Queen's Jubilee Celebrations in Lingerie

There's no mistaking it, 2012 is an exciting year for the UK where festivities are already underway for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this weekend and with the Olympic torch already being relayed through the country ahead of the London 2012 games this summer.  This year is definitely the time to feel proudly patriotic, and whilst we decorate our homes and streets with bunting and flags, companies are also joining in the British spirit, including some of our most loved UK lingerie brands.

Marks and Spencer hit the road, quite literally, this month with a lingerie range to commemorate the Queen's Coronation back in 1953.  The sumptuous collection is inspired by 50s lingerie and includes more current styled pieces.

Limited Collection Vintage Satin Bra
Marks and Spencer

The vintage looking satin bra and french knickers is a stunning heritage set but sadly the bra is only for A-C cups.  There is something for the bigger boobed woman who wears a DD-GG cup and doesn't want to miss out on the Jubilee fun, and that comes in the form of a more modern designed animal print plunge bra.

Limited Collection Jubilee Animal Print Bra
Marks and Spencer

Luxury British label, Lucile, are launching a very patriotic box set of a trio of knickers.  The knickers are adorable as the box they come in, but I'm yet to establish when they will be on sale.  Hopefully very soon!

Jubilee Knicker Box,
Lucile

Huge bra brand, Gossard, have created a Jubilee offering too: their best selling Superboost style in a Union Jack (or flag as it should correctly be!) print.  It's cute, patriotic and available in up to a G cup.  You can now buy it from Figleaves.

Union Jack Superboost Bra,
Gossard

And for the pin up queen in you, What Katie Did has created a limited edition Union Flag Corset.  It's such a stunning piece in vibrant union colours and despite the initial wait for your corset to be made for you, it will be so worth the wait!

Union Flag Corset,
What Katie Did

Have you seen anything particularly lingerie commemorative for the Jubilee celebrations?

If you're a lingerie designer or retailer who has made something British and patriotic for this year, I'd love to hear from you!

Becky x

Shoot - Summer Ethereal

Over the past week we've been treated to some gloriously tropical weather.  With temperatures soaring high in the mid twenties celcius, it's been an early Summer tease and I've been enthusiastically enjoying the sun and it's heat.  After the very cold spell we'd been braving earlier, it seemed an appropriate time to seize the opportunity of a photoshoot.  With Sean J Connolly geared up and raring to go, out we drove into the beating sun.

I'd been planning this shoot for quite a while, in many respects for well over a year.  I had all these ideas, clothing and accessories set aside ready but on the day the ideas developed and we ended up creating some beautiful imagery beyond my initial imagination.  That's the exciting part when you collide creatives together!

We drove to a beauty spot which we'd found by chance only days before; a shrubby overgrown area which was bursting with freshly bloomed blossom.  It was such a pretty unadulterated area secluded away from the busy road just yards away and it smelled divine.

We went through the motions of me wearing a few different corsets with various bits and pieces and ended up with a really striking image of me amongst the floral bushes.  I'm wearing a brilliant white underbust corset with a delicate pair of nipple pasties.  They are adorable little things in pastel hues, intricately adorned with trimmings and bows.  They are designed by a very talented pasty designer at Intimate Jewellery Designs.  I've found their pasties and tassels to be amongst the best for the expert craftsmanship.

Following Sean's wizardly touch, the image just looked even better!

Another look which turned out particularly well was the angel inspired theme.  I'd brought my giant feathery angel wings and, when paired with a simple little white dress, and a blossom halo made on the spot by Sean (he's clever like that), we produced some wowser pictures that I just adore!

We ventured onto another destination, an ancient wood in the depths of Yorkshire that required us to walk down (and back up!) the most astonishing amount of steps I've ever seen!  But it was worth it.  :-)  Beneath the tree canopy wild garlic flowers carpeted the wood floor to such a vast expanse.  The sunlight snuck through the leaves, spying in at every given opportunity, and there was an immense serene ambiance.  It felt perfectly magical, as if the most natural experience was to stumble upon an angel befallen from the heavens.

I love it when ideas and inspiration just implode and result in amazing pictures you'd be hard pressed to repeat.  :-)

Becky x

Plunge Bras For The Larger Bust

Plunge bras are not just for smaller busts wanting that 'hello boys' effect.  Despite larger cup bras not being the easiest to buy, there is a variety of styles out there which means you're not limited to balconettes.

As my boobs continued to develop through my twenties I ended up believing that the only style I could wear was a balconette; a design that many larger cupped bras are produced in because of their flattering silhouette and supportiveness.  Since being properly fitted I've come to know that wearing a plunge is indeed still possible for me.  In fact, as I've found out that my boobs are naturally close set, balconettes don't suit me so well and plunging bras are perfect for a bust like mine.

I love proving that big bras don't have to be frumpy and some of my current favourites are simply cute and look pretty as heck!

Check out these plunge pretties -

Ada Tattoo Plunge Bra
Freya coming soon

Wild at Heart Plunge Bra
Bravissimo

HP Koktajl
Ewa Michalak

Lucine Plunge Bra
Bravissimo

Dorothy Plunge Bra
Boux Avenue

I'm frankly quite gutted that the Dorothy bra from Boux Avenue only goes up to a G cup when some of their other lines are an H (and while I'm here the lack of 28 backs is also frustrating).  It would be nice to see them extend the more trendy looking ranges to give more choice to those of us who need a larger cup and appreciate cute designs.   I would so buy this bra if it came in a GG or H!

Becky x

I Love Corsets!

I started my Becky's Boudoir blog because of my modelling and the desire to share my work and inspirations.  One of my favourite styles is boudoir, the whole deliciously feminine ethos with beautiful settings, accessories and lingerie.  What I love to wear most is corsets and I hadn't realised how little I'd spoken of my soft spot for these divine pieces of industrial strength sexiness.  So here's a post dedicated to the wonderful corset.

I've accumulated quite a collection of corsets, all varying in colour, fashion and purpose.  One of my most cherished corsets is actually one I've not had the chance of wearing for a shoot yet, so hopefully that day isn't too far in the distant future.

So, my favourite is a stunning raw silk yellow corset by Diva Corsets.  They make fashion corsets - not what you'd call 'proper' corsets, by which I mean ones that recall the corset's first purpose, to nip a figure in at the waist by 'waist training' - but corsets beautifully crafted all the same.  I don't believe they are steel boned (mine isn't) but they are far weightier than cheaper corsets you can pick up online and you can tell Diva corsets are far superior than these imitations.  The form of my corset is really well made.

The colour is stunning, like a marigold yellow verging on gold.  The fabric has a gorgeous shimmery sheen, with the nature of the raw silk fibres adding a textured dimension.  It fastens with 14 hook and eyes, which isn't my preferred method (a busk fits and looks much better) but does the job effectively.

To the reverse is the lacing with a ribbon through eyelets.  I am considering changing the ribbon to a stronger cord and lacing it up so it meets in the centre, more like how you'd properly wear a corset.

So this is what it looks like when I wear it.  (Forgive me for my grotty hair and make up, I'm afraid to say this is me on a normal day, lol.)  You can see that despite it not being of a steel bone structure, it still gives a fabulous hour glass shape.  (Well, I'm already hour glass figured but this would give ANYONE a curvy figure!)

I bought this in a size small, and to be honest it is pretty titchy.  I probably would have been better off with a medium because the lacing at the back was pretty much to the max.  It will look a lot better laced up with some better cord.  Having said that, it still makes my boobs look really good, and for a GG bust to be fitted into a small corset, I'm pretty amazed at that statistic!

What I love about corsets in general is that they are so flattering for the female form, especially if you buy a good one.  They skim the tummy and show off your cleavage amazingly, and I pretty much enjoy feeling the femme fatale.

Becky x