When most people think of Cambridge, images of impressive architecture and punting on the river Cam come to mind. However, some of the less overt visual delights of the town also come in the form of the many lingerie stores that the town boasts. Aside from the better-known high street lingerie stores, there are also some gorgeous boutiques tucked away. One of the hidden gems that I came across recently was ‘Prohibido Lingerie, a little boutique situated in All Saint’s Passage (just opposite Trinity College). On entering ‘Prohibido’, I was struck by the beautiful interior of chandeliers, vintage patterns and artistically arranged lingerie displays.
The boutique has a wonderfully intimate feel and the owner, Barcelona-born Mercedes Lee, and her assistant, Katherine, were very chatty and immediately made me feel at home. Mercedes gave me a tour of the shop and spoke to me in depth about the diverse range of brands that she stocks. With 10 years experience in retail, Mercedes is very particular about what she likes and envisions for the future of her boutique. She brings the customer the ‘cream of the crop’ from a array of different countries; Colombia, France, the Netherlands, Barcelona and even as far as Australia, ensuring that she caters for a wide range of customers, age ranges, tastes and occasions. The boutique’s premium brands include:
Andrés Sardá
Ayten Gasson
Cette
Chantelle
Empreinte
Huit Paris
LingaDore
Le Mystère
Passionata
Pleasure State
Plié
Selmark Lingerie
Touché Collection
(LingaDore, Empreinte, Chantelle, Passionata)
I was particularly enamoured with 'Empreinte' (a French make which caters for larger busts) and their "Melody" line bras - multiway seamless moulded plunge bras covered lightly with delicate Chantilly lace. The style of this bra makes it extremely versatile - it is perfect for plunging necklines and it gives uplift for back sizes from 30-36 and cup sizes up to a G. The denim 'melody' bra was my favourite - a stunning rich blue that would look fantastic against any skin tone!
Another stand-out brand for me was 'Pleasure State' - a glamorous Australian lingerie and loungewear brand. Pleasure state's lingerie is very cutting edge, with vibrant colours and patterns that are particularly flirty and girly - ideal for any fashion-conscious woman with an eye for detail.
Pleasure State
I loved the "Sea of Dreams" balconette (above left), which has a vibrant floral design printed on ivory silk, off-set by black embroidery detailing. Pleasure State's underwear is so beautifully designed that any woman cannot help but fall in love with it!
This leads me, finally, to talk about the swimwear brand 'Paolita'. You may remember the invitation I posted a while ago, inviting my readers to the brand's first birthday swimwear event! I was very excited to see this up-and-coming designer brand stocked at Prohibido and I loved the zesty colours, stripes and exotic fern prints on their bikinis and one-pieces. My personal favourite was the incredibly striking 'Sonnet' swimsuit, which is a colour explosion of blues, turquoises, greens and purples. The 'Sonnet' contours beautifully to your curves and its key-hole detailing ensures that all eyes on the beach are on you!
I would definitely recommend that you pop into 'Prohibido Lingerie' if you find yourself in the city of Cambridge. Besides, what could be more sophisticated than a day of sight-seeing, punting, picnicking and underwear shopping for some of the prettiest designer brands of the moment?
To find out more about Prohibido Lingerie, check out their website: www.prohibido.co.uk
or visit them at: Prohibido Lingerie, 5 All Saint’s Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3LS
Love,
Kitty xo
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