Obsession du Jour 
Aubade
Romance a Kyoto Cincher
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 Our love for Made by Niki’s line of sexy shapewear has landed our name in another international publication– this time, it’s Women’s Wear Daily. WWD is essentially the bible of the fashion industry, and we’re so proud to see our name inked in their pages.
The article discusses how shapewear has changed in the last few years– where shapewear was once a shameful part of a woman’s wardrobe, meant to be hidden and undiscussed, suddenly “Spanx” has become a household name, and everyone from size 2 to 22 wants to appear as smoothed out as possible under clothing. Made by Niki goes one further, offering seductive shapers that the wearer wants to show off rather than conceal. MbN is a cult British label carried by only a handful of American retailers, and we’re thrilled to be one of them!
Stop into Embrasse-Moi to check out the pieces that W, Women’s Wear Daily, and international editions of Elle and Vogue are all raving about!
 We had thousands of underwires manufactured based on our flat pattern design.
 Our labels are made in our design studio.
 Patterns are positioned on lace to maximize fabric use.
 Some of our silks… awaiting the arrival of a final trim.
 Some of our elastic and lace. We buy some lace without a finish and custom dye it.
 Some of our samples and specifications.
 Parts for bra assembly.
We were thrilled yesterday when our new Elomi full cup bustier appeared on our doorstep, and today we’re feeling just the same about the arrival of Fantasie’s Savannah bra and panty. Ever champions of the seamed cup, we simply couldn’t live without Fantasie and Elomi because of how beautiful and supportive their bras are.
Elomi’s new Smoothing Bustier has been on our radar for the last 7 months, when we first saw it in New York during the lingerie shows. While we have several great strapless options for A-D cup sizes, we were frustrated that there were fewer options out there for fuller band and cup sizes. Having been here for only a day now, this bustier is already everything we hoped it would be– supportive, smoothing, and generally just a great fit.
A bustier is a fantastic option for anyone who normally feels uncomfortable in a strapless bra; the boning that extends from the cup down the front, sides and back holds everything in place, meaning no constant pulling up on a slipping strapless. Plus, in a bustier, you can skip the Spanx and still have a smooth midsection. Elomi’s bustier is available at the shop from 32-44 band and D to G cup.
 Smoothing Bustier by Elomi Fantasie’s Savannah collection comes in a gorgeous pinkish-nude color called “latte” for spring– we’re loving that this bra, although embellished with embroidery and a print, can still be worn as a basic because of its pearly nude color. And since we would never dream of bringing in a gorgeous bra without bottoms to match, there is a bikini and thong to go along.
 Savannah Underwire Bra by Fantasie April and May are exciting months for new spring lingerie… stay tuned or stop by to check out all the newness arriving daily!
 With warm weather already beginning to tease upstate New York, we’ve been getting a lot of questions and concerns about back flab at the shop lately. It’s an issue that every modern woman struggles with, and it preoccupies some to the point that they feel they have to settle for wearing a bra much too big around just to avoid any lines on their back.
From a bra fitting perspective, back flab is something to recognize, minimize, and accept. Even the tiniest 28-band woman will experience a degree of underarm bulge when she straps an elastic band to a naturally fleshy part of her body. It doesn’t necessarily mean that her bra is too small– it’s just the way stretchy fabric hugs the body. In our culture of smooth-out and suck-in, we often lose sight of the fact that it’s okay to have soft spots, and that, like it or not, everyone does.
The first thing to check when you experience back flab is the positioning of your bra on your back– is it riding up toward your shoulder blades, pushing the skin in all sorts of unflattering directions? Try a bra with a smaller band. If you’re wearing the correct band size, try loosening the straps and adjusting your bra so that the back is even with the front.
If nothing seems to work, all is not lost– we continually shop the market for the best bras to satisfy every need and desire our customers have, and we have a few tricks up our sleeve that will minimize the back flab effect.
Exhibit A, the Alicia Support by Anita:
 Alicia underwire bra by Anita This little number ranges in size from B to H cup and features a nice wide band and leotard back. The band comes up nicely underneath the arm to conceal and streamline. It’s also made of a soft microfiber with a small amount of stretch for comfort. Alicia has long been our top seller, and anyone who has ever put it on can tell you why– comfort, lift, and smoothing.
The next weapon in our war-on-back-fat arsenal is Le Mystere’s Tisha bra with lace:
 Dream Tisha with lace by Le Mystere Tisha can be intimidating at first glance because of how molded it is, but this bra actually provides great lift, shape and streamlining. The feature that makes it one of our go-to styles is the construction of the band. It’s full-coverage in the cup, which leads into a wide band containing a single piece of plastic boning sewn into each side called a “stay.” This piece slenderizes while the generous band covers the soft underarm and back area. The lace is a pretty finishing touch, and it won’t show through clothing. Tisha has been featured on Oprah as one of her favorite bras, and it’s not hard to see why– it works on anyone from C to H cup and 32 to 42 band!
Smaller-busted women, there is a back-flab-reducing option for you as well. Spanx makes a great molded cup bra with a wide, seamless band and straps. This style works best for cup sizes A to C in 32-36.
 Spanx's Bra-llelujah These are just a few of our favorite anti-back-flab styles available at the shop. Different styles will work for different shapes and sizes, but the important thing is not to let the fear of bra lines spoil your t-shirt and sleeveless weather days. In Rochester, they’re too few and far between!
As always, we look forward to the opportunity to find a great solution for any undergarment-related issue you may have!
NBC’s The Today Show recently did an investigation into the return policies of several big-box lingerie retailers where they bought and tried to return “worn” underwear for a full refund. The object of the investigation was to find out what happens to underwear returned for a refund without tags and hygenic linings– items that likely have been used.
Check out their findings below– scary!
Today Show: Department Store Lingerie Investigation
It’s been a few days since the fateful email came through, but we’re still so excited: the March issue of W Magazine has an exquisite lingerie-as-outerwear spread (photographed by Mario Sorrenti, styled by Camilla Nickerson), and on page 249, Made by Niki’s classic black bra is featured. And since we’re one of a handful of places to buy the cult British lingerie label, we’re named in the mag! Check it out on page 249 (below):
What’s better, our new Made by Niki spring pieces just arrived today! They’re called Slinkies, a collection of high-compression shapewear with a seductive edge. We spent all day playing with the minidress, miniskirt, pencil skirt and leggings (I may or may not be sitting here writing this in my minidress and leggings). It’s unbelievable how much they hold you in. Plus, with wedding season coming up, the ivory minidress is the perfect alternative to a bustier or strapless. Removable garters, multi-position detachable straps… Niki’s designs are always sexy and innovative. we’re really glad W Mag finally picked up on her talent!
It’s a wonderful, interesting time for lingerie– the industry is moving at an impressive clip, changing minds and cultural ideals with every new step. Up until recently, the Kate-Moss-Waif was the woman to be. Enter New York Magazine with their stunning latest cover, touting Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks as “the Return of the Voluptuous”:
 New York Mag's Feb. 22-Mar.1 Issue Though we would have loved to see more fabulous lingerie looks inside the magazine, the cover says it all– the womanly silhouette is back, and some of the world’s greatest designers have picked up on the fact that curvy is the new bean-pole.
Case-in-point, Prada’s Fall 2010 runway show that took place just last week:
 Bustline darts and ruffles ruled the runway at Prada's Fall show. Word has it that the folks at Prada airlifted a number of “curvier” models (Doutzen, Miranda and Alessandra, to name a few) in at the eleventh hour to showcase the collection on more average frames. The clothing itself plays up the bust with ruffles and dart detailing, and many of the looks were nipped in at the waist by a skinny belt. The result is a visible shift to using elements of design that complement and play up shapely figures.
All of this suggests that the world is finally picking up on what men and lingerie insiders alike have known all along– fads are fleeting, but the natural female form, with all its twists and turns, is always the sexiest.
This month, the lingerie cyberworld is all abuzz– the February issue of Cosmopolitan has declared the thong dead and named the boyshort it’s successor. While the news has been met with mixed emotion, at Embrasse-Moi, we can’t help but feel there will always be a place in the world (and the modern woman’s wardrobe) for thongs.
Lingerie as outerwear has been gaining momentum as a trend since it was introduced by designers en-masse a few seasons ago. This concept often means entire outfits made out of slinky, satiny, lacy fabrics that leave little room for undergarment error. Is there a safer bet under a delicate and beautiful (but unforgiving) dress than a basic microfiber thong? Even a seamless, laser-cut boyshort can flip up or roll along the edges, creating problems where it promised to be the solution. No one on our staff can live without their Cosabella Never Say Never stretch lace thongs or Felina’s basic microfiber style. They’re even great under workout gear at the gym.
 Cosabella's fabulous stretch lace thongs We have just one word for those who call thongs unflattering: Aubade. And any lingerie lover can appreciate the look of a thong paired with a waist cincher or garter belt– a fuller coverage style would simply be overkill with these pieces.
 Aubade's "Ecrin Sensuel" cincher is perfect with the matching thong We’re just saying, don’t count the thong out yet: it’s a style that has far too many practical uses, even if everyone’s starting to jump on the boyshort bandwagon.
They say Valentine’s Day is for lovers, and lovers like to have a little fun when the day rolls around. Enter Love Potion, a sensual blend of natural herbal aphrodisiacs. Enjoy alone, or mix with champagne or liqueur. Valentine’s Day or not, this stuff will definitely make it feel like it is…
 {Romance}  {Intimacy}  {Love}
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About Us
Embrasse-Moi is a luxury lingerie blog from the viewpoints of les femmes d'Embrasse-Moi who are obsessed with the fabulous world of lingerie (especially french lingerie). The blog highlights news from our store Embrasse-Moi Lingerie, follows our very own fashion designer and boutique owner Kristine Iannazzi, and reports on high fashion lingerie. Bonne lecture!
Quote du jour "Brevity is the soul of lingerie."
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