Sexy Lingerie, Leather Lingerie, Sexy Clothing and more

Rebecca Apsan is the lingerie evangelist. She knows that intimate apparel has the power to transform. That the right bra affects not only look, but outlook. That sexy silk or lace are feminine armor, offering a soft layer of protection against life’s vicissitudes. Her New York City store, La Petite Coquette, draws shoppers from around the world—and not just the celebrities who swear by it. New York Magazine sings her praises as “the best bra-fitter in the country”; so does Lucky. The Wall Street Journal wrote up her role in catapulting Hanky-Panky thongs onto every well-dressed woman’s must-have list—on their front page! She provided all the intimate apparel for Sex and the City. And now Rebecca Apsan is ready to divulge thirty years of wisdom and insider information about how underclothes can make the woman. For a world where 85% of women are wearing the wrong size bra, The Lingerie Handbook is a complete tops-to-bottoms guide to bras, panties, slips, sleepwear shapewear, stockings, teddies, camisoles, and accessories. There’s the how-to on proper fit, including before-and-after photographs. Guides to matching the right underwear to different outfits. (T-shirts, jersey dresses, white pants, strapless gowns? No problem!) Straightforward advice on shopping, cleaning, organizing, and storing. But inspiration, too: how to cure body-image hang-ups by finding the right undergarments. And romance: how to find your own inner flirt, develop a unique style, and, when the occasion is right, how to dress to undress.

The most outrageous and exuberant lingerie in the world comes from a place youíd probably never expect: Syria. Well known across the Middle East—in Syria the lingerie forms an important part of the folk tradition around trousseaus and weddings—it is openly displayed in the markets and souks. Authors Malu Halasa and Rana Salam have brought together a diverse and dramatic collection of photography and writing including the voices of Syrian women celebrating this little-known niche of fashion design in all its playful glory. The colorful pages of the book are full of photographs of lingerie decorated with everything from birds, butterflies and feathers to fake scorpions, flowers and fur. Sequins, pearls, embroidery and tassels liberally adorn bra and panty sets. Some lingerie sets emit music, others vibrate or incorporate lights. Lingerie may be edible; in other cases it is hidden inside chocolates or eggs. There are crocheted one-piece body suits, and costumes influenced by belly-dancing gear. The lingerie often has a playfulness about it, with comic touches such as fake fur thongs which double as mobile phone holders.

The corset is probably the most controversial garment in the history of fashion. Although regarded as an essential element of fashionable dress from the Renaissance into the twentieth century, the corset was also frequently condemned as an instrument of torture and the cause of ill health. Why did women continue to don steel and whalebone corsets for four hundred years? And why did they finally stop? This lavishly illustrated book offers fascinating and often surprising answers to these questions. Valerie Steele, one of the world’s most respected fashion historians, explores the cultural history of the corset, demolishing myths about this notorious garment and revealing new information and perspectives on its changing significance over the centuries. The book concludes with insightful analyses of such recent developments as the reconception of the corset as a symbol of rebellion and female sexual empowerment, the revival of the corset in contemporary high fashion, and its transformation from an item of underwear to outerwear.

The only knitting book focused on lingerie and lingerie-inspired designs. Underwear has come out. Once kept demurely concealed, lingerie now pervades every fashion category, inspiring designs for day looks, loungewear, evening clothes, and accessories. Slips have become dresses unto themselves. Bra straps are meant to peek out from under tank tops. Camisoles are worn on their own or as layers over or under other clothes. Now, with Knitting Lingerie Style, designer Joan McGowan-Michael interprets this undeniable fashion trend for the knitter and, along the way, shares fascinating stories about lingerie history. Did you know that it was airplane magnate Howard Hughes who masterminded the underwire bra? McGowan-Michael’s 30-plus designs, stunningly photographed by Thayer Allyson Gowdy, range from the truly functional—knitted bras, slips, corsets, camisoles, and stockings—to the purely fun. The brassiere inspires a curvature-enhancing twinset. The baby doll negligee is the basis for a lacy little gown and a matching thong set that’s both luxurious and (slightly) notorious. And a ribbed, laced-front sweater is an updated—and much more comfortable!—take on the classic corset. The only book of its kind on the market, Knitting Lingerie Style includes projects that are bold and sexy, daring us all to bare a little skin, as well as more understated and demure, with sizes ranging from petite to plus.