A warm welcome back to Merci's Special Markets Editor, Amélie, who continues to report on far-away destinations and inspirations for the city bride... Here at Merci we love to know what’s happening on the other side of the Atlantic. After introducing you to some French classics, it is now time to go visit our lovely British neighbors. In London, they take lingerie très seriously! And they are right; From your wedding day to your honeymoon and beyond, lingerie is an essential part of your wedding clothing that is often underestimated.
This week, I had the chance to chat with Nicola Adams, the owner of Tallulah, a luxury lingerie store based in the trendy Islington district of London, as she just launched an online bridal boutique offering delightful silk and satin pieces such as bespoke handmade silk knickers. Women from around the world come to shop at Tallulah, so I was thrilled to have a chance to ask Nicola everything New York City brides should know about Tallulah Bridal Lingerie.
Can you tell me more about Tallulah London? Tallulah was established after I worked for years as a womenswear buyer in London. One of the problems that I noticed when I dressed women was ill fitting underwear. It was shocking that some women spent so much money on their clothes but seemed to neglect what was underneath. We will actually be celebrating our seven year anniversary in November which is incredibly exciting.
What prompted Tallullah to launch an online bridal lingerie boutique?I didn't want to open an online boutique as first because I didn't think it would offer the intimate experience I want my customers to have. However we get so many brides coming into the store from all over the world as well as friends and family members looking to purchase hen night gifts that it was the right thing to do. So we developed a few handmade items that customers didn't have to come in to be fitted for. It was just the most logical step to do in terms of expanding the Tallulah brand. We also pride ourselves on excellent customer service and we want to be able to serve our customers that can't make it to the store.
What do you offer that our readers can’t already find in NYC? Have you noticed any differences between the UK and the American market?When researching bridal lingerie in NYC, I was unable to come across anything that was beautifully handmade as well as being reasonably priced with a good fit. I've also noticed that in the UK we seem more used to having a fitting as part of the lingerie shopping experience. Whenever I am in NYC, I visit many lingerie boutiques and get fitted, alas it never comes up to our standard at Tallulah.
According to you, what makes the difference between bridal and traditional luxury lingerie?Well the chance of having your husband’s name in hand embroidery on silk knickers is one. I wouldn't say that there is a huge difference. Traditionally bridal lingerie will be in Ivory tones. Some people just treat themselves to lovely lingerie for a special occasion such as their wedding, but there are also lots of people that treat themselves on a regular basis, I find once you get a taste for well fitted fine lingerie, it becomes an obsession, a very healthy obsession!
What do you think are the essentials of bridal lingerie?We kick start with our bridal appointments with the boring but very practical pieces of wedding day lingerie such as seamless knickers or strapless bras. We have so many brides visiting us with a lace corset in mind to wear under their very expensive wedding dress but 9 times out of 10 it turns out that they can only wear smooth seamless lingerie. After this the fun part begins with helping the bride to choose the wedding night lingerie and then finally for the honeymoon.
How important do you think lingerie is in a wedding?Very, very important! It's the most exciting part of the wedding, isn't it? I love silk, lace and pearls and what girl doesn't? After all the guests have gone, it’s just you and your new husband That's when the fun begins. On the more practical side you need lingerie that's going to fit properly under your dress. The correct lingerie can alter your whole figure and give you extra confidence. I think it's also essential to have a silk robe if you're going to have a photographer snapping away while you're getting ready, this will also come in handy when you are changing out of your practical lingerie into your wedding night fun outfit. One simply slips into the bathroom, gets changed and comes out in her silk robe, what’s underneath her husband will think has been there all day....Men have no idea!
Who are your clients? The bride or the bridesmaids?We get a lot of brides that come in with their friends to help them choose their wedding lingerie. This is one of the reasons why we've recently launched our wedding lingerie list service. Soon to be brides can come in and choose what items they may desire and we can send their wish list to friends and family. This is a way of making things easier for people looking to buy presents for someone but not wanting to get the wrong thing.
Tallulah may be across the pond, but access to all their gorgeous linegerie goodness is only a click away- here.All images courtesy of Tallulah.
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