Christine wrote us to ask for feedback about a cute little book: Inside Out – A Brief History of Underwear by Shelley Tobin & Andreas Einsiedel that traces the items that were used to squeeze women into a variety of shapes and styles, from the stays and corsets of the early 18th century to the silk and lace-trimmed items of the early 20th century.

As we haven’t read it ourselves, we decided to ask you about it. Is there anyone out there who can share more about this coveted book?

Meanwhile, Christine, you might want to check out another great related history of undergarments – The History of Underclothes , by C. Willet and Phillis Cunnington. It’s a fascinating survey of various undergarments worn by the English over six centuries. Well-documented, scholarly presentation enhanced with over 100 period illustrations depicting laced-up bodice of the 12th century, embroidered linen drawers (1500s), hooped petticoat support (c. 1750), footed long drawers (1795), 19th-century bustles, early 19th-century corsets for men, Victorian “bust improvers,” this is one book we highly recommend.

As it walks the reader through a large period of time, some details are briefly covered. Otherwise, it’s an excellent resource for any professional costumer and also whoever is interested in learning more about what our ancestors wore and why. Its self-explanatory illustrations are really exquisite and come from primary sources, making The History of Underclothes a valuable book to own.

Both books are available at Amazon.

You don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Lucky shamrocks, a leprechaun costume and a flirty look across the room will sure get your party started.

To fit the theme, we have assembled some gorgeous St. Patty lingerie pieces that make great gifts – for yourself, a friend or a loved one.

This adorable soft, stretch microfiber underwire bra is quite a fashion statement. Molded, contour foam-lined cups prevent show-through, heavy graduated padding offers a natural looking enhancement and the bohemian pasiley pattern adorns the Calvin Klein bra that speaks comfort, allure and style.

Ideal for under blouses or for intimate evenings at home, the Mary Green’s sheer silk gauze camisole is trimmed with lace and makes the sexiest set when paired with the matching brief.

A beautiful knee length, spaghetti strap nightgown, this silk satin with lace Mary Green chemise is soft and sensuous in a combination that pampers your body.

The lovely convertible bandeau bikini top and matching brief with sliders come in a beautiful green shade that will sure make your skin look fabulous.

We’ve had a pretty green lingerie week ourselves, so, for even more options, be sure to also check out the ‘Green with Delight’ lingerie post.

Remember to also pick up a couple of chocolate shamrock coins in the flavor and aroma of the purest Belgian chocolate.

And don’t forget, according to the tradition, at least the underwear has to be green tonight! Speaking of which, do you have any St. Patrick’s Day plans?

There’s nothing better than a hot bath after a long workday, except maybe a massage after your bath! Top that with a delightfully calming, light camomile and ylang ylang scented bath gel, salts and massage oil and you will quickly forget that you had any worries to begin with.

Arbonne Aromassentials’ Unwind collection comes in a Body Lotion, Bath & Shower Gel, Rejuvenating Body Mist, Bath Salts and Massage Oil. Each item from their collection is perfectly formulated to aid in delivering the promise to help you ‘unwind’; perfectly scented so that your body has no choice but you relax.

All Arbonne skin care products are developed in Switzerland and are unparalleled in quality and effectiveness in caring for your skin. The Unwind collection is no exception as each item in the line leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized. The massage oil is not too greasy yet still allows you to glide your hands over the skin with ease.

If you are someone who has to keep a very busy schedule and you rarely get a chance to sit down – Arbonne Aromassentials’ Unwind collection is the answer you have been searching for.

And there’s more! 20% off all products this weekend. Place an order between March 5-7 and drop a twit to Linda Metzger, Airbonne District Manager and the discount is yours.

From the new in spring lingerie collections from Myla, Pandora is a Guilty Pleasures favorite. The ultimate in boudoir luxury, and a gorgeous outfit for bedroom fantasies, Pandora’s playful detailing makes this Myla lingerie range difficult to resist. And black has never looked so sexy.

The Pandora Peek a boo bra combines seductive lace detailing with delicate pearl buttons which easily slip open. The Pandora thong’s seductive lace and delicate pearl buttons complete the irresistible look and the lace suspender gives a touch of extra naughtiness, when worn with matching bra and panties.

20% off when you spend 100GBP on Myla’s spring lingerie collections.

Go ahead and indulge yourself, the offer’s valid until March 2.

Plumes & Dentelles (Feathers and Lace): Autours des Parures de Chantal Thomass is an original project of the French luxury lingerie designer. Her world – abundant, and extremely sexy leaves room for a lot of imagination. As for the specific lingerie vocabulary – mesh, lace, balconette, cream, etc – it’s just enough to open a world of fantasy and fancy writing.

The book is punctuated by beautiful, glam photographs of Ellen Von Unwerth, a German photograph of charm who specialized in erotic scenes ..  Sensual lingerie, historical anecdotes, literary quotations… In short, ‘Plumes & Dentelles’ is a literary tour and play in the fantasy world of high end lingerie.

Models: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley & Melissa Rose Haro

*Bring Out Your Inner Temptress With Laila Lee’s New Collection of Decadent Lingerie*

Brrr, it’s getting cold outside, but not to fashionistas who are determined to brave the chill… in their underwear.  Enter NYC intimates designer Laila Lee. This cutting-edge new collection can be mixed and matched, worn inside the boudoir, or flaunted in public. Hand-made with love in New York City from the finest possible materials, each* *item is a piece of artwork dedicated to the exploration of sensuality and love.

Be deliciously touchable in an ensemble of *French silk tap shorts and wrap-around cape with mink pom-poms. Layer the silky cape over a cocktail dress for an instant flirty evening look.

A sweetheart  dress with mesh details that lovingly clings to every curve will lend confidence and sophistication to a night out…or in. Dress it up with a sharp blazer and bright clutch for a glamorous holiday party.

Everyone knows nice girls wear pearls, but now naughty girls do too! A sensual pearl necklace instantly transforms into a pair of elegant handcuff to teach your lover some manners in the bedroom.

For the ultra-daring fashionista, a velvet frame bra with free-swinging chains is a delight to the senses.  Wear it bare in the boudoir or layer it over a tank with skinny jeans as the ultimate statement accessory.  Soft and hard, warm and cold, confined and skimming, complete opposites have never bonded so well!

Looking for something different this holiday?  Tease and please in Laila’s signature velvet thong with a lush over-sized silk scarlet bow. Whether it is a gift to yourself, or you are a gift to someone else, the melody of texture and color against your skin adds a touch of whimsy and luxury to your holiday play.

This new collection of luxury lingerie and accessories offers something unique to suit every mood – from playful to romantic to adventurous. Whether worn for someone special in private or peeking out to seduce in public, these pieces offer a tantalizing and mysterious peek into a woman’s boudoir.

*Laila Lee Offers Sultry Lingerie To Inspire The Sensual Imagination*

And speaking of season’s greetings, Laila Lee’s giving away 3 special goodies to 3 lucky Guilty Pleasures readers:

* a pair of pearl necklace/handcuffs,
* a velvet thong with a lush over-sized silk scarlet bow,
* and a velvet frame bra.

In order to be entered the giveaway, check out Laila Lee’s boutique & tell us in a comment what’s your favorite product there (lingerie, accessory, lounge wear, it doesn’t matter as long as you tell us the reason why it’s one of your guilty pleasures). That’s it.

For extra entries, twit the giveaway, post it on your facebook wall & let us know you did so in another comment.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 16th, midnight EST & the winners will be picked through random.org

As bonus, use Guilty Pleasures code at Laila Lee boutique to save 20% off your entire purchase. Code valid until December 31.

Good luck!

Whether you’re sick of the heat waves and want to shop for tops to fight the degrees outside, or if you’re looking for a t-shirt printing provider for an event you’re holding, channel your inner tee and hoodie lover in the right direction. Indigo Clothing is a t-shirt printing company that has been rocking the United Kingdom ever since 2002.

I’ve browsed around the website and it’s incredibly user-friendly. I got to find whatever I wanted – the promotional catalog, sample embroideries, categories of workwear they handle -  with a couple of clicks. I love their team page, with pics, bios I can easily relate to and contact details at hand. We’ve decided to do the same for our own about page.

Okay, you may say, but why should you go for Indigo instead of some other company? Well, how about tees for less than £1? ” We keep our overheads low by not having expensive retail outlets and outsource production to a core set of suppliers who each have different skills so we can ensure the right job is done by the right people, rather than having our own set of machines and trying to be a jack-of-all-trades.”

Then, the website’s interactivity is great, they have a blog where you can read case studies and inside information from behind the scenes and the fact they’re on twitter clearly says something about Indigo’s support.

Or maybe you should read a couple of testimonials and check out their client list first. They worked with TATE, Maybelline, Johnsons, RSPCA, Evian, Cadbury, L’Oreal and many others.

Speaking of which, I still have a t-shirt L’Oreal offered me a couple of years ago as bonus to my purchase.  It’s very comfy and after hundreds of washes, the logotype is still in its place and the tee still looks like it’s supposed to, it hasn’t loosen at all. And I now know where to go for quality of printing, softness of material and great pricing. Yay!

Indigo’s currently running the following discounts -

Student Cashback – Get up to 20% off our list – code:  Cashback
Major discounts available on bulk orders – code:  StockClearance

For more, check them out on your own.

Guilty Pleasure’s daily reader knows that July has been my weekly wedding month, and, in financial terms, I’m happy it’s finally over. After 3 weddings and a baby shower (all in one month), most of my memories from these events are, however, related to engagement rings. So here’s to these rings and the people who wear them.

1) I noticed that brides love their engagement rings even more after they get married.

2) 2 out of 3 couples bought their engagement rings from Robbins Brothers. I was curious about the Robbin bros, so I googled them and found out some great info.

They specialize in extensive product education, unique engagement and wedding planning services, and, as bonus, onsite jewelers who can customize any ring. The company offers signature and designer collections by Simon G., Jeff Cooper, Tacori, Scott Kay, Ritani and Bridget to name a few.

But the thing that got me all mushy is a couple of amazing video love stories

here’s one

and another:

with lovely, happy couples that proposed with the help of Robbin Brothers.

3) All brides love their engagement ring but cherish even more the moment he popped out the question. And they all cried of happiness when they told the story.

4) 2 brides wanted diamonds for their engagement rings. 1 wanted her birthstone circled with small diamonds.

5) An engagement ring can start a love war. One of my dearest brides ended up not speaking to her husband for a week before the wedding, because he made an innocent but rather stupid joke about the ring.

6) The earliest known records on engagement rings report that Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg may have started the trend among the European wealthy and royalty of giving diamond engagement rings in 1477 by giving Mary of Burgundy a diamond betrothal ring.

And last but not least,

“My mother says I didn’t open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked.” Elizabeth Taylor once stated. How about you?

The symbols and bonds that join individuals and generations to come, the heirlooms of the future. Sometimes the only certainty in a lady’s life. Intricate design, sheer craftsmanship, lifetime treasures. In a word: engagement rings.

Just like the wedding dress, the engagement ring is probably the most sought for and dreamed about piece of jewelry every girl in the world wants. Emotions, tears, joy, caresses – all come together in a whirlpool of love when the perfect precious piece is found.

Tacori jewelry ennobles craftsmanship, turning it into art; by fusing old world elegance with modern glamour and style, they come up with those exact engangement rings one needs. How do I know? Because elegance, glamour and style is what a very good friend of mine has been frenetically trying to find for over a month. The perfect ring for his perfect girl. I think he saw over 1000 different engagement rings in over 50 websites and catalogs. With nothing striking his fancy. Nothing that would at least be close to the sketch he had as model.

Until yesterday. When a miracle happened as he stumbled upon ….drum roll, please!!! JR Dunn. This jewelry store made it in touching his heart as, more important, they have the  ring my friend and his fiance want. They even have it in the small size my friend needs. Passion, teamwork, imagination, whatever else Tacori may have put in their jewelry, they found the right recipe to create perfection and deliver excellence.

What’s your engagement ring hunt story?

Strongly influenced by the stories of fascinating women, whether they lived in the 16th century or the Swinging ’60s, Wendy creates pieces that are bold and eye-catching, yet feminine and organic. Mechanical pieces that open and close, unscrew or twist are her specialties. Browsing her shop is quite an experience – even if you can’t afford a sparkling piece of jewelry, you learn a little history.

But enough with talking. An image’s worth 1000 words, so voila! several gracious designs, from a gracious lady.

Vivat Regina Collection

Eden Collection (and my personal favorite, too)

It Girls Collection

Roseark, Wendy’s shop is located at:

1111 N. Crescent Heights
West Hollywood
California 90046

But her website‘s also a shop, so feel free to indulge.