A Sweet Treat: Betty Blue’s Loungewear Valentine’s Collection

I’ve always loved the glamorous image of a woman getting ready in her boudoir. A recent post from The Lingerie Addict on Pre-Code Hollywood Lingerie perfectly captures the mood of decadence, elegance, and sensuality that makes my heart flutter and imagination soar. Most days I, and I imagine many of us, are rushing to get out the door and running around getting ready in our pajamas, a warm robe, a towel, half of our work/school clothes…you get my drift. Having the resources to assemble a special loungewear wardrobe, not to mention the time/lifestyle/budget that allows for that wardrobe, just isn’t a possibility for most people. But man oh man is the idea appealing: silk, feathers, lace, embroidery, special gowns and chemises and caftans and robes: I’d love to live a Mariah-Carey-style life where those made up the bulk of my wardrobe. As a subway-riding 9-to-5-er, that’s not happening anytime soon, but in recent years, when I’ve had the occasion to splurge and get myself a treat, I find myself gravitating towards loungewear pieces that capture some of that glamour and elegance, while still feeling practical and wearable in my current life.

One of my favorite indie brands I’ve discovered through blogging is Betty Blue’s Loungewear. Inspired by the styles of the first half of the 20th century, Betty Blue’s offers loungewear and accessories in both silk and manmade fibers that perfectly capture the elegance, glamour, and (occasional) whimsy that I love in vintage lingerie. I own the brand’s original Peach Bettie Nightgown (worn for the Agent Carter lookbook from 2015), and even though I usually avoid synthetic fabrics in my nightwear for sensitivity reasons, I LOVE sleeping in this piece. It’s soft, smooth, and has nice stretch, and the fabric feels comfortable and breathable.

For a few recent seasons Betty Blue’s narrowed their size range dramatically and I was unable to wear their pieces, but I was delighted to discover that not only have they just released a new collection for Valentine’s Day, consisting of a cami/babydoll, knicker, eye mask, and turban, they’ve also returned to their original size chart, which includes both XS and XL! Not only is that lovely peach satin fabric back, but they’ve also used a stunning blue silk satin for a more luxurious option.

This collection ticks all of my boxes:

• The colors are perfect
• There is blue silk satin as a sensitivity-friendly option
• There is peach man-made satin as a vegan option
• There is dotted black tulle, more dotted black tulle for everyone
• There are gathers and elastic through the bust for a flexible fit
• There are matching knickers
• The cami top is short (I prefer sleeping without anything around my legs)
• There are matching EYE MASKS and TURBANS for glamour/whimsy
• It is photographed on an old-timey train, where I have always wanted to do a lingerie shoot and where I fervently believe 30% of all lingerie shoots could conceivably take place

Each piece can be purchased separately, or you can purchase all four pieces in a gift box for a slightly reduced price. I was literally about to place a Valentine’s Day order for myself last week (the blue luxe gift box, because hello, it’s gorgeous, and I think I need a turban now?) when I received the ping of an email from my vet containing an estimate for an upcoming procedure for Gus, who has suddenly become the world’s most expensive cat.

So alas, no Valentine’s Day treat for me this year. Still! Someone else please buy some of these pieces or one of the gift boxes and enjoy it so I can live vicariously through you.

Location: Shillingstone Railway, Dorset UK
Model: Betty Hobcraft
Photographer: Mathew Keller

February 9, 2017 by Sweets | 0 comment