Love Bomb 2013: Paolita

It's that time of the year again, and after last year's successful Love Bomb, we are doing it all again!

The Love Bomb is a celebration of independent lingerie and swimwear designers in the run up to Valentine's Day. 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 Valentine’s love bomb!

Each day, one independent lingerie brand will be offering a giveaway or competition, while the other 7 brands will be shouting a lot about it! We even put together a sumptuous photoshoot for it, which will accompany the Love In!

 (Photography by Anna Swiczeniuk, Model Miss Miranda, Swimsuit by Paolita, Hat by Lily Lewis)

Day 8: Paolita

Paolita are giving away a £150 voucher to spend at their online shop or London boutique.
2 runner ups will win a lace bikini top each.  

Winners will be selected through a random draw.

To enter.....

1: Sign up to their Newsletter on their website

or

2: Email them at lovebomb@paolita.co.uk with the subject 'Lovebomb'

3: Share their Love bomb picture on your Facebook page

Censoring Swimwear

 

Swimming was originally thought of as dangerous (and indeed, with long skirts, it probably was), which lead to bizarre contraptions such as the "bathing car". I wish I could find a photograph or at least a drawing of one of these things, because it sounds ridiculous. A "bathing car" was a large wire cage attached to floats and a pulley system. One entered the cage and used the pulley to submerge themselves to the preferred depth - wild times. And just in case this got a bit too exciting, the Victorians were also greatly concerned with modesty. Women were either separated from men, or shielded from their eyes. They used wheeled "bathing machines" to immerse themselves, which also included "modesty hoods". 

At the turn of the century this paranoia for safety and the segregation of genders eventually passed, however women were still expected to wear neck to toe dresses in the water. It was only due to the participation of women in serious swimming (as a sport) that their swimwear shrank gradually, starting with the reveal of arms in the early 1910s until the 1920s with the showing of legs (gasp!). It also seemed to be the tightness of the garment that caused outrage.

  

Bathing suit arrests in Chicago, 1922

Vaudeville (and later, motion pictures) star and swimmer Annette Kellerman caused uproar with her risque swimwear. The Aussie "underwater ballerina" (a type of synchronized swimming which involves diving into glass tanks) first arrived in the United States in 1907, and brought with her a fashion revolution: the one piece swimsuit. Kellerman was even arrested for indecent exposure at Boston's Revere Beach in 1908, with the first outing of her "body stocking", and she soon altered the suit to cover arms and neck. The bathing suit allowed much more freedom than the layers of fabric previously worn, however it caused controversy by revealing the contours of the female figure. In some shocking cases, women even ROLLED THEIR STOCKINGS DOWN below the knees. Such a public nuisance were these women that the "Annette Kellerman" swimsuit was banned, and "beach censors" patrolled the sands handing out tickets and even collecting fines. 

 

Luckily, women just kept on pushing for fashion-freedom and from then on, swimwear just kept getting smaller until we get into 80's thong territory. The first bikinis appeared just after WW2, named after Bikini Atoll, the site of several nuclear weapons tests - for their supposed explosive effect on the viewer.... get it?....

 Shop Playful Promises swimwear!

We're all going on a... staycation!

Image via www.moredesignplease.com

As I'm sure you have all noticed – Summer’s officially here (well, at least it is inbetween the clouds...)! And what better way to enjoy the beautiful British sunshine than with a staycation?! Who needs to go to a far flung corner of the Earth when you can have a heavenly time right on your doorstep, what’s not to love about BBQ’s, lazy days in the garden and having a legitimate reason to eat ice cream?

Is there any better way to spend a gorgeous summer day than with some classic cocktails in the sun? Here are the Playful Promises team's classic summer favourites!

Classic Mojito

• 10 fresh mint leaves
• ½ lime cut into 4 wedges
• 2 tablespoons of white sugar
• 50ml of white rum
• Club soda
• Ice

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge in a glass and crush. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle together. Fill the glass with ice and pour the rum and club soda into the glass. Stir and garnish with the final lime wedge.

Margaritas

• 50ml tequila
• 25ml cointreau
• Dash of lime juice

To prepare the glass, rub lime juice around the rim and dip in salt. Now the bit we’re all interested in! Put the tequila, cointreau and lime juice into a cocktail shaker full over ice and shake it up! Then put it in the glass and you’re good to go!

Tom Collins

• 60ml gin
• 35ml fresh lemon juice
• 20ml sugar syrup
• Soda Water
• Lemon wedges

Add gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and stir. Strain into a tall glass over ice and top with soda water, garnish with a lemon wedge and enjoy!

If you ever get bored of sitting in the garden sipping these delicious concoctions, which I highly doubt, but you never know!  Why not venture down to our Boxpark boutique and bag yourself some beautiful underwear to go under your summer dress? The Juliette Ultramarine Lace Soft Cup Bra and Brief is perfect for ‘Lazing on a sunny afternoon’ in beautiful Blighty.

What will you be getting up to this Summer? Have you escaped the Olympics madness?

We do love to be beside the seaside!

There is little that is more British than fish and chips at the seaside (unless of course you have Johnny Rotten holding butter in one hand and a Bulldog that is chewing on it's Union Jack sweater in the other and have written "KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON" in the sand). 

Us Brits just love a bit of twee (and tweed), so it's no wonder the Great British Holiday is coming back in fashion as a "retro" thing to do. Clever marketing from the Government or not, we can't say no to holidaying by the British seaside. You require balls of steel to go in the water, but who needs water anyway! 

This lovely warm weather has made me lust for my holiday getaway (my parents live in Cornwall), and these amazing vintage British holiday posters almost make that 6 hour train journey sound like a bundle of fun!

So where will you be holidaying this summer? Are you jetting off to a distant land, or staying in old Blighty? And what about our overseas fans?

Wherever you galavant off to, make sure you have you Playful Promises swimwear packed and ready!

Find the Perfect Swimsuit Top for your Bust

Susan is a blogger for Beauty and the Beach, a swimwear and fashion blog by InStyleSwimwear.com.  For more swimsuit style tips, trend reports and more, check them out today!

Let’s face it—no two women are shaped exactly the same, and some of us need more or less support than others when it comes to the girls! While shopping for a new swimsuit, one of the biggest problems women run into is finding a top that fits and flatters their figure.  The key is to know which swimsuit tops to look for, based on your bust size. After reading this mini style guide, you’ll be well on your way to looking absolutely fab this season!

Small Bust

Women with small bust sizes are often very self-conscious when swimsuit season comes around.  The key is to find styles that enhance your bustline. In terms of silhouette, triangle tops and bandeaus with either a twist design or sweetheart neckline are your best bet.

Look for these swimsuit tops with specially designed push-up padding (which will help enhance and boost you up) or molded cups (which will help create a curvier shape for your bust). 

Finally, embellishments and texture are your best friends! Look for triangle or bandeau swimsuit styles with fringe, tiered ruffle detail or beading such as Playful Promises Hummingbird Triangle Bra or Valencia by PilyQ.

Medium Bust

Ladies with medium bust sizes are the lucky ones! Depending on your particular bust size and shape, you can pretty much wear any style of swimsuit top you’d like, including halters, triangle tops, bra tops and bandeau tops! 

Ask yourself what you’re looking for. If you want to make your bust appear bigger, look for swimsuit tops with embellishments, push-up padding, molded cups or even bold prints.

But if you want to make your bust appear smaller, look for swimsuit tops that will offer more coverage and create a minimizing effect, such as plain bandeaus that go straight across or dark solid-colored halters. Playful Promises Future Tribal Embroidery Bandeau bra or Indian Summer by L*SPACE are perfect for this.

Large Bust

Finally, if you’re well-endowed up top, then you’ll most likely need swimsuit tops that offer better support. Any top that has underwire cups will be the most supportive for the girls. Similarly, halters with thicker fixed underbands or those featuring double-string underbands can be ultra-supportive.

But if you hate tan lines on your chest, bandeaus are not out of the question! Certain bandeau swimsuit tops have center v-neck halter designs which can be easily untied when you’re laying out. In addition, most traditional bandeau tops come with one or two optional neck straps that can be easily removed for your tanning pleasure!

For more support, go for styles like Playful Promises Garden Party underwire bra or Tricolore Blue by Gottex Profile.

Now that you know what swimsuit tops to look for, you’re one step closer to finding your perfect swim style! Happy shopping!