Scallops

Embroidered Tulle

Drawings, Drawings!

Vacance de Monsieur Hulot

My twenty-second birthday is this Monday, and I look forward to celebrating it with my friends, family, and twin sister. I wish I knew what to ask for, but the Stella McCartney bodysuit I’ve been eyeing on Net-A-Porter sold out in my size already.

And in the end, I bring you a well-timed painting that I think adequately reflected my mood during the time in which it was painted. This time, I remembered to take photographs of my progress. As always, the painting is not quite finished, but it is definitely at a point worth posting.

The yellow is liquid resist, which is used to a) preserve extremely white highlights (since the paper will ALWAYS be the whitest highlight… even whiter than gouache), and sharp edges (in this case, for the gold clasps and the suspenders).
Workdesk includes: watercolor palette, coffee cup of water, pack of menstrual relief pills LOL, and more nonsense…

Peeled away some liquid resist to tackle first suspender, and laid down first wash of skirt. This is where I started freaking out – the black came out TOTALLY cloudy and definitely not what I had in mind. Realistically I should’ve expected this but I was somehow hoping for the sheer tulle of the skirt to automatically paint itself. Also added: darker skin shading

The current product, which is still not finished:

And for those interested, the photo reference:

I safety-pinned it closed when I wore it out to avoid subjecting people to the horror of my nude figure.

Two years ago, I moved to Los Angeles (for a short six-month stint) and landed a job working at Nordstrom in the lingerie department. Prior to holding this job, I cared very little for lingerie, let alone anything that cost more than $60. Within a few weeks, however, I quickly developed a soft-spot for high-quality lace, unlined bras, and oh yeah, Agent Provocateur, after visiting the store on Melrose for the first time.

While its price point is high, Agent Provocateur lingerie is by legions the most comfortable, well-constructed, durable, and gorgeous lingerie I’ve yet to encounter. For the past two years I’ve amassed 5 bras, one bodysuit, and a few other extraneous items and I hardly ever wear anything else. When Agent Provocateur announced its winter sale, I couldn’t resist picking up a few extra pieces.

Sadly, this Aliyah demi-bra is going back! It just didn’t fit properly, which turned out to be a huge disappointment. I love the leopard-print tulle and the black elastic trim. I also just realized that I photographed this one inside-out! Oops!

This snakeskin lace bra is so intricate, and the fit is so snug and comfortable! My boyfriend commented that it looks itchy, but I’ve been wearing it for well over two hours now and can’t feel it at all. The lace is beautiful, intricate, and most importantly, soft.

My favorite piece out of my new loot, however, is the Maschina bodysuit. The entire thing is a dark nude tulle with a thick (it almost feels embroidered) barbed wire pattern. In one word, it’s “hardcore.” I have a penchant for things that juxtapose the macabre and the delicate, and this bodysuit embodies that aesthetic perfectly. I’m heading out to Target tomorrow to buy a long black cardigan (if they have any?) to throw over this so I can wear it out as a top!

I also love the faux leather (pleather?) bow! The perfect touch.

When it comes to lingerie, my largest pet peeve is when I hear girls say they can’t justify buying nice things because they “don’t have a boyfriend” or “have an a-cup.” Ridiculous! I don’t think everyone should go out and buy an Agent Provocateur bra (though I highly recommend it!), but I do believe that gorgeous underwear is ultimately meant to only be enjoyed by one person, and that’s the wearer. In the end, it’s about comfort and a new kind of confidence that comes only from yourself- that under your business suit, or Zelda hoodie and sweatpants (my current ensemble), you’re wearing something simultaneously comfortable and beautiful, and only YOU know it. There are those who can only understand confidence gained from others’ approval, and then those who understand that confidence can also be gained from keeping your own secrets.

Winner of the Google contest from below was Oren! Congratulations!