Maybe it's because we're nostalgic romantics at Kuhmillion Lingerie, but we love to flip through fashion books about different eras. And since lingerie is our business, we often reference one of our favorite little illustrated gems, 1000 Dessous, A History of Lingeriepublished by Taschen. You can find it in any major bookstore or online and will be amazed at what you didn't know about lingerie from the past. To give you a little taste, we'll take you through a few eras and illustrate some of the big trends from the history of lingerie.
The thing that we must always remind ourselves, is that (western) culture and fashion is always steadily changing and sometimes big seismic changes happen suddenly. Often it is only when we look back that we identify iconic images and fashion that seem to define an entire era.
Lingerie is just a small part of fashion, which is itself just one part of the culture of any given time. It's like looking through a small window and seeing little hints of what everyone wore at the time. People were just as varied then as they are today, with very conservative men and women as well as counter-cultural rebels throughout society. 1000 Dessous is really great at illustrating the variety of lingerie styles from each era.
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There's a lot more!
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photo by Jessica Monnich Photography; Visit her Facebook album to view more.
On Wednesday night I had the joy of attending the fun-tastic Austin Fashion Week showcase event for SavannahRed. SavannahRed is a line of "curvy couture" designed by my ultra-talented friend, Anslee Connell (the cutie in the pilot's hat in the above pic). Anslee's designs are fresh takes on classic silhouettes, tailor-made for women size 12 & up.
photo by Jessica Monnich Photography
Anslee put together a brightly-colored retro collection for her flight-themed fashion show. Such cute looks - I loved them all! The colorful dresses were accentuated by bold jewelry from Simmang Design and hair accessories by Milli Starr, both also local Austin designers.
photo by Jessica Monnich Photography
I had such a fun time at the fashion show, and now I want my own custom-made SavannahRed dress! Oh yes ladies, Anslee does custom work, and it is fabulous. I ran into another talented pal o' mine at the event, the fabulous Anne Marie Beard, designer of Austin's cutest purses, *annemarie* Style for the Individual. Anne Marie was sporting her own custom SavannahRed pencil skirt - gorgeous, no? {Please excuse the poor quality of this iPhone pic; my camera doesn't fit in that vintage purse!}
See that shopping bag I'm holding? It's a treasure from Lovely Austin, the boutique where all of this fashion fun took place. It was my first time visiting this adorable shop and I fell in love! More about Lovely Austin in my next post - it's my newest Boutique Crush!
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On Monday night, Patrick & I attended the Austin Fashion Week showcase event for Megan Summerville Fine Lingerie. Ms. Summerville's exquisite collection of vintage-inspired lingerie was modeled by beautiful ladies lounging in the parlor of Maison d'Etoile.
The lingerie was fabulous, and I am now totally smitten with this place! Maison d'Etoile is a style collective housing two adorable shops, Charm School Vintage and Coco Coquette, a wig and cosmetics boutique, as well as the Salon d'Etoile gallery. I wanted to share some pics of these lovely shops that I snapped with my iPhone (pardon their low quality).
Of course I had to check out the amazing vintage dresses! If you're in Austin, be sure to check out Maison d'Etoile!
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I heart pretty tights! Tights are so classy and feminine, yet donning a funky pair of tights is an easy way to show off your individual style. Lace tights will help you achieve a romantic, flirty, but polished, look. I've rounded up some pics of pretty ladies from around the blogosphere that I hope will inspire you!
For a classic look, keep things simple with a solid black skirt and neutral top:
For something a bit bolder, add a pop of color with a bright blouse:
Patterned skirts paired with solid-color, neutral tops also work beautifully!
Ready to take it up a notch? Try pairing your lacey tights with a boldly patterned skirt and colorful top, or an eye-popping trench coat styled after Blaire Waldorf in Gossip Girl:
You can even layer lace tights over opaque colored ones like this stylish gal has:
The main idea is just to have fun with your legwear and you'll look fabulous! Trust your instincts, and when in doubt, pair bold tights with a simple, solid-colored skirt or dress and you can't go wrong. Be sure to check out the awesome patterned tights and stockings we have in the hosiery collection at Kuhmillion.com!
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Wow, this is quite a beautiful piece of art. Entitled "Breaching", this piece is a replica of a 19th century corset made out of wax, plaster and whole lot of razor sharp sharks teeth.
Artist Sarah Garzoni shows her work all over the world. What do you think? An homage to sexuality and femininity or a sharp critique of the lives of women from the past? We love it because it is so evocative and such an interesting concept.
It hurts just to look at it!
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