence to my attention.

After one mighty deliberation over how far my funds could stretch vs how many of the designs i wanted, i opted for a solo pair of the Howling Wolves knickers. At the time of purchase, Amber at Scarlet's Letter had an agreement where you could get a free matching garter with your knickers, unfortunately this offer is no longer available. Which is sad for you but i thought i'd include the garter in this post anyway.
I go a little bit mad for embroidery and i love a good peep hole. So i made an inhuman noise when i saw these in the flesh for the first time. The little wolves are hand embroidered in a chain stitch, the fur and night sky details in a basic running stitch. The embroidery is surprisingly symmetrical, which is no mean feat, and the whole design is really something quite special. These knickers are considerably neon in colour (more so than pictured but i can't stand to oversaturate these photos to show the true shade) and are finished with an electric blue tulle trim with a similarly coloured tassel. 
As far as construction goes, these seem very durable. Often with handmade knickers there's always a fear of seams loosening or colour running during the hand washing process, but i have none of those concerns with this particular pair.
I chose to go for a size XS based on the waist measurements provided by FRKS and they fit really comfortably, with a little room for adjustment provided by the ribbon tie. If you're unsure as to what listed size to go for, FRKS is happy to create a pair of custom knickers based on your measurements. You can purchase your own pair of howling wolves, or any other FRKS, knickers here.

P.S. I apologise for the LQ photos in this post, my aperture was much too wide, i'm clearly out of practise (or just lazy), so they're a tad grainy. Which will probably bother me more than anyone else but hey.

What Lamb's Wearing Wednesday

I've been feeling particularly down recently. I have zero motivation and anything i get around to doing, well i can't help scrutinising the result until I'm feeling substantially useless (blog posts are particularly horrendous because i'm so anal about photos). I'm also struggling to find happiness in anything (except maybe the odd cheeseburger and my new soul sister). So it's safe to say i'm on a bit of a downer recently and my clothing choices reflect that. Whilst externally, it's obvious i have no interest in putting together colour cohesive, matching outfits, underneath my clothes is where the magic happens. When i'm feeling like this, out comes my most expensive and extravagant lingerie. It may not cure all that ails me, but it does make me feel a smidgen better and that's what counts.
This Agent Provocateur bra is highly frivolous and impractical but Demi cups are so flattering for smaller busts and I need that kind of boost right now. To hide the unfortunate shape a Demi bra creates under clothes, I layered a plain bandeau and a loose fitted jumper over the top.
My Karolina Laskowska knickers are one of my favourite pieces of lingerie and they're a natural mood booster. Unfortunately my little foster cat was of the same opinion and these have a substantial rip in the lace. This major damage means they don't get worn very often but I couldn't resist this time. Too big, need to be belted, high waisted shorts are great for disguising Pom Pom ties so on they went over the top.
As per, a pair of heels were worn. Honestly, I feel that no matter how bad or lazy your outfit, putting on a pair of classy heels just pulls the whole thing together. 

Breakfast With Frida

From time to time i find myself chasing sleep depravation into dawn. As the world's greatest sleeper (and no that's not an official title but most people would agree i deserve the award) there are few things that i will happily forego my regular fourteen hours in dreamland for. Dawn is one of those things. Dawn is an exceptionally special time in the countryside where i'm currently situated, until i get internet in my city flat. The light, being ridiculously golden in colour, lies low across the hills and if you stick your entire torso out of the window you can actually feel the dew in the air. Couple that with Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and a view across the entire valley and, well, you have a damn good reason to stay up all night.

During this time there are two things i like to do; wear comfy knickers and shop for comfy knickers. Which is how i came to be joined by my love, and idol, Frida Kahlo for breakfast. Aside from being a piece of design genius (because who doesn't want Frida that close to their delicate parts?), these knickers are also a bit of construction genius too. As a victim of an unsuccessful attempt at lingerie creation, i have mad admiration for those who manage to make the whole ordeal so simple. And what's simpler than knickers with no unnecessary seams and no elastic? Perfect for tight fitting clothing or staying up all night. I'll take ten!

Unfortunately for you, the Frida fabric seems to have been of limited supply and so, between buying myself a pair, and my darling guest blogger Amélie a pair, the Frida knickers seem to have completely sold out. However, if you happen to be a fan of Brigitte Bardot, Salvador Dali, Elvis or Andy Warhol then i'd buy yourself a pair from Farfan Jewlry on etsy (for only £13.21) and quick, before i late night snaffle the lot.

When Physics Meets Lingerie: Kellie K Apparel

 This a pretty accurate tableau of my bedroom floor (almost wrote flaw, Freudian slip maybe?) at all times. Textbooks and reference books, abandoned, slide out from under the bed covers (my place of choice for all work) and come to rest on the floor. Lingerie advances, in it's clean form, almost to my designated lingerie draw but falls short. Worn lingerie gets flung across the room in a spontaneous fit, one born from a last minute need for bedtime, and joins it's comrades. On my bedroom floor my two greatest loves, Lingerie and Physics, meet and join forces in the art of guilt tripping (and just plain tripping me up). But this is the only time, so far in my twenty years of life, that these two subjects, have come together. Until about an hour ago, when i read Petite and Plentiful's introduction to Kellie K Apparel. 

Kellie K Apparel have been on my twitter feed for a while, promoting their upcoming strapless bra, but i've never taken too much notice. Plain strapless bras don't make for the most interesting tweets and i have a pretty darn good strapless bra anyway. Let's forget it's actually a bikini top for now. P&P however mentioned that these particular strapless bras, which are still in the prototype and funding phase of their manufacture, utilise "GeckTeck", which is derived from the science that allows Geckos to stick to walls. Now it's a common misconception that Geckos perform this feat of gravity defiance via vacuum theory. After a brief exchange on twitter i was very, very excited to discover that "GeckTeck" was indeed, correctly built upon the principal of Van Der Waal interactions between atoms. Kellie K Apparel have promised to release a video soon explaining some of the science behind their bra adhesive but i thought i'd have a crack at explaining the underlying principle of Van Der Waal interactions here too. In the hopes that some of my readers will find this application of Physics in lingerie production just as exciting as i do.

Van Der Waals Forces: Weak attractive forces between atoms or molecules which vary inversely as the sixth power of the interatomic or intermolecular distance, and are due to the momentary dipoles caused by the fluctuation in the electronic configuration of the atoms or molecules.

Bit of a mouthful eh? And not very helpful for those who don't study physics (alright, or Chemistry). This isn't an easy principle to explain as it relies on a precursory knowledge of electric fields and atomic/molecular interaction so, if you're interested, there are some great resources i can guide you to for further study on this subject.

Van Der Waals interactions arise from fluctuating dipoles in atoms and molecules. Dipole fluctuations are a quantum mechanical manifestation and are electrostatic in nature. 

What does this mean? In molecules or atoms electrons move around. Electrons are Leptons (fundamental particles) and have a charge of approximately -1e (or −1.602176565(35)×10⁻¹⁹ C to be a little more accurate). This means that when they move around, they create an excess of charge on one side of the atom or molecule. In an instant these electrons can move over to the opposite side and create and excess of flux over there instead. This phenomenon is called a fluctuating dipole. When electrons flow or move about with time they create an electric field and so this movement gives the molecule a temporary polarity. The electric field in this molecule will induce a dipole in any non-polar molecules it comes into contact with, creating a dipole moment. This dipole moment always manifests as an attractive force between the molecules. So these molecules will be attracted to each other and an equal or greater force will be needed to overcome the attraction. This attraction, known as Van Der Waals interaction, is what occurs between the spatula on geckos' legs and the wall. 
And these are the exact same principles Kellie K Apparel use to create their "geckteck" adhesive which promises to keep a strapless bra in place on your body. Exciting, right? As it stands now these bras need a lot of funding to be put into production and have a kickstarter page where they hope to gain crowd funding. For me, this is an incredibly exciting application of a particularly boring branch of physics and i'm eager to see the development of this idea (and maybe one day own a Kellie K bra of my own!)

Lingerie Regrets

With the exception of a few bob in my bank account, the change pictured here is all the money i have right now. Moving apartments and the steady decline of shifts at work due to the summer months have contributed to my incredible lack of money. So until the day my student loan rolls in and frees me up a little, i'm pinching the pennies. Something i've been doing to wise up on my spending, is going through my lingerie. I've identified that i have a big problem with buying lingerie that never gets worn. In fact i have such a problem that i can actually categorise my recurring mistakes into one of the following:

Size.

This is by far the most ridiculous problem of my lingerie hoarding and tends to intensify around the sales. I've been known to splurge on sizes considerably larger than my own by convincing myself that i'm secretly a 34B (or something equivalently dumb like pretending my arse is a size 6). Considering my whole life revolves around logical thought, in particular when handling numbers, i'd say this is a pretty embarrassing problem. So i buy the underwear i really want, in a size that will never fit me, and it, quite rightly, sits in my lingerie box (oh y'know, the one us hoarders have specifically for bras and knickers that don't fit) indefinitely. Clearly i need to tackle my impulse buying.

Shape.
I'm aware of the shape of my chest, very much so. But it doesn't stop me buying bras that are quite obviously better suited to a different shape. The bra pictured was a cheap ebay find but i should've known straight off the bat that this bra wouldn't fit. The lace at the top has nothing to sit flat against, so bunches and gapes and the cups hold their largest volume closest to the centre gore so they gape as well. All in all i did an exceptional job at forgoing all logic in the eyes of a pretty, cheap, bra. The shameful thing is that i never seem to learn and i own a fair few bras with exactly the same problem.

Practicality.
It's scarily easy to blindside me to practicality. If it's pretty, cutesy or unusual i'll always tend to completely forget how utterly useless the garment will be. 
This garter belt is one of the only "extravagant" pieces from Topshop's lingerie line that i've actually splurged full price for. I'm such a sucker for a white/pale pink colourway, especially if it has bows and frills. What i completely forgot is that i only wear garter belts when i'm wearing thigh highs. And i only wear thigh highs under my work clothes. Clothes which just so happen to be tight fitting. So the frills and the embellishments are highly impractical unless you're a fan of looking lumpy. Which i am not.
This AP bra, albeit utterly gorgeous, is completely unwearable in any practical sense. If someone would care to enlighten me as to what purpose a demi bra actually serves i'd be very grateful. This bra is a perfect colour, gorgeously constructed and fits like a glove. But what use is a bra that doesn't fully encompass my nipples and looks particularly strange underneath clothes, seriously? And most importantly why are all the high end bras i want demi?

Comfort.
I have so many of these bras (and knickers). They look comfortable, and feel absolutely cosy the first time you try them on but two hours into a six hour lab session and you find yourself counting the change in your purse so you can catch a bus home to change. Yup, this Boux Avenue bra has proven to be so uncomfortable that i can't bring myself to wear it for any longer than a couple of hours. Sometimes i like to look at it forlornly, and remember the high hopes i had for it to join my summer wardrobe. Unfortunately i'm no fortune teller, so i can hardly spot an uncomfortable piece of lingerie before i've even worn it. But it's something to take into consideration anyway.