by Jené Luciani

How did you feel about being named “Worse Dressed” even if it was a bit tongue & cheek?  We all have fashion faux pas, any suggestion for dealing with them on the spot or avoiding them all together?

As an on-air fashion expert/correspondent, commentator, critic and contributor, and of course author of THE BRA BOOK, usually, I’m seen in magazines making fun of some of the horrible fashion choices celebrities make.  But recently I found myself on the other side of things when I wore a dress MADE OUT OF 200 BRAS for the Bravo TV show MAD FASHION!

Chris March is known for his outrageous designs for people like Lady GaGa and Madonna, and I wanted to make a splash for my Manhattan book launch party. Needless to say, I was photographed in his creation and poked fun of for weeks after when I ended up in STAR Magazine’s worst dressed pages as well as Cosmo’s, and Cosmo even named me one of the worst dressed celebs of the year because of the bra dress! I think a big part of the problem is that people didn’t ‘understand’ the dress. They compared it to an artichoke (which believe it or not, shape-wise, was actually Chris’ inspiration!) and a marshmallow peep!!! When my episode finally aired, people actually got to see the “story” behind the bra dress and the creation of it come to life!

As far as avoiding any faux pas like this, let me just say that fashion is all about expressing your individuality and taking risks. If you don’t take risks, you don’t get to experience the power that fashion has. It’s such a subjective matter – one person’s cup of tea is not another person’s cup of tea, therefore you can’t expect everyone to agree with your wardrobe choices or love them as much as you do. When you’re someone who’s in the public eye, you are putting yourself out there for millions to critique you, not just a few dozen or hundred at an event or party.

While it may have been a faux pas to some for me to wear a dress made out of hundreds of bras, I always say though, the biggest faux pas that’s the easiest to avoid – on the red carpet or off – is one involving foundations. How many see-through bras, so-called nipple slips and slippery straps do we have to be subjected to? Invest in the right bra for EVERY outfit and some double stick tape to carry with you – just in case!! And please check the rearview before you head out the door – visible panty lines are a deal-breaker for me, no matter how well tailored or expensive the clothes!!!

This has been an enervating week: round trip travel to Paris for 4 full days of product analysis combined with a bit too much indulgence in French cuisine and wine.   Add to the recipe the on-going learning curve from having just launched our new website and the attention it demands, and I must admit my inspirational meter has peaked.  Sometimes one just needs comfort food.  Retreating to the familiar has a way of providing succor and reassurance after the intensity and excitement of continual stimulation.  I, for one, have always been taught that beauty is not skin deep;  character and stability are a result of a good foundation.  I like to believe that I can recognize the difference between glamour and guts and understand the function of each in a hectic lifestyle.

That is why I always go back to Wacoal’s Basic Beauty support when I am in need of physical sustenance, particularly with the fit of my bra.  This full figure seamless underwire style (855192), expertly engineered in Wacoal’s signature Bodysuede© fabric, might not compare in elegance and sexiness to some of the exquisite fashions I just spent a week reviewing, but when it comes to practical endurance, dependability and just plain relief, it’s the first bra I put on.  Believe me; I wore it on the day I flew home, easily an 18 hour endurance test.  Experience has taught me that a woman is only as beautiful as she feels.  For those of us (32-44, C–H cups) familiar with the urge to “just take off our bras the minute we get in the house” after a very full day, this style feels like coming home.

“Beauty, Whether Moral Or Natural, Is Felt, More Properly Than Perceived.”                                                                                                              … David Hume

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Available At:

Alice-Rae:  Scotsdale, AZ
Donna Bella Lingerie:  Corvallis, OR
Mary Lerner:  Cedarhurst, NY
Night Gallery:  Chapel Hill, NC
Sal-Liz Foundation & Lingerie:  Flowood, MS
Something Comfortable:  Rehoboth Beach, DE
Hourglass Angel:  Cicero, IL
Tina’s Closet:  Lisle, IL
Ann’s Bra & Lingerie Shop:  Chesterfield, MO
Up Bras That Fit:  Escanaba, MI
The Bra Lounge:  Red Deer, AB
Babydoll Boutique:  Maplewood, BC
Boutique Blanche:  Tsawwassen, BC
Currans of Kerrisdale LTD:  Vancouver, BC
West Dept. Store:   Castlegar, BC
J. Hauerstock:  Montreal, QC
La Maison D’Eva:  Belleville, ON
House Of Bras:  Timmins, ON
White Laces and Promises:  New Liskeard, ON
Mariannes Mastectomy & Lingerie Boutique:  Ottawa, ON

READ Intimate Inquiries ~ Jenés Faux Pas

READ Intimate Pleasures ~ Light My Fire

I am back in New York and this was a very positive exposition.  Major Intimate Apparel trends that will impact the design and merchandising decisions made in Lingerie businesses throughout 2012 were reinforced.  Helped by the extensive research presented in the forums and conferences directed by both Concepts Paris at and Nelly Rodi, the color, fabric and silhouette direction was clear.  Here are some of their major statements:

• Color palettes are dominated by an infusion of yellows, greens, orange spices.  Color infiltrates animal prints, purple and orange make this tried and true pattern new
• Technology continues its revolution as engineered laces and cut layers impact design, especially in the exploding Shapewear category
• Soft, airy laces with big repeats are prevalent
• Embroidery is an important decoration, but very light and in place positioning on garments
• Digital floral prints make it possible to have 25-30 colors in a pattern
• The impact of graphics on style construction is dominant.  We see the mix and match of lines and layers resulting in a modern take on established silhouettes.  The higher waistline is definite and v neck décolleté emerges in importance
• Classics like easy pajamas make a comeback as in the search for “Timeless Beauty”  there is an aesthetic return to the 40’s
• Casual luxury harps back to the country side with larger silhouettes, crochet trims, cotton fabrics and a shabby chic allure.

There was confidant synergy at this show.  Vendor feedback was very good.  I was very glad that I decided to go and hope that this vibe portends a successful year for both the intimates industry and all those consumers who love to buy and wear gorgeous lingerie.  Hats off to the muti-national creative influences delivered from the saucy French, quirky English, modern Germans and the dynamic Americans.  Great Salon De Lingerie and Interfilière gestalt!

“I Love Paris When It Sizzles…” Cole Porter

by Margaret Shrum

I love how a scented candle can create romantic atmosphere in any room. Crisp champagne, black fig, tuberose and  jasmine, are just a few of the exotic scents that I find pleasurable. To spice it up even more, there are a variety of soy based scented massage candles that are for pouring directly onto the body and sharing with your lover. To mark this Valentine’s Day, LELO is offering their Black Pepper & Pomegranate Massage Candle in a specially designed gift box – an ideal gift for that special someone who might want to light your fire! Made from all natural soy wax, shea butter and apricot kernel oil, the silky long-lasting formula is specially designed to nourish and moisturize your skin … Read more

January 23, 2012

I have been traveling to Paris for many years to cover the Intimate Apparel market.  It’s somewhat serendipitous, having studied French in depth when I was young with romantic expectations of another career, perhaps working for the UN.  Proving that expertise in a culture and a language can serve any end goal; I am applying all those skills in another mission, sustaining the soul of lingerie. And there is nothing quite the same as a Parisian boutique to clearly define it.  Every single time I travel here, I stop at Sabbia Rosa, the archetypal Intimates shop located in the elegant Rue St. Père on the Left Bank.  This time, I had the privilege of chatting with Monette Moat, the founder of this 35 year old boudoir.  Sabbia Rosa is a banquet of sophisticated silk underpinnings available in up to 25 colors that are updated every season.  Handmade in luxurious silk and Calais laces produced 100 % in France; every piece is cut on the bias to insure this brand’s signature feminine allure.  This tiny shop attracts customers from all over the world and is recognized as a ‘must visit’ destination for photographers, stylists and designers interested in the essential art of lingerie.

READ  Intimate Intelligence ~ What’s in a Name?

READ Intimate Inquiries ~ Celebrity Styling