Body confidence – do you have it? sometimes maybe?… by the bucket load?
If you are in the latter camp then kudos, I’ll have a bit of whatever you’re having please.
I actually had an interesting conversation with a male friend over the weekend, he was expressing the fact men often have as many body related hang-ups as women and that actually there is nothing quite as sexy as a lady who is confident in her skin and knows she looks HOT….especially when wearing not very much of anything at all.
I, like most women I imagine, have days where I will get out of bed feeling good, that I can put on some kind of slinky underwear on and just generally embrace the fact that I am happy with my lot. Other days I pick fault with everything and could think of nothing worse than someone seeing me in a state of undress.
If you read Jenny, Vix and I’s discussion post “Underneath Your Clothes” then you will know what kind of frill seeking garments make us feel foxy, and what makes us feel well…a bit of a fraud. And as a result what we chose to wear for W-day.
Hmmm. I’ve recently spotted the new Bridal collection by Ell and Cee, and as a result I seem to have done a complete one eighty… all of a sudden I want to spend the rest of my days generally strutting around the place in some type of chiffon baby doll number. And I figure – why the ruddy hell shouldn’t I? I’m by no means Gisele Bundchen but I think I’ve got a good while until everything goes decidedly ahem south…might as well make the most of it.
Ell and Cee: The internationally renowned, ultra-feminine lingerie brand Ell & Cee are proud to introduce their debut bridal collection.
Having noticed a gap in the market for directional, trend-lead bridal wear, designer Laura Cloke has developed a range which consists of small capsule collections. Each range has been created to appeal to a different style of bride, offering all you could need for your special day; from day to night to honeymoon.
Known for producing luxurious whimsical designs, this collection makes no exception. Each garment is made from 100% silk, silk chiffon and all embroidery is intricately achieved by hand. Ribbon, tassel, corsage and pearl detailing add a touch of elegance to their vintage inspired designs.
Ell & Cee’s signature bohemian vintage styles are ever present in the bridal collection; designed with a younger, more fashion conscious bride in mind. This line features the bestselling playsuits, jumpsuits and peek-a-boo knickers. The colour palette remains classic with powder shades of ivory, blush, jasmine white, midnight black, sorbet and ‘something borrowed’ blue.
The Ell & Cee collection is available in luxury department stores worldwide, with select designs exclusive to the website.
Additionally, the brand will continue to offer their popular bespoke knickers.
The website will not only be an online store for sensual and on trend lingerie but will also become a place of inspiration and support by offering a bridal blog featuring Ell & Cee brides with their personal wedding images and inspiration via mood boards.
You like? Apart from the more traditional panties and bra sets I really have a thing for the one-pieces.
And my favourite range of all?
No, I have no idea where one might wear a see-through jump suit but it is very very cool.
So then lovelies, what is your favourite piece of sexy undergarment that you currently own?
And don’t forget to check out further frills at Ell and Cee Bride.
Big Also Considering Accessorising With Some Soft Lighting And A Bunch Of Blooms Love
Charlotte xxx
@Charlotte, one could wear a see through jumpsuit in Garlands…I kid you not, kiddo.
The underwear is all very lovely but that fringed waistcoat…erm, yes please, yes, Í’ll take seven of those, one for each day of the week.
As for body confidence, it deffo changes, yesterday morning I was cleaning my kitchen, ipod in, CONVINCED I was on a par with Cheryl Cole…today I’m not…! But that will teach me to eat three packets of strawberry laces late at night in front of Silent Witness! Will be back on the treadmill again tonight, convincing myself I am Chezza.
xo
@Pamela – I know! had never considered wearing a fringed waistcoat with just a pair of knickers before but it does look somewhat IMMENSE doesn’t it?
Although I am with you on the laces I have a penchant for the strawberry straws with the white filling from Tesco (3 bags for a pound…). However, I shall be avoiding those for a while so I can don the see-through jump suit to Garlands with pride
Charlotte xxx
That is STUNNING. If I ever take the plunge and do a boudoir shoot, this is what I’ll wear.
@Kirsten – Yes I was thinking exactly the same thing. I have never really been that tempted by a boudoir shoot before (it’s not very “me”) but I need an excuse to wear that waistcoat….
Charlotte xxx
Love all of these!! So much nicer to slip on after a long wedding day than a suffocating corset!! x
I love all of these! RMW is costing me a fortune!!! Xx
And which one is Adam’s favourite?
Beautiful. I don’t suppose they’d fit a 30FF?
pretty pretty pretty
Ugh, body confidence, not an easy issue…..!!! As everyone I have massive ups and downs though I find going to the gym regularly helps a bit (even if my body shape doesn’t actually change!) but even then, ups and downs!!
xxx
Sarah – my thoughts exactly ( well not exactly, I was thinking 32G to be precise but close enough) always get so jealous of my slightly less generously endowed friend when it comes to sexy undies. Although things have improved massively in the last 10 years its still hard for a bra with cups big enough to wear on you head to actually be sexy!!!
@Emma – true pet, I was thinking how many of the items are slinky yet look ever so comfy too!
@Rebecca – it’s costing me a fortune too
@Teresa – ha ha! I’ll have to ask him, I imagine all of them…
@Sarah – Which pieces in particular pet? I imagine the lounge wear would pretty much fit most sizes?
Charlotte x
All of them Charlotte! I don’t want much me. JoL exactly – things have improved a lot, although I’ve gone right off Bravissimo just recently.
JoL and Sarah – I’m a 34FF and with you all the way! Stunning though these pieces are, I find the lack of underwire too alarming to even contemplate buying them! Even the gorgeous lougewear won’t look so appealing with a massive supportive bra showing through it’s translucent prettiness.
Of course everyone has body confidence issues from a model-perfect size 6 to an *ahem* slightly more generously proportioned lady like myself, but nice undies (not of the spanx/ head-sized bra cups variety) do help. Elle McPherson (bless her swooshy locks) has expanded her undies range into DD-G cups and my favourite ‘sehsy’ undies set is a lovely black and pink lacy number from her collection – which, crucially, contains the aforementioned underwiring…
@Cat @Sarah @JoL – My sister is a size 8 and a 30F and has as many body hang ups as anyone I know. Seriously people pay good money to look like that (!) but she is still not happy, hides her chest away all the time. In comparison I’m like “What are you doing?! I would have them on display all the time!”….
So any bra recommendations would be ace – I know she struggles to find things that are pretty and actually fit properly.
I dream about being an hourglass, I would wiggle my way around a la Dita Von Teese all day…in reality I look like a boy.
Charlotte xxx
@Charlotte – I would recommend Rigby & Peller for your sister. She will get a proper fitting and they do have a good selection of bras for people with small backs which, in turn, means bigger cups!
They are all lovely – but again more expensive stuff that most of us probably can’t afford…plus any body confidence I DID have has now gone having seen size 4/6 models prancing about! Great work!
LOVING the luxe gold and goes with the wedding colour scheme and my gold kate spade shoes! Such a gorgeous range – definitely filled a gap in the market!!! xx
@Mimi – Yes I think she should go to Rigby and Peller – sounds like a plan.
@Pickles – Yep they are models, and yes they are very slim – as you would see in the vast majority of new collections featured on any blog/magazine, that’s not to say curvier girls wouldn’t look equally as pretty (if not more so in fact). The range is what I would class as luxe however as with anything we feature, shoes, dresses, accessories… it’s about what you want to spend your budget on. Some brides may think their underwear is something they want to spend a lot on… others won’t – we try and cater for the former as well as the latter.
@Rachie – oooh you clearly need that jump suit!
Charlotte xxx
@Charlotte – you definitely don’t look like a boy! And you’re so lucky you can pull off the gorgeous Ell and Cee style stuff. Agree there is definitely a gap in the market for non trussed-up-like-a-satiny-chicken tacky bridal lingerie.
For your lovely Sis, Bravissimo does have some nice ranges (and some absolutely boulder holders, Agent Provocateur goes up to a G (I think)if you can afford it. I rate Freya as well. And the lovely Elle McP…
@Cat – thanks for the tip. Will definately be check out Elle macphersons DD-G range.
@Sarah – So far I’ve always been a bravissimo addict but agree it seems to be a bit less reliable recently.
@Charlotte – re the skinny model comments… maybe you could persuade the next lot of real brides (plus or minus their best girls) to model some lovely wedding day fashion / undies / honeymoon fashions with their beautiful real bodies and give us all a boost?!
Very pretty stuff but I’d need some more support!
Really struggling to find some nice undies/nightwear for the honeymoon
Hurrah for another fantastically well-timed post! Was just starting to research le undercrackers
Body confidence, hmmmmm… I have to be honest and say I’m not trying to change shape or sizebefore the wedding, more through lack of time to do it seriously (teacher training has taken ver my life!) I would be more inclined to do so if I thought I could maintain the size/shape I get to (whichwould be a more toned version of myself!), but I know that is unlikely, because I like food too much and exercise not enough
I reckon I could slip on any of the above outfits and guarantee that MrA would NOT be looking at a) my wobbly thighs b)my even wobblier arse c) the backs of my arms
Money well spent, I’d say
@Cat – Thanks pet, I have seen Freya advertised (they seem to do some lovely stuff!) so will give Sis a nudge.
@JOL – it’s funny you should say that….watch this space
@Laurraaa- have you tried COS? comfy but sexy stuff in there (I have some lovely grey cotton PJ’s)
@Mrs A-to-be – I was just looking at a pic of you (you should know why!) and you look really lovely, I actually thought your arms were really quite toned?
Charlotte xxx
Great timing, this is one thing that’s really stressing me out. Pretty sure Mr McC won’t really care what I’m wearing as long as I’m there but I wish I had the confidence to wear this…it’s all so pretty! Reckon wedding/honeymoon is the time when I can spend a silly amount on lingerie. I know Mr McC loves me as I am but when will my brain starting believing it?! I drive him mad with my lack of confidence sometimes lol. Guessing most of us are like that girls? For once I’d love to feel *ahem* …sexy…I blush when i even type that word lol Time to feel confident in my own skin! finishing finals is definitely a good excuse for a treat!
I’m a 30FF – or 30G depending on the fit – and I have a link for all you lovely curvy ladies like me.
I just found this website yesterday while mournfully trying to find bridal lingerie for my size that’s as pretty as the stuff that only goes up to a C! (and only goes down to a 32…) I think they have a bricks n mortar shop in London, too – http://www.lululonsdale.com/
While their online presence isn’t stuffed full of my much coveted bridal sets their blog makes it seem like there might be more in store – and the rest of the stuff is so gosh darn pretty I’ll forgive them.
Great undies and fab photos too.
Everytime I feel fab, I think “Oh that means I can eat chocolate now!” – that is stupid no?!
I love Elle & Cee. I have a pair of personalised knickers (they say Mrs Marriedname) to surprise my new husband…
Also, can I tell you a story about body confidence? A while ago I decided I was sick of people implying that, because I’m a bride I should suddenly feel bad about my body and diet. So because the man I love has asked if we can please only have sex with each other for the rest of our lives I am meant to feel BAD about myself? I did, for a while. I do not love my spare tyre, for example. But I also think life is too short to feel bad about the body someone else loves. I’d rather weigh a little more and feel happy and confident and not worry than have a ‘perfect’ figure and feel bad about myself. I know, from experience, that my fiance doesn’t notice if I gain or drop a few pounds. He does notice if I obsess over my body and do myself down.
So I stopped worrying about it. I carried on eating cake and chips and chocolate – not, like, all the time, I just didn’t give them up. And when I went back to my dress shop to be re-measured I said, look, I know I’ve put on weight and I don’t need to know how much, kthxbai.
Erm, nope. Lost two inches off my waist and one off my bum. I have no idea why. I don’t mean to sound irritating, or smug. It’s just that relaxing and not worrying about it hasn’t exactly had a terrible effect.
Love Ell & Cee – I had a pair of the silk “The Mrs” knickers for our wedding day, and also took loads of other bits from the collection at the time on honeymoon. I had a bit of a splurge before the wedding and decided that as a “wife” I had every right to own a drawer full of tiny bits of silk! Can’t say that they get worn QUITE as often as my brightly patterned cotton boyshorts but hey ho
I bought a maxi dress and a shorter dress which were perfect for covering up my swimming cozzy etc. Oh a Laura has been uber-helpful and friendly every time I have ordered. And there’s just nothing quite like having a beautifully wrapped Ell & Cee parcel arrive 