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

*EDIT Please note due to popular demand, we are now out of stock on this Betsey Johnson strapless style. We do have many other strapless styles available. We will have new Betsey Johnson styles arriving in Mid July 2010. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The heat has set in and the strapless days are here again.  If you are in the A-D range, you should try out our Betsey Johnson strapless, available in Sugar Cookie:

This lovely bra fits so well, you could do a cartwheel in it, and that is saying something!

We love Betsey’s range of lingerie because it is fun, cute, feminine and of course,  a great fit.

Inspirational story: Betsey’s fashion career started when she entered, and won, a Madamoiselle magazine guest editor contest.  Betsey managed to turn a short stint as a guest editor into a permanent position in the art department -  and was sent to London for work. She was so inspired by what she saw there (it was the 60’s after all) that she returned to New York, began designing and within one year was the in-house designer at trendy boutique Paraphernalia. In 1969 she opened her own boutique in Manhattan called Betsey Bunki Nini. See what can happen as a result of entering a contest? Amazing! Opportunities lie everywhere around you…just need to keep your eyes open and work hard.

Feeling crafty? Check out this link where you can find Vintage Betsey Johnson for Butterick patterns! We love this one:

New to secrets from your sister… is Hanro.

 

The most unique feature is the use of mercerized cotton. Hand-picked cotton is treated with soda lye and simultaneously stretched, which increases its strength and creates Hanro’s signature sheen. The cotton is colourfast, so the effects of air, water, light and heat will not affect the colour. A low percentage of elastane allows the cotton to better retain its shape and adapt comfortably to body contours. Hanro cotton is allergy-free and heat-resistant.