In Which I Dream of Stella Once Again

Why hello! I didn’t want May to get away from me before I stopped by my own blog. As you can tell I have been on a sort of blog vacation–pretty much a forced internet vacation with the sluggiest hotel wi-fi on the planet. I’ve been seriously eyeing an iPad as a result, because 3G is just better in travel circumstances and traveling with a ginormous Macbook is just not doing it for me anymore!

So I was just immersed in two weeks of an intensive course in counseling, consisting of 9-12 hour teaching and practice every day with activities at night. It was enough to send me crashing into bed every night with barely enough inspiration to brush my teeth. But somehow I convinced myself while packing I might have time to sew. I brought along my bra patterns and a few lingerie fabrics–mini sewing! and what little spare time I had was spent designing and drawing out a few new bra styles. I also picked apart an old bra to clone and I’ve been deconstructing several others to learn more about materials and construction. It’s fair to say that I’ve been obsessed with bras the last month, and here’s what’s been inspiring me lately…

Stella McCartney. I just fawn over this lingerie. Such beautiful little details, like silk wire channeling, pleated straps, funky metal rings. This is a simple contour padded bra but the drama is in the details, which I appreciate now that I’ve made a few bras of my own, and have tried on a few of hers! {via net-a-porter.com}

Huit. This is a French lingerie company and most of their bras are soft cup or unlined cups, which are perfectly fine by me. They work really well under simple tops. I really adore their simple little designs and especially the colors.{via herroom.com. More Huit here and here.}

Wundervoll. I adore the funky styles by this German brand. They veer toward athletic-inspired designs, a bit left of center. {via lilleboutique.com}

{via net-a-porter.com}

Elle Macpherson Intimates. I own a couple Elle Macpherson bras and they fit me wonderfully (great deals when on sale!). This season the brand really embraced the vintage-style look, and this lace applique silk set just really nails everything I love about lingerie right now.

Check out those high-waisted knickers! Coincidentally, just before I left I won my very first internet give-away in the form of the high-waist Betty Knickers from OohLulu, thanks to Lizz at A Good Wardrobe. These would be a great starting point to knock off Elle Macpherson, dontcha think?

I’m glad to be home, despite the oh, 40-degree temperature hike from Washington to Austin, and ready to dig into new projects! And as you can guess, a new bra is in the works!

13 comments

  1. Norma says:

    Hi Amy,

    I love your blog. Combining great style with sewing is a great combination! Like you, I have always loved fine lingerie. The pieces I loved did not fit me and I ended up becoming a professional bra maker! Now I make lovely bras like these for women who want bras that fit.

    I am looking forward to reading more about your adventures in bra making!

    Regards,
    Norma

  2. Sallie says:

    How lovely! I’ve never heard of Huit – sounds like my kind of bra! I can’t wait to see what prettiness you have in store.

  3. dixie says:

    I *love* that first one. I haven’t thought of extending lace to the straps like that before. And the Betty Knickers would make perfect knock offs of those Elle Macpherson’s. They have very similar seaming and I like the buttons down the back.

  4. Sarah says:

    I love Huit, but hadn’t heard of Wundervoll, which looks fantastic.. I’m actually in the middle of making my very first lingerie set: a bra and panty from 1938. I’ll post about it soon. Thanks as always for the lingerie inspiration!

  5. I recently got the OhhLulu pattern and am really looking forward to sewing with it. I took an internet break this past month too. Where did May go? Looking forward to seeing your new creations!

  6. Stephanie says:

    I love retro-looking stuff, and I just realized I’ve seen Wundervoll at ASOS (I like checking out all the different lingere brands there). What I’d really like to replicate was a cotton corset style top by Ralph Lauren I had in the 90s. It was so feminine and pretty, I loved wearing it under blazers, and had a great prairie print.

  7. Just found your blog today and I’m really liking what I see. Thanks for sharing the lingerie stuff, I only wear unpadded stuff (sensitive skin + an extreme aversion to rock shaped boobs) and have tried huit before but found their cup size to be a bit off. Elle Macpherson used to do som awesome ulined/unpadded bras but none at the mo’. I’m currently liking Anita (Rosa Faia) for basic day wear. I have to buy all my underthings online because all the brands here (in Oz) start their ranges a size above mine XD. Will check out Wundervoll though.

    • Amy says:

      I’ll have to check out Anita bras. I like finding new boutique brands. You’re right about Huit! Their cup sizes run almost a size bigger. Since I’m usually a 32B, I’d have to find either a 32A or a 30B, which is a nearly impossible size in most brands. I’m also not a big fan of padded, but at most retail stores, anything near my size is usually padded or uplifted.

  8. Lavender says:

    Ooh, the Huit bra is sooo lovely! Of course I love the one that just wouldn’t work for me 🙂 The Elle Macpherson is just to die. I can’t believe I hadn’t read this post before meeting up… would have totally picked your brain about lingerie sewing. I’ve brought my Pin-Up kit with me about three weekend trips now, thinking I’d have a chance to whip it up, but it always stays packed away. I didn’t know you’re a counselor – you’re superwoman 😀

    • Amy says:

      I know, those sheer bras are so tempting. And haha, I’m so not superwoman. I’m doing some lay training in the counseling, something I’ve wanted to pursue for a long time, but I’m so focused that whatever pursuit I have at the moment puts all the others in the background. It can be a blessing and a curse. I think I need a personal assistant, or train my dogs to do laundry. Anyways, it was so awesome to meet you. Hopefully next time we can hit up Texstyles, and a longer chat!

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