Sizzling swimwear: How to stay on trend this Summer

If you really think about it, Summer is just around the corner. No really, we are already in January, we got the hardest part over with and now we just have to gradually peel off our layers and cardigans for the next few months. Magazine’s have already started telling you what to cut out in order to get that “Beach Body” (we like you just as you are, thank you very much) and new swimwear is all the rage.

So what kind of prints and colours will you find gracing the shelves this summer?

Swimwear often mirrors current trends in fashion and lingerie, so it’s no wonder that bikini waists are high and prints are inspired by retro classics to coincide with the vintage trend. Embracing curves is one major theme of retro inspired swimwear; details such as cinched waists and fuller cupped tops are being mixed with modern pieces.

Ruffles, too, have found themselves adorning bikinis across the catwalks in another body-shaping trend. Frills and ruffles can add volume where you may be slightly lacking, perfect for balancing out the figure and sticking two fingers up to that diet book.

It’s all about getting you in the mood for a laze around on the beach or by the pool, so bright colours are a constant never-changing trend in swimwear. Designers cannot be as experimental with swimwear as they can lingerie or clothing; therefore the unique detail is often in the print!

And boy, are prints looking bold thanks to digital printing. The wonders of technology are allowing designers to update their printing methods, giving more freedom of detail and colour.

If there is one thing that causes swimwear to sell like hotcakes, it’s the promise of warm sands and tropical climates, so it’s no wonder that designers are channelling this straight into their prints. Sumptuous colours, exotic plants and parrots are everywhere, and we just love it. Our Digital Print Hummingbird bikini rides this trend without being cliché, using bright blues, purples, oranges and greens to inject that exotic look.

Walking hand-in-hand (preferably in the shade of palm trees) with the tropical trend are bold prints, inspired by various cultures and their traditional techniques, particularly those of tribal Africa and Native America. Digital printing is again a catalyst for this trend, but we also see designers using more traditional methods such as embroidery and crochet. We, too, were inspired by far-off lands for our Future Tribal Embroidery bikini, which contrasts a black bandeau bra and side-tie briefs with neon-bright ethnic embroidery.

Pin-up Queen; Bettie Page

Bettie Page; Pin-up Queen, glamour icon and underground bondage model. This surreal character crops up every now an again with an increased fan-base and a constant need to inspire the lingerie industry.

Secrets in Lace have been designing the Bettie Page lingerie collection inspired by her 1950’s photographs and stills making sure to remain true to the style of the era and the prints Bettie loved.

Playful Promises Boutique has been selling pieces from the very popular Bettie Page lingerie line for a while and the seamed stockings are one of our more popular items. We’re expanding the Bettie Page line to also feature online, but where does a pin-up’s career even begin?

Bettie Page always desired to be in the spotlight, she moved to New York after her first divorce to find work as an actress, but by day supported herself working as a secretary.

Whilst out walking one day she came across enthusiast photographer Jerry Tibbs. He put together her first pin-up portfolio and her career as a pin-up was launched.

By the 1940’s, pornography was illegal, therefore ‘camera clubs’ were invented to bypass the pornography laws. Bettie became a glamour model and camera club model posing nude on many occasions. Her lack of inhibitions brought her a great amount of work and landed her in men’s magazines of the era such as Wink, Titter and Beauty Parade.

Often the camera club models provided their own lingerie which has been an inspiration to many faux retro lingerie designers. Many pieces would have been made by the models themselves; in particular Bettie had a knack for combining fashionable prints with contemporary styling. An amazing insight into lingerie fashion of the era.

1952 was the year her pin-up career really begun as she worked alongside Irving Klaw who produced mail-order photographs. Here images of a pin-up, bondage or sadomasochist theme were produced and these images shot Bettie Page to stardom.

Bettie became a famous bondage model appearing in photographs, short-films and stills that Klaw’s customers requested. Although none of Klaw’s and pages work featured nudity or scenes of overtly sexual content they did feature fetish scenarios including abduction, domination, bondage, tying up and more. We’ll let your mind wonder.

Incredible lingerie fashions were used from tight leather costumes to lacy and silky nightwear as well as high-heel shoes and lace-up boots.

Furthermore Bettie appeared in several burlesque films made by Irving Klaw including Teasearama and Varietease. These films including dance routines and several striptease artists.

In 1954 a chance meeting whilst on holiday in Miami lead to a collaboration with Bunny Yeager. A model turned photographer, Bunny Yeager set-up a photo-session in a Florida nature reserve featuring two beautiful cheetahs. The ‘Jungle Bettie’ shots are some of her most celebrated images, she models a home-made leopard print bikini set as well as some renown nude shots too.

Bunny Yeager also set-up a photo session for images she later sent to Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy. The image, of Bettie in a Father Christmas hat winking at the camera, was chosen to be ‘Playmate of the Month centrefold’ in the Playboy magazine in January of 1955. This feature led her to be voted as ‘Miss Pin-up Girl of the World’.

Although it seems Bettie’s modelling career was short-lived she was one of the most famous models of the period and her career lasted longer than most of the industry individuals. She retired from her pin-up career and became a born-again Christian.

Since the 1950’s Bettie’s images have kept re-surfacing creating a cult following and an ever growing fan-base. Books have been published and more recently biographies and films have been made.

Bettie herself was in and out of the lime-light but was rumoured to not have been earning any money from the images used. Her photographs, films and stills have inspired generation after generation and her bondage scenes are still sought-after.

If, like us at Playful Promises, you are mesmerised by this intriguing character then take a look at the Bettie Page inspired lingerie and stockings and perhaps you can create your own Jungle Bettie photographs!

Vintage Southbank 2011

 

It has been a rather busy (not to mention hot!) weekend for us at Playful Promises! While Emma was off gallivanting in New York at the Curve lingerie show, I headed down to the Southbank to check out the Vintage festival. Fun and frolics were aplenty in this celebration of all things 1920s to the 80s! Food, music, games and, most importantly, shopping were packed onto the riverside promenade, attracting a vast amount of families and vintage fanatics.  

The Vintage Village consisted of dozens of stalls packed full of authentic vintage and vintage inspired clothes, shoes, hats, bags, furniture and music! Ranging from big brands to avid collectors; drawing in customers of all ages. Food and drink had not been forgotten, with old-time popcorn vendors, traditional fish and chips, ice cream trucks and the stunning Art deco mobile cocktail lounge. There was even a hair and beauty salon dedicated to recreating era-specific styles for the festival-goers!

The gorgeous Stephanie Jay in our Vintage Stitch Overbust corset!

One of the big draws of the day (also, my favourite event!) was The Chap Olympiad, an eccentric sporting event for the well-groomed and waistcoated. Chaps and chapettes compete in a range of games designed to test their cad skills, such as sandwich tossing and butler baiting, with points added for devilish trickery and maintaining one's finesse. Audience-members are actively encouraged to join in, resulting in much merriment – I was almost dragged into sandwich tossing, but declined gracefully as I would not want to spoil my training for next year!

 

The contestants celebrate the end of a tiring battle of tug-o-moustache, in which the chapettes were victorious!

The kimono

Kimono literally means “the thing to wear” (ki “wear” and mono “thing”), which was first used in everyday language in the mid-19^th century. Prior to this, the traditional garment was only known as a kosode, meaning ‘small sleeve’. Kimono are straight-seamed robes that are wrapped around the body, left side over right, and secured with a sash known as an obi, which is tied at the back. Generally worn to the ankle, the length of the garment can be altered by drawing material up underneath the obi. The wrap style and loose fabric has been developed to cohere to the culture’s lifestyle and climate; many activities are performed while seated on the floor.

The style of traditional kimono also varies between women, men and children, and also indicates whether the female wearer is married. Young women’s kimonos, known as a furisode, have longer sleeves and tend to be more elaborate than the older, married woman’s garment. It is said that the traditional reason for the sleeves is that when replying to a man, she waves the sleeves back and forth for ‘yes’, and left to right for ‘no’.

The pattern of the kimono rather than the cut of the fabric acts as an indicator of social status; the more extravagant the pattern, the wealthier the wearer. Formality is also determined by accessories, the fabric and the number of family crests (kamon) adorning the garment. Silk was the most desirable of fabrics, with only the most privileged able to wear such luxury regularly. The majority of Japanese society would only have the chance to wear silk kimono on special occasions, sometimes being forbidden to do so all together.

Today, it is mostly women that continue to wear kimono, and usually only on special occasions. During the late 19^th century, traditional garments were gradually replaced by more convenient Western clothing and Yukata, a casual, thin style of kimono. The decline in the heavier garments seemed to happen as Eastern culture filtered through to the West, and vice versa. One slightly morbid urban myth suggests that the decline in kimono was encouraged by the 1932 fire at Shirokiya’s Nihonbashi store. Women did not tend to wear underwear under their kimono, and several women were said to refuse to jump into the safety nets for fear of exposing themselves!

The wrap style of the kimono has become an integral part of international fashion, influential throughout the West. From the Victorian period onward, Europe had a fascination with the exotic East, with stars such as Anna May Wong gracing the silver screen. To Western women the kimono seemed an ideal new garment that allowed freedom of movement, contrasting with the corseted, petticoat-clad style of the period. American interest in the kimono diminished in the tense years prior to WW2, however, souvenir kimono from returning GI’s rekindled the interest. During the 1950s, kimono and kimon-inspired gowns were popular, both as loungewear and daily wear.

If you want to grab one of these gorgeous vintage kimono for yourself, make sure you visit our boutique in Brick Lane. We currently have a selection of one-of-a-kind silk kimono starting at £150; one of which you can see modelled by the gorgeous Miss Betsy Rose above and below!