Secrets From Your Sister

Part Two: Wearing White on White

Phew. This week has been so, so hot. And while we love our brights and our blacks throughout the summer, there is something about a crisp white that feels cooling all over. Be it a plain white tee, a pretty summer dress or some eyelet lace, white in summer feels right. There are two ways to wear white, or other light colours. The conventional, practical choice is probably to own a neutral bra in a tone that closely matches your skin – beige, chocolate or blush. Nude tones work well under anything and will make any white outfit work. We’ll talk about how to make these basics more fun, and also what the best basics are in our next installment in the Summer Dressing Series.

In this post, we have another suggestion. Part 2: White under White.

In our experience, women are very divided on this issue. Some don’t like the look at all, and others swear by it. We’ve talked about it before, and some of you are still not sure. Some of us aren’t either! But as lingerie lovers, we’re always experimenting. In fact you may have noticed that this past Thursday was our first white-on-white themed dress day in the stores.  We’ll be wearing the white-on-white look every Thursday for the whole month! Alongside wear-white-under-white Thursdays, we’re giving away a bottle of Soak and a sfys Tote bag free with any purchase of a white bra! Happy White Bra Month!

Ok, back to how to wear them.

It can be a tricky go, but here are some examples of white on white we love:

The key to pulling this look off is having a really pretty bra, and letting it show (thusly implying intention, which is key to really “owning” this look) or showing it in a tasteful way that enhances the garment worn over top of it, as in the pic in the bottom right above. We really love the crisp white shirt left open to show off a pretty lacy variation. That look is fresh and sexy on every skintone!

In larger cups, we have Empreinte “Sofia” Balconette, Freya “Pollyanna” and “Madison” from Prima Donna. Pictured below is the Freya bra.

Pretty white lace in Paris!

In smaller sizes, we have Simone Perele “Romance”, Princesse Tam Tam “Mademoiselle” and “Tom” by Marie Jo L’Adventure.

Pictured below is the Simone Perele

10 tips on wearing white:

1. Use self tanner or other tinted products on another day! Keep your whites as crisp as possible by avoiding wearing them over a fresh fake tan.

2. Do not wear your pretty white things under black or other bright/dark colours. This will stain your white bra with the dye and these stains are some of the hardest to get out.

3. Don’t wear white under white to a wedding unless the bride asks you to. Only the bride should wear white.

4. White doesn’t work on your skintone? Try other off whites, oyster, alabaster, cream or winter white.

5. Don’t wear white clothes skin-tight. It shows everything in an unflattering light. White clothes should be loose and breezy.

6. Wearing a white suit and want to show some white bra? It still might be wise to wear a nude pantie or thong under the pant. Showing off a pretty white bra seems intentional. Showing off your white thong through your pants is rarely, if ever, appropriate.

7. White goes with everything. Mix up a white outfit with any colour or a palette of neutrals. White with tan leather (or pleather if you prefer) and gold accessories always looks fresh and chic.

8. Don’t wear head-to-toe white. A white suit or dress looks great with a nude or brightly coloured shoe and accessories. Wear all white head-to-toe and you risk looking like you just got off your shift at the hospital!

9. Always wash your white lingerie separately from your other lingerie. Though colourful lingerie is unlikely to run in wash, washing white with white will keep the whites pure. We’ve found that Oxyclean works wonders on white though it’s safety on delicate fabrics is debatable. Use very sparingly to freshen up whites.

10. Of course you’ve heard us say this a million times – wash your bra after each wear. This is especially important with a white bra, as whites will yellow slightly if they are left unwashed – this is your sweat, skin oils and other gunky beauty-product stuff sitting in the fabric and soiling it.

We hope to see you in this month. Come in and try something white in your size!

To read part one: Prints, Brights and Black click here

Part One: Prints, Brights and Black

The weather is warm and the sun is bright. The official start of summer is just around the corner. Dressing for summer events is fun but sometimes a challenge. In part one of the series, we’ll talk about Prints, Brights and Black. In parts two and three, we’ll cover beige bras and being ‘invisible’ as well as white bras and ways to work cool summer lace.  Here’s to keeping yourself stylish and well supported this summer!

Black Bras – Take a Plunge!

Plunge styles are available up to an H cup! Have you tried Panache‘s “Tango Plunge”? It’s amazing. It’s low enough that it works under wrap tops, plunging necklines and it even works under many styles of bridesmaid’s dresses, because the straps are wider set. Try this bra with low cut tanks, square necklines and more. Black bras work great under grey and black as well as any darker colour like navy or green. Try it under white…if you dare!

Brights! Brights! Brights!

Beige is not always best. Yes we offer beige bras because they disappear under white clothes, but we don’t think they are your only summer solution! Other colours such as pink and orange are often invisible under light clothes as well. Further to that,  so many wardrobes feature colour in the summer, why not use your bras to mix it up? We happen to think having a hot pink bra strap peek out from a bright blue top is fun. How about soft pink under a summer blouse? We love to layer colours and make the bra part of our fashion look.

Now in store we have Freya‘s “Summer”:

Love love love LOVE Freya! This pretty set has fab pink straps. Try it with bright colours for a look with maximum punch!

Prints Charming

White can be right! White is often the base colour of printed bras. In July, we’re celebrating white lace at secrets but before we talk about pure white, let’s enjoy white as the base for this pretty-in-pink option. With stunning lace across the upper cup and opaque white print across the lower cup, you’ll be surprised by how versatile this bra is.

Try adding white into your lingerie wardrobe with the stunning new “Felicity” by Fantasie:

This set is just so darn pretty. The white lace will contrast in such a lovely way against sun kissed skin, and the pink flowers add a touch of delicacy. But this set is quirky too – the print is vibrant, the straps are funky and we love the white, pink and green combination this set provides us. The floral print is super trendy this summer, and will look great under other floral prints for a pretty layered effect!

We’re feeling more pumped for summer events already! Now, off to a patio for a rum punch to celebrate our new summer lingerie style!

We’ve been looking for the perfect cotton panty for a while now. This has included trying out what some of the other retailers claim is the ‘perfect panty’.  We’ve been doing this a lot recently because we knew that we were getting the new cotton seamless panty by Commando in stock soon, and we wanted to have an idea of what the competition was like.

Let us put it this way: There is no competition. Commando cotton knickers are the best most perfect panty ever. (In our humble opinion).

But we aren’t the only ones with an opinion! People Magazine’s Summer Style guide recommends them as well!

The colours are great and we find them fantastic under everything. These will be the best undies you wear all summer!

They were also well reviewed by the New York Times!

Give them a try! We’d love to hear if you think they are perfect too.