The French movie The Artist is released nationwide in the UK on 5th January (it's already out on limited release in the USA). It's a silent black and white movie set in the lat 1920s which follows the move from silent movie to the talkies. The first I heard about the film was when I saw a trailer when I went to see 'My Week With Marilyn'. Not only is it a captivating idea, but it has links with What Katie Did as Besame Cosmetics are featured in the film! The Artist is rumoured to be on the Oscar shortlist (as is My Week With Marilyn). Will Besame Cosmetics or What Katie Did lingerie be Oscar winners next year?!

Here Katie talks you through everything you need to know about buying a suspender belt including fit, amount of straps and the all important clips.
 

Friday 4th November is the US release date for the movie 'My Week With Marilyn' (it will open in the UK late November). Fans of What Katie Did will know that we supplied the lingerie worn in the film. Lingerie was an integral part of the '50s look, with circle stitch bullet bras pushing the breasts into a prominent conical shape, and girdles and corselettes providing a smooth line under tight wiggle dresses. Our Glamour Corselette and Harlow Bullet Bra were both purchased in large quantities by the film's wardrobe department and we can't wait to see if they're actually going to be seen on the silver screen!

In the final part of her series, Lucy W reviews our Morticia corset (which turns out to be her favourite, surprise, surprise!)

Today Lucy W reviews our Mae corset on Youtube.

In the second of her series, Lucy W reviews our Gina underbust corset on her Youtube channel.

The Daily Mail featured our Maitresse bullet bra in a 'push up bra comparison' feature: which is rather bizarre as the bullet bra is not supposed to push up at all! If anything it pushes out. Anyway, for this reason we can't be too disappointed with our 2 out of 5 rating: after all, they did rate us top in their bullet bra comparison feature a few months ago (I should think so too!) Here's what they have to say:

What Katy Did Bullet Bra, £27.50

With its its retro feel and Madonna-esque conical cups this bra certainly gives you a different shape to most others on the market. Cone-shaped bosoms are guaranteed to give you an attention-grabbing shape, whatever your bra size. But while it's great fun, I'm not sure this is really wardrobe staple - maybe great fancy dress party instead.
2/5

It's been a tumultuous few months in the UK, both politically, economically, and environmentally. And it's a proven fact that when times are tough, British women turn to little treats like lipstick to lift their spirits and help them 'put on a brave face'. The hard-working girls of World War Two famously tried to keep morale high by always looking good despite their hardships. The epic queues that greeted new shipments of lipstick during those dark years proved what a slick of pillarbox red can do, both for the wearer and those she encounters!

Vintage glamour has always been the order of the day for What Katie Did. Not content with making ladies across the world look fabulous from the neck down, the UK's top retro lingerie designers have just added the entire range of gorgeous Besame Cosmetics to their website and Portobello Road boutique. Just as What Katie Did aim to do with their lingerie, this Californian makeup company strives to make women feel beautiful and glamorous, combining stunning vintage-style packaging design with very modern, all-natural formulas that both pamper skin and stay firmly put.

Their signature product is the Classic Enchanting Lipstick. Each of the 10 different shades of highly pigmented colour comes in a little 1940s style gold metal bullet, etched with Besame's Art Deco-inspired logo. Their uniquely shaped tip, and semi-matte formula makes application a breeze and dry lips a distant memory. The Voluptuous Lip Colour sets feature a full-sized lipstick in a glossy black enamel tube, a matching liner and a rather nifty little ergonomic lip brush. The Boudoir Rouge and Vintage Alluring Eyeshadows are packaged in little mirrored metal cases, perfect for applying on the go. Besame's practical Classic Masterliner Pencils come in eye, lip and eyebrow varieties. The refillable Cashmere Powder Compact is the sort of thing you imagine a silver-screen movie star would pull from her designer handbag, and even comes with a little velvet travel pouch! Finally, for those modern girls who can't quite give up glosses, there are the Classic Glazes and the tinted Sweetheart Balm, with its cute glass
and bakelite pot. None of Besame's products are tested on animals, neither do they contain any nasties like parabens, sulfates or synthetic fragrances... with natural vanilla, rose and cherry scents galore, they all smell as gorgeous as they look.

What Katie Did is the only UK company to carry the entire Besame range, and the boutique is the only place to have them on display, ready to be seen, touched and tried! Almost all the staff members at the shop are trained makeup artists, and all have declared their undying love for Besame's gorgeously green products. It's hard to imagine a more ringing endorsement!

So, at a time when we could all do with a bit of extra cheer (and a stiff upper lip!), a flash of Besame Red would certainly not go amiss. Lipstick is firmly back in fashion, and it shows no sign of fading!

It's not often you come across a swanky looking wine stall at a hotrod show (especially one where the wine is not supposed to be consumed there and then), but they tend to do things a little different in Vegas. We stumbled upon 'Sort This Out' cellars, a Californian winery which not only takes its' wine, but also it's bottle labels very seriously. We were delighted to see Jami Deadly decorating a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in our pink Maitresse lingerie set (now discontinued, but is still available in black or white).

We like the way they talk too: 'Tired of the traditional wine country narrative, we wanted to move beyond the iconic family winery, or estate grown grape paradigms that have dominated the California wine landscape and instead make wines that looked more like the people who drank them. Inspired by an old picture of the Rat Pack outside The Sands hotel in 1961, we called upon the values of a time when men had character, and women had curves. A time when you could smoke, drink, curse, and have a good time without apology. We built our wines around this classic American adult spirit, so eroded by political correctness and fear, to create wines that were unapologetic in their character. Wines that pair with good times and friends. We make wines that are just as at home at the poker table as the dinner table.'
 

If you've ever seen one of the pages of wardrobe malfunctions that grace the gossip mags these days, you may have caught a glimpse of shapewear peeking out  from under an A-List celebrity's red-carpet gown as they clamber back into their car. There's no doubt that big pants have been big news in recent years, launched back into the public eye by the infamous Bridget Jones and continued by television style evangelists like Trinny and Susannah. The fact that celebrities wear these items means that it's no longer a fashion faux-pas to do the same; and even the trimmest of us can sometimes benefit from a bit of help in the figure department, particularly those of us who are fans of vintage clothing.
 
Wearing vintage is a very different experience to wearing modern fashions. You often have to adapt your entire stance in order for it to fit properly – standing tall, sucking in your tummy and pushing out your chest. And what about the often disproportionately small waists of many skirts and dresses? The answer is simple – almost every woman, from the 1930s-1960s wore foundation garments. And that's why they always looked so good! Apart from the obvious smoothing, cinching and supporting benefits, wearing a sturdy girdle or cincher can actually give you better
posture; and they can even make a garment that seems a touch too small, actually fit.


 

But what's a glamorous girl to do if she wants that streamlined vintage silhouette without resorting to high-street brand, flesh-coloured shorts which personify the nickname 'passion-killers'?
 
Well, that's where What Katie Did comes in. We wanted for a long time to develop our own line of shapewear after selling a range of international brands over the years; and in Autumn 2008 our dream was realised. It was a labour of love, because we knew our customers would settle for nothing but the very best; and we finally released our long-awaited Glamour shapewear range to great acclaim. Featuring an amazing nine coordinating pieces, we're proud to say that there is a foundation garment to suit every shape, and indeed every outfit within our range. And, thanks to the shades (black and vintage peach) and the fabrics (slinky satin and powermesh) it all looks supremely chic – not a granny pant or cycling short in sight.
 
The Glamour range contains retro styled bras, both standard and longline; the perfect little girdle to smooth your derriere and skim inches off your hips, whilst holding up your seamed stockings; and a panty girdle that is a far cry from its matronly and restrictive predecessors. We positively encourage you to incorporate these pieces into your usual wardrobe, and feel a million dollars on an daily basis! But there are also some special occasion items that every girl should have in her lingerie drawer.

Find out which Glamour Shapewear item will solve your figure in our Shapewear Guide.