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?

An Ode to Pastels

When this is posted, I'll be half-way through my week's holiday, visiting my parents in glamorous Cornwall.

Ok, so it's not the natural habitat of tanned billionaires, but it's a damn good Great British Seaside and I just find it dreamy.

So, here's my Ode to Pastels, the perfect coloured lingerie to wear under sundresses or countryside chic!

Top left: Eva Limited Edition | Top right: Heather Frilly Knickers

Bottom left: Ghost Bodysuit | Bottom Right: Absinthe set       

Amethyst Dreams: Heart Breaker

 As the nights get longer and we move from late Summer into Autumn, there's nothing we love more than some jewel-coloured lingerie!

Our Heart Breaker set has arrived, and we thought we'd celebrate that gorgeous amethyst colour!

Top image: Kirsty Mitchell

Bottom left image: Zemotion

Purple lemonade recipe here

What does this colour make you think of?

Seeing Red: Is red still seen as the sexiest colour for lingerie?

Love - Playful Promises AW12

Type in "red lingerie" to google and you are instantly bombarded with every kind of shade you can imagine, in a whole host of designs. From sex-shop style frilly teddies to sumptuously expensive treats, red has often been cited as the sexiest colour for lingerie.

It's not hard to see why - red is the colour of passion and danger, of energy and confidence. Some cultures honor the colour as a symbol of good fortune, celebration and purity. What do you think when you see red lingerie?

I'd love to know when the first trend of red undergarments first began. Strangely, in my searches I couldn't find any information on such an interesting subject! Was it during the Edwardian era, when synthetic dyes made intense colour possible? Or, could it be a little less savory in it's origins?

From as early as the 15th century, clothing worn by prostitutes had to be distinguishable from that of other women, mainly because society shunned their lifestyle choice. Often a harlot had a yellow stripe on her clothing, but more commonly the stripe was red. Of course there is nothing to say what colour their underwear was, but perhaps this taboo naughtiness kickstarted the ongoing trend. Not that wearing red lingerie means you wish to be a prostitute, of course, but it may have given the colour red that extra touch of kink!

A prostitute in New Orleans in 1912 by E.J.Bellocq

In this era, where lingerie has moved from 'strictly bedroom' to 'fashion statement', the underwear as outerwear trend still in full swing, I wonder if red lingerie has been replaced as the colour of choice when looking to seduce?

When we asked our followers on Facebook and Twitter which colours made them feel sexiest, they answered with pinks, cream, blue, purple, green, ever-present black and even neon pinks and yellows! Only two people mentioned red, with one specifically preferring dark wine red to the flashier tones of the 90s.

These can be seen, too, in the forthcoming trends (but which comes first, the trend or the fashionista?), with Spring Summer 2012 seeing a whole host of pastels and earthy browns, lemon yellow and teal, dusty purple and lilac.

Moving those colours through into Autumn Winter 2012, the colour tones become deeper, with rich and vibrant jewel tones, ruby and a stronger teal, contrasted against rich blacks. This is all thanks to one of the most prominent trends of the season, which is all about the body and the raw energy emerging from it. Red lingerie is back with a new lease of life, in darker, luscious tones combined with ultramarine and blush. Think hearts and veins and sinuous muscle! Kinda gross, but that's how we like it, which is why we named our AW12 collection "Anatomy of a Heart"!

Juliette - Playful Promises AW12

The Colour Purple

As the leaves turn orange and brown, the sky turns to grey we seek a little colour in our autumn winter wardrobe. And we have just the colour for this sombre autumn which is looking to be upon us pretty soon according to British weather forecasters.

Moving away from the usual black and red lingerie colours, purple has invaded design boards and has become an important trend in the lingerie dye pots for the next few seasons. Various tones of purple have all been used to create unique colour-ways, from mauve to violet to lavender.

Deep purples in lingerie will still ooze seduction that a red or black ensemble may give out, but mauve has something a little more enticing and interesting that is still sexy but also wearable by day and night.

The colour purple denotes wealth and noblesse, a majestic and royal colour. It was a difficult pigment to achieve and therefore rarely used on everyday fabrics.  Today, as the dying process has been perfected, it is still a majestic and rich colour but is appealing to lingerie designers as it can be very feminine in the right shades and also flattering.

Deep purple lingerie is subtle and elegant and has brought a contemporary colour to traditional designs. Playful Promises have made full use of the purple design brief by including a mauve Genie set with triangle soft-cup bra, non-padded bra and brief with gathered detail on the back. This set works well on pale and tanned skin tones.

We have also included a mauve, peach and pink printed range. Etti has a beautiful floral print inspired by the latest colour trends and has the added satin fabric to add a real majestic opulence to the sets.  Emma, our designer, has framed the purple floral print with satin black straps and black mesh inserts. This has added a retro design element to the feminine cut pieces, but as a set they are highly contemporary designs that have proved very popular.

This season’s swimwear has seen a small injection of mauve bikinis and swimsuits, however it is next season’s autumn winter lingerie that will see the largest use of deep purple tones. This promises a lighter purple colour for spring summer 2012, the use of lilacs will again be vastly popular in lingerie. We have a little treat in store for next season’s swimwear but check out our Exotic Charmer bikini set or Swimsuit for a bold injection of purple in your swimwear this summer.