I’m taking part in the #tlfbodypositivechallenge 7 days of 7 positive things about your body.
A combination of nostalgia with a photo from my shoot with @adamrobertsonphotography and the realisation it is difficult to shoot what I wanted, by myself.
Day 5. My arms. I’m a very visually expressive person so I am almost constantly using my arms as an extension of what I am saying. I love using my arms when modelling as they are my favourite kinds of poses, to make shape and interest. Without my arms I definitely wouldn’t be able to be as expressive as I am. I am thankful for my arms and I love them.
LINGERIE REVIEW AGENT PROVOCATEUR ESME SOFT BRA, SUSPENDER AND THONG
My very first Agent Provocateur purchase from AW12. It frightens me that this set is almost 4 years old and was the tip of the iceberg for what would develop to be a lingerie love affair for little me.
This set was an impulse buy after I had begun to discover luxury lingerie, this particular set was in the sale and I essentially panic-picked something that I just liked - I wasn’t very lingerie-educated nor had exorberant amounts of money at the time. Esme embodied everything I liked at the time, and still hold dear, even if a little bit youthful tacky in a sense. I always had a penchant for anything leopard print (despite now knowing good leopard print from bad leopard print, thankfully this set hit the sophisticated leopard print ballpark) and darker eggplant and mauve colourway.
I brought everything in AP’s size 1 and now I have filled out a bit with age it fits me much better than it did when I initially bought it. Nonetheless this set is one of the most comfortable sets that I own.
Made from stretch silk everything from the straps to the fabric is sublimely soft. The soft cup bra, albeit not particularly defining is all encompassing and supportive even if it is a little big on me. The thong is figure hugging but delicate and feels really soft against my skin; I often find thongs too tight and uncomfortable but I could easily wear this particular one on a day to day basis and I even acknowledge this statement with the suspender. The suspender makes the set for me by framing the bra and thong harmoniously. I love a minimalistic suspender a lot so this being a traditional four strap, single band, is simplistic perfection.
This set started my whole lingerie journey off and will remain a favourite despite its imperfection. I think the 70s-esque style particularly suits my body and makes up for the imperfections of bra sizing. The colourway really suits both my skin tone and my hair colour which makes the overall structure of the set stand out and define aspects of my body.
At the time, and still now, I always felt it was not a favourite amongst avid AP collectors but for me this set is just right. It embodies a sense of my younger self that reminds me to buy lingerie for what you like every so often, not what you know. The set isn’t a trend, nor a classic, but is a sentimental landmark lingerie-wise for me and I love it tenfold for that reason amongst the above others.
Agent Provocateur will always been on the more expensive side of lingerie, although catching them at a sale is always a prime time to get your hands on something beautiful. The Esme set is no longer available to purchase but Agent Provocateur always has some leopard hidden amongst its ranges.
