Friday, February 27, 2009

Turkish Lingerie- You Need This


OK ladies this is your monthly lingerie public service announcement. I know you love that Dames and Broads lets you shop for lingerie by country of origin, and you clearly have a strong preference for Brazilian lingerie . I also know that you are frustrated that we are sold out of the Royalle set, but we do sell other things, you know...

Brazilian lingerie is not the only thing that will accentuate your assets. While we love showing off a prominent derriere, it's time to give the hips some love! Turkish lingerie is the perfect lingerie for hourglass figures and the many women who are desperate to fake perfection. Most Turkish Lingerie rides low and straight across the hips emphasizing the width of your hips. The larger your hips appear, the smaller our waist looks- an extremely crowd pleasing optical illusion.

The set that has made the biggest impact on Dames and Broads customers is the pleated silk pieces from Turkish lingerie designer Else. The rows of pleated silk and scalloped lace will draw attention to your hips further slimming your mid section and the bra is full coverage so you can wear it under most things. The color is a show stopper and the quality of the silk is second to none (again thanks to turkey's reputations for excellent textiles).

C'mon Ladies try something new...

This Public service announcement has been brought to you by Dames and Broads:)

Monday, February 23, 2009

Dame of the Month- Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren, Oscars 2009

not even close to a size zero... THANK GOD



Loren giving Jayne Mansfield "the eye"


Who she is: Born Sofia Villani Scicolone, Sophia Loren rose from poverty to become a sexual icon in the 60s. Often called the "Italian Marilyn Monroe" though not nearly as tragic a figure, she was the first person ever to win an acting Oscar for a foreign language film (a feat that would not be repeated until Roberto Benigni's win for Life Is Beautiful in 1998).

Why we love her: Even though Sofia Loren looked like an oversexed, overtanned orange bridesmaid at the 2009 Oscars, we forgive her and cant help but be amazed. At 74, she looks better than most more than half her age. She is not and never was a size 0, though she was a skinny child and considered an ugly duckling, nicknamed 'The Stick'. She later blossomed into a glamazon- so much so that many male actors refused to work with her since she stands nearly 5' 9" and in towering heels and big hair can appear over 6 feet tall (One leading man made her walk in a trench next to him to give the impression that he was taller). But she embraced her beautiful body famously saying"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti", making us want to eat a bowl of pasta immediately. In an age where you could cut yourself on the hip bones of most young actresses (we are talking about you Ms. Lohan), every picture of Sophia Loren reminds us to celebrate our curves. At the height of her career, her measurements were 36D-24-38. GOD BLESS HER!

Extra Credit: As a young girl, Sophia Loren entered 2 beauty contests winning neither but scoring a screen test with director Carlo Ponti. She failed the screen test miserably and was told by Ponti she might be more successful if she changed her oversized lips and nose. She ignored him and did neither but later married Ponti who would produce many of her movies.

Trivia:
She appeared in the 2007 edition of the famous Pirelli Calendar at the age of 72, making her the oldest model in its history. Hating beauty salons, she does her hair and nails herself. She is also the godmother of Drew Barrymore- Let's not hold it against her.
Ms. Loren-While it was hidden under horrendous golden taffeta on Oscar night, your body is still one of the best in the business and we have the perfect lingerie for your voluptuous hourglass figure. In fact, this fantastic matching bra and panty set from Else reminds us of the black bra and panties you wore in Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (pictured above) and has the power to create an hourglass silhouette for those of us who have to fake it.
Thank god for it since not everyone has your heavenly gifts...

Half your age and still in awe,
Dames and Broads

Friday, February 20, 2009

We wish we had a justification to buy these---






We love the idea of thigh highs, but usually just the idea of them. And, at 6 feet tall, for me they have always been more like painfully awkward knee highs. We tend to shy away and steer clear. This pair from Bebaroque makes us change our tune, and we are singing Haleluja. These are so fierce, so chic, and so completely impractical we are almost sure they come with a happy ending. Or at least we hope so...

Interestingly enough this brand hails from Scotland

We had to share this find with you.
Smooches
Dames and Broads

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Who doesn't like gifts???


Valentine's day has come and gone, your bday is nowhere in sight and no one got you anything for President's day (sometimes people can be soooo selfish...) . Not to worry my dears, every single thing from Dames and Broads comes gift wrapped every day, no matter what.

You deserve presents even if you have to give them to yourself.

From one broad to another,

M

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Federal (Crime) Express- I guess postal carriers like lingerie too


Every day in business breeds a new set of challenges, a new reason for a nervous breakdown, something else to keep you up at night. On Thursday after a relatively good day in business, I received a call that all of the packages we had shipped on the previous Saturday (thankfully not the busiest of days), had been stolen... Actually the packages had been opened, all of the contents removed, sort of resealed and shipped on their way...

WTF (cover your ears readers for all sort of unholy profanities were exclaimed)!!!!!

I swore, I almost had a heart attack when I realized that we were sold out of many of these items (thanks Urban Daddy) making them irreplaceable or at the very least on backorder, I was extremely loud but polite to our fed ex rep hoping one of the two mannerisms would result in our packages being found... to no avail.

Then I breathed deep yoga like breaths over and over again until I was able to speak at a normal decibel. When I was ready, I began calling and emailing the customers effected, offered replacements and discounts and tried my best to give them the customer service that they deserve. (I still feel incredibly guilty that they trusted us with their valuable orders and this is what happened).

When I finished, I called my bestest gay husband who is the head of sales for a lovely French fashion company. Then I began the rant all over again- "Can you believe this happened??? Who do they think they are??? Isn't this the craziest thing you ever heard???

He listened politely (which is extremely rare for him), and then softly chuckled and said "Welcome to fashion. You're in business now and it aint so glamorous, is it?"

No, it's not. It's is beautiful but tough... just like us.

XOXO
Dames and Broads

P.S. Got a call from one of our lingerie vendors in Canada--- our next shipment will be incomplete because all of their 36Cs were stolen off of a truck... HERE WE GO AGAIN. :)




Our Stimulus Package-Bra and Panty sets under $50








Blush Tresor set






Times are hard. We get it. We know you should not be choosing between bras and groceries. We know that you dont want to choose between the bra or panty. You want both. You deserve both. We agree. Above are our favorite bra and panty sets under $50. And the best thing is: There are even more where these came from.


Much love,

Dames and Broads




Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Broad of the Month- MIA




Who She Is: Born Mathangi Arulpragasm, MIA was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song for her smash hit, the way oversampled, over remixed "Paper Planes".

Why We Love Her: Let's face it the 2009 Grammy Awards were the TV equivalent of watching paint dry until she came on stage. Paul McCartney, honestly who really cares? Coldplay, YAWN... Carrie Underwood, snoozefest. Right as we were going to change the channel to the equally banal Desperate Housewives, she walked out on stage in a sheer polka dot number in all her 9 months pregnant glory and we instantly put the remote control down. She jumped up and down and we held our breath in awe (and in fear that the baby would just fall out of her and plummet to its end). And though she later admitted to having contractions before and during the performance and making her fiance bring a stop watch to the awards show "just in case", she brought the house down. And sideshow act aside, she really did rock it...

Extra Credit: She is decidedly anti establishment, has had her videos banned, her US visa (temporarily) denied and still managed to ensnare one of the hottest bachelors in her web. She is engaged to indie rocker Ben Brewer who also happens to be the son of Warner Music Group Chairman and CEO Ed Bronfman. Did I mention he is also the heir to the Seagram's fortune...

Trivia: M.I.A. contributed songs for A. R. Rahman's score of Slumdog Millionaire, which included the collaboration "O Saya", releasing the soundtrack in late 2008 via N.E.E.T. In 2009, "O Saya" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song


MIA- we really do adore you and think you are extremely talented. We also have the perfect sheer number for you to wear to the Oscars... and since we will soon be carrying nursing lingerie you really should just give us a call.

With Loving Devotion,
Dames and Broads

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Affluent men like South American lingerie.... SURPRISE, SURPRISE


The results are in and they are shocking...bankers, lawyers, and brokers like lingerie made for Latinas. Ladies have another brownie and then do a few lunges because clearly he loves you curvy and pear- shaped. He loves how you look in Brazilian thongs and tangas and Colombian lingerie. We tried to tell him how hot the Turkish silk panties and Dutch mesh bras by Timpa but he was singularly focused with few exceptions.

We are packing and sending them to you now as gifts.
Act surprised when you get it ok?

Happy Valentine's Day love,
Dames and Broads

Friday, February 6, 2009

A bird in the hand..... Is no match for Urbandaddy


Urban Daddy 2.5.09


London 2.2.09


Yes we know we shouldn't have done it. But it was too tempting to resist. With Valentine's day fast approaching and us still missing stock from some of our favorite UK lingerie vendors, we were beginning to freak out. We called, we begged, we pleaded and they said that all was on the way. We relaxed, we breathed easy and we posted merchandise to the site that we did not have yet in our NYC warehouse. What's the worse thing that could happen right? The merchandise after all, is in transit.

famous last words...

Something happened this week that was so unexpected, so chaotic, that life in one of the world's busiest and wealthiest cities ground to a halt. Schools and businesses closed, roads emptied of traffic, and London's public transport network of buses and trains was paralyzed.
It snowed.


8 inches of snow, and the entire city came to a screeching halt, including shipments, courier services, and all panty transit.

Add to that that Urban Daddy, a daily email newsletter and website telling of all things hot, cool and up and coming, was featuring us in their upcoming Valentine's day perks program. That lovely email would be going out to 450,000 affluent men all over the country.

Missing Inventory+ Debilitating Storm+ Urban Daddy mailer to half a million =The Perfect Storm.

The UD email was sent out yesterday and like wildfire the orders came in. And what was everyone clamouring for.... the missing merchandise. (Well, actually the men were far more swayed by the Brazilian tangas, but this makes for a far more dramatic story).

What were we to do? We had orders that had to be filled quickly and our merchandise was stuck in the UK!
We had a drink. We went to sleep. We were exhausted. Stress is bad for the skin, my mother says...

And when we awoke, we received word that the merchandise had made it safely to the Dames and Broads warehouse.

As Mae West always says:
A man in the house is worth two in the street.


LESSON LEARNED.

XOXO,
Dames & Broads

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

International Lingerie and the City of Brotherly Love



On Monday, Feb 9, 2008. Dames and Broads will be hosting a trunk show in the city of our birthplace, Philadelphia PA.

There will be friends, panties and drinks just as god intended...
If you want to buy V-day presents, get a lingerie makeover based on your body type, or just talk about why your Brazilian booty deserves some southern hemisphere appreciation, stop by and say hello.

We will be waiting with drink in hand....

XOXO,
Dames and Broads

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Paris, Sales, and Lingerie- an Update

Paris my love
Der Kommisar

Der Kommisar


Der Kommisar



Miss Lala




Miss lala



I am back from Paris and Salon lingerie. Actually I have been back for a second, but I've been too busy to update everyone properly.
First, Paris- I swear to god I love that city. I could walk it for the rest of my life. Nuff said.

Sales in Paris- I did not see one item over a size 40 (US size 6), so I spent a good portion of my time shopping in Paris feeling obese. But it was probably for the best since "Solde" seemed to indicate only an extremely modest price reduction. Saks Fifth Avenue needs to journey to Paris to teach them the meaning of the word sale... They cant be serious offering 30-50% in the midst of this financial crisis. If you want a real deal, hope the Eurostar to London and let Harrods show you how it's done... Racks of 70% off merchandise line the halls. Now that's a markdown the way god intended. I found the cherry bomb set from AP for a song at their mini boutique at Harrods. But the bow, aka the best part, has absolutely no spandex therefore no stretch. It was either too tight or too loose and ended up looking awful. Sadly, it had to remain in the UK.


Lingerie- the Salon lingerie show introduced me to a few brands that I was not familiar with that I now adore. Der Kommisar, a Dutch lingerie line from Amsterdam, rendered me awestruck with their quilted fabrics, over the top bows and gun detailings. Uk lingerie company, Miss Lala, made me nostalgic for the pin up girls of old with their pleated silk heart high waisted panties and matching bra. Other clear winners were Australian company Mimmelu and New Zealand maternity and nursing lingerie company- Hot Milk.
more to come...

Bestsellers





After months of scouring the planet for the most lovely but wearable lingerie, it is so interesting to see what people actually buy. The truth is that I was dying to see if I was right, if I should have trusted my own instincts less or should I have taken others' input more.
The answer is always in the sales right???

The very first thing to sell were the PASSPORT PANTIES. I love passport panties but that was a huge shock. I was sure the first thing to go would be a bra and panty set... But I do know the girl who purchased them and she is an always on the go, international jet setter so it does make sense.

At the very other end of the spectrum was the next purchase, the Mimi Holliday Lipe set, pictured above. The color, pricepoint, and fabric (silk and lace) is so perfect for its new owner. Though signifcantly less expensive, this set will be right at home next to all the La Perla, and Myla in her home.

Next to go was the Savage bra set from Brazilian Lingerie designer, De Chelles. The set is extremely affordable, very sexy and not at all for the faint of heart. One of my favs.

To date the most popular lingerie is by far and away are those from Brazil and it is very clear that many ladies are ready for more daring everyday bra and pantry sets ; 70% of sales came from the Everyday Extravagance category.
hmmm... It will be very interesting to see what the fellas buy for their ladies next week for V-day....
XOXO

If you build it, they will...




Dames and Broads.com is live, finally...

It feels so great, like I can rest now. Except I can't. It just the beginning.

Here's what really happens when you launch a biz ( since no one shared this with me, I will do my civic duty).

  1. You send out the "It's here!!!" email and glow with pride.
  2. You get a ridiculous amount of positive feedback. People you dont even know write to tell you how much they like it, what their favorite items are.
  3. Your first orders come in. You feel like a rockstar
  4. You realize you actually do have to fufill orders- Panic sets in
  5. No matter how tight your biz plan, and your years of web experience, you are still slightly suprised that the site did not crash from all traffic and you are not close to sold out after day one.
  6. You realize that you actually still have SOOO much work to do and that launching was the easy part (which is hilarious since that was hard as hell). You will think about that all night, and the next night.
  7. You thank god for your biz/marketing plan, and then begin to understand that half that hypethetical shit might not even work.
  8. You breathe.You recommit. "Fuck it," you say. "I am in it for the long haul."
  9. You decide that you will win or go down kicking and screaming.
  10. You sit back down at your desk and get back to work.
just the beginning...:)

Dames and Broads