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 

Halloween Dress Up!

We've had some amazing (and hilarious!) entries into our Halloween Costume Competition, make sure you get in on the action for the chance to win some lingerie!

This got us in the mood for a little dress up session... Playful Promises style! If you are stuck for a halloween costume this year, let us help you out!



Pair long purple gloves with our naughty Love Garterdress for an even sexier (is it possible?) Jessica Rabbit costume. Snap up some red shoes and nude stockings to add the finishing touch. Oh and a red wig of course!




She ain't afraid of the big bad wolf - grab yourself a red hooded cape, the Vamp Garter dress and Red Waspie for a kinky version of Red Riding Hood.




Go for a sophisticated Batgirl look with our sheer chiffon blouse and black pencil skirt. Finish off the look with a thick belt (gold details a must), long leather gloves and a black mask!

 

Or you could just channel Eartha Kitt's evil side in this She-Devil outfit! Our stunning red Vintage Stitch dress will go perfectly with shocking red lips. Horny jokes aside, only once you have your prey in the boudoir will he find out what's underneath - the True Love set. 

Halloween Giveaway: Spooky Costumes

Time for our yearly Halloween Costume Competition!

We are giving away a colourful goodie bag full of tasty lingerie, worth over £150, perfect for a Halloween dress up session!

To be in with the chance of winning this naughty bag of goodies, we want to hear about the WILDEST Halloween costume you can think of! It doesn't have to be an existing costume, perhaps just an outrageous idea! Remember: extra points for a bit of cheekiness!

Leave your idea in a comment below, competition ends on Saturday the 20th October!

 (Competition open internationally!)

How The Artist used costume to bring the 20s alive

It’s no secret that I’m a big silent movie fan. Give me Chaplin over a modern romantic comedy any day!

So, imagine my delight when film of the year, The Artist, won 5 of the biggies at The Oscars! This modern day silent movie took everyone by surprise, even more so when it began to win big time at each award. It seems there is hope for the audience of the 21^st century, so used to talkies, big effects and Hollywood drama; the silence has proven that it is not a completely alien concept.

I could go on and on about silent films, but I’ll spare you, and focus on the part that has got all the fashionistas’ attention: Costume.

One of the 5 awards it took away on Oscar night was costume design, and there is no wonder why!

Channelling the golden era, costume designer Mark Bridges obviously did his research. Picking and choosing elements from popular styles and silver screen sirens, there must have been a whole host of inspiring designs from the 1920s. Just look at this amazing backless dress worn by Clara Bow:

When looking through the fabulous costumes worn by silent film stars, there is a definite theme running through the pieces: texture. Before the advent of glorious Technicolour, costume designers had to find another way of springing their actors out from the screen, ensuring they didn’t blend into the background. This, too, was the struggle for Bridges; although The Artist was originally filmed in colour, he had to use patterns, crystals, fur, feathers and more to ensure the characters remained the focus when desaturated.

It wasn’t only texture that the team used to really bring out their characters, but they also had some clever tricks up their sleeves for using costume to add narrative. As the rise of talkies begins to dampen George Valentin’s star-studded career, so we see a change in his looks. The actor that played him, the gorgeous Jean Dujardin, suggested to costume designer Mark Bridges that the costumes should just be “a little bigger to reflect that somehow George is less of a man than he was.” They did just that, tailoring the size and style of his suits; from a well fitted tuxedo portraying wealth, grace and success, to a dishevelled loose-fitting suit.

With this attention to detail, the costume worked alongside the narrative, acting talent and cinematography to make a success of a film which could have so easily missed the mark, had any of these things had been less than perfect.  

We also can’t help loving Uggie the dog’s Oscar outfit.