blogleaves: fashion inspiration, style news, and all that's new in the world of figleaves.com

Looking forward to LFW

Phew - London Fashion Week rolls around again next month, and it looks as though it's going to be a vintage season. Antonio Berardi, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney for Adidas, Jonathan Saunders, Pringle of Scotland, Burberry and Ballantyne are among the big names returning to the capital - and it's going to be "bonkers", says The Telegraph.

Let's get in the mood with a little something from London designer - and best friend of Agy, let's not forget - Henry Holland. His collaboration with Pretty Polly is available to pre-order and will add that necessary edge to your look in time for LFW.

Are you flat and proud like Keira?

Keira Knightley has come under the scrutiny of the airbrushing police this week. It looks like her cleavage has been digitally enhanced in the latest Chanel ads, reports the Daily Mail, which encouraged her to "say it out loud - I'm flat and I'm proud!" today.

Here's a new arrival for all us Keiras out there: this Simone Perele push-up bra should help you make the most of what you've got thanks to its significant amount of air padding. Fancy a more impressive cleavage? It's yours for £54.

Emporio Armani woman arrives

Vic climbs a ladder! In heels! Yes, the new Emporio Armani ads starring Victoria Beckham have been released and the blogs are abuzz.

How, though, does the lingerie stack up once you are over all the advertising hoopla? This is your chance to find out: it's just arrived on figleaves.com and it's looking pretty special - check out the floral and pinstripe balconette, left, and the grey and pink animal print push-up bra, right.

A great cleavage is guaranteed - but we're making no promises when it comes to climbing ladders...

Power cuts, space pants and bras for blinkers

Lots of underwear news this week.

• Watch what you do when you take off your knickers. A power cut in the Lincolnshire village of Leadenham the other day has been blamed on a flying black thong, says the BBC.
• Japanese spaceman Koichi Wakata returns to earth in the special underwear he has been testing: he kept the anti-bacterial, odour-proof pants on for a whole month, says AP.
• Becks news: the little 'uns are confused by those Armani ads, reports Metro.
• Bras for blinkers: The Daily Star is tickled by the tale of Austria's bra-wearing donkey.
• How to be a movie star: Meryl Streep has confessed to stuffing her bra to win her role in Out of Africa, says contactmusic.com.

Britain v Italy: the underwear round

"Dear Brits, we’ve beaten you at everything and it’s time you realised it," proclaimed Italian newspaper Il Giornale (part of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's media empire) the other day. When it comes to tourism, fashion, crime and even football, we are in a sorry state compared to our Italian friends, they say.

But how do the two nations stack up when it comes to underwear?

In the Italian corner: the wonderful La Perla, of course (find Malizia in our Designer Outlet), for women; and an array of fabulous designer names for men. Emporio Armani, D&G and Diesel are all worth shouting about.

And in the British: well, you can't beat British brands like Fantasie, Freya and Panache when it comes to style and comfort in DD+ sizes, but the likes of Made by Niki and Mimi Holliday show that we are no slouches on the fashion front either. And for men? Paul Smith's classics with a quirky twist take some beating.

Too close to call? Let us know what you think.

Trend: high summer florals

Here's a cheery trend to take us into the weekend: big, splashy florals for high summer. Just arrived on figleaves.com and looking fresh as a daisy are this sunny yellow Elle Macpherson Intimates set (how cute is that culotte-style shorty?) and this Calvin Klein chemise, part of its new Dolce Vita range that also includes a bra, thong and brief.

Left, Elle Macpherson Intimates bra £40 and shorty £25; right, Calvin Klein chemise £42.

Feeling haute

The autumn/winter 09 haute couture shows have been taking place in Paris this week, so here's a pic of the Georges Chakra catwalk to get us in the mood. What's news? The Christian Lacroix show - possibly his last - was an emotional affair, says the Wall Street Journal; and of interest to all us lingerie fans was the Christian Dior runway. It was a riot of lingerie influences, reports the Daily Telegraph, with suspender-style straps adorning even the shoes.

If all this has given you a yen for some vintage-style lingerie, then fear not; figleaves.com has plenty. Check out our suspenders; or treat yourself to this rather couture-like Aubade set, complete with retro waist cincher.

Couture image: Julien Hekiniman/Image.net

Get a Yummie Tummie this summer

There's a new star on the shapewear shelves this summer - yes, the much talked-about Yummie Tummie has arrived at figleaves.com (and just in time for any high summer soirees you might be attending in a body-conscious dress).

Yummie Tummie is the brainchild of designer and celeb stylist Heather Thomson, who has worked with P Diddy, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez on their own fashion lines. With credentials like that, it's little wonder that her smoothing and shaping underwear, made from sweat-wicking microfibre and designed not to ride up, has rocketed to the top of the stars' must-have lists.

Left, strappy camisole £62. The range also includes a slip, £78, and nursing cami, £69.

Elle Mac to the G

The news on the DD+ front just gets better and better. Our latest arrival? Elle Macpherson's super-feminine Artistry range, in semi-sheer lace interwoven with ribbon, now goes up to a G cup. Bra, £35.

Vintage style goes undercover

We're feeling cultured today - in the mood to visit a museum, in fact. Luckily the Fashion and Textile Museum in London has just the ticket: Undercover, an exhibition devoted to the evolution of lingerie with exhibits ranging from the first ever patented bra dating back to 1915 to the high tech, cellulite-busting knickers of today. The exhibition opens tomorrow and continues until 27 September; more details here.

In the meantime, if all this has inspired you to seek out some lingerie with a vintage feel, check out these retro styles by Princesse Tam-Tam, Aubade, Maidenform and - one of the designers whose pieces you can find in the exhibition - Elle Macpherson.

image: La Perla Atelier Collection, photographer Michelangelo di Battista