Last month, I saw a tweet from Amanda Vickery, Professor of Early Modern History at Queen Mary, University of London. It featured a black and white photograph of a mid-twentieth century shop window display. At the top of the window, there are three pairs of white, extremely oversized women’s briefs that were clearly made especially... Continue Reading →
Five beautiful and ethical underwear brands for Valentine’s Day
If you're thinking about getting a lingerie gift for yourself of a loved one for Valentine's Day, but don't want to buy into some of the more problematic areas of the fashion industry, Here are five British brands making gorgeous undies in an ethical and sustainable way. 1) Studio Pia Describing their lingerie as luxury... Continue Reading →
Review: Latex lingerie from Honour
I haven't written about latex much since my 2012 post in the fabulous fashion fabrics series, so I was surprised when the lovely folk at Honour got in touch to ask if I'd like to review a lingerie set from their website. However, once I started browsing, I quickly realised this wouldn't be quite as... Continue Reading →
A cosy (and sustainable) winter wishlist
Inspired by this week's 'Cosy Issue' of Stylist Magazine, I thought I'd wrap up and get comfy for a winter wishlist as we head towards the end of the year. Whether you're getting cosy indoors or outside, I have looked for thoughtful sustainable options rather than cheap impulse purchases that are bad for the planet... Continue Reading →
Review: Gabi Fresh x Playful Promises
What is a blogger to do when a favourite lingerie brand releases a stunning new collection that doesn't come in her size? She enlists the help of a guest reviewer, or course! Full disclosure though... Rarely Wears Lipstick paid for the lingerie set reviewed below. There are few brands from whom I will always open... Continue Reading →
Why Heist is missing the point on uncomfortable undies
If you're on Instagram and are at all interested in underwear, you may have seen Heist's campaign for their soon to be launched new range. Best known for their tights that don't roll down or dig in, Heist are now expanding their offering to include what they call 'bodywear', and they're doing a good job... Continue Reading →
Review: In Intimate Detail, by Cora Harrington
When I did my Master's degree and started to focus on underwear in my research, I discovered that there are a lot of books published on that topic (specifically on women's underwear/lingerie), but the vast majority of them are little more than picture books. Although these can look very beautiful, many of them offer very... Continue Reading →
Signs of Wear: The Fabric of an Underpinnings Archive
Take the time to look closely enough and a garment can be read almost as clearly as words on a page. In this way, archives of garments can provide a unique window into the past, revealing valuable clues to how previous generations shopped, dressed and laundered their clothes. Intact department store tags allow us to... Continue Reading →
How a corset told the tale of Westworld
[SPOILER ALERT] This article contains mild spoilers for Westworld season 2, mostly in the form of discussion of costumes. I recently finished watching season 2 of Westworld and am still processing the clever storytelling, the visual brilliance, and the excellent performances from a delightfully diverse cast. Despite being set in a 'wild west' theme park,... Continue Reading →
Six Splendid Bras for Summer
If you're anything like me, there will be a time of the year when the weather starts to get really warm and every bra you own will begin to annoy you 100% more than it did in the colder months. Bands feel tighter, everything feels sticky (and needs washing all the time!), plus loads of... Continue Reading →