Nowadays, there is a ton of lingerie on the market that draws subtle inspiration from kink culture, whether it’s strappy knickers or bras with attached collars. And while it’s awesome to see these styles trending, let’s not forget about the many incredible, independent designers creating lingerie that is more ouvert in its kinkspiration.

A while back, someone wrote in asking about where they could find double-strapped suspender belts. I know this is a style Agent Provocateur has done more than once, but at the time they had nothing (and currently still don’t), and at first it seemed like nowhere else did either.

If there’s one lingerie brand in the world that truly deserves to call itself iconic, it’s Agent Provocateur. Even its packaging is instantly recognisable – a pink box and black ribbon that have become synonymous with beautiful underthings and self-indulgence.

As a longtime fan of Playful Promises, I’ve loved seeing their name and imagery popping up in more mainstream publications. The brand has done so much work over the past few years in expanding their size range, tackling a lot of stereotypes about the lingerie industry, and collaborating with some amazing people.

In January of this year, Hopeless released the Garden of Earthly Delights collection, also known as G.O.E.D. It’s an exploration of complexity, opposition, and contradiction. According to the brand, this is a collection for the angel in hell or the devil in heaven.

We’ve got bras engineered to shape your bust in practically any way – to make it look rounder, pointier, more lifted, more pushed-together, bigger, and yes, smaller too. That last one is what we call a ‘minimiser’ bra.

The more you read about bra fitting, the more complex it can seem. I’d like to change that, by breaking down some different aspects of it and explaining them as clearly as possible. First up, a helpful little thing called sister sizing.

My upcoming beach holiday (for my 30th in a couple of weeks, eek!) and this European heatwave we’re having have, naturally, got me thinking about swimwear again. I treated myself to a couple of sale pieces and then, because it’s fun to dream, I started researching what I would buy if money were no object.

Last year I reviewed and compared five lingerie subscription services. Empress Mimi was one of them, and one of my two favourites. Since then, Empress Mimi has changed things up a bit. One of those changes is that each month now comes with its own theme, right down to a custom artwork on the box.

I’ve been particularly drawn to the relatively new Rougette designs by Tutti Rouge, many of which are bralettes fitted by cup and back size. Ideal for someone like me who has a large cup and small back!