silk lingerie

My desire for warmth and comfort is greater than ever at this time of the year. Wool, cashmere and thick cotton fabrics are having a moment in my weekly rotation. While we often think of such fabrics as material for outerwear, there are a growing number of options for lingerie meant to protect us from the bite of the cold.

As a late eighties baby, the original Lucy Jones Lingerie was before my time. It was founded by Lucy Jones in Liverpool in 1980 and went on to what I can only describe as phenomenal success for a small, independent brand, being stocked in leading department stores including the likes of Harrods.

Marjolaine is a French luxury lingerie brand which is best known for its lavish use of appliqué, often featuring delicate floral lace stitched over a contrasting silk satin base. I love those pieces (how could I not?), but what I really adore are their slip designs that use super-sized embroidery appliqués.

Fréolic London is a premium brand that’s focused on making the experience of buying luxurious, semi-bespoke lingerie more accessible and affordable. They offer pre-designed garment shapes that can be ordered in a (very!) wide array of colour and fabric choices.

Lately, I’ve found myself wearing slips more than anything else in my wardrobe – including bras! Like robes, they’re easy to throw on in the morning as loungewear, and I also style many of them as outerwear simply by adding a strapless bra underneath and a skirt on top.

Alice Acreman Silks isn’t the type of brand I usually feature on the blog; it’s not a lingerie label, but rather a fashion and furnishings one whose designer just happened to turn one of her signature printed silks into a cami set. And isn’t the result just delightful?

This year I’m seeing a trend of silk slips that double as both loungewear and dresses you can wear out and about. So many slips this season are designed in gorgeous opaque colours and fun prints that they’re pratically begging to be shown off in public.

The Glycine long nightdress is made from 100% silk satin, which is cut on the bias (a fabric-intensive and therefore more expensive technique) for a better drape on the body. It’s trimmed with guipure, which is one of the primary reasons I chose this piece in particular.

Created by Karolina Kobets, JTM Noir Lingerie focusses primarily on satin robes, though they also offer nightgowns and pyjamas and have a small range of linen pieces. Some designs tend towards a fairly minimal look, but it’s the swishy, lace-trimmed garments where the brand’s decadent vision truly shines.

Looking at Helen Valk Varavin’s designs is like peering into a lush fairytale. There is definitely something magical about these luxe underthings, which are often named after famous mythological women and are designed “with modern goddesses in mind”.