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Allure
Leather
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Eldorado
Intimate
Payments
NandoVision
Risque
Wigs
Gozooko
Studio Time
Tia
Lyn
Lingerie
International
Lingerie Shows
Esty Lingerie
McPete
Sales
The Underfashion Club
Styles Fashion
Articles Of Interest
Garment Workers in
Cambodia Strike
Page 1
ILS & Las Vegas Halloween Show Video Shoot
Page 1
The International Lingerie
Show Overview
Page 1
Honduras Labor Complaint
Page
1
A Look at Alegro
Page
2
The International
Lingerie Show
Page
2
Intimate Graphics:
Gold Tattoos by Temporary Tattoo MFG
Page
2
Business and Technology: What’s the value of Facebook to
your business?
Page
2
Hanesbrands New Plans
Page
2
McPete Sez
Mailbag
Page
2
Lipgloss & Lace: Uh oh, H&M's in trouble again!
Page 3
Fab Foundations:
The New Age of Shapewear
Page 3
Four Ways to Improve
Your Lingerie Blog
Page 3
The Las Vegas
Halloween Show
Page 3
Ask the Gozooko Guys
Page 3
Ask Andy
Page
3
The International Lingerie
Show Continued
Page 4
Honey's Place Now
Carrying NS Novelties
Page 4
The Addict Expose -
Why Start a Lingerie Boutique? – An Interview
with Sarah Wizemann of Lille Boutique
Page 4
Adult Wholesale Distributors Releases 2012 Generic Party
Plan Catalog
Page 4
Phil Varone Rocks Romantix
Page 5
Hot Products
Page 5
MCPETE SEZ CLASSIFIEDS
Page 5
The Buzz
Page 5
Reps Corner
Page 5
Shows & Events
Page 5
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Page 3
Fab Foundations
by Ali Cudby
The New Age of Shapewear:
Do you remember watching the shapewear scene from Bridget Jones’ Diary? You know the one…our intrepid heroine brings home her sexy-yet-skanky boss, only to realize that she’s wearing unattractive control bottoms beneath her clothes. For any woman inclined to help manage her curves for a night on the town, it was an unsettling reminder of the realities of the undergarment selections of the day.
Thankfully, the new age of shapewear is upon us, and today women have the option to enjoy the benefits of supportive foundations and feel gorgeous - simultaneously. From looks to technology, we are no longer relegated to our mother’s girdles or Bridget Jones’ granny panties.
One trend getting increasing play from lingerie manufacturers is having shapewear that matches the lingerie collections, creating both a coordinated ensemble and a sexy line beneath clothing.
Prima Donna Twist is one brand that has introduced such lines. The Tresor collection pairs a midnight blue bra and all the benefits of Prima Donna’s renowned fit excellence with a high waisted shaper that slims the middle and creates a smooth line at the bottom. The look is boudoir-worthy while also possessing shaping benefits.
Bali’s forthcoming Lace’N Smooth collection will be available this summer. This new addition to their shapewear line features 360 degrees of stretch lace. The fabric offers firm control but doesn’t show under clothes. One particularly interesting piece is the Slim Couture Flip-Top Tank, which is reversible, and can be worn as either a lace-front or solid tank.
 
Other brands that feature the improved look of shapewear include Bethanny Frankel’s Skinnygirl and the upcoming relaunch of the classic brand Scandale. Both brands may be designed primarily as underwear, but are pretty enough to pass for outerwear.
Bethanny Frankel models her Skinnygirl shaper, worn
here as outerwear.
When it comes to today’s shapewear, it’s not just about good looks – the garments also getting smarter, as the technology going into fabrics and manufacturing processes are becoming more sophisticated.
Wacoal’s cellulite-busting iPant is constructed of nylon microfibers that are embedded with microcapsules containing caffeine to promote fat destruction; vitamin E to prevent the effects of aging; ceramides to restore and maintain the skin’s smoothness; and retinol and aloe vera to moisturize and increase the firmness of the skin.
The iPant is designed to release these beneficial ingredients into the skin while a woman moves throughout the day.
Similarly innovative, Body Wrap® shapewear involves seamless engineering of garments using advanced circular knit technology. This technology allows different knitting constructions, from high compression to high breathability zones, to be knit seamlessly within one garment, eliminating side seams and chafing points. Through seamless engineering, the company can determine the level of volume, control, compression, support and comfort that is needed in targeted zones.
Body Wrap® is being offered in an increasing range of colors and styles, for even more options under clothes.
Smart, good looking, and modern sounds like a better choice all around…sort of like Colin Firth’s Darcy in the Bridget Jones movies.
 Ali Cudby is the author of the book Busted! The Fab Foundations™ Guide to Bras That Fit, Flatter and
Feel Fantastic (December 2011), and CEO of Fab Foundations™, an intimate apparel consulting company.
Ali can be found on Twitter @alicudby, and you can be a fan of the Ali Cudby’s page on
Facebook. To learn more about bras that fit, download a free chapter of
Busted!
Four Ways to Improve
Your Lingerie Blog
by Holly
Jackson
Everyone knows they should have a blog, but not everyone knows how to maximize the time and effort that goes into maintaining one. Blogs can be incredibly powerful marketing tools in the lingerie industry since we're all so photo driven, but they can also be a massive time suck if you don't have a plan and some hard goals in place.
Luckily, there are some easy ways to make the most out of your blog that won't eat up all of your free time. I generally recommend implementing each of these suggestions one at a time so you can track your metrics and figure out what works best for you and your audience. All you need to do this is Google Analytics and a little free time.
1. Don't expect sales right away.
Blogs can do a lot for your business, including driving lots of traffic to your online or brick and mortar boutique. Unfortunately it takes a certain number of visitors per month to make those statistics work in your favor and that number is pretty high. If you're just starting out focus on things like traffic volume and the time that people spend on your site. Increasing those two metrics will get you much closer to lots of sales than embedding ten purchase links into every blog that you write.
2. Don't worry too much about bounce rates.
Everyone knows that bounce rates are supposed to be low, but lots of people don't realize that low is relative. Many very successful blogs have bounce rates that range between 60-70% percent and do just fine. Focus on other metrics like time on site and unique visitor numbers to give you a more accurate picture of how your blog is doing.
3. Networking has many forms.
Networking can be beneficial to your blog, but asking people to read it or to like you on Facebook isn't the way to go about it. There are lots of diverse ways to stealthily network and provide real information to your readers at the same time. You can post interviews or profiles of new designers, or even post some of your favorite pieces that show a trend or a theme with links back to where you found them. All of these things will encourage other people to promote you and to read your
blog, and you haven't had to beg anyone for a thing.
4. Use your sidebar.
If you have a well designed blog, it's usually easier to sell off your sidebar than within a post. Make sure that you're using it to showcase your newest products or your bestselling pieces. These can all be linkable, and people are much more likely to click on them as they read that way.
 Holly
Jackson owns The Full Figured Chest Copywriting, and specializes in
lingerie writing and online content creation for lingerie companies. Her
work can be found on lingerie boutique websites across the world as well
as in national level campaigns. She currently writes six regular lingerie
and marketing columns, and is a regular contributor to The Lingerie Addict
and The Lingerie Journal as well as McPeteSez.
In 2011, The Lingerie Journal named her their number one copywriter in the
lingerie industry.
Holly can be found tweeting @thefullfigurechest, here
on Facebook, and reviewing the newest full-busted lingerie at her blog, www.thefullfiguredchest.com.
Her list of copywriting services can be found here.
Lipgloss & Lace
by Mandie Mutchie
Uh oh, H&M's in trouble again!
In December, H&M was being scrutinized after admitting that they paste models' faces onto "humanized" pictures of mannequins wearing bikinis, with the alleged intention of wanting to focus the consumer's attention on the garment instead of the model or her body. This was criticized, as many people thought the mannequins were too skinny (and H&M has been criticized before for models who are too skinny), and that it placed the image of an impossible ideal into the minds of the viewers - a subject I've covered several times in this blog... They claimed to alter the skin tone of the mannequin so it would match the faces of the models that they pasted onto the bodies, which brings me to my next point (though I'd love to discuss how ludicrous it looked, as well as how it really decreases a model's pay if she just has to take a couple headshots before she is added to a swim campaign)... H&M is on the naughty list already again, this time for showing Isabeli Fontana in their swim campaign with... too dark a tan!
I have mixed views on this. The complaint has been made by the Swedish Cancer Society and several other notable Swedes, and the issue is that it promotes the idea that people on the beach should be that tan. "Tanorexia" has recently been named a medical condition for people who are addicted to tanning, and it is believed that ads like this will only encourage that behavior, causing young or naive people to try their hardest to get that tan, even if their skin type doesn't allow it.
After that mother who took her 5-year old daughter to the tanning salon, what do you think? Are we too tan obsessed? Is H&M selling more skin cancer than they are bikinis? I'd love your opinion!
Amanda
Mutchie began her professional modeling career nearly ten years ago, and
has appeared in many national and international publications, and
commercials. Over the course of her modeling
 career,
she worked with many acclaimed makeup artists, learning from them along
the way. She eventually became a makeup artist herself and started
FaceScape Artistry. Now she works with incredible photographers, models,
brides, and other clients to create glamorous as well as natural makeup
looks. She also channels her passion for fitness and nutrition and desire
to help others into her work as a beachbody coach, and is pursuing her
Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
For more information on Mandie go to www.MandieM.com, www.facescapeartistry.com,
email Mandie at mandelicious@gmail.com or
follow her on Twitter @mandelicious. Don't forget to
"like" her pages on facebook, too! www.facebook.com/MandieLM
& www.facebook.com/FaceScapeArtistry
www.lipglossnlace.com
*Photo by Rafal Krolik of Seville Media
Holiday Products Now
Distributing the
“50 Shades of Grey Trilogy”
Holiday Products is stocked and shipping the New York Times Best Seller “50 Shades of Grey Trilogy”. “This type of sexually erotic novel that creates this much buzz doesn’t come around very often” says Susanna Molina, Purchasing Director of Holiday Products.
Susanna goes on to say, “These books have everyone talking about BDSM. Just this weekend I was talking to some girlfriends who know what I do for a living and have never felt comfortable discussing it with me... that is until now. They recently read the Shades of Grey Trilogy and are now asking me questions like “what is a flogger; how do you use lubricant and what type should I use? Of course I was happy to answer all of their questions! Clearly, the crossover of this book is amazing and it is just beginning to have an impact on our sales.”
To order any or all of the Shades of Grey Trilogy or for additional information contact Holiday Products at 800-266-5969 or
www.holidayproducts.com
ANTOINETTE PARIS
French Lingerie Found Nowhere Else in the US
Lingerie is a centuries old tradition, founded in the corset trade of old. The genre looks to the Burlesque 1920’s era where the corset evolved into the brassiere, and then to the subsequent decades that witnessed the diversification of undergarment silhouettes.
From this heritage, two sisters have created a European boutique that brings the romance and sophistication of French Lingerie to the US. But Laure and Caroline Gilleron sought not just any old bra and panty sets, but chose to reveal three rare and exclusive labels. Only the best, the handmade and the up-and-coming are worthy of Antoinette Paris.
Three European Lingerie Lines
Odile de Changy
Odile de Changy happened upon a trunk of vintage lingerie in a hidden corner of her family château. She then sought out to master the ancient art of lace-making near Calais, the hub of French textiles. Her eponymous lingerie line encapsulates her immense passion, vintage inspiration and meticulous artistry. Every hand sewn piece exhibits supreme quality craftsmanship in French lace, silk and cotton.
Laure and Caroline Gilleron were attracted to the fabrics, not only in the look, but in the feel. Delicate lace and silk dances across curves, creating an ora of sensuous elegance and femininity radiating from the wearer. “The line is a pleasure to the eyes and uses very beautiful lace with tremendous details and work. You can really tell how much goes into it. Someone using modern techniques could not do it.” Price ranges from: $308 to $400 a set.
Prelude
Renowned for its accents of lace and Swarovski gems, Prelude captures the nuances of French lingerie with an exotic Eastern European flare. This classy, provocative collection is conceptualized by Jolidon and is highly regarded among European designers. The line features rich satin colors like reds, purples and blacks, and carries pieces that one could wear everyday.
In 2009 Prelude received a standing ovation at the Salon International de la Lingerie in Paris and was awarded both Grand Prix Ultra Lingerie and the Public Prize. Price ranges from: $140 to $170 a set.
French Cancan
French Cancan combines modern luxury with burlesque sex appeal. From lavish stockings to transparent panties and ruffled neck collars, each piece is a seductive arrangement of Calais lace, silk and tulle. The line arouses a nouveau image of Les Années Folles (the Roaring Twenties).
The brand’s intricate quality and playfully flirtatious designs have dazzled many at international exhibitions including Mode City and Salon International de la Lingerie. Price ranges from: $150 to $170 a set.
For more information go to http://www.antoinetteparis.com/
The
Las Vegas
Halloween Show
The busy California Costume booth.
ccc@californiacostumes.com
Dinah Beveridge of
Smart Beauty.
sales@smartbeautyus.net
Karen Rimel of Zucker Feather Products.
sales@zuckerfeather.com
David Dror of Diva Lingerie &
Costumes.
davidd@lffintimates.com
Costumes by Forum Novelties.
fred@forumnovelties.com
Alla and Jamillette wearing Secret Wishes by
Rubies Costumes. patc@rubies.com
Bobby Schlobohm & Dana Schlobohm-Walczuk of
Shirley of Hollywood.
sales@shirleyofhollywood.com
Maxine Andrews of Smiffy's with customers.
maxineandrews@smiffys.com
Glona Parker of Cassandra's Coffins and
Costumes. cassandrascoffins@gmail.com
Joel Bowens of The Contact Lens Company with
a customer.
maswholesale2000@msn.com
Ph: 770-514-7272
Keith Ksobiech of Pumpkin Teeth.
pumpkinteethllc@gmail.com
Look for the Fashion Show pictures in
upcoming issues of McPete Sez!
The International Lingerie
& Las Vegas Halloween
Show Preview
Photos by Eloise Ayala
Look for more photos in upcoming
issues of McPete
Sez!
New Product Safety
Compliance Tools
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has
unveiled two new product safety tools as part of its growing chemical management and product safety toolbox.
The 'Restricted Substances List Covering California Proposition 65' serves as a guide to help firms comply
with Proposition 65, California’s labeling law which requires the state to keep a list of chemicals that cause
cancer or reproductive toxicity. The publication details the lowest limits on certain chemicals for products in the
fashion and fashion accessories industry.
The 'International Drawstring Requirements Comparison Chart' provides an examination of global drawstring
requirements, definitions and regulations, which vary across markets.
"The new tools AAFA released today are part of a robust strategy to make global compliance easier and more
efficient," said AAFA president and CEO Kevin Burke.
"Whether it is chemical management or drawstring regulations, AAFA is committed to keeping the entire
industry ahead of the curve when it comes to understanding the global regulations that significantly impact how the
industry functions and makes decisions when selling products all over the world."
The AAFA has also released an updated Chinese language version of its Restricted Substances List (RSL), which
covers chemicals and other substances whose presence in a product is restricted through a government regulation or
law.
The tenth release of the English language version reflects changes spurred by REACH and other state and international
regulations.
The tools, which can be downloaded from the AAFA website, have been released in conjunction with the AAFA's
International Product Safety and Environmental Compliance Conference in Shanghai, China and its Product Safety and
Sustainability Seminar and Exhibition in Long Beach, California.
Albania to Join Tariff System
Albania is joining the Harmonized System, which is used as
the basis for Customs tariffs and for the compilation of trade statistics around the world.
The Harmonized System Convention will enter into force in Albania on January 1, 2014, according to the World Customs
Organization, which also says more than 98% of international merchandise trade is classified this way.
Albania is located in south eastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south
and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north. Its principal export commodities include clothing, footwear and
textiles.
Bangladesh's Factory
Clean-Up Scheme
Leading global brands and retailers including H&M, Levi
Strauss, Carrefour and Tesco have backed a three-year program to clean up production in the Bangladeshi garment
industry.
The scheme will help local garment washing, dyeing and finishing units adopt cleaner and safer production
methods, including technologies to reduce water consumption and effluents, and is also designed to help
the sector to enhance its long-term competitiveness and sustainability.
Backed by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Dutch government, and Dutch
international development group Solidaridad, the initiative will also involve the Bangladesh Garments
Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Export Oriented Garment Washing Industries Owners
Association.
Also lending their support are AB Lindex, Cena, G-Star Raw, Esprit Europe Services, KappAhl, Mothercare, New
Look, Lindex, Puls Trading, Primark Stores, and WE Europe - who will work with around 200 Bangladeshi factories.
Bangladesh is the world's largest clothing manufacturer after China, with more than 3.5m people - 85% of whom are
women - employed by the sector.
But the IFC notes textile and garment manufacturing in Bangladesh "has a huge environmental footprint, annually
discharging as much as 56m tons of waste water, 0.5m tons of sludge, and consumes tremendous amounts of energy."
This latest textile clean-up program follows a similar initiative by the IFC over the last year, in which 12
factories were helped to install new cleaner and efficient production equipment.
It acted after a series of pollution incidents involving Bangladesh's textile sector - a serious problem for a
country where 31m people lack clean water.
It claimed if the industry's 1,700 textile wet-processing units adopt cleaner production measures, they could save
up to US$70m and 10.5bn liters of water annually.
Lemons
A woman went to a Florida lemon grove to apply for a job, but the foreman thought she seemed way too qualified for
the position. "Do you even have any actual experience picking lemons?" he asked.
"Well, I think I do." she replied. "I've been divorced three times."
'Ask the
Gozooko Guys'
Gozooko.com is a business technology and web hosting company. With over 20 years experience working with Fortune 500 companies the Gozooko Guy’s design, develop, deploy, and manage business technology solutions. Gozooko’s core focus is to provide affordable and efficient hosted ecommerce solutions to small and medium businesses. The past 3 years they have been working with manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers in the apparel industry. Gozooko has data centers in the western and central US, and services customers around the globe. The Gozooko Guy’s goal is to provide our customers with easy and affordable ecommerce solutions that allow them to spend time focusing on their core business and sales, instead of working on their ecommerce solution.”Please send your questions about business and technology to
gozookoguys@gozooko.com
"Ask Andy"
Andy Weinstock has been in the fabric and textile business all his life, but professionally since 1969.
"I love what I do, selling fabrics around the globe. I've met lots of interesting, creative, dynamic folks; some have become dear friends. I love to help new businesses find the things they need to become successful. It works for everyone."
You can ask Andy questions about Fabrics at
Andy@mcpetesez.com
Hello, I am looking for a manufacturer in California that can make my bikinis in smaller quantities, approximately 25-50 of each fabric and all the same style. I am a small designer that is looking at streamlining my process and being able to offer a quality product faster than a local seamstress can. I am requiring up to ten styles in various fabrics which I can supply. I require a product that would be ready for my jewelry/adornments as each pc will be a little different than the next, a piped and finished bottom and triangle tops is what is needed. Please contact me for more information.
Thank you,
Stephen
Stephen: visit www.Seams.org. It is the National Independent Sewing Contractor web site. There you will find, businesses, listed by state, that can do the type of sewing you need.
You may also want to look at the classified ads in the back of California Apparel News.
Good Luck,
Andy
The "Ask Andy", "Ask Mara" & 'Ask Goozoko Guys' Columns are opinion Columns and may not necessarily reflect the views of McPete Sez
The McPete Sez Lingerie Newsletter & Women's Wear Journal
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