Naja Empowers Women With Luxury Lingerie

I am so in love with the Talavera collection from Naja. The sustainable lingerie brand is launching a funding campaign for their second collection on Kickstarter and it is a doozy. Luxurious lace and vibrant colors and prints… even on the insides of cups, where it only matters to you.

Not only is Naja's lingerie beautiful but it is produced by women– single moms or female heads of household– giving them a way to support their families in a stable and supportive environment. I supported the last campaign and was impressed with the quality and presentation of the bra and panty set I received. All of Naja's underpants have inspirational quotes on the inner lining, a special, "secret" touch.

If you're not a frilly underthings kind of girl, Naja also offers "cheeky knickers" that you'll want to check out, cottony unders with designs from the artsy to the flat-out funny.

Being a Foxy Bombshell

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Summer Unders (Giveaway)

***WINNERS PICKED 6/25 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS***

Jessilyn82

her comment...
I am loving the Bod-a-Bing! pants

and

darlanpaulsmamma
her comment...
Hide & Sleek Criss Cross Cami would be very nice to have

With graduation parties, Father's Day dinners and the inevitable summer wedding boom approaching, you can be sure there will be some harried moments in my closet. I've never been one to even contemplate going braless, but nursing two kids has completely nixed that possibility from my life. I need a bra, for sure, but preferably one that lifts and separates without calling too much attention to itself. In the best case scenario, I won't even realize I'm wearing one, aside from my enviable perkiness. While I am dwelling on my bosom, I should mention that my stomach hasn't really adjusted to not having a baby in there, either. Yes, I realize that Jasper is almost two, but still my flub persists. I need some help to make me look smoother and sleeker without trussing me up like a sweaty summer sausage.

Spanx, the brand that rescued shaping undergarments from the ranks of the matronly and undesirable, has plenty of ways to help. Their innovative Bra-llelujah! line erases VBL (visible bra lines) and minimizes back flab while emphasizing comfort with stretchy hosiery-based straps and front closures. I tried the Bra-llelujah! Racerback Bra and I am amazed at how comfortable it is.



The straps don't ride up my back or down my shoulders and the lightly foam-padded underwire cups give ample support while looking smooth and presentable under the sheerest summer t-shirts. The Bra-llelujah! Racerback Bra is available in nude, black and mocha. (Additional shades are available in the wireless and non-racerback Bra-llelujah! styles.) My only complaint is that my size, 38C (TMI, I know) is one of the largest available. I know there are bustier mamas out there who would love this bra.



The other item I tried out were Power Panties. I have to admit I was initially pretty reluctant to try these out because they're not cute. But danged if they don't smooth out your belly and your rear! There's a time and a place for pretty panties, ladies. What I like most about Power Panties is how comfortable they are while sucking you in. It's improbable but they feel as good as they make your clothes look. Obviously, I've been wearing low-rise clothes for a little too long; it's nice to have a reminder to suck it in and stand up straight.



The other big bonus with Power Panties is that they are fabulous to wear under miniskirts as well as under longer skirts and pants. If you've ever worn bike shorts or leggings under skirts to retain your modesty, you know how nice that is. (An old friend told me that before he met me, my code name among his bandmates was "shortskirts" which is mildly embarrassing but I am glad that I also wore a lot of black tights back then…) If you happen to be expecting, Power Mama is the preggo version of Power Panties with fantastic belly and lower support built right in. I looooved Mama Spanx tights when I was pregnant, so I am sure these are great, too.



To enter and win your own summer unders wardrobe featuring Power Panties and Bra-llelujah! Racerback Bra, please comment on this post with your favorite item from Spanx.


Entries will be accepted through June 24th and I'll pick two winners using Random.org. US readers are eligible.

For an additional entry, view my Whrrl story and click "I like it ♡" to help me win a trip to BlogHer '09, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

How Yummie is your Tummie?

I wish I could say I was happier with my body. But even as disgruntled as I usually am about my flubby mid-section, I find it hard to resort to shapewear. It's so… matronly. Pulling on a waist-whittling shaper, as necessary as that may be, makes me feel like I am wearing a panty girdle. Which is the name they tend to go by when they're selling them to the old ladies who don't mind being old ladies. Yikes. You might as well accessorize with some suntan color support hose. I'd rather be chubby!



Thankfully, the kind folks at Yummie Tummie have come out with a collection of shapewear that is so sleek and sophisticated that you could even wear it as outerwear. "No way!" I thought to myself. But it's absolutely true. Heather Thomson, the designer behind Yummie Tummie has an auspicious fashion history cladding the truly bootilicious: she was responsible for the P. Diddy's Sean John collection, Jennifer Lopez's Sweetface line and several of Beyonce's labels. Heather created Yummie Tummie to address the fact that most shapewear compressed EVERYTHING, not just your tummy. She wanted something to control the muffin top but leave everything else, uh, large and in charge.



To that end, Yummie Tummie products are made of soft silky cotton in the bust and hip area but feature a dual-fabric slimming midsection panel that sucks your gut right in without looking like a girdle. I can't emphasize enough how much better it feels to pull on something that looks like a normal cami than a straitjacket! I got to try the Strappy Tank in black. It looked just like an ordinary cami on but lo and behold, it created a long, smooth line. I like it a lot although I would probably go for a wider strapped tank if I was picking one for myself. Being large of shoulder and bust, spaghetti straps are a toughie for me, I tend to spill out of skinny tanks, so this will most likely just be worn under other shirts or jackets.



I wish I had known about Yummie Tummie while nursing. Their Nursing T features the same slenderizing midsection panel but also features a longer length and snap-down flap for easy access. This would be so great for concealing the post-partum jiggly belly and preserving a modicum of modesty while breastfeeding.



The Yummie Tummie items I am most looking forward to trying in the future include the Freedom T, which essentially is a wider-strapped tank with a built-in shelf bra (hello, summer wardrobe!), the long-sleeved Body T (available in 10 colors!), and the exquisite lace-trimmed Peek-a-Boo Cami, which is slinky and strappy but I imagine it would make me feel like a movie star. And what other shapewear can boast that?!

Nearly Nude Shocker!

Okay, not really any shockers here. Nearly Nude is an Australian brand specializing in sublimely soft, seamless shapewear. What sets it apart from its competitors is styling. Yes, these garments are slimming and smoothing but they don't look like grandma's extra-strength panty girdle! And, more importantly, they don't make you feel like a sausage busting out of its casing.



I received Nearly Nude's latest creation, Bedtime Bra. As much as I hate to admit it, I am a sucker for charming packaging and this had it in spades. It was nestled inside a little gift box that was inside a dust bag (like fancy shoes and handbags!) that was inside a posh shopping bag. Nice. And the Bedtime Bra itself is a marvelous confection: a pale pink long-line camisole with a ruched sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps. It is sexy without being sleazy and was very, very cool and comfortable to sleep in. The ribbing on the bodice makes your cleavage perky and the ribbing on the tummy holds it in while adding some contours. My only complaint? I wish it was available in black and nude, too! And if it shipped with matching panties or boy shorts, it would be absolutely perfect.



The extra-long length makes the Bedtime Bra perfect to use as maternity sleepwear, too. The whole Nearly Nude line is available in s/m or m/l sizes and can be used whether you're pregnant or not. It will retain its stretchiness no matter how swollen with child you become…



I am anxious to try out the extra low V neck tank. It has wider straps that I think would be more supportive for daywear. I'd love to be able to wear some of the floaty summer tops I've seen around that wouldn't work with a regular bra and this might make it possible. (Darned huge nursing boobies! Those are the super cute Perfect Pants boyshorts, by the way.)



I am also intrigued by the halter neck tank. Being busty since, oh, junior high, halter tops were never my thing. Convertible bras ride up bizarrely when you put them into halter formation and unleash crazy undiscovered back flab. But this might make it possible. Oh, yes, this could be my summer of new necklines!




Nearly Nude products are available online in the US at Elizabeth Charles and Bra Smyth. If you try them out, let me know what you think.