Burlesque

Although in many people’s minds “Burlesque” may conjour images of female strippers nothing is further from the truth. In its hey day, from the 1840s to the 1960s, it was a source of music and comedy wrapped around sexuality that kept audiences entertained.

In the 1860s, Lydia Thompson’s British burlesque troupe became the toast of New York City with their first hit Ixion, a spoof that had women playing men’s roles in revealing tights. It wasn’t until the later part of the twentieth century that burlesque gained its notorious reputation.

In the early 2000s, burlesque made a resurgence with many new shows cropping up in both Europe and the Americas.  There are now shows in Manhattan, Chicago, Seattle, Montreal, and Oslo as well as Iowa (“American Pickers” Danielle Colby-Cushman’s Burlesque Le’Moustache).

The vintage look is always popular and right now Burlesque get-ups themselves are really hot. This look is especially popular because of the movie Burlesque, which embodies that showgirl vibe.

Premiering in 2010,  it featured Christina Aguilera as a small-town girl who finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by former dancer Cher.

    

Taking some of these burlesquish tidbits and integrating them into your everyday life can be fun. Personally, as you know, I love the 50’s retro style in general, so its great to mess around with this. I don’t have a lot of time to get dressed in the morning, but if I experiment a little on the weekend, then I can try it out the following week at work. Remember, it’s never too late to become a fan, you won’t regret it!

Here are some cute outfits for inspiration.

And don’t forget to show off those legs! This panty and thigh high set are from StockinGirl.

Becka Panty and Thigh High Set

Pearls, leather, feathers, corsets, and hosiery, what more does a girl need? Oh yeah, your smouldering confidence. Get out there and knock ’em dead!

– Azucena

Happy Birthday Bettie Page!

One cannot speak about lingerie without giving tribute to one of its icons, Bettie Page, one of the leading pin-up models of the 1950’s. On her birthday, April 22, I decided to give tribute to this powerful beauty many of us love, appreciate, and admire , and to the lasting impression she made on lingerie fashion.

 

I’m not sure quite what it is about Bettie that draws me to her. From her shoots you know that she was a powerful and unapologetic woman totally confident in her femininity, during a time when women were considered by most to be negligible. She knew what she wanted and who she was, and did exactly as she liked! Personally, that’s a viewpoint that I strive to have every day.

This leopard print piece was made by Bettie herself specifically for her shoot! She actually made a lot of her own lingerie which is quite inspiring. Who knows, maybe I’ll dig out my own sewing machine from my closet one of these days!

Whether or not I am the sexiest thing on the block, every day I attempt to be confident in the woman that I am. Of course knowing that underneath it all I am wearing some great lingerie helps me to be a Bettie Page in my own way!

– Azucena