Getting Set For Autumn: Key Colours This Season

Image via Pantone.com

As the weather gets colder (all of a sudden in England's case) and pastels are gradually slipping out of the fashion consciousness, it's time to think warm thoughts!

When you look at our lingerie collections, you can always see a contrast between the Autumn and the Summer collections - this year's Spring/Summer trend saw vintage colours of purple, pink and green alongside delicate prints with the occasional dash of bright teal. In contrast, our new Autumn/Winter collection draws those same colours into deeper, richer shades with strong dark floral prints, fitting in nicely with the strong shapes of cage-strap detail and block bodies. 

We design our lingerie with these trends in mind, focusing on how colour can work with shape and print to give an overall warm atmosphere to the collection! The stunning soft cup Margarita collection is available in both Emerald and Vivacious, while the base of the Peacock set matches Mykonos Blue. Anastasia's dark floral print has hints of Acai, Koi, and Vivacious, while Tatiana is infused in Samba red. 

Of course, you needn't follow the fashion rules (personally my idea of injecting colour into my wardrobe is dark red - can you guess which season I prefer?)! This is why we make sure we have colourful or pastel lingerie available all year round, alongside eye-catching swimwear for those that have found a warm haven to run off to during the winter. 

What's your favourite season?

Get The Look: Superheroines! Part 2

It's not long until Halloween; time to start planning your costume (or you could just be a superhero any day of the week, your call). And nothing says "badass" more than a reinvention of classic superheroines!

Patience, who has been interning over at our sister brand Whistle & Wolf (check out the blog!), has put together some stylish versions of these awesome heroes! 

Storm 

Ororo Munroe-codename Storm can be considered one of the most powerful females in the Marvel Universe with the power of flight and total control over the weather. Over the years, Storm’s look has gone through many transformations, from an anarchic punk with a Mohawk to a regal and glamorous African Queen (she was formerly married to fellow superhero and king of fictional Wakanda, Black Panther) yet she has still kept her signature bright white locks.  Storm is in my mind the most fashionable of the X-men, so channel her look with grey and yellow shades and mix punky and refined fashion genres.

The Ghost Retro Body is suited to Storm as it features a delicate and elegant grey patterned panel clashing with more daring mesh.

1. Liberty Headband by Clemmie Watson at farfetch.com - £423.25 

2. Esmeralda Robe Dress by Piamata at Les Nouvelles - £110.43 

3. Lightening Bolt Cuff by Alexis Bittar at Neiman Marcus -  £132.52

4. Lightening Strikes Shoulder Bag by Betsey Johnson at Forzieri - £35.50

5. Sheer Split Maxi Skirt by Just Female at ASOS - £65 

Black Widow

Natasha Romanov, A.K.A the Black Widow is a master spy and Assassin, trained in Russia and made popular by Scarlett Johansson‘s portrayal of the seductive agent in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Super-soldier Romanov is a morally ambiguous character by nature, and is willing to kill if anyone gets in her way, making her a dangerous adversary despite her not possessing any notable superpowers. Her intelligence, wit and intense combative training have meant that she has outsmarted figures like Iron Man and Daredevil. The Black Widow’s style is sleek and sexy, with a mysterious and lethal charm.

Our Hella Block Body is ideal for a femme fatale such as the Black Widow!

1. Bullet Cuff Bracelet by ASTALI at AHALIFE.com - £93  

2. Colpeta 100 Patent Leather Pumps by Christian Louboutin at Net-A-Porter - £395

3. Spiderweb Tights by Emilio Cavallini at ASOS - £17

4. Dripped Chain Belt by Cecilia De Bucourt at free People - £125 

5. Leather Panelled Pencil Skirt by Isabel de Pedro at Jules B - £184.99

Catwoman

Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, is the ultimate female superhero anti-hero. As part of Batman’s gallery of rogues yet also his most notable romantic interest, Selina constantly treads the lines between good and evil. She is primarily a cat burglar with a taste for dangerous thefts although she sometimes engages in crime fighting. Catwoman has been portrayed fashionably in film on numerous occasions, notably by a retro Julie Newmar in the 1960’s, a crazed Michelle Pfeiffer in the 90’s and an elegant Anne Hathaway in 2012. Replicate Catwoman’s current look with daring black leather and PVC, expensive jewels and a cute cropped hairstyle.

The Dominique Longline Bra is definitely Catwoman’s style: sleek and classy, with a touch of naughtiness hinted at with its cage straps.

1. Pearl and Crystal Necklace by Tom Binns at Ssense- £396.90

2. Leather Leggings by Alice and Olivia at Flannels - £620  

3. Precision Ink Eyeliner in Abyss by Illamasqua - £18

4. Cat-ears Headband by BCBGMaxazria - £30.70  

5. Evening Gloves by Dents at House of Fraser -  £18

Get The Look: Superheroines! Part 1

It's not long until Halloween; time to start planning your costume (or you could just be a superhero any day of the week, your call). And nothing says "badass" more than a reinvention of classic superheroines!

Patience, who has been interning over at our sister brand Whistle & Wolf (check out the blog!), has put together some stylish and affordable versions of these awesome heroes! 

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman, also known as Diana, Princess of Themyscira is the quintessential female superhero. A member of the ‘big three’ of DC Comics along with Batman and Superman (yet the only one without a blockbuster movie, tut tut DC), Amazon Princess Diana’s trademarks are her passion for justice, equality, her golden lasso of truth and her bullet deflecting bracelets. WW and her image have reached an iconic status within popular culture with the 1970’s TV show starring Lynda Carter still beloved by fans and even a Mac makeup collection under her belt! A character who first appeared in comics in 1942, Wonder Woman’s costume has become a classic, so channel her look with retro hair and make-up, metallic accessories and bold red white and blue!

The Love vintage stitch corset is the perfect shade of red for an inspired Diana costume!

1. Wonder Woman High Rise Knickers by kickerrocker on Etsy - £13.84

2. Retro Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo by MAC - £15 

3. Smooth Double Cuffs by ASOS CURVE - £15  

4. Gold Eagle necklace by ARK - £11.99 

5. Red Star Stud Earrings at Play.com - £6.82 

 Zatanna

Although not quite as well known as Wonder Woman, Zatanna is a popular superheroine in her own right with a signature style.  Like her father Giovanni Zatara, Zatanna Zatara is both a stage magician and a real magic user with skills in sorcery and illusion.  Fun fact: when making spells, Zatanna speaks backwards! She has had relationships with both Batman and Constantine, proving she definitely has a preference for bad boys! Channelling old style magicians, Zatanna usually styles herself in a modified top-and-tails, along with her trademark fishnets.

Our Red Satin Waspie would be a great waist-cinching replacement for Zatanna’s traditional waistcoat!

1. Fishnet Tights by What Katie Did at Playful Promises - £9

2. Blouse with Bow Tie by ASOS - £32 

3. Tuxedo Jacket by Whistle and Wolf - £65 

4. Top Hat by Catarzi at ASOS - £30 

5. Sequin Knicker Shorts by Fashion Union - £20 

Summer of Love: Indie Swimwear Giveaway

Yazzmin (and a friend!) wearing our Jungle Twist Bikini 

Some of you may remember the Love Bomb that went off this february and the year before that! No, not a literal love bomb (that could get sticky), but a declaration of love to our fellow independent brands!

The Love Bomb is a celebration of independent lingerie and swimwear designers. Each of the brands taking part in the Love Bomb is run by a handful of people (and in some cases, even one!), standing up against the mega-corporations to bring you innovative, quirky and unique knickers!  

Unlike the big spenders we are in this game for the knickers – like you, we can’t get enough of them! Many a day is spent lusting after other brands’ lacy wonders and structured glories, so we thought what better way to encourage support for indie lingerie than to gather together for a big, sloppy Summer love bomb!

There are 3 gift baskets up for grabs! Each giftbasket has a voucher, bikini or swimsuit from each brand, plus eyelashes from Sheeba Raye, as used in the shoot, luxury bath and beauty gifts from Mon Epris and a voucher for vintage designer sunglasses store Lunetier!

We put together a fun shoot with model Yazzmin and John Tyrell, who created these psychadelic, 60′s inspired Summer Of Love illustrations. The amazing makeup was by Cheyenne Raymond and hair by Doubravka Marcinkova!

Yesterday's featured brand was Kiss Me Deadly:

HOW TO WIN ONE OF 3 GIFT BASKETS

You can enter UP to 4 ways:

1. Share our Summer of Love image publicly (make sure you choose "public" in the drop down menu when sharing an image) on facebook.

2. Tweet this link with the hashtag #summerloveswim

3. Blog about the Summer of Love (email us on anna@playfulpromises.com letting us know!)

4. Reblog our Summer of Love image on tumblr

We’ll collate all the entries on the 28th August, and pick 3 winners on August the 30th.

Here’s the list of people taking part so you know who to watch out for:

Kiss Me Deadly, Miss Mandalay, Playful Promises, Paolita

Accessories:

Sheeba Raye, Mon Epris, Lunetier Vintage

Style Guide: Bodysuits

We've all been there. We've bought something we really really love, and find that our mind just draws a blank when deciding what to wear with it!

Bodysuits (because they are just so flexible) can be troublesome in this way, especially when you want to do the underwear as outerwear trend! Don't fret, we've put together just a few ways you could wear our Anastasia Bodysuit. 

Look 1: Dancing the Night Away

 

Whether you are partying with your friends or on a hot date, the bodysuit adds a bit of an edge to your outfit! This body lends itself well to a rock-girl outfit, with black panels and cage strap detail casting a tougher edge against the dark floral pattern.

Team with a chunky statement necklace, wedge heels (in black, purple or pink), a leather-look skirt and an embellished jacket for a playfully dark look.

Look 2: Like a Boss

Kick ass at work with this twist on the traditional skirt-suit!

For an injection of colour, wear the bodysuit with a black pencil skirt, Whistle & Wolf Tuxedo Jacket, black wedges and a matching briefcase. 

And sometimes you just need a bit of time to yourself! 

Settle down with your favourite book or tv show, slip on some warm socks and put the kettle on. Team the bodysuit with a robe (we love Kriss Soonik's loungewear) and get under that blanket!