Temptation Thursday: Chantelle Bras

If you love endless amounts of gorgeous, lace and tulle, Chantelle is the brand for you. Not only do they create sheer pieces that leave little to the imagination, they also do a masterful job at enhancing it with pretty pieces of lace and gorgeous design. I am always in love with pretty much anything they make.

Today, I'm going to do a quick profile of some of my favorite bras from Chantelle.

Icone Demi-cup Bra

Haute Couture Demi-cup Bra

Chic Sexy Demi-cup Bra

Eternelle Demi Bra

Romance Demi Underwire Bra

Africa Demi Bra

Daily Briefing

I'm a huge fan of briefs. I know that sometimes briefs are considered the less-sexy of the undergarments, but, on the other hand, especially for guys, they can provide the most comfort.

Sure thongs and strings can be sexy in that they are so revealing, and shorts will often do a great job of hugging one's curves just perfectly. But I don't think it always has to be a sexy versus comfort argument when it comes to briefs. There are plenty of great options available, that won't make you look like you raided your grandmother's dresser.

A perfect example would be the Icone brief by Chantelle (pictured here with the convertible molded t-shirt bra). Like all things Chantelle, it is perfectly sexy. Like most brief options, it also looks quite comfortable.

It has a gorgeous lace detail on both side panels. On the front and the back, however it is perfectly smooth, making it a great comfort option for anyone (even me!). It is made almost exclusively of polyamide (or nylon) so it will fit smoothly and feel comfortable all day long.

Judging by the pictures, it also looks great. It still looks great on the wearer, despite the higher waist and added coverage. Its the perfect melding of all things I love about panties. It's almost as if.....Chantelle made these with me in mind ;-).

Blue EnChantment

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm beginning to turn into a Chantelle advertisement. It's not my fault, though. It was never my intention to profile this particular brand three times in the matter of two weeks. Sure, I feel strongly about how good of a brand it is, and I'm often quite partial to their styles, fabrics, and colors of choice, but there are plenty of great designers coming up with some fabulous things right now. But then, of course, there's the price. Strictly looking at their designs, their use of lace, the high end retailers that carry their product, I'd assume I was looking at La Perla prices.

That's the thing. You can buy a bra and panty set for less than most of the panties that La Perla carries. I almost want to think of this brand as a poor man's (woman's?) La Perla, but I don't think that does Chantelle enough justice. Their styles and quality stands up every bit to what La Perla has to offer. They don't have to imitate anyone. In fact, I could just shut up and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Of course...I didn't start a blog so I could shut up, so I'll go on. My obsession du jour is Rive Gauche collection. It includes two kinds of bras (demi and t-shirt) as well as three kinds of panties (shorty, tanga, and bikini). They're all gorgeous pieces, but pictured here, is the demi and bikini. I like the demi because it's lace detail is stunning and I like the bikini because, to me, it's a perfect blend of nylon and lace.

The whole collection is made in France from various blends of nylon, spandex, and (sometimes) cotton. All pieces within the set will run you from $30-$80, which isn't bad considering what quality bras can often cost. The set pictured here would cost you $118 total ($80 for the bra and $38 for the bikini), not bad when I consider the fact that I once paid more for a single pair of La Perla panties, and now I'm afraid to wear them!

Finally, though, the thing that jumped out to me, once again, was color. As I pointed out last week, fine lingerie doesn't always have to be black or white. In this case it can be "bluejean", and look incredibly stunning. If lingerie is designed to catch the eye, and I would say this set certainly is, than shouldn't the color be eye-catching too? In this case, Chantelle took that extra step and that's a big part of what sets them apart from many others...and why I have so much trouble shutting up about them.

Fuch-ing Sexy

Word association time.

It probably comes as little surprise that I can associate most words with lingerie. Hey, when you've been blogging for almost 2 years about lingerie, it stands to reason that you should be able to easily tie most words back to lingerie.

Or at least that's what I keep telling myself...

That said, the word 'fuchsia' typically doesn't inspire happy thoughts. Most often, it makes me think of (the bad kind of) trashy lingerie, cheaply made, and (most often) highly flammable. Might as well just go the whole distance and make it edible at that point to.

So there it is. Fuchsia can't be done tastefully. I've said it.

Turns out I was wrong, though.

Chantelle, maker of some of the most stunning lingerie out there, made quick work of changing my mind. Taking some bold bright colors and applying it to their lacy, detailed, gorgeous lingerie isn't anything new for Chantelle. But I maintain that fuchsia, is still a bold step for anyone. Anything goes wrong, and you're being hit across the face with an obnoxious amount of bright flashy color. Again, think: highly flammable.

Chantelle's Chantilly collection, done in fuchsia, does just the opposite. It draws you in. It makes you take notice of all of the exquisite lace detail. It lends a sophisticated, elegant look to a color that is more often, loud and boisterous. It leaves you just taking in all of the remarkable intricacy, all of it simply perfect. The lace bra and culloute thong (pictured here) are more stylish than over the top, more seductive than loud. It is very well done, and that is really all that I can say.

Chantelle's other latest release, the Icone collection, is available in much more understated tones, such as 'skinrose'. But who would want such a boring color?

ps. I'll be back to my regular posting on Monday. Taking the day off tomorrow to make the biggest purchase of my life (and no, sadly I'm not talking about lingerie).

Latest From Chanelle...

Chantelle's recently-released line is called the Icone Collection. As is most always the case with Chanelle, it is the perfect combination of delicate feminine lace, and smooth comfortable fabric.

Pictured here is the Demi Bra and Thong. I'm not usually a thong kind of guy, but the smooth fabric all over, with just a touch of lace detail makes this one look appealing. Combined with the exquisite detail of the lace demi bra its the perfect combination of comfort and sensual femininity. How could you go wrong?

At $88 for the bra and $38 for the thong, this set isn't exactly inexpensive. But for a price point not all that much higher than VS, you can get a much more detailed classier lingerie set. You'll look like you paid a whole lot more and feel great in this fine french-made bra and panty. And sometimes, that's all that matters.

Also available in this line is the t-shirt bra (not as lacy) and the shorty (gorgeous tulle throughout).