Yesterday, my beautiful LA counterpart sent me this text message:

“You should do a blog post on sexy lingerie and where to find it. NOT some hoodrat Victoria’s Secret stuff but not stuff that’s like $200 … Is there a middle man?:)”

Well, if there is something I know about, it’s lingerie. I spent a good two plus years buying lingerie for Henri Bendel and I have two giant drawers dedicated to my undies alone. So, Miss Wright, this post is for you!

First, let’s start with a few things that every girl should have in her lingerie drawer:

Commando Tiny Thong, $22

Hollywood Coverups, $14.99

Hollywood Fashion Tape, $8.99

Strap Perfect, $11.99

Yeah, I know that last one seems a little queer. My mom insisted I own them and I reluctantly took them home with me to New York. They turned out to be a lot easier to use than my usual MacGeyver method of using a safety pin. So now, on to the fun stuff.

One of my favorite, favorite, favorite brands is Deborah Marquit. The price point is on the higher side, but it is literally handmade and beautiful! My favorite pieces are from the fluorescent collection, although all of her pieces are ridiculously sexy. I’ve had the pleasure of going into her store/design studio here in NYC. She’s incredibly talented and a very interesting woman.

Lace underwire demi bra, $185, Lace g-string, $55

Cosabella is another great line of lingerie that is sexy and more friendly on the wallet.

Amore Mio pushup bra, $56.25

Amore Mio Lowrider Thong, $20

Another personal favorite is Huit. It’s a great French brand that fits incredibly well and is very girly and fun. They also have a great line of basic bras for everyday wear.

Vertiges Magic Air Underwire bra, $79

Vertiges String, $47

I could go on for DAYS about this, but I have things to do, people. So here are a few of my favorite NYC lingerie stores:

Sugar Cookies

203 W 19th Street (between 7th and 8th)

212-242-6963

Journelle

3 East 17th Street (between 5th and Broadway)

212-255-7800

And for those of you who are NOT in NYC, don’t worry your pretty little heads… I’ve got you. Here are some great sites for online lingerie shopping:

Catriona Mackechnie

La Petite Coquette

Azaleas

Tell your boyfriend, “you’re welcome.”

xx,

WhyDid

Started ten years ago by the design duo, Preen has collected quite the celeb following including Kate Moss, Chloe Sevigny, and Thandie Newton. It is easy to see why. Take a look at some of my favorite pieces from their Spring 2010 collection:

I remember when Henri Bendel first started carrying this line over two years ago (when they still carried apparel). It was so incredibly sexy and chic without being blatant or cheesy. It was the ultimate alternative for cool girls who were sick of the oversaturated Hever Leger bandage dress. I was immediately smitten.

Pleat Tulip Dress, $1,106

One Shoulder Sheath Dress, $1,089

Power Knitted Lace Dress, $1,375

Friends often ask me for suggestions about what to wear when dressing to impress and I would say, if you want to look less Kim (Kardashian) and more Kate (Moss), go grab something Preen and wait for the boys to scream (had to).

Sigh… now if only I had a red carpet to walk…

xx,

WhyDid

You may know it as the New York institution on Fifth Avenue where “Gossip Girls” go to shop, but today marks a sad day for the “girls’ playground.”  Henri Bendel has announced they are planning to expand their accessories business, which means they will be eliminating their apparel departments completely.  

Over the years Bendel’s has been trying to re-invent itself in many different ways, but after opening a handful of accessories stores that only carry private label merchandise, they have decided this is the route they are going to take.  They will be opening another six stores this year, bringing the total to eleven.

Where does that leave  the apparel buyers?  Well, that’s a good question.  There is no longer a place for them at HB.  With no more Herve dresses to buy, no more I.D. Sarrieri lingerie to select, and not an E.Vil t in sight, they have been sent on their ways to explore new opportunities.

It was a good run and I will truly miss the wonderful ladies with whom I  worked.  On a positive note, this will give me much more time to scout out horrific fashion and update you on clever ways to make your cleavage  appear more voluptuous.  You should probably just go ahead and send HB a “thank you” note cause now you’ve got my undivided attention.

xx,

WhyDid

Anyhow, because you may have felt neglected yesterday, here is a little mindless fodder for you.

Here’s a photo of Lindsay Lohan launching her legging line (6126) at Henri Bendel earlier this year.  Her hair looks like a throwback to Splash while her “leggings” look like she ran into Edward Scissor Hands on her way to the event.  Fun fact: did you know that Lindsay’s legging line has a pair called “Mr. President” with quilted knee pads? Classy.

And here is LiLo at gf/ex-gf’s sister’s (Charlotte Ronson) fashion show.  I know the whole “cold shoulder” look is making a comeback, but um.. not with bra straps. And if you MUST do the bra straps (though I’m not sure why) at least have them color coordinated.

Here is Linday wearing her grandmother’s doilies from the back of her love seat.  Wait, what?

And since you are probably gagging somewhere, here is something to wash these photos down with:

Dirty Lohan (my girlfriends and I concocted this a couple of years ago- a “dirtier” version of a Shirley Temple).

-Vodka

-Sprite

-Splash of Grenadine

-Maraschino cherry

Enjoy!

xx,

WhyDid

Believe it or not, Christmas is only 8 days away. I am guessing there are some procrastinators out there who just do NOT know what to buy. So here are a few last minute gift ideas.

Slacker Boyfriends (Didn’t I already give you a gift guide?):

A gym membership- I know this sounds mean, but actually, a dear friend of mine got one from her boyfriend this year and she couldn’t be happier. I would be psyched to get one too. It’s way too cold  to be running outside. Not to mention, you’ll have the hottest girlfriend on the block!

www.equinox.com

Dance lessons (for the TWO of you)- This is a fun way for you two to spend some time together learning something new. Talk about bonding. If you can suck it up and get your two left feet moving, you will most definitely earn some brownie points. Contact your local dance studio to find classes (for beginners).

A weekend away- It could be Turks and Caicos or a bed and breakfast an hour away. Either way, make the reservations and present her with a packet of information on the rendez-vous. It’s romantic and spontaneous (both good things in all girls’ books).

www.mobissimo.com

www.kayak.com

Dilly dallying friends:

Tarte The Vanity Limited Edition Set- I got this for my friend for her birthday and she’s obsessed with it. So much so, that I actually bought one for myself and she bought one for her niece. Every single color is totally usable and it’s only $52! This is a total steal and a really convenient way to keep all of your essentials in one spot.

www.henribendel.com

www.sephora.com

Gift certificate for pedicures- this is a great excuse for you two to sit and catch up with each other as well as catch up on all the gossip in trashy magazines. Who doesn’t love a good foot rub?

Booty Parlor Kissaholic Kissing Kit- includes a plumping lip gloss and breath mist containing exotic aphrodisiacs. It’s a fun and silly gift for $25.

www.victoriassecret.com

Slow Poke Girlfriends:

Cashmere sweater-it might not be acceptable for him to buy YOU a sweater, but it’s totally fine for you to get him one (finally a double standard that works in our favor!). He probably needs your style help anyway and most guys don’t even realize that they are missing out by not wearing cashmere. I have fully converted my boyfriend. Plus, there are ridiculous sales right now. Some of the best I found at Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Bluefly.

www.macys.com

www.nordstrom.com

www.bluefly.com

new jeans- So, we made them throw away all of their True Religions. Now it’s time to bring them into the new with some stylish updated jeans. One of my favorite places for this is Jean Shop. There are several locations in New York and they are truly fit experts. First, they find the right fit then you have the option of buying the jeans raw (dark heavy indigo) or you can have them wash and distress the jeans to your liking. Let’s not get too crazy on the distressing though…

www.worldjeanshop.com

Tickets to a sporting event- Whether you choose to join him or make it a night out for the boys, he will be excited to see you taking note of his interests. Be sure to slip him an extra $20 for the beer and hot dogs.

www.ticketmaster.com

www.stubhub.com

Hopefully this helped all you delinquent shoppers out there and I wish you all a very happy holiday.

xx

vip-holiday-shopping-event-evite

Henri Bendel VIP shopping event.

Wednesday, December 10 from 5-9pm

712 5th Avenue at 56th Street

It can be very stressful trying to come up with a thoughtful and useful gift for your honey. So below I have outlined some Do’s and Don’ts of holiday shopping in order to keep you out of the dog house.

What she absolutely does NOT want:

• Don’t bother trying to buy her clothes. Unless you have (successfully) done this in the past, I would skip it. Plus, you don’t want to have the awkward moment of buying a size 8 when she’s really a size 4. Never buy her a sweater. This is what her Aunt Helen is for.
• Nix the gift certificates. I know it sounds good in theory and kind of a no fail option, but you are wrong. Gift certificates are completely thoughtless and lazy and trust me, she’ll recognize that. Put in the leg work and get her a real gift.
• Perfume is way too personal for you to be picking out for her. That’s something she should buy on her own. I also think it is kind of cheesy and trite.
• Lingerie is iffy. I personally love lingerie, but it is essentially a selfish gift, no? Save it for Valentine’s Day. If you do opt for lingerie, be sure that it’s La Perla or Myla and not Victoria’s Secret. This is no time to be stingy.
• Jewelry is tricky. There is only one surefire option in jewelry, diamonds. Unless you are very familiar with her style or willing to dish out the $$ for diamonds, I’d hold off. I have a personal horror story about jewelry on Christmas. Picture this: your boyfriend calls you from the Diamond District and tells you how he is the most amazing boyfriend in the world. You are now giddy with excitement (thinking you are finally getting those diamond studs). He shows up with Swarvoski crystals. And ugly ones at that. 
• Any type of kitchen appliance. Enough said. 
• Pajamas. Could you be any less sexy?

Some better options:

• Cashmere slippers, www.henribendel.com
• Dell Inspiron Mini9 laptop, www.dell.com
• Something for her pooch, www.trixieandpeanut.com
• Spa treatments (make them for two!) www.spafinder.com
• Photos of the two of you or a scrapbook. Hey, I get it, times are tough. When she sees all the work you put into this, she won’t be thinking about a price tag.
• Tickets to her favorite show or ballet www.ticketmaster.com

In all honesty, my favorite part of any gift is the card. Believe it or not, I do have a soft side. The thought that goes into your gift is far more meaningful than what you actually buy her. If she throws a tantrum or diva fit… maybe it’s time to re-evaluate…

Any of you ladies reading, email me your most horrific holiday gift stories and I will post the best ones! whydidyouwearthat@gmail.com