2012 in review & a sneak peek at what 2013 has in store..!

   First and foremost, let me start by wishing you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and thank you, readers, for your continued support in my lingerie pursuits! 

   2012 has been such an exciting year for me personally (I got married!) and as a blogger there have been so many great events and launches that it is hard to pick my highlights! Never-the-less, here is a little overview of my blog over the past year...

   2012 kicked off with my first guest blog "What I look for from a lingerie boutique" for Lingerie Buyer trade magazine, followed by meeting the fabulous Gok Wan at the Simply Yours/Simply Be S/S12 press event, the Swimwear 365 launch with TOWIE's Sam Faiers, the London Fashion Week 'indie' lingerie designers catwalk show, various lingerie press days (including the hugely popular Eveden A/W12 and Panache A/W12 press events)..and much more! 

   I was also thrilled to win Jonathan Aston's 2012 blogger 'style off' competition and this has given me the confidence to introduce more clothing, nightwear and shapewear posts on my blog. (Take a look at my lingerie-inspired Halloween look, 'Work fashion' style file, luxury highstreet nightwear review and Charnos corselette shapewear review) I have also started to use a few pictures of myself wearing garments that I review to hopefully give an even better idea of how things look in the flesh! 

   2012 has been a great year for lingerie reviews - both of brands that many of us know and love, as well as of some emerging and independent designers that cater particularly to the fuller bust market. Some of my favourite lingerie discoveries over the past year include the 'Parfait' by Affinitas fuller bust line, tattoo-inspired creations of Tatu Couture, new C-J cup lingerie brand, Alegro, Mimi Holliday's luxurious bras and highly acclaimed polish lingerie brand, Ewa Michalak!    

   2012 has indeed been a busy year and 2013 undoubtedly has some great surprises in store for you, lingerie fans! I am particularly looking forward to...

*Freya bringing out their longline bras in a 28 back for S/S13 - it looks like my continual badgering at press events has paid off! ;) 

(Pictured below L-R 'Just Flew In' and 'Patsy' - sizes 32-38C and 28-38 D-G.) 

* Freya's first ever shapewear styles and a Deco multiway bra..I can't wait! (Sizes 32-38 B,C & 28-38 D-G)

* Cleo by Panache's swimwear debut this Spring/Summer (cue a colour explosion of eye-catching summery brights, bold patterns and oh-so-cute details..starting from a 28 back (D-J cups):

* Curvy Kate's first ever babydoll ('Lola') which goes up to a K cup - it really fills a gap in the fuller bust market for sexy 'boudoir lingerie' and A/W13 cannot come around quick enough!

* Claudette's introduction of 28 backs to their 'Dessous' range - after months of lusting, I can't wait to get my mitts on these bright neon bras in my size!

* Miss Mandalay's high fashion, high impact swimwear for 2013 - fuller busted ladies are in for a treat with the new collections (all up to a GG and one range up to an H, with 28 backs in many styles). The 'Los Angeles' bikini (below, right) is bang on trend with its sexy cut-out details - it has my heart doing somersaults already!

* Even more Parfait by Affinitas longline bras for me to hanker after! Here is the ineffably stylish 'Danielle' bra in 'imperial purple' for A/W13..it must be love!

   This 2013, I hope to bring you all even more exciting lingerie, swimwear and fashion related pictures, previews, news and reviews. Blogging is in many ways about self-exploration and I am always striving to bring even more excitement and new ideas to the table when it comes to what I write about. I am pleased to say that I have a few new things in the pipeline for you all..one of my big aims is to bring in some thought-provoking content about the lingerie industry, bra fitting and body image, so keep your eyes peeled! 

   As always, if you have any suggestions regarding what you are interested in seeing on my blog, I'd love to hear from you - this blog exists to help people in their quest for well-fitting, gorgeous lingerie, so do get in touch here..and don't forget to join me on Facebook and Twitter for daily lingerie updates or just a general natter!

Love,

Kitty xo

Poolside glamour in the By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' bikini

   By Caprice is a brand that I have written about before in my reviews of the 'Audrey' and 'Kitty' lingerie sets, but never before have I tried the swimwear. Since the brand's launch in 2006, By Caprice lingerie and swimwear has picked up fans in the form of Imogen Thomas and TOWIE's Maria Fowler and Amy Childs to name a few.

   As a former glamour model, it may come as no surprise that Caprice's Swimwear is equally as sexy as her Lingerie collections. The Spring/ Summer 2012 Swimwear collection is no exception, with an abundance of  glam padded triangle bikinis, moulded push-ups, cut-out swimsuits and skimpy tie-side bottoms in black, metallic tones and vibrant blue, along with ruching, polka dot, stud, floral and ruffle details. 

   By Caprice's padded triangle bikinis have proved to be a particularly popular design for many years now and have been brought out in a range of patterns. I recently spotted a very cute pink and black heart print bikini from By Caprice on lingerie and swimwear e-tailer, Lingerie Please. Lingerie Please offer some very cute bra sized bikinis, so I was delighted when they sent me the By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' bikini to try.. 

  By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' moulded bikini 
(Top: £23 and briefs: £15)

   As I have mentioned before, buying non-cup sized swimwear tends to be a 'no-goer' as I have to mix and match tops and bottoms to account for my bust, meaning that good support is pretty well out of the equation! Although the 'Colby Hearts' bikini does not come in bra sizes, the sizing works using a UK dress size and dual cup size e.g. Size 8-18, with cup sizes B/C, D/DD and E/F. 

   Although I generally wear 28 back bras, I decided to go for the 10 E/F in this bikini as I thought that the 8 E/F may come out rather like a By Caprice size 30 E/F, which would have been too small. (I wear a 30FF in By Caprice lingerie) I also went for a size 12 in the low rise bikini briefs as I have noticed that By Caprice briefs tend to run small due to their skimpier cut.

   It could probably be argued that this sizing system is a little confusing as dress size and band size do not necessarily (and often don't!) correlate. Before you get worried, luckily back size is not too much of an issue with this bikini because it has tie backs, which is great as you can tie the straps as tight or loose as you wish!

   The 'Colby Hearts' bikini top is a black moulded triangle style covered in ultra girlie hearts in bubble gum and lipstick pink. The bright dual tone hearts really stand out against the black base colour, giving this bikini a bit of a colour 'pop'. The low rise bikini briefs have an identical heart pattern and also feature an elasticated black waistband for comfort.

   I was glad that I went for the 10 E/F in the bikini top, as I definitely wouldn't have fit into the cups of the 8 E/F! The cut of the 'Colby Hearts' is much more revealing than most of the bikinis that I own, but boy oh boy does this bikini give you an impressive cleavage! Like the By Caprice bras that I have tried, the 'Colby Hearts' bikini also boasts hidden graduated padding on the inside of the cups.. 

   As you can see from the picture, the padding is quite significant and I definitely got a cleavage to rival a glamour model's in this number! This look may not be everyone's cup of tea (especially if you have a large bust already), but I'd recommend it to those who want to boost their bust on the beach, whilst melting a few ice creams (and hearts) whilst they're at it! 

   I was also glad that I went for a size 12 in the matching briefs as they do come up smaller and skimpier than some of the other bikini bottoms that I own. It is worth sizing up in these low rise briefs if you don't want to show too much derrière.. 

   

   The By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' bikini is a very flirty and glamorous bikini that will boost your assets and your confidence in equal measure. It's worth mentioning that this bikini is more of a 'lounging' and 'posing' bikini and wouldn't be ideally suited to high levels of activity (unless you want to give onlookers an eyeful!)

   It does look great on, however, and I can imagine this bikini drawing many an admiring look on the beach or by the pool! If you're looking for a sexy bikini with 'wow factor', the 'Colby Hearts' has definitely got it. 

   You can see more of Lingerie Please's range of bikinis on their site. There is currently FREE postage for a limited time, with quick dispatches and speedy postage!

Roll on Summer holidays!

Love,

Kitty xo

Swimwear365 launch with Sam Faiers from TOWIE

A few weeks ago, I was lucky to be invited to the launch of Swimwear365, a new online company that stocks an ever-growing range of fashionable swimwear (sizes 8-28 and cup sizes A-E) and beach accessories. Swimwear365 chose to have their launch event on their very own branded bus, which set off on a 3-stop Press tour around London! 

At each stop, the Swimwear 365 bus welcomed eager press and fashion journos on board to view the swimwear collections and have a chat to their bubbly, blonde celebrity ambassador...The Only Way is Essex's Sam Faiers!

Being a fan of beach holidays and soaking up the sun in a bikini, Sam Faiers is an ideal choice of ambassador for the brand. In fact, on the Press day, Sam had only just got back from a holiday in Dubai and was looking very tanned and smiley!

I got on the Swimwear365 bus at Great Malborough Street and was welcomed by a topless male model serving drinks and tasty Swimwear365 cupcakes! 

With my trusty camera in one hand and a drink in the other, I ascended the steps inside the bus up to the top deck, where there were rails of multi-coloured swimwear to discover. I could feel myself beginning to mentally pack a holiday suitcase...!

There was a great variety of brands on show, including French Connection, Jette, Lascana, S. Oliver, Playful Promises, Buffalo, Marie Claire, KangaROOS and more, meaning that there was something for many different tastes. I noticed distinct trends that threaded the brands into cohesive collections for Spring/Summer 2012...

FLORAL NOTES

Florals are a huge trend this S/S12, from girly and feminine ditsy florals to bold and colourful tropical flower digital prints...

(Ditsy florals - Marie Claire, Playful Promises, S. Oliver..)

(French Connection multi-coloured bandeau bikini and cutaway swimsuit)

(Sam modelling the Lascana tropical print white floral bikini)

NAUTICALS

Take inspiration from the French Riviera and channel classic nautical chic with stripes, marine motifs and colour combinations of white, navy blue and red...

(Ahoy sailor! Nautical swimwear including the glamorous Lascana marine blue bandeau bikini - I love the contrasting white buttons!)

(Go dotty for this retro red 50s style Lascana polka dot swimsuit - the ruching along the torso is ideal for flattering your curves!)

EYE-CATCHING COLOURS & PRINTS

This Spring/Summer is all about making a statement, so a kaleidoscope of bright colours and bold prints are key. Try colour-blocking, mix and match, colour clashes and unusual prints...or just wear an unusual single-coloured piece...

(This raspberry-purple Lascana gathered swimsuit is perfect for injecting some pool-side glamour) 

(This digital print Playful Promises white hummingbird bandeau bikini is very eye-catching with its vivid colour palette and pretty bird print)

(A unique take on snake print - the Lascana purple print triangle bikini)

AZTEC AND TRIBAL TOUCHES

Aztec and tribal prints are big news this S/S12, with a focus on bold contrasting ikat prints, geometric and ethnic-inspired patterns, often complimented by beads and other embellishments... 

(The Playful Promises black gathered tribal bandeau bikini was one of my favourite pieces and I love the multi-coloured bead-style embroidery!)

(The Jette aztec print triangle bikini is really eye-catching with its tie-dye colour palette and stylish hoop rings)

(This S. Oliver aztec print underwired bikini is a quirky take on the Aztec trend. It really packs a punch with its vibrant colour scheme of zesty limes, yellows and pinks and blue and purple neons.)

I was able to have a little chat with Sam about the Swimwear365 collections and her excitement to be the face of the brand was clear. She loved the selection of different styles and cited the Jette white sparkling triangle bikini as one of her favourite pieces as it would look "amazing with a tan"! The gold studs definitely give this bikini a TOWIE glam finish!

Take a look at the video below to find out more about the Swimwear365 launch. (Can you spot me?)

View the full swimwear collections at www.swimwear365.co.uk

Love,
Kitty xo