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The Lingerie Addict: CurveNY SS14

The Lingerie Addict shared the highlights of Spring/Summer 2014 lingerie at CurveNY in her post "NYC Lingerie Market S/S 2014."

"In what’s apparently become a new Lingerie Addict tradition, I got sick again during this season’s market and wound up bedridden, most regrettably during most of our industry’s big lingerie tradeshow,CurveNY. Honestly, for the last few weeks, I’ve been debating if I should even write a market week roundup. Most of my photos are on my iPhone and were meant, not for this blog post, but as bookmarks for which booths to visit again when I returned to the Javits center. Still, there are a few designers and a few items that I wanted to make sure I spotlight this season because I saw some amazing work that deserves to be featured front and center. There won’t be as much text as usual accompanying this year’s report (sitting down and talking with everyone was also on my to-do list for the next day), but I hope you can forgive me."

Racial Diversity on NYFW Runways

There has been a lack of racial diversity among models on the runways, even in this years New York Fashion Week. An article on NYMag describes a former model agency owner's effort to break the silence and confront this issue.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/09/givhan-confronting-the-lack-of-black-models.html

Bethann Hardison, the former model agency owner who has been a leading advocate for greater diversity on the fashion runway, has gone live with an international roll call of design houses whose actions she characterizes as “racist” due to the lack of black models in their fall 2013 shows.
A strongly worded letter, posted at the website Balance Diversity reads, in part:

“Eyes are on an industry that season after season watches fashion design houses consistently use … one or no models of color. No matter the intention, the result is racism. Not accepting another based on the color of their skin is clearly beyond 'aesthetic' when it is consistent with the designer’s brand. Whether it’s the decision of the designer, stylist or casting director, that decision to use basically all white models, reveals a trait that is unbecoming to modern society.”

Diversity In Lingerie

Recently, the lingerie blogger behind Braless In Brasil called for a push in diversity within the lingerie industry. It's received an overwhelming amount of support among lingerie bloggers, providing refreshingly realistic perspectives regarding the representation of beauty in its many forms!

See the list of contributions to the #diversityinlingerie discussion:
http://www.bralessinbrasil.com/2013/08/diversityinlingerie.html

Bra Fit Mathematics

Drastic changes in cup size can come as a shock after a proper bra fitting. When you understand the math behind the measurements, it's much easier to accept.

Cups and Measures shared a clear and informative description she found on reddit in her blog.
http://cupsandmeasures.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/reddit-to-the-rescue-8/

"The letter is a measurement of the difference between the whole boob measurement and the around the ribcage under the boob measurement. So as the number (ribcage measurement) gets smaller, the same sized “boob measurement” gets larger, as the difference would be growing, giving you a higher cup size.So in this case, she thought she was 34C and found out that she was actually 32E, right? Her “boob measurement” (presumably 37″) is the exact same it was, meaning her boobs are actually no different, but the “ribcage measurement” is two inches less than she thought it was (she thought it was 34, but it was actually 32). This means that the difference between the two is actually 5″ different instead of 3″ which, according to the chart given to us by mywifesbusty, changes her assumed cup size from C to her actual cup size of E.The easiest way I can think of this is imagine huge boobs on a small woman. Then imagine the exact same boobs on a larger woman. The boobs seem to be more noticeably large on the little woman, giving her a bigger cup size out of the deal."

"Bloggers!" on YouTube

If you missed The Underfashion Club blogging seminar, it's not too late to hear the valuable information that was shared. In this seminar, we discussed blogging with the minds behind three popular lingerie blogs: The Lingerie Addict, The Breast Life, and The Lingerie Lesbian. Learn about the value of their practice and how it affects the lingerie industry as a whole. The interviewees were...

Cora Harrington of The Lingerie Addict:
http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/
Elizabeth Dale of The Breast Life:
http://www.thebreastlife.com/
Caroline Elenowitz of The Lingerie Lesbian:
http://thelingerielesbian.com/

Photos from "Bloggers!"

Did you come to our "Bloggers" panel? Catch your face in the photos of our guests at the event! They've all been uploaded to Facebook.

See them all here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151777616856552.1073741828.94131951551&type=1

Bra Studies & Sampling Methods

Catherine Clavering of Kiss Me Deadly wrote a blog post about why the sampling methods of ‪breast‬ and ‪‎bra‬-related studies matter for the calculation of valid statistics on The Lingerie Addict. Think critically before taking the results on any of the studies that reach the news as fact. This is what you should consider before deciding if the statistics are representative of its population.

Bra Fit Science: Why Sampling Methods for Lingerie Research Matter

The number. Your sample size needs to reflect the total population that your research covers. In this case, that’s women from the whole of the UK, a number of about 32 million.

Geography. If your sample is supposed to represent the whole of the UK, then it should include people from all over the UK. A major issue in experiments is that the vast majority are done on people from one small area (namely, from a round the universities) and then interpreted to represent the entire world!

Socioeconomic Status. This means that if it’s possible social status and income might make a difference in what you are testing, then you should make sure your sample represents as much diversity in that area as possible. In the UK, there’s an established link between income and weight (the richer are thinner), so for any kind of size research you really must do this.

Other relevant demographic variables. In this case, age might be a significant variable; for example, we know that size changes much with age.

How are you finding your sample? The methods you use to find your sample set can make a hugedifference to results. Imagine if you were doing research on bra fit, and your sample only came from shops who told their unhappy customers to come and see you? If you surveyed women who just made a bra purchase they loved, you could get a completely different result!

LingerieFW Spring/Summer 2014

The next LingerieFW will take place on August 1-3 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City! Learn more about this showcasing of Spring/Summer 2014 ‪fashions‬ in the intimate apparel industry on The Lingerie Journal.
http://thelingeriejournal.com/lingeriefw-returns-august-1-3-2013/

"Available on LingerieFW.com, the Official SS14 Schedule includes: Rococo Dessous, the first lingerie line made of 24-karat gold thread, worldwide leader in retro-inspired lingerie & stockings Secrets in Lace, presenting Secrets in Lace, Bettie Page Lingerie & Stockings and Dita Von Teese Stockings, global powerhouse and full bust leader Affinitas & Parfait, playfully seductive Lola Haze lingerie & loungewear, lingerie-RTW fusion NOE Undergarments, lingerie & lounge lines Lola Haze and Uye Surana showing in a combined Presentation, fashion-forward nursing & maternity line You! Lingerie, and innovative NaïS lingerie & loungewear and decadent Nevaeh Intimatesshowing in a combined Made in NY Presentation." - Luis Paredes

The Bloggers of our Upcoming Seminar

The details of our "BLOGGERS" seminar have been finalized and registration is now open!
Register here: http://www.underfashionclub.org/events/bloggers.html

Our guests will be presenting at The Cutting Room on August 7th at 6:30pm. Connect with the brilliant lingerie bloggers who will be discussing with us on social media to get a feel for what the event will be like. Each of them have unique perspectives and quality information.

Cora Harrington

Website: http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/

Facebook: The Lingerie Addict

Twitter: @lingerie_addict

Elizabeth Dale

Website: http://www.thebreastlife.com/

Facebook: The Breast Life

Twitter: @TheBreastLife

Caroline Elenowitz

Website: http://thelingerielesbian.com/

Facebook: The Lingerie Lesbian

Twitter: @LingerieLesbian

Ellen Lewis (moderator)

Website: http://lingeriebriefs.com/

Facebook: Lingerie Briefs

Twitter: @LingerieBriefs

Behind The Seams on Lingerie Talk

Lingerie Talk has a post about an exhibit that explores mechanical clothing, with women's undergarments being the main focus. They have transformed over time as certain female figures shifted in and out of fashion.

"The pursuit of a perfect figure — however culture and custom defined it — has transfixed humanity for centuries. And a new exhibition opening in Paris today reveals that this most unapologetic expression of vanity isn’t confined to women alone. The history of mechanical manipulations of human anatomy through undergarments is given a thorough and very serious examination in Behind The Seams: An Indiscreet Look At The Mechanics of Fashion, which runs until Nov. 24 at the Museum of Decorative Arts in The Louvre. (Yes, leave it to the French to put their undies on display — in the Louvre, no less!)" - Richard on Undressing History: The Louvre Looks At The Mechanics Of Fashionable Shapes

Articulated pannier and whalebone corset, circa 1740-60

Read More

The Power of Branding

Our members came together on June 12th at Fashion Group International for a discussion on what makes a brand successful with Guildo Campello of COSABELLA, Ann Deal of Fashion Forms, and Carole Hochman.

Lingerie Through The Ages

Fashion is always changing, especially in the realm of lingerie. See how the cuts, styles, and stitchings of bras, knickers, slips, stockings, and more have changed throughout each decade on SFGate.com.

 http://blog.sfgate.com/chronstyle/2013/06/12/lingerie-through-the-ages/

Starting a Lingerie Business

"If you would like nothing more than to arrange drifts of soft underwear, delicate brassieres and silken nightgowns into attractive displays for shoppers, consider starting your own lingerie business." - Bettina Drew

Photo of Forty Winks

Are you so passionate about lingerie that you're interested in the idea of starting a lingerie business? You'll have to take these steps in order to get started: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/start-own-lingerie-business-4850.html

New Bra Sizes?

A company called Jockey has been developing a new formula for bra fitting for the past 8 years. Learn about it on The Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/jockey-bra-sizes-fit_n_3365395.html?ir=Style&utm_campaign=053113&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-style&utm_content=Title

What do you think of this proposed volumetric fit system as an alternative to our current bra sizing standards?

The Relationship Between Bras and Breasts

A recently completed 15-year study conducted by French scientist Jean-Denis Rouillon observed the relationship between bras and breasts. It has gained attention from women, lingerie designers, and lingerie bloggers around the world. The results suggested that bras might cause expediated sagging in breasts. We've rounded up a few great responses to the study that are worth reading.

Lingerie Briefs - French Bra Study Exposed: Perks Up Media, Deflates Women's Busts
The Lingerie Addict - Do Bras Prevent Breast Sagging?: Why We're Having The Wrong Conversation
Lingerie Talk - Are You Better Off Without A Bra?

What are your thoughts?

Spring/Summer 2014 Lingerie Trends

The Underfashion Club's "A report on the Paris Show" on March 16, 2013 at The Cutting Room, NYC!



Spring/Summer 2014 Fabrics Presentation by CURVEexpo
"Seen at the Show" by Ellen Lewis on Lingerie Briefs 
Spring/Summer 2014 Trends by CARLIN Paris

Femmy Gala 2013 Videos

Videos of the events of the Femmy Gala 2013 are on YouTube!

Carson Kressley hands out the Femmy awards to the most outstanding businesses in the intimate apparel industry in this video.


The VIPs of the intimate apparel industry pose on the red carpet for their awards.


Photos of some of the many wonderful people who attended our 2013 Femmy Gala!

Midnight Garden - Interviews

Each of the contestants in the "Midnight Garden" Student Design Contest told us a little bit about their pieces and the inspiration behind them in their interviews!

Tiffany Spagnuolo with Dark Bloom

1st Prize

Tessa Saccone with Moonlit Azaleas
2nd Prize

Sara Shanahan with Nocturnal Blossom

3rd Prize

Erin Brennan with Fleur de Rave

Judy Yang with Midnight Petals

Alina Kulik with Wilting Dream

The 1st Lingerie Fashion Week

Lingerie Fashion Week is finally here! This highly-anticipated event was created and directed by Lauren Rich. She was interviewed about it by The Lingerie Addict, revealing a little bit about what this event means for lingerie and fashion. Interested? Read it on Cora's blog.

http://www.thelingerieaddict.com/2013/02/inaugural-nyc-lingerie-fashion-week-lauren-rich-richpr.html

Student Design Contest: Preview of the winners of Midnight Garden

The Student Design Contest of this year's Femmy Gala was a huge success! This time around, the theme was "Midnight Garden". The designs created by the talented FIT students were all incredibly beautiful, but only three of them could be named winners! Here are the previews of the most popular entries. More information about the pieces and the designers behind them will be available very soon, so keep an eye out!

#1 by Tiffany Spagnuolo

#2 by Tessa Saccone

#3 by Sara Shanahan

Bra Adjustments

Bodies inevitably change over time, making bras that once fit perfectly no longer sit on the body quite right. Whether it's an issue with the band or the cup, there are ways to make the adjustments yourself. Cloth Habit has fantastic visual guides in their "Bra-making Sew Along" series of blog posts that show us exactly how to go about adjusting bras.

Band adjustment: http://clothhabit.com/2013/01/bra-making-band-adjustment/

Cup adjustment: http://clothhabit.com/2013/01/bra-making-sew-along-cup-adjustments/

Bra Sewing Patterns

Thinking about sewing your own bra? If you're unsure about where to start, Cloth Habit is a great resource. There's plenty of useful advice for materials and patterns.

If you're looking for a bra pattern in particular, Cloth Habit blogger Amy has a few suggestions here: http://clothhabit.com/2012/11/bramaking-sew-along-prep-pattern-choices/

Good luck and have fun!