Lingerie related Christmas presents for him and her!

Christmas morning is approaching, and if you’re stuck on a little something special to slip into their stocking, let us inspire you with some last-minute Christmas present ideas.
You want to get her something sexy…
Getting something for your other half can be a bit of a minefield when it comes to size and shape, but take a look at our Gentlemen’s Gifting Guide for advice on getting the correct size.  Also look at our guide on ‘How to buy lingerie for a Christmas Gift’ for suggestions depending on her taste and style.
Something for him (for you)
If you’re thinking outside the box when it comes to gifting your husband or boyfriend, how about a beautiful set of sensual lingerie…for yourself?! Let’s face it, anything that makes you look good is going to make him feel good too! Try something sheer and sexy from La Peches, this stunning set below from Caprice or if you’re wanting to cover up a little more, try the sexy babydoll from Enamor.
For the sophisticated lady
If your lucky partner is a sophisticated and elegant lady, purchase one of these stunning bodysuits from Scandale that she can wear underneath her Little Black Dresses and partywear. The best bit is, it looks sexy, and is also shaping!
For your new bride
Gift your new bride a beautiful corset with matching panties so you can relive your wedding night! Make her feel like special and like a bride all over again by taking a hotel room and reminding her why she’s so lucky to be married to you….
For those who’ve been together for a long time
Bring the spark back into your relationship and gift your partner something different. How about a selection of pre-paid dates? Present a box of twelve cards to your partner, each with a different date for each month on them. It could be a pre-paid voucher for a restaurant, or even train tickets to a destination neither of you have visited before. If you want to be saucy, replace some of the dates with a pack of naughty knickers with a description of exactly what you would like him to do (or her to do) with them!

The Nightmare Before Christmas….badly fitting bra pictures!

If you’re snuggled up with a warm mug of hot chocolate, scare yourself silly with these awfully fitting bra pictures!
An enterprising bra boutique in Newfoundland, Canada has used these images to advertise what a badly fitting bra can look like, and to warn of the dangers of wearing a badly fitting bra.  If these images are haunting your mirror and your dressing room, then perhaps you should consider re-fitting yourself for a bra.
Please look at our Fit Guide for advice on bra fitting, and drag yourself out of this nightmare!

The Overwire Bra

Of course you would have heard of an underwire bra, but have you heard of an overwire bra?  This unusual design was popular around the 1950s when fashion was just starting to move away from the conical shapes of ‘bullet bras’ and onto something more natural but still with a firm structure and support.
an overwire from Dita Von Teese’s collection for Target, Australia
The lingerie of the 1950s was all about femininity and class.  You wouldn’t get dressed in the morning without wearing a shaping bra, petticoat and slip, with stockings and a garter belt to hold them up!  The lingerie drawer of a 1950s lady would be extensive and simple.
Before 1950, the lingerie wardrobe of a typical woman would have a lot of natural fabrics such as silk, cotton and satin.  Nylon was discovered by a chemist in the 1940s and was a less expensive and more stretchy alternative to natural fabrics.  Combining satin and nylon allowed the iconic bullet bra to be developed.  This bra would have spokes or a circular pattern to give the bra its shape and lift the breasts to gravity-defying heights!
The overwired bra is a more toned down version of the bullet bra, with a firm overwire that goes over the top of the breasts.  The overwire bra would normally be in a plunging style, and would often give a conical look to the breasts.  Modern day styles now mean you can wear this style of bra peeping out of your shirt or dress.  Lacy designs are very popular, and you can find re-makes of vintage styles on ebay and handmaid sites!

Are they real? How big are they? THEY’RE MASSIVE!! You need to go on a diet.

Having a fuller bust can come with its own set of problems.  We’ve already done a post on the top five fuller busted problems which involve boobs being given more attention than your face, and it is a wonderful yet annoying fact of life, that if you have bigger breasts, you are the subject of admiration, jealousy and sometimes unadulterated lust!

All of this can contribute to an emotional rollercoaster of a boosted ego, feeling like an object, and sometimes just wanting to wear your baggiest clothes to escape the staring.  There can sometimes also be a complete misconnection that if you have larger breasts then you are automatically fat!  We are all made in different ways, and to say that a larger bust size means you spend your life sitting, eating samosas and stuffing your face with ice cream, is an unfair assumption.  Famous figures like actress Christina Hendricks, Chef Nigella Lawson, and voluptuous beauty and iconic style icon Marilyn Monroe have shown that an hourglass figure is desirable and healthy.

As well as your larger breasts making people tell you that you’re fat, there can also be an automatic impression that you’ve had your assets surgically enhanced!  The stars of the adult entertainment industry and their fuller bust also do not help in contributing to a wholesome image of fuller busted ladies. However, behind each story of plastic surgery, there is an individual with their own set of issues, insecurities and perhaps even health issues that have led them down a surgical route.

A heaving bosom is used as a tool to sell many commercial items, from a Bollywood film, to perfume, cars, and lifestyle accessories, to lend an element of sexy intrigue to a product that may have nothing to do with lingerie!  This is deeply ironic when you consider the difficulty many lingerie companies have in using cleavage to advertise their very practical and life-enhancing bras or briefs.  This shows how far India has to come in accepting a bust to be shown in the public domain…never mind a fuller one!

If you are a curvaceous woman, be proud of your curves.  Don’t hide them away with ugly minimizer bras or layers of clothes.  See our advice on dressing for your bust if you have a fuller figure, and also check out our advice on sexy bras for fuller figures.  Wearing a bra that fits you well, supports and lifts your amazing curves, will give you more confidence and pride in your appearance.   Get fitted regularly, and encourage your family and friends to wear well-fitting and supportive underwear.  We can all try to follow advice to minimise sagging if that is your major concern too.

A History of Christmas Stockings and the best picks from Zivame!

Stockings have long been thought of as a traditional Christmas addition to the fireplace,but those which hang on the fireplace to wait for Santa’s gifts are a world away from a beautiful pair of silky stockings with their delicate embroidery or potential for seduction!  However, here is a little festive cheer with information about Christmas stockings, how they came to be, and the best picks of real stockings from Zivame.com!

The traditional Christmas stocking has roots in legend!  Legend says the original Saint Nicholas, who traveled around bringing gifts and cheer to those in need, came upon a small village one year and heard of a family in need. An impoverished widower, devastated by the passing of his wife, could not afford to provide a dowry for his three daughters. St. Nick knew the man was too prideful to accept money, so he simply dropped some gold coins down the chimney, which landed in the girl’s stockings, hung by the fireplace to dry. (Or so the tale goes.) Thus the modern tradition was born, though present-day stockings are commonly stuffed with tiny gifts and sweets, not gold.

Nowadays stockings take a much more central role in seduction, and have become thinner, more transparent and are often embellished with beautiful embroidery or detail.  If you want something that you can wear daily, then tights or pantyhose are a full-length option that you can wear to keep yourself warm during the chilly winter months.

Best basics

Here is our pick of the best winners for each category from 2012.  There might be some brands in here that you haven’t seen on our site, so take the chance to look at them an investigate any offers in our sale before they fly off the shelves and vanish forever!

Plie does beautifully soft and comfortable basics that are perfect for daily wear.

Best plus sized

Curvy Kate does everything and more that you would expect from a plus sized brand!  Georgeous fabric, uplifted shape, and specially engineered to keep bigger breasts in check!

Best loungewear

Comfortable, soft and fashionable, Penny makes the perfect loungewear for any mood you’re in.

Best sports bras

Enamor does amazingly supportive and stylish bras that are perfect for high-impact sports activities.

Best Maternity Brand

For luxurious maternity bras and knickers that make you feel like a woman, even though you’re a mother!  Sexy, luxurious and functional, every bra has been innovated and designed to be perfect for a mother’s body before, during and after pregnancy.

Best non-wired bras

Jockey does amazingly comfortable non-wired bras that give you lots of options for support and are fashionable too!

Best luxury shapewear

Scandale does the most beautiful and luxurious shapewear that makes you feel like a true lady.

Best sexy wear

Are you looking for beautiful transparent bras, see-through camisoles, lace and La peches

Best pushup

Stunning push up and perfect shape?  Ultimo is for you!

Best sportswear

Give yourself some serious street credit with the latest stylish and sporty offerings from our newest addition to the Zivame website, Puma!

The Best Picks from our Zivame Sale!

Here are our best picks from the Zivame sale.  Some brands have up to 70% off so get them quick before they fly off the shelves!

La Peches Sheer Transparent Bra - MRP  1399 | MRP  1119
A beautiful transparent bra with amazing uplift, the stunning lace overlay is sensual and so sexy that he won’t be able to take his eyes off you!

Amante Maroon Padded Bra - MRP  1095 | MRP  548
A t-shirt bra with a luxury look, this satin-feel material and glitter detailing will add glamour to your wardrobe.

Penny Girly Frill Bottom Shorts - MRP  499 | MRP  399
Perfect as loungewear or sleepwear, these comfortable shorts are super-sweet and girlie enough to wear anywhere!

Amante Tankini - MRP  1395 | MRP  698
Ideal for swimming on the beach or at the gym, this flattering yet modest swimsuit has slimming stripes in a fashionable print that will streamline your physique and enable you to exercise without feeling self-conscious.

Inaya Vintage Style top - MRP  1500 | MRP  750
I’m totally in love with the beautiful sheer detailing and gorgeous wine colour of this top,  Ideal for elegantly lounging around the house in, or for sleep, you will feel like a true lady in this beautiful piece.

Wearing a corset has historically been shown as the easiest way to ensure a slim and defined waist.  From the times of the Romans, women have used corsets to enhance their feminine figure, enhance their posture and as a sign of propriety and status.  Going out without a corset on used to be akin to walking around in your bra and knickers, and no decent woman would be seen in such a state!
Warning! Wear with caution! Too hot to handle!
Corsets have evolved over the years to be a fashionably sexy form of outerwear, but would previously have been worn underneath clothes to give form and shape to your silhouette.  Corsets with the greatest strength would be strengthened and shaped with whale bone or steel boning at various intervals in the corset, and would fasten at the back or front with laces.
Wearing a corset is a finely-honed art, and a Lady’s Maid would be essential to help you get in and out of it!  Although modern corsets have been developed with a lack of servants or staff in mind, it is useful (as when learning to tie a sari!) to get someone to help you when you first try one on
Loosen the corset laces to their maximum, without the laces coming out of their holes.
step into, or pull the corset over your head.
Ask your helper to pull laces in the middle.  Laces are often straight rather than crossing in the middle of the corset to make it easier to tighten, as shown in the picture below.
Don’t aim to tighten the corset fully on the first go, try to do it in two stages, once for tightening, and once for shaping!
Once you’re happy with the desired tightness, fasten the laces at the botton in a bow, and push the laces up your back if they are a little long.
When you’re feeling brave enough to attempt this by yourself, pull the corset’s laces from the middle by reaching round your back!

Too large, too small… why do we hate our breasts?

Boobs. They’re everywhere. Everywhere you look, there is a woman with a pair of breasts. We latch onto them the minute we are born, and do not stop obsessing about them in every minute after…and I am not talking about just men here.Breast augmentation, uplifts, reductions, liposuction and enhancements have become some of the most popular plastic surgery procedures the world over. It seems is no longer enough to have a slender body and a beautiful face if your breasts are not ‘feminine’ enough.If you are small, petite, atheletic but flat chested without visible breasts, then teasing and ridicule can ensue. Large breasts equally get their fair share of teasing and staring, but come packaged with an unfortunate propensity for sagging, stretch marks and loss of shape as time goes on.Surgical options are there for the problems one can experience with both too large and too-small breasts, but what happened to just accepting our body for the way it is? Why do we hate our sagging breasts or smaller-than-average boobs? Women of African tribes who have never worn more than a brief covering over their intimate areas, celebrate showing their breasts as an expansive definition of womanhood. They don’t care if their breasts are sagging, but are proud that they have a strong body which has been able to give life and nutrition to many children. I am not suggesting that we ditch our bras and swing free, rather look at our beautiful breasts as amazing, sexy, beautiful, feminine and individual additions to our femininity, and not inconvenient for succumbing to gravity or for not being full enough. Wearing badly fitting lingerie that pinches and pokes you, or that doesn’t flatter your shape, is a quick way to hate your breasts, and view them as uncomfortable additions to your body. Choose well-fitting lingerie that supports and lifts your breasts, or innovatively designed bras that enhance your cleavage to ensure your assets are flattered and enhanced in the best possible way. Check our fitting guide for help and advice to make sure you are wearing a perfectly-fitting bra, and will love your breasts!