News – La Perla Launches Bridal Collection

A Wedding treat, that’s not to be missed by husband or wife




New bridal lingerie is set to hit the shelves from La Perla, just in time for the Wedding season. It’s not cheap (over £100 a bra and £40 a thong) but it’s certainly beautiful and will bring a tear to your eye – and that’s before you have even made it down the aisle.

It’s something special, a treat for this one off occasion - unless that is you’re Elizabeth Taylor. Each garment in the collection is seamlessly smooth for the ultimate fit, but don’t worry they haven’t forgot a bit of feminine charm ad sexiness which goes along way in this department, particularly thinking ahead the end of the evening. The ‘ tease me ‘ tulle stretched over the bra cups and the virgin white, paper thin Chantilly lace true to form adds grace and elegance to every inch of the styles. Made from the most delicate soft stretch fabrics, it’s no surprise that they fit like a wedding glove.



If whites not the look you’re going for with the wedding plans, then look no further as the whole collection comes in nude to. And of course in this day and age, if you’re going for an alternative look – say a black wedding dress a la Giovanna Couture, then La Perla have got that covered to with plenty of black options.

So keep on top form, in the undie department for a perfectly streamlined day. In fact, while you’re having a look why not kit out the whole female wedding party - you will be spoilt for choice. La Perlas’ Bridal Collection is not one to be missed. Don’t let it do a ‘Runaway Bride’ on you, it’s far more gorgeous than Julia Roberts and that’s saying something.

Summers Sweaty Yet Subtle Leather

(Celine S/S 2010)

Sitting out in the scorching sunshine today, the last thing that crossed my mind was wearing a leather skirt or in fact sweaty, suede trousers. Yet too many this may seem sinful, seeing that the latest summer trend is set to be subtle, leather clothing with a feminine twist – not a ‘biker’ rock chick style jacket in sight.

Ok, so sweating in a supple, skin dress whilst at a family picnic is probably not a good idea and yes a leather dress may seem farfetched to eat homemade sandwiches in. But take a step back from reality and enter the glamorous world of fashion and celebrity after-parties and the look (as if by magic) is growing in appeal already. Wearing leather, is by definition, an over-the-top way to say ‘look at me’ but with iconic status and style. While other fabrics are busy being over fussy, attention seekers – the Chantilly ‘tease me’ lace to the in-your-face table dancing tartans. Leather rolls in to take centre stage with great grace this season (not a clinging cut insight) pulling together even the more unsightly black biker studs and tassels (which may be hanging in the wardrobes of many) to the delicately cut pastel, flower necklaces perfectly on trend (from Topshop at £35.)


(Alexander Wang S/S 2010)

And so, this season leather has once again hit the catwalks and is tugging at all fashion followers’ purse strings. The way to wear it, of course is with Kate Moss finesse – causally laidback with festival edge - layer, leather shorts and oversized khaki jackets. The colour palette ranges from lingerie pastels, rosy hues and golden, peachy yellows from 3.1 Philip Lim to earthy tones of murky green and carpenter tan by Celine and Vera Wang. These are the must have leather tones of today, and the best thing about them is that they will match any skin colour and do a world of good for the complexion.


(3.1 Philip Lim S/S 2010)

The mood is best captured in 3.1 Philip Lims, Spring/Summer 2010 Runway collection as malted-milk coloured leather shirts meet their tea dipping partners in PG Tips tone skirts. The fabric has elegance and class; a feminine beauty that glides across the body, each skin is soft enough to twist like caramel around the hips. Not brave enough to where the matching twinsets, well all hope is not lost. Just as scrummy, creamy ‘must have’ leather bags (a reasonable one at River Island £59.99) will be hitting the shelves, along with perfectly poised criss- cross scandals in heavenly honey shades at Marks and Spencer’s for just £35.



(Marks & Spencers S/S 2010)

Yes, a neutral shade can lack lustre but not combined with sexy leather. It’s still probably not the best idea to wear a leather twinset to a family picnic or indeed a dress, but for any other occasion – think dinner with friends or sophisticated date, then go for it. Not only will you be bang on trend but subtle, soft and sexy to. What more can a man want.

Why Are We So Infatuated With Fake Tan?

When we talk about fake tan products, the first thing that has to be acknowledged is that women often take the fake bake look too far a la the cheap Essex girl look. This is not me being stereotypical; far from it as I am a great fan of fake tanning myself, a natural golden glow never does any harm (think of Sarah Harding). It’s just the fact that in general your eyes don’t lie and as the sunshine hits the high street you can’t help but notice the overly tanned limbs of brown mud monsters passing you by, some of which whose tans look pretty poorly applied.

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So with this in mind, why every year do we women do it to ourselves? It seems that sex sells, the ideal summer image of a bronzed beauty with a healthy tan does look impressive, just note the recent influx of TV tan adverts where slim, long-legged models twirl around in perfectly clean bathrooms. As if putting on fake tan is instantly going to make you a foot taller, a stone lighter and leave you with a clean bathroom – speaking from experience of tan application this is not the case. With each application weather spray or moisturises I have yet to not make at least a small degree of bathroom mess, and the brown layer did not alter my bodily appearance. Yet, stand in any Boots tan aisle this week and its clear this ideal image in a bottle flies off the shelves – even when it’s priced from £25 like the St Tropez Tan. Well, here is not to being duped any more.

Indeed, looking tanned originally was a distinguishing physical trait between the working class (as they had been working in the fields all day) and the upper class where pale complex were preciously up held even with the use of parasols, any fashion history book could have told us women that. Elizabeth Bennet in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen was never seen sporting a bronzed body however she still met her Mr Darcy, so there’s a lot to be said to being a pasty princess. Ok, so life is not a novel and yes, having a tan in the 90s was considered a sign of wealth, the Lady Di - I can cruise around on a yacht all week images. Though the influx in millions of tanned products (just look at the Tesco tan aisle for a few example that you can breezily fill you trolley with on the weekly shop,) commercially seems to have cheapened the natural bronzed goddess look. Yet looking overtly common is perhaps the look us modern women seem to be aiming for, just look at the likes of Katie Price – a walking, talking, tanned Barbie doll she may be but a clever media money spinner she is to (so something has to be said for looking like an umper lumper.) Plus, with the natural tanned look represented by celebrities across the globe from Cheryl Cole to Eva Mendes, its is easy to see why a sun kissed body can look stunning. But have you ever stopped to think how they achieve this look? It’s very unlikely that they even applied it themselves.

So before you head to the tan aisle or the stock of tan bottles in the bathroom cupboard, stop and think, what look am I going achieve by putting this on. If it’s the one coat healthy glow by all means go for it, but if it’s the dark Jordan look, is it really worth spending money to look tarty and cheap, particularly as you probably don’t have her millions to fall back on and someone to at least apply the tan smoothly.