Sew, You're Feeling Like A Lingerie Designer...

If you're ready to put the needle to the fabric and get yer lingerie design on, there are vintage tips on sewing lingerie from nylon tricot over at Things Your Grandmother Knew.

But if you aren't feeling so competent with that needle and thread...

Esty Lingerie -- that's E-s-t-y, not online marketplace Etsy! -- presents the 2011 International Lingerie Design Competition. And the cool thing about this lingerie design contest? You don't have to be a designer or even know how to sew!

"We are not asking or technical patterns, just great ideas!"

So, if you're a lingerie lover with some ideas, you can enter the competition along with inspiring designers -- and you could very well win!

What could you win? The winning design will be produced and sold as an exclusive, limited-edition item at Esty Lingerie!

(All proceeds from sales of the winning design will go to Esty Lingerie Ltd., not to the winning entrant. True, it's not a money prize -- but how cool would it be to see your lingerie designs come to life?! Folks would be able to buy and wear your designs!)

How do you enter?

Design one of the following two items:

- A bra & brief set
_ A babydoll & brief set
Brief refers to any style e.g. thong, boyshort, mini etc.

Submit the following:

_ A sketch/drawing of your proposed design
(*.jpg, *.pdf or *.doc format)
_ Description of fabrics/embellishments used
_ 50 to 100 words on why your design will fit well on the Esty Lingerie website
_ Your name, date of birth, address (including country), email address and telephone number

Submit all entries to entries@estylingerie.com

There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit -- and you have until May 10, 2011 to enter.

Please see the official rules here. Good luck!

(I'm hoping things will settle down here enough to be able to enter this one myself!)

Have You Had A Chance To Look Around?

It's been over a month since I made the "dotty change" to the look of the blog. I know I've been posting less, so you've probably been visiting less -- but still, I hope you've managed to notice that I've made a few changes based on your comments; such as changing the font back to the original one and doing away with the "see-thru" sidebars etc. I hope these are more helpful and make visiting here more delightful.

I know some of you still don't like the change (or changes in general), but as I said, the old template was becoming too old to work with the new Blogger features, etc. and so a change was necessary. And sometimes a girl just has to change her look, give herself a bit of a makeover; this applies to her blog. *wink*

Image credits: Vintage black polka dot Gotham babydoll.

Does The Thought Of Spring Make You Dance?

Via Shop It To Me, I was alerted to this sale on the Vera Wang Ballet Gown -- at 65% off, it's just $31.90.

Aww, You Miss Me...

So sorry to worry so many of you by my silence here, but as I mentioned my family is going through some difficult dramas; priorities must be what they must be.

Image credits: Lindsey Wixson in 1930's showgirl costume, photographed by Hedi Slimane for AnOther Man, Spring/Summer 2011; via Suicide Blonde.

Perfectly Peachy Vintage Tap Pants

Don't just love Art Deco; be Art Deco. In these lovely pastel peach rayon tap pants from the 30s with an inverted pleated front and incredibly wide French Alencon lace edge.

Vintage Little Black Basic Foundation Garments

These two vintage lingerie pieces aren't a matched set or even from the same brand, but I sure wouldn't resist wearing them together! The black illusion lace bra by Sculptress Banderin has an attached, but removable, shelf support. (The classic support for any "bird dog bra" -- guaranteed to make pointers out of setters!) The basic black panty girdle has sexy zig zag contrast stitching.

Sooooo Bollywood!

Have you ever seen a slip more ready for Bollywood dancing?! This vintage half-slip by Tempo Lingerie has stunning metallic gold embroidery on red nylon organdy -- over a nylon lining for comfort. Wear it and dance!

Lovely By Candlelight

I was tempted to title this post "Katz n Jammers" because of the adorable label on this vintage cotton nightie -- but I felt that rather diminished the beauty of this pretty gown... It's as soft and pretty as a summer's day with it's fitted waist, lace ruffle and blue-bird-of-happiness trim. And look, the print includes blue polka dots and candlesticks! (All you need is a bell and a book and you'll be completely bewitching!)

Whispers Of Sweet Nothings For Your Rear

Retro nylon whispers of Maidenform Sweet Nothings panties. Blushing Antron Nylon III to cover your backside and vertical lace on the sides to show off your sexy legs.

Joy & Pain

Sunshine and rain.

That's what the past week has been like.

Dealing with the ex is never fun; though the pain and hurt for my child is much worse than anything the abusive control-freak says to me anymore.

I seek refuge not only in my boudoir, but behind my frilly hems, looking for peace and pretty things to give me hope...

But there is good news too.

Gracie is back -- restarting Sex-Kitten.Net again! It's not always wok-safe, you know -- but so much fun. And even though we email and chat now and then, I've missed her posts. (She's asked me if I want my own Boudoir; but I don't think I can add another blog to my to-do list.)

And contests are to come for all of you, so there's that to look forward to.

I do my best to keep my chin up. I hope all of you are doing so too!

Photo by Rina Rea via Smoke & Mirrors (also not work-safe).

How The Bottom Half Should Live

It's a simple vintage black acetate bias cut half-slip by Seampruf / Bur-mil -- until you get the hem! Then there's a dainty spray of embroidery bouquet in pale pink and green followed by sheer micropleated nylon ruffles falling from the scalloped edge. Now that's living!

Peaches n Print

Usually these glamorous gowns from the 1930s are solid satin, but this peach beauty has a rather large floral print!

How Did Adrienne Barbeau Escape The Dungeon?

Follow the bouncing Barbeau in low-cut lingerie as she rushes to escape the dungeon -- who couldn't help but follow her? But, if you're too mesmerized, this video clip is in slow-motion to better assist you *wink*

Hairy Days

I'm working on some BIG stuff, including contests, so I'm quite busy behind the scenes... Meanwhile, enjoy this beauty is from Roue Ataraxia (NWS) -- my other "best sexy long hair photos" are posted here.

Burlesque Too Sexy For It's Corset

So sexy it hurts, as Right Said Fred would say. Thanks to High-Def Digest reader Perry, we find out that Best Buy blunders its exclusive promo of a free corset with the Burlesque DVD/Blu-ray:

In his email to us he writes, "I just went to pick up my copy of 'Burlesque' on Blu-ray with the free corset and I was told they were pulled off the shelf this morning with top priority."

After doing a bit of checking up, it turns out this is the case at more than just one Best Buy. Though the ad for 'Burlesque' clearly indicates a pack-in corset for those that purchase the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, stores aren't selling them.

In fact, some stores have gone as far as pulling the discs completely off the shelves. Our tipster Perry reported that he was only given the Blu-ray after putting in an order on BestBuy.com. At that point, they removed the corset and then handed over the Blu-ray.

I repeat, they removed the corset from the package before giving the customer his Blu-ray.

More than a serious WTF; an epic FAIL.

I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk

Sans corset, of course.

Pins & Needles Lingerie

Via my Sale Mail Alert, news that the Pins and Needles Sheer Below-The-Knee Slip Skirt is on sale for $19.99.

Jane Russell, The Legend (We'll Miss You, Honey!)

I couldn't let the passing of Jane Russell go by unacknowledged. Not only was she a beautiful, feisty, smart, sexy woman, but she was a comedic queen who could hold her voluptuous own with Marilyn Monroe.

If you grew up in the 70s, like I did, you may not have met Jane in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; you may have first been introduced to a more matronly Russell via her commercials and advertisements for the Playtex 18-Hour bra and girdle and/or the Cross-Your-Heart Playtex bras, promoting the structural advantages of the foundation garments for "full-figured gals."

However, as you can imagine, Jane was no stranger to bras -- and in fact, the lady has her own special place in lingerie -- and film -- history.

In 1941, during the filming of The Outlaw, director Howard Hughes felt the camera was unable to capture the fullness of Jane's ample proportions (her bra size was purported to be 38D). While I'm sure the camera wasn't the only one with such regrets *wink* Hughes had another problem: the bra's visibility. Not only were the straps inconvenient, but the seams of her bra were plainly visible, ruining the desired effects of a perky (un)natural braless Jane in the hay.

Armed with the desire to showcase Jane's bustline in the film, and armed with access to plenty of engineering design knowledge, Hughes set out to create a bra that would be seamless yet lift and separate -- as well as allow a generous amount of bosom to be exposed.

Below each breast, Hughes sewed rods of curved structural steel into the garment, connecting to the bra's shoulder straps -- Volila! Underwires! This allowed the breasts to be pulled upward, seamlessly, even when the shoulder straps were moved away from the neck.

Later, in her autobiography, Russell later she did not wear the "ridiculous" uncomfortable contraption during filming. Instead she wore her own bras, adding a layer of tissue paper over the cups to eliminate unsightly lines. Hughes, apparently, never knew the difference. (The bra ended up in a Hollywood museum.)

However, Hughes' lavish attention to lingerie detail did give us the underwire bra (love it or hate it, it's now an option!).  And Hughes lavish attention to Russell's lush curves also helped bring about the end of the Hay's Code aka The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930.

The release of The Outlaw was delayed for three years because the film was an ode to Jane's figure, and as such the film could not pass the Hollywood censors. But Howard Hughes released the film anyway, without the motion picture Seal of Approval. Despite troubles with distribution, The Outlaw went on to achieve box office success -- due in no small part to Russell's large, lifted & separated, up & out, breasts. This was a significant loss to the censorship's stranglehold on the film industry.

I can only imagine what it would be like to be so beautiful in face and form that a man (albeit an eccentric one) would so buck the film system and risk such financial and legal problems just to showcase me on the silver screen...

But I thank the beautiful, busty, gutsy Jane Russell for her wonderful roll in the hay, fabulous film work, and for being such an inspiration in so many ways.  Bounce on in heaven, Jane.

Cosabella Lingerie Sale

More sale news from Gilt Groupe, this time a Cosabella lingerie sale -- lots of great styles at fab prices. But only until 11 tomorrow morning! (And while supplies last.) So sign up and shop asap!

Almost A Little Black Lingerie Basic

Suitable really for the smaller busted only (I don't say that as being dismissive of the smaller busted; just pointing out the facts of this XS, S, M, L sizing -- the lack of cup sizes is also what makes this an "almost" lingerie basic), the MINKPINK Lace Corset Bra is now on sale for only $39.99. (Via my Sale Mail Alert.)

PS If the model looks unhappy, that's apparently an Urban Outfitters "tradition."

Rose Petal Slips

This is an auction just for the vintage lingerie box, but what a beauty! (Makes me want to look for Rose Petal slips!)

Fishnet Stockings Drive Us Right 'Round, Baby

Via Marieaunet.