My forays into writing about lingerie have been few and far between. I've written about fetish wear, latex garments, harneses, elastic corsets and all of that kind of ilk but poor old lingerie has to suffer and languish in the corner. Clearly I'm a consenting adult who's a quarter of a century old and is in a relationship so yes, *shock shock horror horror* I do actually like to look sexy behind closed doors (looking sexy in the outside world is another matter altogether…). You mean…Susie isn't an asexual being? What…
I bring up the sex factor because my general approach to lingerie is that I can't really afford to splurge on it just to empower my own meek self but yes, in a depressingly misogynist conforming stereotype, lingerie consumption does for me lean towards impressing the opposite sex. Hey for all GoFemme GoGo Girls out there, if it's any consolation, it is literally a cash thing rather than an actual act of female submission.
In addition, I'm also ridiculously picky towards lingerie, in a way that I'm NOT towards clothes and shoes. Hence why it is hard for lingerie to get a look in. In the case of Dietrich though, I'm making an exception both in terms of posting and purchasing. Frederika Cook set up Dietrich in 2008 with the philosophy that she would create a niche in lingerie drawing inspiration from haute couture and old Hollywood glamour. She sets out to create lingerie as a parfumeur would craft a fragrance, taking a base note as structure, middle note as fabrics and the top note as the finishing touches (trims, skins, leathers….) all made in England or France.
The concept of old Hollywood glamour really shouldn't be resonating with me, with my very non-hourglass bod and a distaste for things that veer too much towards a retro cliche. However both Dietrich A/W 09-10 and S/S 10 collections seem to embody a spirit of the old but not be overtaken by it. The incorporation of leather and sting ray for example add something more robust and modern to the pieces. Traditional corsets are inverted by being constructed with exoskeletal boning. There's something there that balances between sickeningly girly and vampishly sexy that strikes a chord with me.
I feel like a visit to Cook needs to be undertaken to really grasp the full details of what Dietrich is all about and also to try the stuff on… I suppose I should be quite scared that lingerie features in outerwear always seem to rock my boat because clearly I would need to stop myself from wearing Dietrich on the outside and keep it firmly behind closed doors.
I’ve been following your blog for several months now, and I just wanted to finally comment and tell you about how much I love your blog. I love your posts, not entirely for it’s pictures but for your amazing writing. You’re one of the most influential bloggers to me that have encouraged me to blog, as well.
I’m incredibly picky about lingerie too- but the pin-up style ones are so delicious. these pictures are amazing, great post!
http://www.leblase.blogspot.com
finally! Agent Provocateur doesn’t release new collections that often, these designs are beaaautiful.
I’m actually a big lingerie fan! these are very unique, i love how structured they are.. most lingerie brands look the same to me
This stuff is amazing, references Prada to me more in the shots than the items maybe, but great all the same – do you know where I can buy? I couldn’t find where on the website…
there are some tempting pieces here, like the black bustier and the black lace shorts.
Beautiful. Do they actually have a shop/can you buy online?
Do you know where these beautiful items can be bought? x
I believe a few pieces can be bought on Coco de Mer but it is achingly expensive… still I must persist seeing as I rarely get the lingerie bug…
http://www.coco-de-mer.com/shop/lingerie/dietrich
I will try and find more stockists!
Don’t worry Susie, I never thought you were asexual!!! and this lingerie is amazing- I love the cup details and the double straps.
Bless you Susie, I had all but given up on finding sexy underwear that isn’t simultaneously objectifying ( cf cupless bras, pasties or tassles) but these are absolutely amazing!
Love it, could lay around in it all day.
I have a little notebook filled with lists, and one of them is “Stuff I look forward to buying when I’m grown up” and listed amongst things like “furniture”, “gadgetry:, and “silverware” is “lingerie.” These are absolutely beautiful pieces and I hope that by the time I’m an adult I will have the means for them.
some of them are seriously amazing!!
wow. i love these. the black lace with the side panels. the gold quilted. the gold and hot pink. the deep purple gathered?! really beautiful.
Thank you so much for blogging about this brand!
I love it!!! SO classic and stunning. You are right so much lingerie is really the same, but this is very inspiring.
GREAT POST, I’M A SECRET FAN OF LINGERIE. THE GARMENTS THAT CAME FROM THE CONTOUR DESIGN COURSE AT DE MONTFORT UNI WERE ALWAYS AMAZING
I have a feeling I’d be a little too busty for most of these, but I do like the one in the top left hand corner!
These are lovely designs, but these girls are too skinny and sunken chested. Half the appeal of vintage lingerie is, …well…the flesh. There are no curves to be found on these models. These girls look more like an Egon Schiele than a Vargas.
Wow. Show the pix to the BF and perhaps the money will appear. (I spent nearly an hour earlier today looking at unaffordable retro-looking silk lingerie, so I feel you with this)
I’ve decided that my favorite is the purple one
i LOVE this. I’m just wondering how comfortable they are and if I can even pass off wearing them in public because such gorgeous lingerie should NOT be hidden behind clothes. I have to have them!
xx Kate
this lingerie really is beautiful– a fun secret to have under your clothes.
http://erosandthewhale.blogspot.com/
wow!
now that’s lingerie i like – individual, sexy, beautiful. wow. the boyf will be stunned, Susie, for sure. 😉
wonder if there is a way to order it? do they have a store somewhere in germany?
and does somebody know the price? looks quite expensive… i’d def look sexy if i could, but pretty underwear is almost always expensive (see the french brands!)
I’m happy they haven’t fallen into the trap of pin-up styling and photography, I think that helps them seem fresh.
It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I think I’m leaning toward the black and gold strapless and/or the lime green whatsit–the inside-out boning is very cool. They all look so thoughtful. <3
I have to echo Sister Wolf, though, in that I wish there were more than just two models so that we could see if the designs work on a squishier frame. The Underlines article says the sizes go up to a 38D this season, so presumably they're designed with the extra weight in mind, but who can tell? Some of those straps look like they'd cut through one's shoulders like a knife through hot butter. (I'm looking at you, purple bra. You can't fool me with your pretty ruching...)
I love how you defended yourself in the first paragraph. Haha. you’re funny, Susie 🙂
wooo stuning and soo sexy!!
Dazzling hot. I like everything in here…. 🙁 , I like it.
So beautiful! sexy and subtle, just perfect!
They are all very very beautiful, but other than the odd seaming and the fact the they have included something corset like, I can see nothing “Old Hollywood” about them. Not even a navel grazing panty between them!
Still, kudos for such a stunning and unique collection nonetheless.
Oh god. I am obsessed with lingerie but had heard nothing of Dietrich. Now my underwear drawer is weeping at its own inferiority. THANKS, susie. tsk tsk. 🙂
absolutely stunning
Now you’re talking our language! We heart this lingerie post and would lOVE to know who makes the purple set?!