Sweet Pins

Happy May Day to all our European friends!

Wherever you live there is a May Day treat for you this Monday from Sweet Pins.
15% off all Lingerie using the special code HAPPYMAYDAY

The promotion is valid until Tuesday 7 May at 9AM (Sydney time) 
Happy shopping.
http://www.sweetpins.com.au/lingerie/

Retro style has never been more current! From swinging, vibrant 1960’s to 1950’s elegance and 1920’s opulence, you can have fun changing your look by simply adding the right type of hosiery. Here’s some tips…

BOLD COLOURED TIGHTS

For a 1960s look you can’t go wrong with bold coloured tights.

Choose your favouriteshades of green, yellow, orange and pink to get that wonderful 60s vibe!  Ultra thick opaques and wool tights are great too. Wear them with print smock dresses, mini skirts and little shifts for a look that is always eye catching and fun!

SEAMS

Seamed hosiery is so wonderfully decadent and remind us  of the 1940s and 50s sophisticated yet flirting style.  

I personally love the classic black seam but a red seam on nude or black leg can be incredibly sexy, too.

For the perfect retro look, wear them with pencil skirts and dresses, add a little heel, a touch of rouge and you’ll feel like a real star!

EMBELLISHED

Do you love the sheer frivolity of the 1920s? Embellished or glitter tights are perfect for getting that look – try the Trasparenze Diamante tights which have a scattering of gold or silver glitter over a black leg! Add a drop waist dress and glam the look up with t-bar heels for authentic flapper style. For those passioned about DIY, get armed with glue and a great pair of strong opaque tights and get crazy with sequins and diamantes.

So whatever decade you love and feel inspired by, find the right type of hosiery and let your legs do the talking!

Today I realised how lucky I am with my job. When I first started Sweet Pins as an online based company, I thought I was going to miss social interaction. I love chatting to customers.. or I love chatting in general.

Luckily I was so wrong. Not only I receive enquiries and feedback on a daily basis. But it is also from the most varied type of customers.

You’ll be surprised (or perhaps not) to know that we have a lot of male fans. Some buy for their partners but many buy for themselves.

Most of these glamorous queens are incredibly passionate about lingerie, particularly the vintage inspired type. But for many it is the stockings that holds the dearest place in their heart, genuine fully fashioned nylons in particular. There is just something about sliding that smooth nylon over the legs.. and men often appreciate it more than women do.

No doubt there are many reasons for men to wear stockings. Stockings look great and make you look and feel womanly, irresistible. I must say that a lot of our male customers are real connoisseurs and I have so much fun discussing garter belts and girdles with them!  So I’m wondering.. can men actually give women a run for their money in the leg department?

Fully fashioned stockings, FFS, are becoming increasingly rare – only a handful of manufacturerd worldwide now make them regularly. They are knitted flat and then the two sides are sewn together forming what is the seam– therefore the seam is an integral part of the stocking and not sewn on afterwards as is the case with more modern stockings.

Fully fashioned stockings are sized to the height and shoe size of the wearer and as such have little or no stretch in them as they have no lycra contained within the yarn. In addition to the distinctive seam they also come in a number of heel designs (covered below) and the top of the seam where it meets the welt at the top of the stocking is completed by the welt being turned over and a finishing loop applied. The loop is needed to allow the needle sewing the seam to be withdrawn.

Heel styles vary from the original French (pyramidal) or point heel which was made most famous by the Aristoc Point Heel design to the Cuban and Havana heels – darkened reinforced heel design finishing in a square top rather than pointed top. The Cuban heel is defined by being much thinner and finishing higher up the calf than the Havana heel.

Authentic fully fashioned seam stockings require up to 2 hours of work for a single pair to obtain an exceptional craft finish.

Christmas is just a few weeks away and it’s time for you gentlemen to carry out some lingerie detective work!

Simply abandon any visions of a pre-canned gift idea that you might be clinging to. Instead buy her a sumptuous, glamorous and unique gift from the heart - an object of desire which could be transformed in something fun for you both in the boudoir!

Here are some golden rules to help you find the perfect gift for your fabulous significant other (ladies, feel free to forward this email as many times as you like. Or print it and hide it in his pocket - wink!)

Tip1 : Women generally do like red. Men THINK women love red. To choose a colour that she will love and feel comfortable wearing, have a sneaky look at her lingerie drawer. What do you see? Lots of black and neutral tones: Stick to the same colour for stockings and suspender belts. Black is sexy and easy to wear. Black suspenders and black stockings is a winning combination. White garter belts look beautiful with nude sheer hosiery. Leopard prints: Yay! Your girl probably prefers the glamour of vintage or vintage inspired. Experiment with eye catching prints and bold colours. Yes, you are allowed to buy red stockings, if you really want to.

Tip2 : Buy suspender belts with metal clasps, not plastic. Cheap plastic straps will allow stockings to come loose and fall down the leg. All our suspender belt have metal clasps and are fully adjustable for a perfect fit. To find the right size check her undies - it is very likely to be the same size as her knickers.

Tip3 : Seamed stockings are sexy. And slimming. Chances are your lady will love them! Fully fashioned stockings have a seam sewn in (rather than printed), are ultra sheer and more expensive, but also more durable and a special treat.

Tip4 : Practical lingerie is generally not sexy lingerie. Ditto for stockings. Get her something that will make her feel fabulous!

Finally, don’t be scared to ask the experts if you are still not sure. Here at Sweet Pins we are always happy to offer ideas and advice and we’re just a phone call or email away..