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."

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

"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

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

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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?

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

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

Lingerie for the Winter

Does your lingerie collection change according to the season? As the cold winter approaches, you might want to consider lingerie designed for warmth. There's a whole variety of bodysuits, camisoles  and gorgeous embroidered pieces that can be worn seamlessly underneath warm knit sweaters.

Lingerie Talk shares their thoughts some great warm styles on their website.

"The trees are bare, the sun is setting earlier and winter is almost upon us: it’s time to reach for cuddly sweaters and extra layers to keep cozy! The transition to cooler weather and the approaching holiday season also make this time of year the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate and add different pieces to your lingerie wardrobe.
Now that skimpy T-shirts are out, and thicker layers and knits are in, try experimenting with adding a seamed bra to your collection. A bra with seams almost always offers better lift (that’s Empreinte‘s Ophelia above). And for those bustier gals, a seamed bra creates the most effective minimization.
Are your blouses forever popping open? Tired of hiding behind a sweater and forever safety pinning your shirts? A seamed bra creates a more streamlined silhouette across the bustline, which can banish pulling and gapping at the buttons. Try it!"

Read more: http://www.lingerietalk.com/2012/11/14/lingerie-trends/is-your-lingerie-ready-for-winter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LingerieTalk+%28Lingerie+Talk%29

Bra Fitting Rules by The Budget Fashionista

Fashion blogger Kathryn from The Budget Fashionista knows how important it is for a woman to wear well-fitting undergarments. Read her story and list of "Do's and Dont's" on her blog!

"If your undergarments are stretched, stained, damaged or otherwise abused, throw them in the garbage . . . Now.
There is nothing more valuable to your appearance than wearing proper undergarments.
Undergarments have the power to completely alter an outfit. I mean, what’s the sense of wearing a fabulous Nicole Miller dress you got for $35 from Bluefly
if your backside looks like a carton of Rocky Road ice cream? Who cares if you just scored a ChloePaddington bag for 200 bucks if your chest is as rocky as the Rocky Mountains?
TBF put together this guide to help you discover the power of proper-fitting undergarments. Whether you’ve got a ton of junk in your trunk or barely have a trunk at all, we have a bevy of tips on finding the proper fit; details on budget places to get great underwear; and frank answers to your most pressing underwear questions. And, in true Budget Fashionista style, we encourage you to share your own undergarment tips."

Read more: http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com/archive/bra-fitting-rules/

5 Fashion Rules

There are 5 fashion rules that everyone should follow, no matter what their style or size is. The first and most important fashion rule of the 5 listed is to make sure you're wearing great underwear! As the article on this blog states, "The foundation to looking good lies in having good foundation garments."

Which of these 5 rules do you put the most faith into?
http://fashion-toop.blogspot.com/2012/07/5-fashion-rules-all-women-should-follow.html

Lingerie From 500 Years Ago

A discovery that changes the history of fashion and lingerie in particular has been uncovered from beneath the floorboards of an Austrian castle. The sets of lingerie show characteristics of garments that were thought to be invented relatively recently. However, these date back to the 15th century. This brings the history of women's undergarments back several hundred years!


Read more about this exciting discovery on Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2174568/Austrian-dates-bras-15th-century-The-scraps-lace-castle-vault.html#ixzz21Bz06mxI

"It is hardly racy by today’s standards but this skimpy lingerie has certainly shocked historians.The lace and linen undergarments date back to hundreds of years before women’s underwear was thought to exist.They had lain hidden in a vault beneath the floorboards of an Austrian castle since  the 15th centuryDespite their state of decay, the knickers bear more than a passing resemblance to the string bikini briefs popular today, while the bra has the fitted cups and delicate straps of its modern-day counterparts.While it was known that medieval men wore undergarments like modern-day shorts, it was thought that women simply wore a smock or chemise.It was thought that knickers didn’t make an appearance until the late 18th century. Bras were thought to be an even more modern invention, not appearing until around 100 years ago.Hilary Davidson, fashion curator at the Museum of London, said the discovery ‘totally rewrites’ fashion history, adding: ‘Nothing like this has  ever come up before.’ She believes it is ‘entirely probable’ that something similar was worn by Britain’s medieval women. ‘These finds are a very exciting insight into the way people dressed in the Middle Ages,' she continued.‘It’s rare that everyday garments of any kind survive from this period, let alone underwear.’The undergarments were among almost 3,000 fragments of clothing and other detritus found in Lengberg Castle in East Tyrol during recent renovations.It is thought that they were buried when the building was extended in 1480 and that the exceptionally dry conditions stopped the fragile garments from disintegrating over the centuries.Beatrix Nutz, of Innsbruck University, who made the find, initially faced scepticism but radiocarbon-dating tests confirmed her suspicions. The haul included four bras and two pairs of pants. Two of the bras resemble modern counterparts but the others are described rather bluntly as ‘shirts with bags’, the August issue of the BBC History Magazine reports."

Sheer Trend Spring/Summer 2012

Sheer clothing is back in style this year. It's a beautiful look that's light and allows the skin to breath through the scorching summer heat. This style that allows lingerie to show through clothing, so the line between the look being elegantly fun and too revealing is quite fine. Fashionising discusses how the sheer trend arose and, if you're not too sure how to wear it, gives useful tips on sheerness and layering.

Read it here: http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--see-through-clothes-sheer-fashion-953.html

"Sheer clothing: how wear it this summer.  It's the trend that dared to bare and won. Sheer fashion remains a statement to make in spring / summer 2012, and our guide takes you through all the looks, from the subtle to the sexual, from the monochromatic to the colourful. Read on to find out all you need to know."