Tomorrow is Halloween, at least in some places around the world. Well, October 31st may be the day that people around some countries trick or treat (which I’ve done once and I guarantee it was pretty amazing – got tons of candies), but not all over the world. However, it’s known by all of us that this is the day to get your costumes out of the closet or make new ones. I had one costume party and will have another on the next days, and I am wearing my Cheshire Cat costume!

I drew this costume and asked for a sewer’s help. It’s quite fantastic, I really love it. This is a pic from last year, still without the smile makeup (my hair is almost twice as long, now).

But, well, if you have a costume party, I imagine that you have already chose your clothing… So it would not make sense to suggest it. But maybe, if you don’t want to dress up for the common things of the day, you could wear Halloween inspired lingerie! Seems like a good idea for me, and I already know I’m about to wear a purple set I own and love. But here are some ideas for you to get spooky, sexy or just to feel funny – after all, fun is what Halloween night is all about!

KissKill Karlie set. Meow!

The Karlie set, by KissKill Lingerie, would be perfect for a Catwoman costume (or just a fierce look under your clothing). It looks like leather, but it’s made of stretch coated jersey, which may be the perfect combination between look and comfort. I’ve been in love with this set for quite a while, to be honest, so I had to put it on the list!

Id Sarrieri Sweet Memories triangle bra. Sewn with love and Pixie Dust.

When I came across this piece of art, available at Journelle, I couldn’t help but think it could be part of a sweet and sassy Tinker Bell costume, even if it’s only for the boudoir. I like Tink’s personality as much as I like this undergarment, because they are both unique. I have dressed as her when I was a child, and it’s always a nice option for those who have no idea what to put on a costume party – or a bra!

Playful Promises Heart Breaker set in purple. I am heartbroken by the fact that this isn’t in my drawer.

Everytime I decided to dress as a witch, when young, my costume was either purple or orange, always combined with black. And though my understanding of what a witch is changed from Snow White’s bad witch to Morgan le Fay -due to my early Mists of Avlon passion- Halloween’s witches are always purple/orange with black and have a pointy hat. So, this Playful Promises set may have a heartbreaking spell, or it will just allow you to use the power of your seduction – but it certainly fits for the night!

Not Ariel. Made by Niki’s string playsuit is a beauty under or over the sea.

Mermaids may be cute when we are talking about Ariel (and quite stupid, too… why would she trade her amazing voice and life on the sea to chase a man that she doesn’t even know?), but they have not always been portrayed like that. Actually, mermaids were supposed to be evil creatures that seduced poor sailors to their death, always beautiful and mean. This is pretty fierce, right? And this Made by Niki string playsuit (available at Pleasurements) comes in jade and black, creating a mysterious under the sea aura that will surely be the reason why the person that shares the night with you will fall into your enchantment.

Pin up girl by Gil Elvgren

I wish you all an amazing Halloween, with lot’s of fun and -possibly- candy!

What are you dressing up as, this year?

November came, finally.

it’s funny because it’s true

I’ve been quite away from the blog, and for that I should apologize, but you may imagine that I have been surrounded by college work, weird schedules and some boring classes. I have big plans for the nest semester but since I still don’t know how it will turn out, I guess it’s better if we stick to something else: my vacations.

In about three weeks, my classes will finish and I’ll have summer vacations. Holidays will come and I will, thankfully, travel to Florida, being able to rest in the sun and buy a lot of bras. Besides, my birthday comes in January, so I really expect lots of parties and happiness – as I expect every year. Soon, I’ll be posting tons of wishlists. Some of them as actual things I will be buying (and possibly reviewing!) when I get to FL, some of them as birthday wishes, or a cute little letter for santa (I must never lose hope of finding those underthings under my christmas three).

However, some of the end-of-the-year collections are already out! And two of them got me really excited, even if they are not exactly (by that I mean really out) in my price range:

Betty Blue’s Loungerie

I found out about the Nell line on TheLingerieAddict, and soon as I saw the amount of black lace featured in the pictures, I fell in love. It’s made in the UK, and seems like really good quality. They made very clear that they are not responsible for the effect those pieces will have on my partner, and I guess it just adds excitement to the pin-up look!

Betty Blue’s Loungerie Nell Robe

Betty Blue’s Loungerie Nell Teddy

Betty Blue’s Loungerie Nell Dress Slip

Angela Friedman

Everytime I receive an email from Angela Friedman, I have mixed feelings. The first one is “oh my good I need it” and the second is “oh my god I can’t afford it”. Being a student is not easy, I tell you. But I decided that, if my plans to fly to NYC next year get to be real, I will save enough money to buy at least a slip from Angela’s collection. First because I think it’s worth it, second because I think that supporting a local artist is way better than just buying something that you don’t know about. I mean, I know how much care and love Angela herself put into the pieces she designed, because I see her talking about it. And this amazes me.

Holly Pink Slip

Holly Corset (her corsetry is amazing, really!)

Jacqueline Slip

Elle set

So, I hope you are ready to some wishlists, this month, together with some lingerie news and some college works I may find interesting to show you all! Happy november!

This wednesday, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is filmed. I was waiting for this moment since I’ve started the blog, because I knew I should share with you all my greatest lingerie-related history, of how Victoria’s Secret turned me into who I am today. It’s very personal, and I am not used to be this personal on the blog, but I feel the urge to share my life with you all, now, so I hope you enjoy reading a bit about me, too.

Behati Prinsloo was my favourite thing from the 2008 show.

Brazilians are crazy about Victoria’s Secret. I don’t know exactly why, but I reckon that they do something we don’t have over here. When young, I didn’t like fashion and didn’t care about underwear, just wanted something that made me feel comfortable. However, when I was 14, in a trip to NYC, I asked my mother if we could go to VS. After arriving in the city and eating something in the (cheap) hotel we were, she took me to the huge store at 5th Av. It was closed.

As we asked someone inside the store, we got told that it was because of something I learned to love later: the Semi Annual Sale. Next morning, my family and hundreds of other women were inside the store, and while I was getting measured as a 34B (Spoiler: I wasn’t a 34B, but I had no idea what bra fitting was, by then), my father was buying me pink luggage, my grandma spotted a coat full of hearts and my mother found out that we could buy cheap small gifts that would be very useful, later. It was a great mess, I was in love with that store. The love continued to grow as I came home and kept looking at the website and watching videos from the shows, waiting for the next one.

Erin Heatherton in a fierce outfit and the most amazing glittery boxing gloves, 2010.

A couple years later, I decided that being a model was a good idea. It would be a lie if I said that it was, after all, a completely bad idea, considering all the good things I learned about professionalism and how the fashion industry worked, but it surely brought me a lot of sadness. Combining my love for that store and my desire to become as successful as possible in my new career, I decided that I wanted to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel. I was pretty naïve, and by that time thought everyone was going to be nice with me because I had this objective, and that I was one of the few that wanted to be

Obviously wrong, I found out that almost every girl on the modeling world wanted to be one. Found out, also, that working as a model was not easy and made me very uncomfortable inside my body. I’ve passed through some bad experiences, one in special in which I traveled to the greatest metropole in Brazil and got told by the heads of some big modeling agencies that I was not suitable. There I was, skinny as I could, with a tiny tiny waist and some big dreams, away from home, crying because they told me a lot of girls made it… but not me.

Karlie Kloss in 2012, on the PINK section

As a model, you never know exactly what the client is looking for when you are in a casting. There is not an exact reason why you were not chosen, but the girl by your side did. You get told by everyone -models, clients, agents…- that skinny is good, and before you notice, your diet changes, you are eating less and less. I kept home, after school, drinking lots of water, working my abs and walking in high heels, so that I could “earn my wings”. I cried too, a lot, because every “no” sounded like “you are not good enough. not pretty enough. not thin enough”.

Every time I saw the video in which Chanel Iman got her first wings, I cried. I could say this was the saddest time in my life, crying with shame every time I tried to find out why I was not on my way to becoming an Angel, yet.

Chanel Iman, 2010. I cried a lot.

Meanwhile, I developed even more my love for underwear. I was a huge buyer of panties and bras, since I didn’t know how more complicated things like suspender belts, stockings or corsets worked. It was just a passion, I was a proud owner of over 100 panties and that’s all. I entered fashion design college, imagining I would work with fashion editorials or something related to wedding dresses.

By this time, two not-VS-related events happened: the first, I stood weeks eating the less I could and saw myself acting like a small trained animal, in line for ours for someone to choose, in a hurry, the most suitable of the girls (Hey, wait – this is what a casting looked like, every time I passed through one. But this was the first time I realized it.). The second, I got fooled by someone, ended up working for free. After some more crying, I decided this would stop. I gave up being a model, and my last words on it were a text message to a friend (we can call him Mr. Unders) asking if I could still be his VS Angel. He said I could and so that’s it, my dream was over.

Flavia de Oliveira, 2006.

So, I was left out in a fashion design school, trying to find new objectives and dreams, allowing myself to eat everything I loved eating, in a process of acceptance of my own body (thank you, feminism, for helping me with that) and with a growing passion for lingerie. I should start focusing on studying for being a lingerie designer, then!

Trying to put together every thought on lingerie I had, and after I found out that people blog about everything -including lingerie!- I decided to establish myself as a blogger while in college, so I could learn more and more everyday, being in contact with tons of amazing people inside the industry. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Alone, I could never rise again.

Liu Wen, 2012. Not exactly nice to put “exotic” models in “exotic” costumes, but she absolutely rocked it.

Nowadays, I have risen. I could say I am happy, without putting all my expectations into a certain objective, but facing a direction in which I feel satisfied. I belong in this world, I love to be part of it, to be able to see, read and write about underwear. I still own and wear the VSFS robes, and sometimes -specially when the year is ending- I still feel I would be happy if I got there. But I remember how saddening the road was, and how I search for peace, now, and feel pleased by my decisions.

I thank you all. The ones who read, the ones who share, the ones who make. This blog is part of my life – one of my favorite parts, and I must thank you from the bottom of my heart. I surely am not a Victoria’s Secret Angel, today, but I can shine like one and even without wings, I found new ways to fly.

YAY!

I get extremely excited to see what is going on runway each year on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and I know I share this excitement with many other friends and readers (not all of them – I understand that VS is not everyone’s favorite – but a great part of them). The show was recorded yesterday, and my instagram was full of snaps from every single place and person in that show! There are already some images displayed on the internet, so as I know my friends are crazy for those pictures (and I am too!), here are some of them.

Please notice that those pictures are not mine and they are not in the correct order of appearance on the show, just displayed here. The show will be on air on December 10th at CBS and I still don’t know when it will be on brazilian tv (sorry, brazilian babies!).

Sometimes, when randomly looking pages on the internet, I end up in beautiful websites. Last week, when checking the latest post by Lost in Lingerie, I discovered a new brand from Belgium, full of great things. This brand was Arsenic et Vieilles Dentelles.

Soon, the designer sent me an email presenting the brand. I love these emails, I couldn’t thank enough for all the designers that send me, because it’s amazing to see a little more about your creations, the history behind the pieces and write about the collections. The feeling of needing something hit me when I read the words and saw all the beautiful pictures of A&VD lingerie.

It’s no news that I like dark lingerie, with strappy details and even some bondage inspiration. That is why the pictures were so pleasant to my eye. The dark pieces, the small details like polka dots and sheer tulle and the importance given to black elastic straps were just amazing. Eat Your Little Pea was the first collection of the brand, headed by the designer Laure Hurlet, and it’s all made in natural fabrics by a little family workshop in Belgium. The worries with the environment and the conditions of the ones making the garments are something truly pleasant, and I am glad that A&VD take these things in account.

Lingerie, at Arsenic et Vieilles Dentelles, is made to be part of a woman’s body. A real fashion accessory for women who want to express themselves, who are full of personality and mystery, willing to wear beautiful underwear every day and have fun with it! The body is a way of expressing art, great pieces can truly transform, and A&VD with it’s mini collection, focusing on quality and beautiful details can do this to anyone willing to be transformed by it.

I hope to see more and more of the brand from now on. New people on the lingerie industry is always exciting, and Laure definitely is going in the right direction with the Eat Your Little Pea collection. It can be found in their online store and some retailers on Belgium!

This is just a quick advice that now we have a DONATE button up on the blog! You can help me with any amount you desire, all the money will be invested in lingerie for review! If you wish to send me a message along with your contribution, I will be glad to receive all of them on my email: contacttheunder@gmail.com and answer each one.

Thank you once again! I am hoping that this will be a great opportunity for the blog to grow more and more each day, with the help from those who love to read it!

Christmas is coming. The lights are up, we have snowmen adorning our christmas tree in the living room even though Brazil is very, very hot on December. And we have presents, lots of them. I get specially excited by this time of the year for two main reasons: first because my family travels by the end of December, meaning that I can buy new and exciting stuff outside my country; and because my birthday is by the middle of January. So many presents in so little time!

I know everybody – I hope so, at least I do! – loves gift guides, because they fill us up with ideas and wishes. I share with you, now, my guide for a fabulous and wonderful christmas, full of lingerie. I hope this helps you with ideas for gifts for yourself, for your best friend, for your loved one, for myself (a girl can dream). Just click on the image to reach the website!

Agent Provocateur Whitney Bra ($220), Suspender Belt ($220) and Thong ($170)

I love Agent Provocateur. I love black and strappy pieces. I can only be waiting that this set gets on sale because I need it so much! It’s a great gift for someone who likes to live on the edge or enjoys this look. I would recommend giving a great pair of stockings along with this set, the ones from Agent Provocateur are amazing. My personal favorite? The “Whip me” ones!

Between the Sheets Leopard Plays babydoll ($95). The robe ($135) and the tap pants are beautiful as well ($40) and they are featured in black, indigo and pink.

The pieces from the Leopard Play collection, by Between the Sheets, are very luxurious and beautiful. I have heard great things about the fit and how it’s great for full busts as well, but can only hope to get my hands in one of these by next year. Anyway, my opinion is that those pieces are great for those who like to stay home in glamorous but practical outfits. 

Wonder Woman camisole (R$249) and thong (R$62) by brazilian brand Thais Gusmão

More on the fun side of undergarments, this camisole represents Wonder Woman in a fashionable-but-cute way. Although it fails by not having cup sizing on the bras, Thais Gusmão is an option when it comes to brazilian lingerie, and some of their stuff is very nice. I love their panties and PJs, but this camisole is surely a great way to show your power!

‘Sew Far Sew Good’ panties ($13.99) at Modcloth

Since I saw these because of a link at The Lingerie Lesbian, I couldn’t forget them. They are perfect for a gift, since the price is really low, and they are very sweet. Even if you are not involved in fashion, I am sure that wearing cute panties like these would brighten up your day! One of my favorite prints ever, I must state.

Tutti Rouge Liliana Bra (£26) and Short (£14). They come in a nice range of full bust sizes and in lots of colours!

Tutti Rouge has been making it’s name on the lingerie market, this year, and the Liliana set is already a classic. With more and more colours coming, it’s easier to match the taste of that great friend or partner – or, of course, yourself!. This black + pink is so me! I can totally see myself wearing it on a daily basis.

Pour Moi Addicted set. Half-cup bra (£28), Suspender belt (£16) and Thong (£12).

This set makes me wanna scream. It’s so, so luxurious. It is probably on the top of my wishlist, and it’s not even expensive! The combination of the underpinnings would be great under a black dress for a night out, or even for a great evening on the boudoir. Completely suitable for the ones who want sexy pieces without spending too much, for the ones who were marked on Santa’s “naughty” list!

Viola longline bra (£189) and thong (£95), from Harlow and Fox.

Brand new brand (hah!) Harlow and Fox is coming with great pieces with a classic style. Lots of lace and beautiful colours such as almond and ivory make these pieces great for the ones who are not willing to get on the usual definition of sexiness, but who would love high-quality, beautifully made pieces. My dear friend Lost in Lingerie featured some on them in her latest photoshoot.

Baci Lingerie Housemaid uniform

This is more on the absolutely-sex-related side of lingerie. I see no harm on it, so decided to feature one, and Baci does great sexy costumes! If it fits your style, I am sure that it could be really nice for a night together with someone special, since boyfriends, girlfriends and partners in general love when we feel sexy. Whatever makes you feel sexy is recommended! Reach Baci’s website to know where to buy.

Cleo by panache Marcie bra (£27) and brief (£14.50). Purple only available at Bravissimo.

I am dying for one of these. The purple one seems so perfect! It would make a great gift because it’s clearly something beautiful to be worn everyday. The details make this set even more cute, and I am sure that anyone would look great – and happy! – when wearing them! Well, at least I would… 

I haven’t been a good girl this year.

You see, I am aware of my behavior, that is why I decided to write you this letter. I was not a good girl, and as a matter of fact, I am not a good girl. I knew what it took to be a nice lady and I just failed it on purpose.

Santa, being a good girl meant that I should have cleaned my room. I should have washed the dishes, maybe, and I should have dressed as a lady. I should have stood quiet when facing controversial situations, I should have agreed when everybody said that revenge porn is a girl’s fault, because real ladies never them themselves be filmed or photographed during intimate situations. I should have called them sluts because they made clear that they have sex, but obviously I should not have watched any of those films – and not because I think they are a crime or unfair, but because ladies don’t watch porn, not at all!

I should not have said bad words, I should have tried to keep thin – and should have made fun of those who are fat, because if a woman is fat, she clearly is not trying hard enough. She is lazy and real ladies are not lazy, they must put their beauty in the first place, otherwise how can they please men? I should have pleased men, every men.

But I didn’t.

This year, Santa, I stood up for myself and for other women who needed help. This year I sent motivation to a friend that had her article denied at college because it’s subject was about how illegal it was when women got raped while drunk (most women don’t even know it counts as rape, because society tell them “they deserved it”). This year I learnt what real sorority means, opening my heart to someone I used to hate when she asked for help in a situation of psychological and sexual abuse (and made a great, great friend, because of it). This year I have stood up when they told me I should be quiet facing cat calls, when they told me that “if I dressed well, it’s because I wanted to be admired”, because I don’t think admiration has nothing to do with sexual assault. This year I have spend a lot of time studying human body, habits and emotions anthropologies, so that I could understand more of the definitions of feminine and masculine in today’s society.

But wait – I have cleaned my room (although my mother thinks it was still a mess). I washed the dishes, I helped people in need, I was polite. Not because being a girl requires me to do such things, but because these are things that make good human beings. I have decided to face sexist/homophobic/prejudicial situations with kindness, trying to explain why the person should not say something like that, because fighting this way brought me peace and good results. I have not questioned the way my sisters fight for their rights and inner peace, too.

Dear Santa, this year I have not been a good girl, I admit. I haven’t stood the way a sexist society think I should have stood, but I did fight for a better world for everyone around me. I did the best I could not to hurt anyone and to help every single person I could, expecting nothing but their happiness. I became my own hero, I became comfortable in my body, I loved being a woman and a feminist. I know that good ladies should not write about underpinnings, let alone get photographed wearing them, but I know that I have helped a lot of women this year with my writing, because they came to tell me this.

I understand, Santa, if you decide not to come to my house this christmas, if you think I don’t deserve a present. I did the best I could, but I understand that I haven’t met society’s standards. However, I would really appreciate if you read this letter and considering giving me at least a little something for being nice to the planet I live on. I understand if you don’t think I deserve it.

But if you do, please think about dropping a Fleur of England Belle de Nuit babydoll under my tree.

Much love,

Manoela

Pictures: Ana Beatriz Barros for V magazine

This is the kind of wishlist item that I am hoping I find available when I arrive in Miami Beach, in 2 weeks.

Lace Front Cheekster Panties in “Awesome Black” – $18.50

It’s no breaking news that I love Victoria’s Secret PINK panties because of their comfort and cuteness. But these… they have lace, they have polka dots, they have AWESOME written in the front, sparkling. Besides, they were seen on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway, in Josephine Skriver, and if you read my story with VS, you probably can imagine that things seen on the runway have a special place in my heart.

Josephine Skriver with a cute face and cute panties at the VSFS 13 runway

Polka dotted AWESOME panties are something I need. They express my way of living and how I see myself and the world around me (with awesomeness). The would look great with any piece of clothing, just as other black panties. They would make my booty look great since I know that’s what lace cheeksters do. I don’t need any other reasons to buy them for myself, so I will be hunting them with all the forces available in this chantilly-laced heart. I hope for the best.

Lately, I’ve been wanting more and more fun panties. I really enjoy lace pieces, sexy thongs and even plain black briefs, but I wanted more of those colorful ones that make me smile when I look at my bum on the mirror. Coincidentally, while I was at São Paulo on Black Friday, visiting my boyfriend and going to a close friend’s birthday, June told me that Thais Gusmão was having a sale, 50% off everything.

Thais Gusmão is one of the few lingerie stores in Brazil that I actually find interesting. Although they have “the brazilian bra problem” (no cup sizing) and do not carry plus-size-friendly pieces, they have some interesting things that are not usually found at other brazilian stores. One of the lines that got me very interested was the DC Comics one, featuring superheroes and villains in cute pieces for men and women.

Since they only have boutiques in São Paulo (they used to have one here in Rio when I was younger) and I was there, I hurried up to one of them and proceeded to think about how much could I spend. I really wanted the Wonder Women camisole, but I knew that I had spent money on the ticket to visit the city and that I am about to travel to the US this month, so it would be too much for me. In the end, I decided I could spend less than R$100 (around 40USD), and then I bought three fun panties.

Wonder Woman panties that may be too small for everyone (apart from brazilians)

First I chose the Wonder Woman panties of the picture above. This is a particular style very common here, and I find it extremely comfortable. Bigger than a thong and smaller than briefs, they have elastic bands on the side that are adjustable, so it fits a lot of different hip sizes. Needless to say they look powerful and incredibly cute! Sizing is S, M, L.

I moved to boyshorts, then, and they had so many options! I could only choose two, however.

Front of the first boyshort

Back of the first boyshort

How it looks on me!

Tell me, how could I resist this cutie? The Harley Quinn upside down at the back got me at first sight! Although this is very, very comfortable, being made of cotton and covering the entire back, it does not stretch much. I have quite small hips (around 93cm on the fullest part) and the S fitted me just perfectly, not stretching too much (I would not risk buying a size much smaller than the one that fits you, because the print may look stretched).

Since I really liked this boyshort and my budget allowed me to buy another one, I chose the pink one with Batgirl and a lot of comic-related signs. So adorable! Again, it’s not that stretchy and fits me just perfectly. The first had details in lace on the thighs and this one has those frills, but both are very comfortable (the space for the thighs is not that stretchy either, so this should be taken into account as well)

Bright and colorful! The front of this boyshort is just plain pink

I turned my bum into a comic book!

My final considerations:

Those panties fit me with much comfort, but may not fit the same to all bodies. I don’t know if the material is the responsible for the not-so-stretchy factor, but if you have a somewhat big body, I would suggest trying them on. As fun panties they work perfectly, but not being childish, which I love! Those panties and any other pieces by Thais Gusmão can be found at their online store and they ship internationally, as stated on the website. (If you wish to order something but need to send an email and are having problems with portuguese, contact me! I’ll do my best to help you.)

All three panties were bought by me at Thais Gusmão physical store and all opinions are my own

Disclaimer: another post in portuguese for my brazilian readers about bra fit! Thank you, Anna, for letting me translate the flowchart.

Tento sempre abordar o assunto do tamanho correto de sutiãs entre os meus textos em português. A razão disso, vocês devem saber, é que um enorme número de brasileiras não sabe muito sobre tamanhos de taça, costas ou os problemas que podem ser vistos em um sutiã do tamanho errado.

Algumas lojas oferecem, atualmente, o “sutiã ideal”, ou “perfeito”, porém, além de oferecerem poucos tamanhos (você sabia que o tamanho das taças pode ir até a letra M ou ainda mais? E que o tamanho das costas pode ser menor que 40 e maior que 50?) o método utilizado para medir tamanhos consiste somente no uso da fita métrica e uma tabela. Por mais exato que isso possa parecer, cada corpo tem uma forma e um volume diferente, ainda mais quando estamos tratando de partes tão específicas, como os seios! Após uma medição, deve-se checar se os seios estão corretamente colocados e, se há algum problema, tentar consertá-lo. Mas muitas vezes, não sabemos como proceder ao verificar um problema no sutiã – ou mesmo nem sabemos quais problemas são esses!

Pensando nisso, traduzi o fluxograma feito pela Anna, do blog Bras and Body Image, que entende muito de fitting! O original pode ser encontrado nesse post, assim como um texto enorme sobre como proceder detalhadamente em cada um dos casos (post em inglês).

Clique na imagem para ler!

Após encontrar seu tamanho realmente ideal, que tal começar a notar as diferenças de forma entre sutiãs e marcas e descobrir o melhor pra você? Assim é ainda mais fácil ficar confortável e se sentir bem com seu corpo!

Qualquer dúvida encontrada, ou se você ainda está com problemas mesmo depois de seguir o fluxograma, deixe sua pergunta nos comentários!

Wee-hee, I love traveling.

Source: http://fuckyeahairplaness.tumblr.com/

While I use this time to walk on new grounds, eat new things and mostly – relax, I try to find beautiful lingerie to buy, because Brazil is not the perfect place to do so (or to buy online – we are having quite some problems with the postal service here!). Although I mostly never buy everything from my list, as I always find new stuff to buy when I arrive, I always try to make lists, to keep myself organized – or at least to pretend I am organized. Here is this December’s list, a mix of christmas, birthday (hello, January!) and trip wishes.

Eberjey Cecilia Shelf Bra Teddy

I love this shade of blue. And this looks so comfortable! – $80

Is “I don’t have any teddies” an excuse to buy one from Eberjey? I hope so, because that is my excuse. Besides the fact they seem so comfortable, they are very beautiful, practical and would perfectly suit Brazil’s hot weather. Yeah, it seems like I have enough reasons to grab myself one!

Agent Provocateur Whitney Set

Strappy lingerie, strappy lingerie all the way! Bra – $220, Brief – $190, Thong – $170 and Suspenders – $220

The only thing that concerns me on this set – on the bra, to be more specific – is the sizing. Since the sizing is 2, 3 or 4, I am scared of how the cups may look, being a 32D Agent Provocateur wearer. I must try it on to see how it looks, but I love the design! I hope I find it on sale!

Agent Provocateur Alina Bra

This lace! The bows on the apex! $220

This piece has the potential to become an everyday indulgence. I can make the strappy part appear under cleavage and turn a normal outfit into an awesome outfit, the lace gives me the glamout touch I need and it’s nice to have an option besides push-up bras. Hoping I can grab this on sale, too!

Animal Print Panties

This one from H&M, $12,95 for 2 panties – perfect price!

I’m more into animal print than ever, now, specially leopard print. I used to hate it, but now I can wear some details, like shoes or small belts, and feel awesome! Panties do that touch – they make me happy for being leopard printed but don’t show under jeans! I am looking for comfortable hipsters or briefs like these from H&M.

Gap Lace Briefs

Comfortable, cheap and cute. three necessary C’s! $14,50 or 2 for $20!

These are my favorites when talking about comfort. Recently I’ve learned that they are my boy’s favorites too, because he likes when I feel comfortable (besides, they are lacy). I bought three last time and plan to buy a whole bunch more because who could let those precious things pass? I am looking for every opportunity to look good and feel like I have nothing on!

I am back.

ee-hee, it was a fun time

I had internet problems during my vacations, and it made me pretty angry for a while, but since I was in Miami Beach having a nice time, I decided to take vacations from the blog, as I was unable to write, and come back with news later. Now I am back and ready for this new year, which will be Under the Unders’ second year and my 20th year (actually, I turn twenty today, the 13th. Isn’t that exciting?). I hope it will be a great year and I have the intention of keeping the blog updated and with lots of nice pictures and good content.

Back to the main topic, while I was in the city, I took my mother and a friend to get fitted at Intimacy, located on Aventura Mall. They both wanted to shop at Victoria’s Secret, obviously because of the store’s different options and low price (specially on the Semi Annual Sale). Knowing that Victoria’s Secret has probably one of the worst fitting services on the US, even though they got my sizing almost right -I could be a band or two smaller, but I actually feel pretty comfortable in a 32D-, I decided to take both of them to real fitters before they shopped.

Each one went a different day and got fitted with a different person, but they both were middle-40s women that never got fitted. The fitting method was the same, and I got to write one of them down, apart from taking some pictures of the bras and store (since I wanted to preserve the women’s identity, I didn’t take pictures of them), in an experience I am about to describe now, for the ones interested in bra fitting and for the ones who would like to know how a fitter works.

The store shopping bags. Bras are quite expensive there, but the fitting job is really awesome.

Arriving in the store, we were received with smiles and may-I-help-you? faces, for whom I said we wanted to have a fitting. So, the fitter took us inside to one of the fitting rooms, where the lightning was pleasant, and explained that they did not used measuring tapes. Asking what size the customer usually worn, I helped providing the information on what did a brazilian size meant (42=34B, 44=36B and so on), and the fitter explained to both of us they didn’t use measuring tapes, they would be trying on bras and fixing little problems so that the customer would eventually find the perfect bra.

Details of the fitting room

Following that logic, the fitter brought to the customer a 30E bra, a Marie Jo ‘Avero’, which was clearly too tight on the back, but just a tad big on the cups. She went away and brought a 32D, another Marie Jo ‘Avero’. The fitter on my first visit was keen to explain every step to us, but the one on the second seemed a little tired, so I was the one that explained to the customer, my friend, that she brought a different size, bigger on the back but a little smaller on the cups, and the letter changed because when we go up a number on the back, we must go down a letter on the cup, although she did went a letter down, because after the D, there is the DD bra. I thought this second woman could have had a little more care when talking to someone that never got fitted (I stated that on the beginning of the talk), but maybe she just forgot about it or assumed we knew it.

After trying Marie Jo’s bras, we ended up hanging them on the wall.

After concluding that a 32D was a good size for her (she was wearing a 34B when arriving, which is the Brazilian 42 size), the fitter proceeded to ask what kind of bras the customer would like to try. Since she was not looking for anything specific, the fitter was requested to bring something sexy that could be worn on a regular basis. Then, as the customer said she liked the model with push up, the fitter brought two Chantelle bras, the ‘Opera’ and the ‘Merci’. The Opera was her favorite, because of the lace details – and I agreed it looked really good.

Chantelle Opera bra, in dark grey.

They did have matching panties, which was good, and the color of the bra was a pretty easy color to match with other ones. Overall, I really like the experience in taking family and friends to get fitted. In addition to that, I guess that being inside the fitting room while that happened helped me understand a lot more about the process of fitting, which I intend to know more and more each time, since it’s exactly what the brazilian lingerie market need the most.

Chantelle Merci bra. Another great option, but more colorful.

Now my friend could easily buy at Victoria’s Secret. By having the correct number of her perfect bra, she can choose which model will she take, being comfortable in many styles, in a wide range of prices. It just took us a little step to another store, one with real experienced fitters – or at least some with knowledge of that subject!

You can visit Intimacy’s website and schedule your own fitting, if you wish so.

On that subject, I would like to link some of my friends articles on Victoria’s Secret bad fitting process:

Bratabase’s Why You Shouldn’t Go to Victoria’s Secret for a Fitting

Boosaurus’ In-Store Bra Fitting: Victoria’s Secret

Braless in Brazil’s Remeasuring for Victoria’s Secret

Miss Shapen’s Victoria’s Secret Crappy Fitting Techniques

Valentine’s day is coming and we can’t stop it. Everywhere you see is full of red, pink, hearts… I love it!

Picture: courtesy of Fleur of England

As we are about to talk more and more about Valentine’s Day lingerie, introducing Fleur of England newest collection seems like a great idea. 

It is called Amour, absolutely suitable for the holiday, and je suis en amour avec cette collection! It consists of different pieces, including some of the classics, all in a vibrant but classy shade of red. Lace and silk all over – just as the brand always do – makes these items incredibly luxurious. Something to be lusting after for you or for a special someone!

Picture: Courtesy of Fleur of England

Picture: Courtesy of Fleur of England

My favorite items on this collection are the Boudoir Bra and Bow Tie Brief. Commonly I would prefer items that could be worn for a common day – but this is a special occasion, after all. And although love is composed by all the life moments, particularly the everyday life, is always great to have special boudoir moments. Love is about sharing your life with someone else, and lingerie is about feeling good in great items… but both of them have a connection with intimacy, and that is what makes them unique.

Picture: Courtesy of Fleur of England

Picture: Courtesy of Fleur of England

 All the items can be found at Fleur of England’s website, and the brand can be found on other social medias, such as Facebook and Pinterest!

My favorite items! Picture: Courtesy of Fleur of England

Thinking of the best way I could put up a Valentine’s day gift guide, it came to my mind that, although it is a themed holiday, it has many, many possibilities. There is not a mold, a patter for love, each one feels different, enjoy different things and, of course, have different expressions of that love. Therefore, I decided to divide it in four guides, each one to a different “destination”. Until Feb. 14, you will find the classic bed of roses, the mysterious midnight rendezvous, the adventurous dreamy road trip and the incredibly fun amusement park escape.

American Beauty. Classic beauty standarts and, well… a bed of roses.

The first stop, the classic Valentine’s day look. When I think about the concept of A bed of roses, I do not mean only literally, but whatever comes to your mind when thinking about the timeless love figure. Romantic dinners, cupids, red all over the place. A lot of women tend to think that this is the best kind of inspiration for such a romantic date. Of course, it’s not the only one, but it surely represents a look that many desire… and it can -and should, if you are the kind of person who thinks about red silk whenever you hear the word Valentine- be achieved. Here are my personal favorites for the date.

Anglaise suspender, bra and thong, by eLai

Incredibly sweet, this is the Anglaise set, by eLai! The baby pink cotton, combined with the details in red, are colors that could easily be put into the cathegory of a Valentine’s classic! However, the pieces are modern and suitable for a woman seeking a sweet, romantic look. I really appreciate the anglaise trim – it definitely makes this set different, in a very good way!

Rita bra, suspender belt and panties by What Katie Did

Ok, I must admit that the bright tone of red on the Rita set by What Katie Did , combined with the bright sky of Vegas in this picture got me wishing I was arriving the Sin City to have fun. It is a vintage-styled option, but without a lot of cone-shaping in the bra. The circle stitching seems to give a very natural look on the top, and I don’t even have to mention how I am absolutely in love with the sheer 6-straps suspender belt, right?

Esthar set, L’Agent by Agent Provocateur

Red. Hearts. Tulle. Agent Provocateur. I adore this Esthar set by L’Agent, it’s sheer and pretty, sweet but a bit naughty. The apron is sure to be an amazing accessory for a nice night with your special someone, or the bra and briefs can be your own celebration of this fun date! I can see the transition form day to night on this and the hearts of the bra remind me of pasties  but without getting out of the good old bra-and-panties style. Good for those wanting to tease without getting completely out of your comfort zone.

Retrolution slip by Gossard (available at Journelle)

I see a trench coat, a woman home, her lover arriving, a Retrolution slib, by Gossard inside the coat. Ok, I may be too much on the fantasy side, but this is gorgeous. Definitely for the lovers of pink and lace, but the main word I can relate to this piece is sexy, sexy, sexy! Either if it’s just for your own pleasure, take a look at the mirror and say to yourself how you need something as beautiful as this, because you do. We all do.

Antoinette set by Morgan Lane

Morgan Lane is the lingerie for the little doll in you, as they say, but the Antoinette set is sure to please a modern doll, the one searching for more than just clothes that could belong to Barbie. Although this is quite fun, I put it on the classics because I feel it matches the common visual of Valentine’s day. Silk red flowers give a romantic touch to the stretch mesh and make this set suitable for cupid, if it wore lingerie.

Holly corset by Angela Friedman

Last, but definitely not least, the Holly corset by Angela Friedman. Although I never tried Angela’s creations (but soon I will!), she is an amazing professional and person. This bright pink overbust corset is the masterpiece of the Valentine’s day. Either is for a big romantic dinner with red wine and a stroll through the city with your greatest love, or for a night to remember inside the bedroom, this corset just makes yourself – and a lot of people around – feel great. A gift that will be an amazing surprise for the woman of your life, specially if this woman is yourself.

I hope the suggestions on this list transform your holiday on an amazingly romantic escape, with chocolate, red roses and lots of love. Keep waiting for other three guides and find the one that suits your style the best!

The three panties and this cute package I got

When the people at Knock Out! offered me some panties to review, I got quite interested in their technology. Although I love the “common” panties, these ones had something different, and I really wanted to see how that worked. 

Knock Out! Smart Panties were invented by a mom, and we can all agree that moms know best. She noticed that a lot of women had problems with the thin cotton layer on the panties. At every age, we face some kind of problem – periods, odor, sweat during exercising… and since she could not find panties with extra protection in the market, she decided to invent new ones. That is truly smart!

The boyshort. Really cute color, really nice lace, really comfortable.

I was excited when the package arrived, including three panties and a lot on information. The Lacy Thong, the Lacy Panty and the Lacy Boyshort (can you tell I am a lace lover?) were inside the envelope, along with a lot of information concerning the materials and how does it works.

You probably know that the panties you wear everyday must have cotton, so your body can breathe. This one, though, have a thick layer of cotton, that allows your body to breathe but keep odor and liquids (a bit). It is comfortable, even being thick, and it really does protect you from any of these unpleasant situations. I had the chance to test the panties while on a 12-hour plane flight, 10 thousand feet or so above the ground, and was very pleased with how it worked!

On the media material and on the website of Knock Out!, they include a lot of opinions from real women of all ages, which is really nice! I like and support lingerie brands that do not follow the same directions of making pieces to please young women – of course, we need them too, and of course no brand would please every woman, but it’s really nice to have different options and different opinions from women of all ages!

The lace and the thick layer of cotton on my Lacy Panty

The opinions on the website could not be more precise – the panties really met my expectations! The do protect you, they are soft and comfortable and they look good! Basic, pretty enough to look yourself in the mirror and strike a pose. “Only a woman could come up with this!” the phrase on the website is true. only a woman could understand the necessities of another – and that is why these panties are so good and useful.

Knock Out! can be found on their website and on facebook. The products produced include nightwear and sportswear, too!

Panties provided by Knock Out! Panties, opinions are mine.

Continuing our Valentine’s Day Gifts and Inspirations guides, I present to you the midnight rendezvous, a mysterious encounter with a loved one -or maybe an exciting blind date!-, full of sensuality and desire, immersed in luxury and great lingerie. For this inspirational guide, I have chosen dark colors such as navy blue and black, and classic and modern looks expressed on the pieces.

Get prepared to put a overcoat and wear only lingerie underneath it. To hop on a plane to meet your lover in another city, during the night. To kiss and touch him/her in a dark street, escaping from reality while the lights of the night an the city bathes your bodies. These are my personal favorites for this atmosphere of mystery and love.

Silvia Lace bra and knickers by Kriss Soonik

The mix of black and coloured in the Silvia set by Kriss Soonik pleases me very much. Even the bows seem to be very appropriate, not following much of a cute look, but still very chic. The electric blue is the color for this mood, of course, and it certainly mixes comfort and beauty easily.

The Mauritshuis padded bra by Marlies Dekkers

Marlies Dekkers is amazing, no doubt about that. But this Mauritshuis bra is the perfect encounter between the classic bra and lacy details. This piece must work perfectly underneath a shirt with some cleavage, or maybe a see-through shirt. It gives me so many ideas!

Roxelana Girdle Dress by Bordelle (available at Journelle)

This list would never be complete without Bordelle. The ultimate brand for sexy bondage-inspired lingerie is featured here with the oh-so-gorgeous Roxelana Girdle Dress, an ultimate luxurious item. How can a fan of the style not like it? Must confess that the dresses by Bordelle are one of my shopping dreams! I would wear that on valentine’s day – gosh, I’d wear that in any special day!

Dottie’s Delights Long Black Dressing Robe

The vintage hollywood midnight diva. This sheer black robe is perfect for a game of sensuality, showing but hiding it all. Besides, how can you not feel gorgeous while wearing it!? Just light up some candles, grab a glass of wine – or two – and get ready to be the ultimate Valentine’s movie queen. How amazing, right?

Gunpowder set by Arabel Lingerie

Arabel is a great designer and her collections are getting always better. The Gunpowder one is completely new and perfect to match the midnight aura. I love the fabric and the lacy details. One of the panties underneath your everyday clothes is a sweet touch that transforms a day in a sensual adventure, even if it’s just you feeling extremely sexy!

Along with the month of March, comes the world famous Brazilian Carnival.

The most important part of the show: the samba schools making their way through the avenue, with thousands of people cheering, for two nights in a row. I love to watch it on tv!

The street parties go for days, on the whole city, with lots of samba, costumes and beer! They have funny names, this one is called “sympathy is almost love”.

By the end of next week, everyone will be having some days off to relax and party. Even if you are not going to any of the parties, balls or street celebrations, if you happen to be in Brazil -or just in the mood!- on the next days, you will feel some major energy in the air. And why not use that to inspire you in your underwear choices? I present to you some of my favorite carnival-inspired lingerie.

Claudette dessous sucre bra

The Sucre bra is colorful and energetic, just like the parties during carnival week. Worn under a light top, this would be perfect to make the look to drink some beers in the end of a hot day! During carnival, even the nights are hot and cheerful!

Millefleur Print Boyshort by hanky Panky

In the costumes worn in the street parties, you see flowers everywhere! Maybe it’s the tropical weather, or maybe just another way to make things colorful! The Millefleur print by Hanky Panky are lovely, even if you spending your days home.

Fern balconette by Panache

Another option for the ones into flower prints. This bra by Panache can eb worn the whole year round, but it certainly have even more appeal during these festive days! If you prefer a modern look but still want to be part of the party, this can certainly do the trick.

Knickerocker silver sequin panties

That is my personal favorite for the date. Glitter – that is what carnival is all about, I can guarantee you that. If you going to a party or about to watch the samba schools walk through the big avenue, you are sure to be covered in glitter at the end. So, if you don´t feel like getting out in the hot weather to be glittered – or if you want to add even more to the package -, the silver sequin high-waisted by Knickerocker are the best!

So, are you inspired to samba?

When I am presented to a new lingerie collection, what I try to notice first when looking at the pictures is: what does these pieces have that makes the collection so unique? Maybe that’s why Lascivious got me confused the first time I saw the pictures, on the internet.

I expected to look at the pieces, but Lascivious made me look at the pictures as a whole. One of the main purposes of the fashion photography, when used to advertise clothing pieces, is to create a pleasant atmosphere, to make the customer want to be part of that photography, that reality. And that is what these pictures are all about, so when I received the informations about the collection, I thought it had to be on this blog, my space for inspiring lingerie.

The mix of ‘summer of love’ and 60′s/70′s Playboy shoots definitely ended up making a great collection that resulted in beautiful images. Pastel mint, black, purple… basques, long-line bras, cheeky shorts… and collaborations! Silk dresses made with Marika Vera are definitely gorgeous, but what really got my heart were the selection of latex pencil skirts, bows and bolero, with William Wilde. It’s great how they combined aspects of ‘feminine’ with the common erotic aesthetic of Lascivious for this collection.

The pictures are by Wendy Bevan and were taken using digital and Polaroid film, making the images very unique and incredible.

Lately, I’ve been wanting more and more fun panties. I really enjoy lace pieces, sexy thongs and even plain black briefs, but I wanted more of those colorful ones that make me smile when I look at my bum on the mirror. Coincidentally, while I was at São Paulo on Black Friday, visiting my boyfriend and going to a close friend’s birthday, June told me that Thais Gusmão was having a sale, 50% off everything.

Thais Gusmão is one of the few lingerie stores in Brazil that I actually find interesting. Although they have “the brazilian bra problem” (no cup sizing) and do not carry plus-size-friendly pieces, they have some interesting things that are not usually found at other brazilian stores. One of the lines that got me very interested was the DC Comics one, featuring superheroes and villains in cute pieces for men and women.

Since they only have boutiques in São Paulo (they used to have one here in Rio when I was younger) and I was there, I hurried up to one of them and proceeded to think about how much could I spend. I really wanted the Wonder Women camisole, but I knew that I had spent money on the ticket to visit the city and that I am about to travel to the US this month, so it would be too much for me. In the end, I decided I could spend less than R$100 (around 40USD), and then I bought three fun panties.

Wonder Woman panties that may be too small for everyone (apart from brazilians)

First I chose the Wonder Woman panties of the picture above. This is a particular style very common here, and I find it extremely comfortable. Bigger than a thong and smaller than briefs, they have elastic bands on the side that are adjustable, so it fits a lot of different hip sizes. Needless to say they look powerful and incredibly cute! Sizing is S, M, L.

I moved to boyshorts, then, and they had so many options! I could only choose two, however.

Front of the first boyshort

Back of the first boyshort

How it looks on me!

Tell me, how could I resist this cutie? The Harley Quinn upside down at the back got me at first sight! Although this is very, very comfortable, being made of cotton and covering the entire back, it does not stretch much. I have quite small hips (around 93cm on the fullest part) and the S fitted me just perfectly, not stretching too much (I would not risk buying a size much smaller than the one that fits you, because the print may look stretched).

Since I really liked this boyshort and my budget allowed me to buy another one, I chose the pink one with Batgirl and a lot of comic-related signs. So adorable! Again, it’s not that stretchy and fits me just perfectly. The first had details in lace on the thighs and this one has those frills, but both are very comfortable (the space for the thighs is not that stretchy either, so this should be taken into account as well)

Bright and colorful! The front of this boyshort is just plain pink

I turned my bum into a comic book!

My final considerations:

Those panties fit me with much comfort, but may not fit the same to all bodies. I don’t know if the material is the responsible for the not-so-stretchy factor, but if you have a somewhat big body, I would suggest trying them on. As fun panties they work perfectly, but not being childish, which I love! Those panties and any other pieces by Thais Gusmão can be found at their online store and they ship internationally, as stated on the website. (If you wish to order something but need to send an email and are having problems with portuguese, contact me! I’ll do my best to help you.)

All three panties were bought by me at Thais Gusmão physical store and all opinions are my own