The Trouble With Broderie...
It's rare that I spend more time thinking about what to wear under an outfit than about the outfit itself, but figuring out what to wear under this semi-sheer broderie anglaise top took me longer than it did to decide on the rest of the ensemble put together. Broderie anglaise is one of my favourite fabrics and I never tire of wearing it, but on occasions, depending on the position of the of the eyelets, it can reveal more than I'm comfortable with. The cut and vibrant colour are why this turquoise shirt caught my eye, but I knew that wearing anything underneath it to preserve my modesty would add bulk and would detract from the beautiful floral eyelet pattern. I tried it with both a nude vest and a white vest and both looked untidy, showed my bra straps and kept coming untucked, which meant the neatness of semi-fitted shape was lost along with the impact of the lace.
The Perfect Solution
The solution came in the form of the Shapeez back smoothing bra and body shaper. This is a longline stretch satin vest with a moulded bra top which shapes and smoothes beautifully. It's close fitting without being in any way restrictive and it tucks in and stays put without wrinkling or riding up. It is ideal for wearing under tighter-fitting tops and dresses too because those ridges and bumps brought about by bra straps and fastenings are eliminated completely because of its wide straps (see the image at the foot of the post). It is clear from the photographs below that although it looks like I'm wearing nothing underneath my top, both my modesty and the beauty of the shirt remain intact!
You know by now that I love florals and a bit of sparkle. This embellished clutch reminds me of seashells and mother of pearl and it glimmers in the light. I love the scalloped edge, which echoes the scalloped hem of my shirt. I'm using it as a clutch here but it has a long chain strap too for wearing across the body for when the hands need to be free for holding cocktails. I added a little more sparkle with the rose-gold buckle wrap bracelet, (just £12.50 from Lizzy O, my own boutique; also available in silver-grey and in black). It's lightweight and comfortable which makes it the perfect bracelet to wear from beach to bar and everywhere in between.
I decided to keep the shoes simple so choose nude pumps which elongate the legs and which don't detract from the rest of the outfit. These are from Lotus Shoes and are made from the softest microfibre so they fit and feel like a glove. These are not just any nude pumps though, the fabulous multi-coloured wedge heel adds texture and colour and stops them from looking too safe. I love them.
Love Lizzy x
I'm wearing:
*Turquoise broderie anglaise blouse with collar, £45, Kaleidoscope
*The Ultimate Pretty, back smoothing bra and body shaper, £76.75, Shapeez
*Trinity microfibre wedge pumps in sand suede, £49.99, Lotus Shoes
Floral applique clutch, £29, Kaleidoscope
Rose gold wrap bracelet, £12.50, Lizzy O Sign up to my monthly newsletter here for exclusive subscriber discounts at Lizzy O.
*These items were gifted. This post was sponsored by Shapeez and by Lotus Shoes. My opinions are always 100% honest and the content is always my own. Thank you for supporting those brands that support What Lizzy Loves.
PS
This is what the Shapeez back smoothing bra and body shaper looks like
I'm linking up with:
I Will Wear What I Like/ Brilliant Blog Posts/The Saturday Share