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Bags of style

Last week we were thrilled to be nominated at the Draper’s Awards in the Best Lingerie Retailer category. The ceremony was held at the Grosvenor hotel in Mayfair and attended by our Head of Marketing, Jess Burnett and our PR and Marketing Executive Lisa Henderson .

As always Lisa looked effortlessly on trend in her shoulder padded sequinned tunic, but she needed a handbag to go with it - and one big enough to house all her essentials. That got the office and our community thinking. . . Just what do you need your bag to hold when you go out for an evening?

Answers included lippy, mascara, keys, mobile phone, a purse, tissues, your camera and a pen and paper. Our email manager Jo even likes to carry a pair of flat shoes. Whatever your loot, we know that however big your bag needs to be, we’ve got some perfect party arm candy to complete any party ensemble this season.

  
  
I love clutch bags and I’m spoiled for choice at figleaves.com, torn between patent, sequinned and satin numbers in a rainbowed plethora of colours. If like me, you carry your life in your handbag, you’ll need a slightly bigger option.

I love the figleaves leather and suede snakeskin range. The zip detail clutch has a matching purse and oversized hand bag and is available in two colourways. Opt for grey for understated style or magical magenta for instant intrigue.

 
Lisa went for the Suzy Smith satin clutch in black. It was obviously a wise decision as she found herself photographed as one of the best dressed. If you want to add a splash of seasonal colour to your outfit the bag also comes in cherry, purple, vanilla, and my favourite, teal. 

  
 
If like Lisa you want to experiment with this season’s sequin trend but are not brave enough to try an all over shine, why not team our figleaves maxi or French Connection Fast Anni shoulder dress with a sequinned clutch to bedazzle and beguile at your Christmas party?

   

How to Look Good Naked: show stopping finish

It may have slipped your notice but How to Look Good Naked was on the television last night instead of this evening. If you missed it don’t worry you’ll still be able to catch it online or on 4OD.

Once again we spotted a figleaves.com piece and this time it was our very own figleaves designed silk corset in a vibrant orchid pink. What a show stopping end to the series. Laced up the back in ribbon and with a ribbon tie at the waist, we think that this will be the perfect gift to unwrap this Christmas.

Here's Jonnnnyyyyy

A few weeks ago Jerry and I trialled our new shapewear brand, Lytess. We’ve had a great response, and now that the range is being snapped up at figleaves.com we hope that you’re seeing the same positive results we did. We want to hear about how you’re getting on so why not take part in the figleaves community?

Throughout the trail we let you keep tabs on our progress at Facebook and Twitter. And it was one of your tweets that inspired the latest in the team figleaves wearer trials. One of our Twitter followers got us thinking when he told us that if we did shapewear for men, he’d try it.

How refreshing that we live in a day and age where men are just as preoccupied with their beer bellies as we are with our post pregnancy paunch. So with that in mind, we set about coercing one of our own into taking one for the blog team.Luckily for us our Jonny was game.

 

 
We gave Jonny two  different garments to try. The first was the white RipT Fusion torso enhancing undershirt, the second was the black Equmen Helix mapping long sleeved top.

RipT comes from the same company that have given us the popular Yummie Tummie brand. The  t-shirt is styled in simple white cotton but features a control panel across the tummy area to give a sculpting effect. We know what you’re thinking – less time in the gym.

We asked Jonny what he thought and he told us he found himself sitting up straighter and that the Fusion was having a great effect on his posture. He also found it comfy and not at all restrictive, a definite plus for a shapewear product as any girl in her magic pants will tell you. it will also be the perfect addition to your winter warmer wardrobe as it adds that extra layer to keep out the cold, something Jonny found beneficial on his walk to work.

Equmen is a product that Jonny’s wanted to try for a while. Unlike the RipT which features a simple shaping panel, the Equmen Helix mapping shirt has been technologically crafted to work wonders on a man’s upper body, creating a masculine silhouette. Gok would love it.

When Jonny first popped over to tell us bloggers that he was trialling it that day, we weren’t surprised at all. Cue lots of gushing over how improved his posture was, we hope we didn’t embarrass him too much.
 The Equmen is also available in a vest and a t-shirt so it’s truly shapewear for all seasons. Jonny will definitely be investing. He would recommend that you should buy a slightly smaller size than usual to avoid losing the shaping effect when you wash it.

If you’ve got a winter wedding or a job interview coming up this will be the perfect shape up to layer under your shirt and tie. We also think that beneath one of our delicious Calvin Klein fitted shirts or soft to the touch John Smedley knits you’ll be receiving both envious and admiring glances left, right and centre. And if its your bum that needs sculpting then Equmen are on hand with their range of undies available in the same fabric. Now who wants to volunteer for this one boys?

How to Look Good Naked: Masquerade ball

As Christmas fast approaches, so turn our thoughts to seasonal seduction. Tonight we were more than happy to see that Gok Wan is on the same page as us. Another Tuesday night in with How to Look Good Naked and yet another of our figleaves.com brands doing a star turn on Gok's catwalk.


 

This week we spied the Antoinette basque by Masquerade. Fashioned in lace and finished in velvet, the basque features a beguiling jewel embellishment. We think it will make the perfect Christmas gift destined to make you look and feel good naked.

It's naked Tuesday. . . again

Tune in for another confidence boosting Tuesday evening with Gok tonight from 8pm on Channel 4. In the meantime why not get your How to Look Good Naked fix from the series' accompanying book. You can win one of ten copies with figleaves. com. Be quick, the competition closes at midnight. 

   

  

My retro romance

September's launch of Dita Von Teese's lingerie collectionfor Wonderbra captured this season's passion for vintage fashion. With the colder weather comes a desire for more structured, glamorous design - suddenly we're all quilted satin and shimmering sequins. I headed down to the Dorchester hotel for the press launch and was bowled over once again by just how gorgeous the designs look, but also by the woman herself. Petite and poised as she is, Dita's style still feels sumptuous and left me feeling inspired to revisit my wardrobe for the season.

Nipped in waists are easy to achieve with belts and tulip skirts, but it's with my lingerie that I really want to experiment with vintage looks.

For a playful, 60s feel, Carol Malony'sPowder Puff set polls top of the league. Flirty, fluffy pompoms in powder pink are delectably naughty. Rosy's Retro collection has vintage inspired lace panels but still feels fresh and modern with nude tones and simplified corestry details.

  

Create indulgently elegant, starlet style with a floor sweeping chemise in silk. Graceful pieces skim your figure, flattering your curves for a sophisticated seductress look.

 

If your style is more sex kitten bombshell than silver screen goddess, you'll fall for the stunning sets by Miss La La's Boudoir. My personal favourite is the Boit de Chocolat collection in a luscious ruby red. Deep satin briefs are oh-so-retro but turn around for a cheeky revelation - the pleated heart-shaped panel on the rear. Very ooh la la!

 

If you're inspired by the vintage vibe, there are beautiful purse-friendly pleasers and exquisite luxury designs alike available at figleaves.com

How to Look Good Naked: Prized possesion

Every Tuesday evening we like nothing more than tuning into Channel 4’s How to Look Good Naked. The latest series is now well underway and Gok continues to serve up ego boosting lingerie and shapewear solutions for optimum body confidence.

Over the past few weeks we’ve been eagerly anticipating whether any of our figleaves.com favourites will be featured and we’ve not been disappointed with star turns from our leading ladies Pour Moi?, Freya and Wonderbra to name but a few.

   
                Freya Jolie                          Pour Moi? Opulence                     Wonderbra gel

We’ve blogged immediately after the show to tell you exactly which products shown you can snap up at figleaves. We’ve also enjoyed chatting to you on Facebook and Twitter throughout and after the show to find out what you think.

The new How to Look Good Naked book is the perfect ink and paper twin for the television show. The book encapsulates all the top tips and expert know-how from the series so you've always got advice on hand to help you look and feel your best.

We’re keen to share this insider knowledge with you so we have ten copies to give away. If you purchase any of the items featured on How to Look Good Naked then you’ll be entered into the draw to win. Simple. Don’t forget to sneak a peek at Style leaves for your How to Look Good Naked inspiration and browse the complete collection of figleaves products featured by our Fairy Gokmother.

  

Terms and conditions
Competition is open to UK residents and over 18s only.
Terms and Conditions apply.
Qualifying Product. The "Qualifying Product" for this Free Prize Draw is the purchase of one or more featured products from “How to Look Good Naked” as featured in the How to Look Good Naked Style leaves pages.
Qualifying Period. The "Qualifying Period" for this Free Prize Draw is from 3rd November 2009 until midnight 17th November 2009.
Prize. The prize is one copy of the How to Look Good Naked Book.
Automatic entry unless opt-out selected. If you do NOT wish to be entered, please send an email titled NO PRIZE DRAW with your details to competitions@figleaves.com. See www.figleaves.com/prizedrawfor full details.

Firecracking Looks

Gunfire, treason, plotting; all this general Bonfire talk has put us in the mood to channel our inner revolutionist. And, no, not in a hands dirty kind of way. We’re talking about a Vivienne Westwood punky twist, or bit of gender-swapping androgyny a la Jean Paul Gaultier. In other words: causing an absolute bang.

 

There’s nothing more fun (or sexy) than taking something ‘nice’ and toughening it up.  Yet whilst the pirate/rebel look has always been popular in mainstream fashion, in the realm of lingerie this has often fallen into the bracket of trashy. Which is why, here at figleaves.com, we have fought your ground to find underwear that pushes conventional boundaries. 

 

For example, one of our favourite new brands, Yes Master combines the luxury of pure silk with mischievous PVC embellishments. Meanwhile more and more designers are transforming traditional satin looks with a modern navy colour scheme, making it just all the more seductive. Check out these just-ins from 6ixty 8ight to see what we mean. 

From an oversized ruffle trim to a cheeky keyhole detailing or an unexpected tassel; this is one lingerie look we’re totally loving. Mixing creative integrity with sexiness is indeed the new black. So be it Dita Von Teese's irresistibly provocative collection for Wonderbra, or haute pieces such as the Lecon De Seduction thong from Aubade, we hope you'll be inspired too.   

 

  

Viva la revolution!