According to John Lewis it seems that when men go lingerie shopping for their wife’s, they get in that much of a muddle that they need an assistant. So the huge department store chain has put male and female assistants in their lingerie departments. I get the feeling it is more to do with pushing a sale than helping the men, maybe that is where my doubting nature falls short.

The aim of John  Lewis is to take all the embarrassment out of lingerie shopping and give the men chance to make their purchase in a male only environment. Spot the holes in the plan already. Come on John Lewis, fess up, it is all about pushing men towards buying lingerie because as far as I see it if they don’t know what their wife wants then how is an assistant going to know?

The first tip that they offer to men is to know the size of your wife before you leave the house, this way you can ensure that you buy the right size. Really!. Has John Lewis gone as far to say men are that stupid that they try to buy lingerie without knowing the size first!.  On second thoughts.

lingerie shopping

So Layla L’obatt has released details of her luxury 2010 collections for Spring / summer 2010. There are two collections and in each one of them Layla continues to display her love of lingerie.  The collection called Deco lace is all about peach satin and black lace. A wonderful color combination that is incorporated into gowns, robes, and baby dolls that all scream comfort whilst at the same time appealing to a woman’s feminine nature. The other collection called Sheer romance is along the same lines but this time is a mixture of peach satin with grey lace and this leads to wonderful  feminine  designs of gowns, robes, bra and pants. Both collections keep in line Layla’s  theme which is  “Between the sheets” .  For those that don’t know the motto… Between the sheets is not about the things you wear or even what you do, it is about the inner beauty that shines through.

We all know that the lingerie industry is one of the most competitive in the world of business and up until now French lingerie has always managed to hold the top spot. Competition is looming however with more and more people now searching for Italian lingerie and once you see the designs you can understand why Italian lingerie is climbing to the top of the fashion ladder.

Designers such as Argentovivo, Cotton club, Guia La bruna, Rosapois and Verde Veronica are producing top quality original lingerie of which is  screaming to be worn by women of all shapes and sizes. If they carry on like they are doing then in a couple of years Italian lingerie will be just as well known as the French Lingerie designers.  Satin, silk and sexy colors such as red, vibrant purples and emerald greens are being used in correct 2009 collections forItalian lingerie. . I am definitely looking forward to the 2010 collections coming out.

Italian Lingerie

There are so many styles and designs of bras on the market these days and  you can often became side tracked as to which bra is suitable for which purpose. An adhesive bra is one that simply is stuck to the breasts. There are no straps so it is suitable for when you are wearing Lycra or a backless dress. It does not tend to work well as simply sweating can cause the adhesive to loosen, thus your bra could end up at your feet! A built in bra is exactly what it says. it is built into the garment which is normally a sport item or tank top. The downside is the flexibility to wear a different bra suiting your needs. A convertible bra allows you to alter and change straps so it can be used with a variety of garments. A typical example would be the one from Diamond Boutique that has just gone on sale in Tesco’s.

Cupless bras refer to one where the nipple is exposed. Most often used in Erotic lingerie and definitely not for wearing under a shirt on a cold day. A Demi bra is the same as a Balconette bra. Normally half cup with wide set straps. Can also be used to give a lift and cleavage. This depends on whether there is padding in the bra. A front closure bra does what it says and is a bra that you open and close at the front. Maternity bras help to cope with the increase in size of the breasts over pregnancy. They are also helpful for nursing.

A padded bra will come with padding  inside the cup. The padding is placed in a strategic position in order to make breasts appear bigger than what they are. A push up bra will once again include padding or gel however this will be placed in order to push the breasts up to emphasize a cleavage. Strapless bras are just that however these days are being replaced with bras that have clear straps. This is due to strapless bras having a tendency to float down if not fitted properly.

A t-shirt bra has no seams and more often then not will have padding inserted into the cup to prevent the outline of a nipple showing. Training bras are a girls first introduction into the world of lingerie and are aimed at getting a girl used to the feel and comfort of a bra.