Tuesday 7 November 2017

Peggy Sue Pinup Perfection with PhotoStoke

*All photography in this post is used with permission of Photo Stoke. Please do not share without permission. Thank you.*

I was recently taken aback by a message I received via Instagram (@lecurvykitten) when I was contacted by a local professional photographer, Louise, of Photo Stoke Studios, who was looking for a fan of the pinup look to shoot as practise for her newly launched Peggy Sue Pin Up makeover shoots.




I was primarily flattered to receive such an offer but then my insecurities and introverted thoughts crept in and told me not to answer, that I'm not a model and don't deserve such opportunities. Thankfully I squashed those little demons under my leopard print heels and replied.

Louise informed me that everything would be taken care of, including hair, make up, outfits and accessories and all I needed to do was turn up! She said I could bring my own outfits if I wanted to, and since I have a lot of vintage reproduction attire, I chose to do that.





With a huge bagful of clothes, petticoats, shoes and accessories I was greeted by Louise, who introduced me to her my hair and make up artist for the day, who soon got to work curling and pinning my hair up. We then moved on to make up and my look was ready.




With the help of Louise, I picked out what I'd be wearing for each set, and after slipping into my first outfit, I was shown into the studio.





Photo Stoke Studios has 4 vintage backdrops; a lounge room, Las Vegas, a retro American car and a classic 50's diner. There are also a plethora of genuine and reproduction vintage props to shoot with, such as a hairdryer, telephone, radio and the obligatory milkshake!




It didn't take me long to get into the swing of things as Louise has a great personality and knows what she's looking for in her shots. We both worked together to come up with poses and expressions and I hope I helped her as much as she helped me.





Based in the heart of Stoke On Trent, there's excellent access from Shropshire, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Chester, Derby and Nottingham to name but a few places. Photo Stoke is a short taxi ride from Stoke On Trent train station which has a taxi rank right outside.




I'm sure Photo Stoke's Peggy Sue Pin Up makeover shoots will be a roaring success. If you're a vintage aficionado, new to the vintage scene or just love the pinup style, then get in touch with Louise at Photo Stoke and book a shoot! 




With Christmas fast approaching, you can even buy vouchers online to treat the pinup in your life, or for yourself of course!




Photo Stoke offers a number of shoot packages and if pinup isn't your thing, they also do makeovers and mini makeovers (6-16 years), boudoir, bump to baby, newborn, family shoots, fairy and elf toddler shoots and my personal favourite, pet shoots! Check out their website for more information and contact details.

Thanks for reading!
xxx



Tuesday 7 February 2017

The Long Awaited Louise

*Voucher code at the end of the post!*

Back in summer last year, Katy of Katherine Hamilton Intimates contacted me asking if I'd like to review a set. Naturally I said yes as I'd had my eye on the Louise set for a while. Due to production issues, the launch of the set was put back until December which was when I received my set. I thought the week before Christmas was a little too late to blog about a potential Christmas gift so here we are, ready for Valentine's Day instead!


Katherine Hamilton Intimates is a new brand in the high end of the fuller bust market. Boasting luxury fabrics, custom underwires, attention to fit under the arms and most importantly research into common issues in fit, I'm looking forward to seeing how this more customer fit focused brand grows.

Originally from a background in psychology and mental health, Katy found her passion for lingerie working for Bosom Galore, another luxury fuller bust brand. Following this, she developed her own designs based on customer feedback and issues concerning 'off the rack' underwires. After research she was able to create 2 core designs; 3 piece padded and 3-piece unpadded, using her bespoke narrow underwires and deeper cups designed for full coverage and support. 


For me personally, the fact that Katy researched the fit of large cups with small bands was a winner, as a lot of brands simply size down the bands without altering the wires used, meaning I often have problems with wires sitting in and sometimes behind my armpit!


From their Debut 2016/17 range, Louise is a classic black lightly padded balcony bra with added edgy non-removable harness style straps, playfully hinting at a subtle,yet seductive bondage style. The cups are made up of 3 pieces with Katherine Hamilton's custom wires, giving forward projection and a great shape. The Louise knicker I chose obviously matches the bra perfectly with its strappy detailing and soft black fabric. The set arrived wrapped in black tissue paper, beautifully packaged in a branded box with paperwork in an envelope, giving a real sense of luxury.


I was advised to try the 30H as their bands are quite snug, but on arrival, I found it was too big so I exchanged for the 28H, which is a perfect fit. The knickers are a size 14 and fit me beautifully.


It isn't often I'll find a new brand that gets the fit of a bra spot on for me, but the Louise is perfect. I tend to wear a Curvy Kate Smoothie on a daily basis nowadays since I outgrew my all-time favourite Freya Deco, but I can confidently say that my Louise bra fits well enough for me to add to my daily collection with a fit not dissimilar to the aforementioned Curvy Kate Smoothie. The fabric is so soft and comfortable against the skin and it....it just fits!


I feel I should rave about the fabric. According to the website, the Louise set is made from Charmeuse, a 85% Polyamide and 15% elastane mix, which feels lovely to wear.


I have a few minor criticisms with this bra (none with the knickers, I LOVE them!) and they are that I'd have preferred a fully adjustable strap as I'm of quite a petite build so this is often an issue I have. Thankfully Katy informs me that they will be introducing a custom service for strap length soon. My other small gripe is that there seems to be something making me itch in the hook/eye panel to the back of the bra. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is, but it's mildly annoying all the same! Lastly, I'd have preferred the harness type straps to come from the top of the central gore rather than the sides, but I suspect this is more about my own breast fullness (or lack thereof), rather than the bra itself.



Louise retails at £78.00 for the bra (Sizes 26DD-HH, 28-32 D-HH, 34 D-H and 36D-G) and £38.00 for the knicker (sizes 6-16) and is available from Katherine Hamilton Intimates

Use code VALENTINE2017 for £15 off, valid until February 15th 2017, cannot be used with other offers or gift vouchers.

Find Katherine Hamilton Intimates on Twitter and Instagram @khintimates and on Facebook here.