Devon Kenny

 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday Ampere Lingerie | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photographyHappy Friday, everyone!

It’s been more than a few weeks since I’ve talked about lingerie here, so it’s about high time to get back to that. I hope you enjoyed a few other fun diversions in the meantime.

I was pondering what I wanted to cover this week when I came across a post in my Facebook feed about an event featuring Ampere lingerie.

I’ve never heard of Ampere lingerie before so I decided to check it out. As it turns out, I’m just a few Facebook friends removed from one of the founders.

Ampere is a relatively new and small line of lingerie that features a few classic (and beautiful) staples, but there are a few special features which I think make them really unique.

Correct fit is one of the major focuses of Ampere Lingerie, which is currently only available online. To ensure the best fit possible, Ampere offers 28 different bra sizes and free shipping and returns. What’s even better is that with each bra order they send you a few sizes to try, so you can keep the one that fits best and return the others free of charge. Pretty neat if you ask me.

The bras are a bit pricey (about $95), but they are made from high quality materials and every bra purchase comes with a free panty (why doesn’t everyone do this?).

Here are a few items from their current collection:

ampere

 

I feel like I say it a lot about lingerie I feature on Fashion Friday, but I really like how classic and pretty their styles are. While the colors and silhouettes are rather basic, the details make each of these pieces truly special and definitely boudoir worthy.

Unfortunately I don’t have $95 laying around in bra-money right now, but next time I do, I might just have to give one of these a try!

Has anyone bought anything from this line? I’d love to hear feedback! And of course we’d love to see it in the studio too. Give us a call or shoot us an email to schedule a boudoir session today.

bcoterie@sbcglobal.net or 408.460.1855

 

Nicole

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!





in Boudoir Must Haves / Main / Sheer & Sexy / What To Wear 0 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday Worn on TV | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photographyA few weeks ago I wrote about Rent the Runway, and this week I’ve got another fun new internet find for you – Worn on TV!

Do you get excited when you see someone wearing something you own on TV? As corny as it sounds, I totally do. On the last season of Modern Family, Claire Dunphy had the same J.Crew purse as me, and I got a little giddy every time I saw it.

Now, if you want to buy something that was worn on your favorite TV show, or are just curious to know where stuff is from, you can find out on Worn on TV.

I don’t even remember how I happened to stumble on this site, but it’s pretty neat. It features a ton of popular shows, which are catalogued by episode, and provides links to many of the items worn on the show.

As you can imagine, a lot of the fashions are designer, but there are a lot that aren’t too, so it’s worth checking out if you see something you like. You never know when it might just be from Target!

One of my favorite shows is “The Mindy Project,” and although it features a ton of Kate Spade, they also feature some more affordable options from stores like ModCloth too. Here are a few of the ModCloth pieces that have been featured on the show:

mindy project

In addition to being able to search the site by show, there’s also a section that allows you to see fashions from the most popular stores. These include some designers, but also stores like J.Crew, ModCloth, Anthropologie and Forever 21.

While I can’t say I’d buy something just because it was on TV, I like being able to see where all of the clothes come from. I guess it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Nicole

 

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!





in Just Because / Main 0 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday Rent the Runway | San Jose Boudoir Photography


Boudoir Coterie Portrait photography I wanted to share a recent discovery of mine that’s not totally new, but new to me and totally fabulous.

My mother-in-law told me about Rent the Runway (RTR) a few years ago when I was looking for a wedding dress. They didn’t really have what I was looking for then, but I must have signed up somewhere with my email, because a couple weeks ago I got a promotional email from them (the first one ever) offering $25 off my first rental.

If you’re not familiar with RTR, it’s a shop that rents designer dresses for a fraction of the purchase price. You simply pick your style, order it, and it’s shipped to you via UPS. You can even order a second size for free. After your event you return your dress in a prepaid envelope and RTR takes care of the cleaning for you. You even get to keep the garment bag it’s originally shipped in (I don’t know why, but this was a big plus for me. I could see these coming in handy later.)

First of all, I have to commend them for good email marketing. If they’d been spamming me weekly since I signed up, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. I loved that they didn’t contact me for more than a year, and when they did, it was with a deal. Kudos.

RTR must have known is was a good time to contact me because my wedding anniversary was this past weekend, my birthday is this coming weekend, and my husband’s birthday is at the end of the month.

After browsing the site a bit, I decided to take them up on the $25 off my first rental and got the “Some Like it Hot” dress by Milly to wear for my anniversary dinner. The price tag on this rental was a little high (to me at least), but with the $25 deal, I decided to go for it.

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I have to admit, I was a little nervous about falling in love with the dress and wanting to buy it (it retails for more than $400), but I actually didn’t. The dress was fabulous, but not something I’d wear enough to warrant even thinking about buying it, and the fit wasn’t perfect.

After my first rental I was totally hooked. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long for my  next one, because I ordered the “Guilty as Charged” dress by BCBCMAXAZRIA  for a casual birthday party earlier this week. This dress was super cute a comfy, though a little hot. I had no idea it was going to be 90 degrees this week!

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This dress I actually might have considered buying because I think it’d be great with tights and boots in the winter, and I would actually get a lot of wear out of it. However, I checked the BCBGMAXAZRIA site and couldn’t find it anywhere, which leads me to believe it’s an older style. Oh well.

What I really love about Rent the Runway is that there are reviews from real people, and many post photos of themselves in the dresses. This way you get an idea of what the dress would look like on someone your size, and not just the model. You can actually enter your body type, age, height, weight, bra size, etc. into the site and then search for photos of other users with similar proportions. It’s pretty neat! Most of the dresses I’ve looked at go up to size 12 or so, and they also have a plus-size page too.

On top of having fabulous dresses, Rent the Runway also has a huge collection of accessories, which would be perfect for a boudoir session. Rental prices range from $5 all the way up to $400. Since most of us don’t typically purchase jewelry to match our favorite lingerie, this is a perfect opportunity to borrow something that would. They have a lot of pretty fancy stuff, so it would be great for weddings too!

Have you tried Rent the Runway? If so, let us know what you think in the comments. I know I’m hooked!

Nicole

 

in Beauty/Glamour / Main / What To Wear 4 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday Dita Von Teese | San Jose Boudoir Photography

I Boudoir Coterie Portrait photography have to admit, I didn’t know a whole lot about Dita Von Teese other than that she was once married to Marilyn Manson and is often seen showing off her curves in sexy lingerie, but when Danea told me about her new line at Bloomingdale’s, I decided it was time to find out more.

From my quick Wikipedia research, Dita Von Teese (born Heather Renne Sweet) is most famous for re-popularizing burlesque performance, and is also a model, actress and entrepreneur.

Her most recent entrepreneurial endeavor is her Bloomingdale’s lingerie line, and I have to say, it is gorgeous!

Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to actually check any of these out in person since the closest Bloomingdales is a bit of a trek from my house, but based on the reviews on their site, Dita’s line is not only gorgeous, but also good quality (as I’d expect from Bloomingdale’s).

This collection definitely has a lot of burlesque influence and is classically sexy. I really like how black lace seems to be the uniting element, but it’s accented with pops of color and other unique details. Here are a few of my favorites:

more dita

What I really love about Dita’s lingerie is that it’s all timeless, which is especially important when you’re planning a photo session. No one wants to look back at what they were wearing in a few years and wonder “what was I thinking?”

Although red isn’t always advised for boudoir sessions, this set is gorgeous. Check out the details on the bra!

dita von teese

 

And then there’s these panties! Is it weird that I wish they could show the back of these panties on a model? I guess it wouldn’t be appropriate for the Bloomingdale’s website, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this photo is not even close to doing them justice.

Dita Von Teese Bikini - Savoir Faire #Y22957 | Bloomingdale's

So there you have it. Has anyone tried on or seen this collection in person? I’d love to hear about it!

Of course, we’d also love to see some of this lingerie in the studio, so if you’ve got some and want to schedule a session, give us a call or shoot us an email today!

bcoterie@sbcglobal.net or 408.460.1855

 

Nicole

 

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!





in Beauty/Glamour / Boudoir Must Haves / Main / Sheer & Sexy / What To Wear 1 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday Behind the Scenes | San Jose Boudoir Photographer

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photographyFriday already? Where did this week go?

I was browsing the Anthropolgie website while trying to come up with ideas for this week’s post, when I found this gorgeous pajama set (pictured in the graphic below). I quickly saved it to Pinterest (my birthday is coming after all) and moved along.

Still stuck on ideas, I decided to check out lingerie on Pinterest, and came across a cute lace racerback bra that I see getting re-pinned quite often. That’s when it hit me — what did the cute PJ set and this lacy bra have in common — they are both pretty from all angles!

Let’s face it, most of the time we focus on what we can easily see in the mirror, and forget about the other side.  I know Danea features some fabulous tushies every Tuesday around here, but what about the rest of the back side? It’s not just all about the booty!

I love the simplicity of a gorgeous back shot. While a woman’s back is totally sexy on it’s own, sometimes it’s nice to add some pretty lingerie to accentuate it even more.

Here’s some lingerie that’s eye catching from all angles:

behind the scenes boudoir

Clockwise:

1. Bryony Sleep Set – Anthropologie 

2. Eberjey Colette Racerback Bralete – Journelle

3. Strappy Slip – Victoria’s Secret

4. Strappy Back Bra – Free People

I’m really loving this sleep set from Anthropologie because it’s totally sexy, but looks really comfortable for every-day wear. That gives it an A+ in my book. You could also swap out the bottom for a black lacy boy short for a different kind of look.

On that note, I think any of these pieces would be fabulous for a boudoir session. Ready to show off all of your sides? Gives us a call or shoot us an email today!

bcoterie@sbcglobal.net or 408.460.1855

 

Nicole

 

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!





in Boudoir Must Haves / Boudoir Sessions / Main / Sheer & Sexy 0 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday Bridal Boudoir | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photography

Happy Fashion Friday!

Bridal Boudoir is becoming more and more popular these days (if you don’t believe me – take a look at Pinterest!) and there are so many cute outfit options. If you’re planning a bridal boudoir session and need some inspiration, read on!

I had a boudoir photo session about a year ago as a gift for myself (okay, it was actually a gift for my husband-to-be, but if you’ve had a boudoir photo shoot you know what I’m talking about!). Bridal was one part of the session, but looking back I really put a lot more effort into my other two outfits. With all of the other wedding planning I had going on, when it came to the bridal part of my session, I just grabbed a cute white bra and panty set from Victoria’s Secret and called it a day. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good bra and panty set, I was really just in a rush and had no idea how many other options there were.

If you’re in the midst of planning a wedding AND a bridal boudoir photo shoot, here are some fun ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Now that I’ve found all of these, I might just have to have an anniversary session one day. White isn’t really just for brides anyway. bridal boudoir

 

Clockwise:

When you’re planning for a bridal session, don’t forget about accessories. One of the easiest things to do is to wear your wedding accessories if you already have them. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. Flowers also make a great prop and they don’t have to be anything too fancy. I’m a big fan of a simple bouquet with just one type of flower like we have shown HERE in one of my past bridal posts. It’s a great way to add a pop of color without being a distraction. Or, if you happen to be splurging for a trial bouquet and time it right, you could always use that too.

Want to schedule a bridal boudoir session? Give us a call or shoot us an email today!

bcoterie@sbcglobal.net or 408.460.1855

 

Nicole

 

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!





in Beauty/Glamour / Boudoir Must Haves / Boudoir Sessions / Main / Sheer & Sexy / What To Wear 1 comments
 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday eBay Finds | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photography

Happy Friday, everyone! For this week’s Fashion Friday, I wanted to share some fabulous vintage finds from eBay.

I have to admit, eBay isn’t the first place that comes to mind when I think of lingerie shopping, but after Danea scored a gorgeous vintage nightgown this week, I decided to give it a gander.

Browsing eBay is not exactly like walking into your favorite lingerie shop, but if you keep an open mind, you’re bound to find some unique vintage pieces and even a few bargains.

eBay obviously doesn’t have quite the same aesthetic as a Victoria’s Secret catalog, so you have to use your imagination a little (not that Victoria’s Secret catalogues are an accurate depiction of reality anyway). Most items are poorly photographed, loosely draped across creepy mannequins, and are often set against distracting backgrounds.

See what I mean?

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Is she going to the beach in that??

ebay image 2

That wallpaper….

However, once you look past all of that, how gorgeous are these nightgowns — and how amazing would they be to rock for a boudoir photo session? I love how they’re classically sexy and would be flattering for many figure types.

Don’t forget, Boudoir Coterie offers wardrobe consultations with many of our packages, so if you aren’t sure about something you want to purchase for a session, you can always send Danea a link before you bid.

Here are a few of my favorites that are still up for auction (at the time this was originally posted):

ebay mint nightie

This sheer mint nightgown is gorgeous and a perfect color for spring.

ebay blue nightgown

I love how this color really pops and is another fabulous option for spring.

ebay black lace

This nightgown has really gorgeous lace detailing on top.

ebay white lace

This one is vintage Christian Dior. Check out that lace!

So what do you think? Would you buy lingerie on eBay? Are you ready to add one of these to your collection? If you’re ready to show off your awesome vintage eBay find, give us a call or shoot us an email to schedule a session today!

bcoterie@sbcglobal.net or 408.460.1855

Nicole

 

 

 

 

in Boudoir Must Haves / Main / Sheer & Sexy / What To Wear 1 comments