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Recently we had a really great shoot with locals Brian Brosmer (photographer), Kelly Oswalt (makeup artist), and  Elina at the The Fern in Westfield, IN. Westfield, right?  For those of you not from the area, it’s a wee town. However, The Fern is a great remodeled old inn (1901), and the bathroom was just perfect for shooting the Graphic Dots items.

One of the shots reminded me so strongly of Forties’ pin-up art that I mentioned the idea of a calendar…and well, we couldn’t not do it. Our result is a sweet, very slightly naughty and useful twelve month tear-off calendar that we are giving to you free with your order, while supplies last. Enjoy!

Celebrate an anti-couples Valentine’s Day  get-together at your house with your besties! Each person should bring an inexpensive pair of underwear in their own size to decorate. They’ll also bring bits to decorate with: fabric paints, glitter, rhinestones, feathers, yarn, pasta, found objects, bits of fabric, geegaws from their own  crafts stash…the weirder the better. (One of my favorites are googly eyes, because they are easy to glue on, have movement and even make a little noise when there are enough of them.) The host provides glues, sewing supplies, scissors and a space to work.

Share and share alike! You’ll spend the evening having cocktails and snacks, using your dormant creativity to decorate a silly pair of panties to take home with you. Crafting is always more fun with other people, who will inspire you to try new and different things.  As a variation, you can do this as a bridal shower: bring panties in the bride‘s size, and she gets to take the finished panties with her on her honeymoon. It’s a crazy and humorous way for good friends to “be there” on the honeymoon.

For a last bit of fun,  model the panties over your jeans and take pictures to share on your social media and on Sweet Revenge Lingerie’s Facebook page. The best one of the season (chosen February 16th, 2011) gets a $25 gift

certificate to shop here at Sweet Revenge.

Photo by Brian Brosmer

Graphic Dots top and stretch shorts. Photo Anna Ziemniak.

Graphic dots shorts and rayon jersey top. Photo Anna Ziemniak.

We’re crazy for dots. They are lighthearted, have visual movement. They have texture. They have history! And they are just plain fun to wear…

At left is the stretch mesh top, layering sheer dots for a unique look. Her shorts are cotton/spandex, gathered at the cuff for a jodhpur inspired look.

At right is a super soft rayon/spandex jersey top, cut in a deep v-neck with 3/4 sleeves. The sides are ruched for a little extra texture at the bottom. Her boy-cut shorts are grey poly/spandex with tiny black flocked dots. Soft, soft.

Below is a soft and super stretchy scoop necked tank with a sheer edging detail along the neckline and armseye. The front features a sheer dot panel that shows off your button! Show off the work you’ve put into your midriff (and all that work you’ve been putting into your workout).

Many thanks to Lmodelz for providing the ladies for our open house at Aesthetic Design Style!

Wicking spandex scoop neck tank.

In writing, an ellipsis (…) denotes information that’s been left out.  At the end of a sentence, it can imply something else is coming, and it can create a little drama or suspense.

Dot dot dot…

We’ve taken the theme of dots in black, white and grey to create the next Sweet Revenge collection, called Graphic Dots. Using knits (rayon jersey, cotton/spandex, printed mesh, lace,  and poly/spandex jersey) we’ve created pieces that mix and match with each other, in a variety of textures.

Graphic Dots takes you from morning’s sleep and lounge wear through your afternoon yoga routine, and tops it off with a few lingerie pieces that are sexy and comfy.  Several pieces are body conscious (hot pants, scoop neck tops) and some are slouchy and comfy (the robe and rayon top). Graphic Dots can fit the mood you’re in, and they are all machine washable to fit your lifestyle.

On the rack: Graphic Dots by Sweet Revenge

Thanks to you, the customer!

Love,
Sweet Revenge Lingerie

Hand made beaded bracelet by Love's Hangover.

A favorite business of ours (just around the corner from SR studio) is Love’s Hangover, a jewelry, bead and accessories store run by two beautiful sisters. They are working on changing up the shop for a great Black Friday shopping experience. Not only can you buy jewelry, handbags, and accessories, Pam’s Tea Shop is offering tea samples and gift baskets for sale. These items aren’t available anywhere else: if you’re gift buying, you can be sure your gift will be unique.

The sisters have invited me to set up a Sweet Revenge display with my retail items and some one-offs which might interest you, as well!  All of the Sweet Revenge items will be 20% off.

Love’s Hangover will be open from 8am to noon on Black Friday, so don’t miss it! If you’re still hanging out with friends and family that day, you can still support us with Small Business Saturday. You can even shop from the comfort of your own home via the web: check out my web catalog to the left, or Love’s Hangover at www.loveshangover.com.

Fabrics in stock: silk dupioni, silk/rayon brocades, stretch lace, embroidered cotton lawn, and crocheted lace trimming, among many more!

I have a real aversion to Christmas. Every year it seems to come earlier, and I have a thing about not listening to Christmas music or hanging decorations until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time, please!!

However, as a retailer, I have to temper that with gently reminding my customers that pajamas and lingerie make great gifts. I love to be busy in December, but if you want to order something custom made, you really need to get on this earlier! What sorts of custom things, do you ask?

I can make to order something as small as a custom sleep mask, thong or panty (about $6-10); or something as intricate as a corset (range of $250-350), and everything in between. A special robe or negligee set is a great gift, whether it be made of bamboo jersey, cotton flannel, or silk and lace. I am happy to include special touches, like including a fashion illustration of the item with the gift, and special gift wrap.  With enough advance notice, anything is possible!

Photo by Anna Ziemniak, MUA Misty Al-Eryani of Fierce Looks. Hair by Philip Salmon.

What is a corset? Many people confuse a corset with a bustier. A bustier is an over-the-bust garment  (not a  foundation garment) that is lightly boned and fits snugly. Bustiers often have shaped cups with underwire structure, and either zip closed or close with a hook and eye tape at the front.

A corset, on the other hand, is usually not designed to be worn by itself. It often doesn’t completely cover the bust, and is made several inches smaller than your measurements. In fact, if you tighten a corset and the backs meet, you know it’s too big.  Corsets also are much more heavily boned than bustiers, using steel flat bones or steel spiral bones. While the fronts may or may not open, the back is always laced closed with a sturdy cotton or nylon lacing. The intent is to compress your body and raise the bust, while a bustier merely fits it closely.

Finding a ready made corset to fit you is not difficult, unless you have a very long or short torso. You want to find a corset that itself measures 2-4″ smaller than your measurements at bust line, waist and hip.  If you are a small or extra small, you won’t be able to tighten the corset as much as if you are a larger size, since fat compresses (and moves) much more easily. If you wear corsets more frequently, you may be able to compress yourself much more than a “newbie.”  Buy a corset that’s enough smaller so that it will still fit you as you train your body.

If you’re looking for something special, or you’re not finding the style or fit you need, you can always have one custom made. Fabric costs don’t usually play much role in the cost of a custom corset, since you generally only need a yard or a little more. However, don’t skimp on labor; a great pattern and construction can mean the difference between that perfect hourglass corset that will last you decades, or a barrel shaped quasi-bustier that isn’t worth the fabric it’s made of.

Be careful in choosing a corset style. While it may seem like a good idea to build your corset taller, after wearing it for an hour or so you will realize why that’s a bad idea. The flesh under your arms is very sensitive, and having a stiff corset digging into your underarm can become really irritating. Also, test it out while sitting down. A corset that feels fine while standing up may be unbearable sitting down if it is made too long at the front, or too tall at the bust. I recommend a corset that fits from bust point to mid-hip. A mid-bust corset will also create the most attractive decolletage.

Don’t forget that a corset, while usually strapless, can have straps! Eighteenth century corsets had very high backs and straps, so if you are busty and want some lift, this is the way to go.

If you’re interested in having a custom corset built for you, remember to allow about 3 weeks. Contact us via and we’ll design one just for you!