Harnessing the power: Body harness OOTD and review of the Freya Deco 'Spotlight' !

   For my birthday last month, my husband was kind enough to treat me with a trip to The Crazy Bear hotel in Beaconsfield. The hotel is nothing short of opulent, with its brocade-patterned doors, chandeliers, gold leaf walls and quilted seating (and that's just the restaurant and bar!)

   Our room was situated in the town house and it epitomised boudoir decadence with dim lighting and a backdrop of dark brocade wallpaper, heavy velour drapes with gold tassels and scarlet red carpet. The room was furnished with gothic-baroque elements such as an ornate gold mirror and a golden chandelier (dripping with red and black crystals)!

   Having been to The Crazy Bear once before, I wanted my dinner outfit to reflect the outré décor and eccentric glamour of the hotel, so I put together an ensemble that centred upon a lingerie-come-fashion-accessory that I have not felt daring enough to wear out... until now! The item in question is my gold-studded, black, faux-leather ASOS harness (which has been hanging in my wardrobe, unworn, for around a year or so!) If the Crazy Bear was not good enough excuse to channel bondage-inspired outerwear, then I don't know what would be!

   Harnesses can be very tricky to wear as outerwear because the styling has to be spot on - showing too much flesh was a 'no-no' for me as I felt that too much skin on display with a harness could look slightly indecent! I chose to channel the Crazy Bear colour scheme of red, black and gold in my outfit, starting with a simple bodycon midi dress in crushed red velvet, which I picked up in Primark for about £10!

 The 'midi' has become a real wardrobe staple for me, as at 5ft10, they often come up shorter on me (to around knee length). This Primark dress feels lovely on and hugs my curves (with a good amount of stretch over the chest!) - ideal for showing off your figure without showing much flesh at all!

   I decided to jazz up my outfit with a pair of patterned tights. I chose my eye-catching, black Wolford 'dolly dots' tights to pick up the circular stud detailing on my harness. The quality of these tights is excellent and they seem much less prone to laddering than my usual tights!

   The heel-boots are again a bargain from Primark and I thought that the faux suede and black strapping detailing with gold studs mirrored the harness detailing perfectly.

   I finished the look off with gold earrings, a slick of bright red lipstick, cat-wing eye make-up and, of course, some matching lingerie! The underwear that I wore with this outfit was the Freya 'Spotlight' Deco, which I bought from Figleaves when they had a 15% off code (naughty me!) The claret red tone and black polka dots match the theme of my outfit perfectly. With its trademark seamless finish and cleavage-flattering moulded cups, the 'Spotlight' was extremely practical underneath a bodycon dress too!

   In true lingerie blog style, my review would not be complete without briefly touching upon the look and fit of this new Freya Deco.. 

   The 'Spotlight' bra delivers a fashionable twist on Freya's best-selling 'Deco' design. The unusual claret base colour adds a touch of sophistication, keeping the polka dot pattern from looking too 'cutesy'. I love that Freya have inverted the colour scheme on the straps, trim and central bow (burgandy polka dots on a black base) and I am also glad that the pattern and trim continue down the bra wings - it really pulls the design together!

   Whilst this bra, for the most part, delivers the same fit and support of a regular Deco bra, the 'Spotlight' did not feel exactly the same when worn. Although the fit is only fractionally different, the top of the cups of the 'Spotlight' appear to curve inwards more than the regular Deco or Deco 'Honey'. I would attribute this 'curving inwards' to the presence of a thicker (and stiffer) elastic trim, which is present on the inside and outside of the 'Spotlight'. 

(Comparison of the outer trim of the 'Spotlight' compared to no trim on the regular nude Deco)

(The inner trim of the 'Spotlight' is significantly thicker/wider than the interior trim of my regular nude Deco)

   For those that experience slight 'gapping' at the top of the cups on the regular Deco, the 'Spotlight' could help to reduce this. Conversely, this design alteration may result in a slight 'cutting in' on those that are quite full-on-top in shape (this may not warrant having to size up in the cups, however). 

   All in all, I found that my usual 28FF was a good fit in the 'Spotlight' and like all of my Freya Deco bras, the 'Spotlight' feels comfortable and supportive when worn. I am looking forward to adding more Deco bras to my collection in future. Take a look at these beauties that are coming out this S/S14 and A/W14!

(L-R: Freya Deco 'Lagoon' (S/S14), Freya Deco 'Delight' (S/S14), Freya Deco 'Rebel' (A/W14))

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As always, I hope that you enjoyed my blog post. Let me know what you think of my outfit! 

Would you be daring enough to wear a body harness out? 

Love,

Wolford's new Regent Street boutique and S/S13 collections reviewed

   Founded in 1949, Austrian premium brand, Wolford, boasts a rich history alongside an impressive range of products; from Legwear to Ready-to-wear to Lingerie, Swimwear and Accessories. Wolford's first products were tights, followed by an expansion into bodywear in 1992. Thanks to the high quality, stylish designs of Wolford garments, both legwear and bodywear (particularly tights and seamless bodies) remain extremely popular to this day and are integral to Wolford's collections.

   Wolford has grown to become an iconic and internationally recognised label with highly sought after luxury products that are loved by celebrities such as Kate Moss, Rihanna, Jessie J, Keira Knightley and Cheryl Cole, amongst others. Wolford is special in its balance of creativity and innovation with a timeless classicism that withstands seasonal trend shifts. That said, Wolford is conscious of the latest trends, choosing to give a subtle nod to them, whilst keeping its classic shapes (which flatter and enhance the female silhouette.)

   I was lucky enough to be invited to Wolford's Westfield boutique a little while ago to hear the lovely  Muireann Carey-Campbell of Bangs and a Bun give a talk about Wolford's A/W12 collections; 1950's meets rock chick with a splash of surrealist 'trompe l'oeil'! 

(Check out the the use of mesh panels, stud detailing, rose print, dogtooth and eyecatching colours set against nude and black.)

   After an evening of serious lusting over the 'bondage trompe l'oeil' 'legcessories' and bodysuits in particular, I developed a real crush on Wolford's sophisticated but edgy collections!

   Not long after, Wolford held a launch party for its new Regent Street Boutique, so I was able to get a preview of the boutique as well as view some of the S/S13 styles a day before the shop opened to customers.. 

(Left: Mannequins in the window..but only one is real!) (Right: Inside the boutique)

   The Wolford Spring/Summer 2013 ranges are all about glamorous, contemporary layering. The collection takes its inspiration from the 1980's and a 'couture' silhouette, featuring three main themes: 'Holiday Resort', 'Spring' and 'Summer'. 

   The 'Holiday Resort' collection takes its inspiration from Greta Garbo and Rene Gruau's fashion illustrations to create garments with 'look-at-me' prints and spangly ornamental embellishments, such as crystals and metal stud sequins. A touch of couture is added through the use of puffed sleeves, ruching and jewellery-inspired motifs..

How fabulous do the Wolford girls look in these brightly coloured bodycon cheetah print dresses? 

I loved this pewter colour bodycon dress with cross-over 'strap' design. The embellished metal cuffs are not part of the dress, so can be added to any outfit for an edgy finishing touch!

   Wolford's 'Spring' collection gives off an air of romanticism thanks to its evocative colour palette of soft pinks, white and turquoise, woven through a beautiful selection of lingerie, shapewear, ready-to-wear, legwear and bodywear styles. The focus of the collection lies in floral patterning and lace (both real and printed). Many garments are accented by ornamental button and pearl detailing, miniature floral patterning and ruffles, which add charm and femininity in equal measure..

(Left: Wolford Fleur bra & string, Tulle forming dress) (Right: Fatal bolero, Fleur dress, Mini fleur tights Lucent belt, Bloom gaiter)

(I am absolutely loving this lace print bra (boohoo that it does not come in my size!) and shaping lace forming high waist skirt!)

   Last but not least, the 'Summer' collection conjures up a sleek yet casual silhouette with sheer and net fabrics that allow for an alluring peek of bare skin. Graphic patterning, black and white contrasts, 'trompe l'oeil' paint splash effects and striking colours such as hot red, cobalt blue and canary yellow are the order of the day, along with eye-catching printed legwear styles. Wolford's key look is layering a flared mini over a pencil skirt for a new take on the peplum..

(Left: Amour skirt, Fatal sheer dress, Net stripes pullover, Net belt) (Right: Louise dress, Collier tights, Lucent belt, Heavy metal gaiter, Garbo gaiter, Fatal sleeves)

(I love this black outfit - it is full of elegant drama and the play on textures is stunning!)

   Wolford's Spring/Summer 2013 collection is a real corker, deftly fusing a mixture of styles from 'retro' to 'modern edgy' to 'boudoir appeal' to 'classic couture'. The focus, as always, is placed on quality garments that deliver equally in style and substance. Having seen the garments up close, I am very impressed with how soft and shaping the garments look - ideal for creating a sophisticated but sexy, feminine silhouette.

   I am particularly enamoured by the way that layering has been used in Wolford's Lookbook images to create some seriously fashion-forward outfits that challenge how we traditionally put clothes together. (I wouldn't have thought of creating my own peplum effect by layering a flared skirt over a pencil skirt..and how fabulous is this 'underwear-as-outerwear' inspired look below?)

What do you think of the new collections?

Click here to see the just launched Wolford Spring/Summer 2013 collections or check out Wolford's new flagship boutique at 56 Regent Street, London.

Love,

Kitty xo