Wednesday 25 March 2009

Milan Catwalk Special

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it, so I’ve taken it upon myself to find some of the best lingerie videos from Milan’s 2008 lingerie catwalk extravaganzas.

2008 Milan Lingerie Show


Catwalk Lingerie Extreme 47 - Click here for more blooper videos


Catwalk Lingerie Extreme 46 - Click here for more home videos

Some spectacular designs and the bra aren't bad either....

Tuesday 24 March 2009

Funky Furnishings

There’s no doubt about it, the internet is the greatest resource out there if you want to find funky niche furniture to suite your own particular individual style. The interweb has allowed a whole generation of new designers to create, promote and sell all sorts of wacky and exotic pieces, from sofa to beds, to lamps and to dining room chairs.

Whilst skimming through the information super-highway I came across a number of interesting pieces. One I particularly like is this amazing sponge-like string chair designed by Fernando & Humberto Campana and available from Plushpod. Its flowing contours give it the most amazing jellyfish-like shape and it is certain to get an instant reaction from any visiting guest.

Another great piece is this Global Warming rug available from Nel.com. The rug depicts a lone Polar Bear stranded on solitary iceberg surrounded by sea. Manufactured by the Spanish rug and carpet company Nanimarquina, the Global Warming rug highlights and reflects a historical pictorial tradition seen in many ancient tapestries throughout the world.



I also love this little table from Sexyfurnishings, its simple and elegant; a great little piece that would fit into any home. It’s so good I had to get one and hopefully it’s winging its way to me right now.

The sheer depth and availability for retailers on the internet is phenomenal. It truly allows small businesses to vastly expand and reach those markets that were previously tied up big corporations.

Monday 23 March 2009

D.I.Y for the win....



In the recent few weeks I found myself sitting in my room at home and looking at the boring bleak walls; something had to be done I decided. Boring white walls and pre-fabricated 1970’s furniture, just doesn’t cut it anymore in today’s high paced society. A revamp was definitely needed. So armed with my credit card I headed down to the nearest D.I.Y shop to blow this month’s wages on an assortment of paints, scrapers and brushes.

Having decided on a Mediterranean-terracotta style colour scheme I duly grabbed some paints and dustsheets and started attacking the walls with ferocity. Several days later and slightly intoxicated from the paint fumes my room was complete. Cup of tea in one hand and cigarette in the other, I sat back and observed my triumphant D.I.Y blitz. However, something was amiss. The white skirting boards didn’t tie in, the blue carpet was a complete no-no and my furniture was definitely 40 years out of date.

As always with D.I.Y one venture often uncovers a new problem that needs to be rectified. With the help of a builder friend of mine I ripped out the skirting, bought some new ones and spent a few days applying a dark varnish to give it that dark wood African feel. As poker players say I was totally pot-committed now, so I ripped up the carpet to reveal the floorboards. A day of arduous sanding was followed by another day of strenuous varnishing and polishing.

Sensing completion I decided to go the whole hog. My sofa was decaying and presumed dead, so being the cheapskate that I am I headed down to the local tip to see if they had any reasonably healthy ones on offer. My luck was in and I managed to pick up a nice 2 settee for £40. A couple of yellow throws later and the sofa looked good as new. I thought about looking for beds but in the end I realised that mine was fairly new and already suited the dark wood interior; all that was really needed was a few new sheets and covers to match the colour scheme.

All in all I spent a lot more than I intended too, but I managed to get the result I was looking for in the end. A few finishing touches including some African masks, new curtains and a tasteful vase of flowers completed the job.

Friday 20 March 2009

Busting!

Mmm Bra’s

Like most men I have a small love/hate relationship with lingerie. My love for it of course comes from looking at beautiful women wearing scantily clad clothes; where as my dislike for it comes from trying to peel it off and from having been dragged through numerous department store lingerie sections and feeling completely out of place. The only time a man is ever in a lingerie section is when he’s attempting to purchase a present for his Mrs’ and when out shopping with his girl. Often you see guys just standing around looking bemused and trying not to stare. Entering a lingerie section is often like landing on a different planet for men.

Over the last decade the lingerie market has exploded. The internet has allowed young designers and small companies to expand and compete with some of their biggest rivals. Reports indicate that the UK lingerie market is worth an estimated 2.37bn and has expanded by 16.5% since 2004. Recent information suggests that the lingerie market is also recession proof as sales have risen a further 12% within the last 3 months.

Top 5 Online Lingerie retailers

Agent provocateur : Some extremely unique and stunningly designed items, well worth a look at.

Marks and Spencers : Great prices and a good selection with some elegant and stylish ranges.

Knicker Picker : Must admit I love this site! The flash model viewer is a great idea, choose
your girl and choose your style, spin 'em and see what it would be really like to wear.

Body Lingerie : Great American site with a huge selection with some very kinky items.

Pampered Passions : Another great American site with lots to pick and choose from, altogether very nice.

LoL – I must admit researching this was a hard task (there’s no smut involved, it’s just a statement), but there are some excellent sites out there. Two sites I would like to particularly mention are Lingerie League and Lingerie Post. The LFL is perhaps Americas greatest sport invention, yep you got it it’s the Lingerie Football League. The-lingerie-post.com is an incredibly informative and well presented lingerie blog with lots of the latest and hotest chic designs from all across the world.

Thursday 19 March 2009

Calling all Shoppers!

Welcome all to Shoppa-Dabba-Do! Get all the latest shopping news and retail info from around the UK and the rest of the world. Over the next few months we'll be inundating the site with all the latest items, gadgets and gizmos that we can get our hands on! We're going to investigate all the newest trends and fads that we can find and bring them straight to you through the power of the tinterweb.

We'll have fashion, cars, funky houses, shoes, websites and anything else we can find to make shopping that little bit easier. So stay tuned folks and Shoppa-Dabba-Do.