shopping

 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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in Just Because / Main 0 comments
 by Danea

Fashion Friday Rash Guards | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photography Now for a little Fashion Friday PSA…

My husband and I are heading to Cancun on Monday to celebrate our anniversary, so it seemed like a perfect time to talk about this trend I’m seeing a lot of this spring – rash guards and swim shirts.

Rash guards are nothing new, but I’ve always associated them more with surfers and other water sport aficionados, than the general beach-going masses. Now, what was once known more as a sporting good item, rash guards are becoming a fashionable piece of swimwear.

When I first started seeing rash guards popping up in mainstream swimwear lines, I wasn’t really on board with the trend. Why would I want to wear a long-sleeved shirt at the beach? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of wearing a bathing suit?

Well, there was one thing I was overlooking – the sun protection factor. While I’ve always slathered on sunscreen before hitting the beach, I never really took sun protection much farther than that. After having a funky (though benign) mole removed from my back a few months ago, I started thinking more about what I could do to protect myself from the sun, and rash guards suddenly made a lot more sense.

There have been many times I’ve wanted to swim a few laps in the pool, but had no one around to make sure I didn’t miss any spots on my back with sunscreen. Enter rash guard – problem solved!

I’ll be wearing sunscreen and spending my time under an umbrella on the beach this year, but what about when I’m in the water? Having a rash guard provides a perfect extra layer of protection.

Granted rash guards aren’t exactly as cute as a fun bikini top, there are so many fun options out there and they’re available at all price points. Here are a few of my favorites:

rash guards

1. Nanette Lepore Etienne Rashguard – Anthropologie

2. Mini Botanical Print Rash Guard – J.Crew

3. High Swells Rashguard – Anthropologie

4. Paisley Adjustable Swim Tunic Rash Guard – Land’s End

I purchased the blue paisley one from Land’s End, along with a matching navy blue bikini. I liked this one because it would keep my back covered, since my main concern is areas I can’t reach. (I’m still not quite sold on long sleeves on the beach.) I also thought the v-neck and side ties made it a bit more feminine.

After seeing so many of these rash guards in catalogues, I’m curious to see how many are actually on the beach, and whether this trend will stick around longer than this summer. Anyone else on board with the rash guard trend? Let us know in the comments.

Nicole

 

 

in Fashion Friday / Just Because / Main / What To Wear 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:

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

Fashion Friday Show-Stopping Shoes | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photographyFor last week’s Fashion Friday we talked about fabulous backsides. Today I wanted to feature another fun detail that’s often overlooked – shoes!

Shoes might not be the first thing to come to mind when you’re planning boudoir outfits, but they can really add another dimension to your photos.

Got a pair of killer heels that leave you with aching feet and blisters? Perfect! Since you’ll only be on your feet for a short amount of time, and you won’t have to walk 16 blocks, a boudoir session is the perfect time to wear those totally impractical stilettos you promised yourself you’d find a reason to wear one day. Even if you only wear the shoes once, you’ll have photos to cherish forever.

For my session I wore a pair of black five-inch heels that had been hiding in the back of my closet since the day I purchased them at TJMaxx (a great place to look for shoes if you need them). They turned out to be difficult to walk in and a bit too big, but my judgement was clouded by the $19.99 price tag. They might not be great for everyday, but they were perfect for my session.

Need inspiration? Here are a few of my favorites from around the web:

show-stopping shoes
If you’re thinking about what shoes to wear for a boudoir session, it’s important to plan around the rest of your outfit. Do you want
your shoes to be the star of the show like these?

 Sexy pictures calssy boudoir

Sexy lingerie photos San Jose bay Area

Or do you just need something simple and sexy to complement a hot outfit like this one?

San Francisco Boudoir

 

Don’t forget, if you need help, Boudoir Coterie offers free wardrobe consultations with all regular sessions.

Thinking about getting your feet wet (no pun intended:-) and scheduling a 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 Sessions / Fashion Friday / Main / What To Wear 0 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