Playful Promises are on fire right now and I just can’t keep up with the number of amazing collections and campaigns they’re launching, much to the excitement of their ever growing customer base. Having ventured out of core sizing into full bust in 2014, they embraced plus size and released a Curve collection last year, in addition to the unashamedly the pin-up inspired line Bettie Page lingerie. This year they’ve been determined to tackle the lack of diversity in fashion images by doing more shoots with women who are underrepresented in mainstream fashion and lingerie campaigns.
I wrote about their Ageless Fashion campaign back in May (there are even more images on the Playful Promises blog now, featuring the new collection), and in June The Lingerie Addict modelled their Bettie Page lingerie in an absolutely stunning shoot. Check out Cora’s blog post on retro black glamour, discussing the lack of visibility of black pin ups and the need for representation across the industry. Seriously, I look at images like this and wonder why on earth larger brands aren’t embracing diversity in the models they choose for their images. How amazing does Cora look?!
This week, the UK brand have continued their year of amazing collections, shoots and collaborations with the announcement of the Gabi Fresh x Playful Promises capsule collection (see top image). Designed in collaboration with US fashion blogger Gabi Fresh, the collection features three lingerie sets, a sheer tulle robe and satin pyjamas which are available in sizes 36-38B-G 40-44C-G and UK sizes 16 to 28. The launch was accompanied by some beautiful location shots of Gabi wearing the collection in a super glamorous setting and, of course, I clicked through to the site to take a closer look.
As the bands start at 36, the bras in the collection don’t come in my size, which gives me a glimpse into the disappointment fat fashion lovers must be used to feeling the vast majority of the time. Measuring something approximating a UK size 14 on my top half and around a 16 on my bottom half makes me something of an ‘inbetweenie’ (or a ‘smaller fat’, as the plus size blogging community might say), which means that I sometimes get the best of both worlds. In this case, I can get myself some high waist briefs and maybe even treat myself to the pyjamas. As I browsed the Playful Promises site, looking to see if there were any other briefs I wanted to buy while I was there, I noticed something rather wonderful…
Just look at the variety of shapes, sizes and skin tones of the models Playful Promises use for their product shots! I love how they’ve also shot garments on more than one model (which you can see on the individual product pages and also when mousing over items when browsing), so you get more of an idea of how a set will look on you. I adore how, if any straps sit on fleshy parts, the images aren’t altered to smooth out the edges so you can see how something truly looks. It’s always so disheartening to buy lingerie and discover that it doesn’t look quite so perfect on you as it did on the site. With Playful Promises’ online shop, you get a more accurate picture, with a look at how stunning their pieces are on many different bodies. You too could be that bombshell.
Playful Promises is a brand that’s spent 2017 showing the lingerie and wider fashion industry that representation matters, and diversity isn’t just a box ticking exercise. There’s more time come too as they’ve teased us with a glimpse of a Bettie Page Lingerie shoot with Violet Chachki (the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7, who has been touring with Dita Von Teese), which we’ll see more of later in the year when the new collection launches. So, what’s next? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Peek & Beau shoot or collaboration with model and activist Munroe Bergdorf. I’m imagining the bodysuits now, and they’d be fabulous.
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