Obsession du Jour 
Aubade
Romance a Kyoto Cincher
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Lingerie as ready-to-wear is a trend that has been with us for a few seasons now, and frankly, we couldn’t be more excited. It can sometimes feel like a tragedy to own the world’s most glamorous lingerie and not be socially allowed to show it off. As much fun as it can be to incorporate beautiful underpinnings into an outfit, though, there are certain rules to keeping the look from moving into vulgar territory.
Chief among them is the Law of 3’s. The law dictates that, in order to maintain a balance of sex appeal and sophistication, an ensemble can only incorporate up to 2 of the 3 most common feminine wiles: a revealing top, a micro mini hemline, or towering heels.
“To display the chest, one must cover the lower parts of her body,” says British designer Giles Deacon in the June issue of Harper’s Bazaar. “A girl has to pick top or bottom. The key is to be seductive and voluptuous, so we’re not looking at hooker hemlines and bustlines. It still has to have a taste level.”
The Law of 3’s can be observed in action on the style elite:
 - Model Angela Lindvall gets the trend right at the screening of ‘Happy Tears.’
Here, supermodel Angela Lindvall’s sheer, open-neckline/long-sleeve dress is complimented by opaque hosiery and a modestly short hemline. The skirt length tempers the bareness of the dress and makes sky-high platforms a chic pairing rather than a sartorial misstep.
 Rhianna puts a masculine spin on a black bustier. Ever the style rebel, Rhianna knows to abide by the rule of 3’s– she’s on trend with her sheer, lacy bustier top but knows to tone down the provocation factor with a sharp shouldered tux jacket and draped pants. And she wouldn’t be Rhianna without a killer pair of 6-inch heels.
And so, the lesson: there is a suitable way for everyone to wear innerwear-as-outerwear. The key to the stripped-down look is knowing what to cover up.
Maybe it’s a sign of things to come, but for the fashion industry, this season is one of the most colorful in recent memory. We’re doing our part to further the color cause by filling the store with lingerie in the most saturated hues we can find. Some of our favorite pieces: Jezebel’s Elektra molded cup bra in blue, orange and hot pink ($24) with matching thong ($13), boyshort ($16), and waist cincher ($24); Betsey Johnson’s Bubble Mesh bra in cantaloupe orange ($39) with matching short ($24); Betsey’s two-tone chiffon babydoll in pink and orange with matching thong ($69). Never forgetting our full cup sisters, Freya’s Summer bra (above in floral print, $72) and Fantasie’s Evie in fuchsia ($76) are both available to a G cup.
This Sunday, the Pittsford Rotary Club and the Southeast YMCA are teaming up to present a fashion show fundraiser, and Embrasse-Moi is excited to be participating! Proceeds from the show will benefit area youth programs– last year’s show was very well-attended, raising $1300 for both the rotary club and the YMCA. This year’s event will take place on May 23rd at Mario’s from 5:30 -8:30 . Kristi her husband, Craig, will be walking in the show, debuting several of her very own sleepwear and lingerie designs. Not to give anything away, but a certain bra-sized chemise that she has planned for the show will be a major hit for women who want lingerie that is beautiful and supportive.
Advance tickets are $50 and can be purchased at Embrasse-Moi, Forsythe Jewelers and at the Southeast Family YMCA.
Looking forward to another great runway presentation!
 Model at the Embrasse-Moi / Dado show, Oct. 2009
At the shop, we often joke that we should change our name to “Embrasse Aubade” and stock only the most exquisite French lingerie with all the finest bells and whistles, in every color except for nude. Impractical though this may seem, Aubade is certainly a seductive force to be reckoned with. Case-in-point, their latest internet campaign, frenchartofloving.com.
Visitor be warned: Once you enter the site, you won’t be able to leave without exploring all of the drawers in the virtual armoire, clicking on every strange object within and reading all about the French Art of Loving. And who could blame you when each click leads to a playfully romantic tidbit like the one titled, “Get the Oooh La La Back with a Real French Kiss:”
One of the best things about the French is that cinematic smooch, the famous French kiss.
To get yourself a full-on, film star ‘Frenchy’ before breakfast, make sure you’re dewy fresh before he’s even stopped snoring (Impossible doesn’t exist in French, so heed our words of wisdom!).
The night before, hide a powder compact (nude, obviously), rose blush, a colourless lip balm (glossy) and a breath mint under your bed. Wake yourself up before Monsieur and roll over gently to sort yourself out without getting out of bed. Once you’re ready, coax him softly awake. He won’t believe his eyes: you’ll be just like a star waking up in a movie (the ones without the pillow creases on their cheeks?).
The site has other clever sections like “Reasons to be Cheerful on Sleepless Nights,” “Having Fun With Your Stockings,” and the silly quiz, “What Does Your Legwear Say About You?”
And, since we can’t fill the store with Aubade but we can fill the blog with images of their lingerie, here’s a sneak peak at the set that will be arriving in-store soon. The collection is called Escale a Casablanca– “Stopover in Casablanca.” Does it get any sexier than that?
One of the best things about the French is that cinematic smooch, the famous French kiss.
To get yourself a full-on, film star ‘Frenchy’ before breakfast, make sure you’re dewy fresh before he’s even stopped snoring (Impossible doesn’t exist in French, so heed our words of wisdom!).
The night before, hide a powder compact (nude, obviously), rose blush, a colourless lip balm (glossy) and a breath mint under your bed. Wake yourself up before Monsieur and roll over gently to sort yourself out without getting out of bed. Once you’re ready, coax him softly awake. He won’t believe his eyes: you’ll be just like a star waking up in a movie (the ones without the pillow creases on their cheeks?)One of the best things about the French is that cinematic smooch, the famous French kiss.
To get yourself a full-on, film star ‘Frenchy’ before breakfast, make sure you’re dewy fresh before he’s even stopped snoring (Impossible doesn’t exist in French, so heed our words of wisdom!).
The night before, hide a powder compact (nude, obviously), rose blush, a colourless lip balm (glossy) and a breath mint under your bed. Wake yourself up before Monsieur and roll over gently to sort yourself out without getting out of bed. Once you’re ready, coax him softly awake. He won’t believe his eyes: you’ll be just like a star waking up in a movie (the ones without the pillow creases on their cheeks?).
 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!
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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."
-Dorothy Parker
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