A Very Merry Aerie Holiday

A few of you may remember that Aerie sent me their Holiday collection two years ago for a special post (and if you've been reading PLU that long and we don't personally know each other, then bless your heart and a million thanks for sticking with me!). They threw their holiday blogger party at their SoHo location last week, and I went to check out the funtivities with Jill (sidebar: Jill's a new PLU writer you'll be meeting soon!).

As expected: super cute, so festive and the prices were right. Nearly everything (panties excluded) was buy one, get one 50% off, making all the loungewear and pajamas perfect candidates for gifting. There was a hot chocolate bar, complete with marshmallows and peppermint to make 'em pretty, plus crafty blogger I Spy DIY to help everyone bedazzle their beanies. And of course, Aerie stylist and fitter Jenny Altman was there to help the ladies who had never been fitted before.

So let's take a second to talk about this awesome tote that'll be part of their Black Friday promotions: it. is. huge. Like, great for a weekend away or a beach trip huge. Perfect to haul home all my Christmas gifts for my family huge. So if you're brave enough to go shopping on Black Friday, be sure to stop by Aerie to get yours. The fabulous goodies that the event team included for us are so adorable—look for another blog post soon about those (yes, they warrant another post).

A few Aerie Vintage Lace Cheekies - 7 for $27. So many cute colours!

An Aerie Holiday, Part II: Festive Bras & Undies

I've been so excited to share these photos with you all! As soon as I saw all the sets that Aerie's social team sent me, I knew that I had to do something special with them. When this idea hit me, I was just  brimming with holiday spirit and just too excited to shoot. 

So last Saturday, I gathered my stash of lights, stopped by Maison Kayser for pain au chocolate and financiers, and walked the 20-some blocks to my friends' apartment to use them for their beautiful exposed brick walls. My friend Tracey and I spent about 45 minutes wandering around the Upper East Side looking for clothespins (sample conversation in a bodega: "Do you have clothespins?" "Clothespins? What are clothespins?"), and found success at a hardware store disguised as a mini-Bed Bath & Beyond.

And so, behold my holiday spirit in lingerie form. This was such a fun project for me, since usually my visual angle involves more Photoshopping than photo-shooting, but I can't wait for more original shoots like this one. Slowly but surely, my dears.

Maddie Pushup Bra, $44.95 // Aerie Dot Mesh Thong, $12.50 or 6 for $26.50

Maddie & Dot Mesh Thong detail

Scarlet Pushup Bra, $44.95 // Aerie Mesh Peek-a-boo Undie, $12.50 or 5 for $26.50

Scarlet Adjustable Cleavage Pushup Bra, $44.95 // Sequined Thong, $12.50 or 5 for $26.50

Harper Memory Lift Pushup Bra, $44.95 / Aerie Mesh Peek-a-boo Undie, $12.50 or 5 for $26.50

Juliet Balconette Bra, $44.95 // Sequined Thong, $12.50 or 5 for $26.50

Juliet Balconette Bra detail

And of course, I tried on all the bras after I photographed them. They all fit true to size, except the Scarlet pushup bra. That one was a little big, and the fuller cups didn't do anything for me. The Juliet balconette bra was also a little bit big for me, and I think the balconette style is a little tricky for A cups in general. It's more successful when the cups are a bit smaller, like Mimi Holliday does it. 

But, my favorites were the Maddie pushup bra and the Scarlet Adjustable Cleavage Pushup Bra (the one with the black sequins). The Maddie was totes a wardrobe savor when I tried on my new Chanel dress and discovered that the chest area was a teensy bit big, but all I really needed was a nice padded pushup bra to fill it out. The Scarlet with the sequins was the perfect (subtle) sparkle piece to wear under a semi-sheer tank top to a holiday party I went to this weekend with my fellow lingerie lover Allison Beale.

The prices for these special edition bras are a little pricey, but for a good pushup bra I think it's reasonable. The undies and thongs are definitely the best deal, at 5 for $26.50 for the fancy lil holiday ones, and 7 for $26.50 for the simple lace ones I posted last week.

Okay, that's it! Stay tuned for the final Aerie post later this week. xx

Special thanks to Rachel Bellando, Katherine Bellando & Tracey Rodriguez for allowing me to set up shop in their beautiful new apartment and use them for their exposed brick.

An Aerie Holiday, Part I: Lace to Make Your Heart Race

I love it when a brand can change my mind. I'll admit (and I'm pretty sure that other people would say the same thing) that when I think of Aerie, the first thing that comes to mind are comfy cotton basics. But I guess their social team was intent on changing my mind, especially when right before I left for Thanksgiving, a giant box stuffed with their limited-edition holiday collection arrived at my apartment! Trust me when I say that these pieces were too pretty to not post.

Take the array of lacy undies below for example. These super-colorful thongs, tangas and briefs just look like your standard lace undies, but really, they're probably some of the most comfortable lace underwear I've ever worn, even rivaling a certain other brand known for their lace underwear... The difference here is that Aerie sizes their undies, instead of "one size fits all, oh and here's a petites size if you're a 0-4", and the lace has a really nice stretch and you're not at-risk for muffin top. They come in SO many gorgeous colors, and they're amazingly priced! So if you need a stocking stuffer idea, here you go. You're welcome.

I'll be sharing a series of a few different posts dedicated to these pretty little underthings over the next couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy them as much as much as I loved shooting (and wearing) them!

Aerie vintage lace thong, $12.50 or 7 for $26.50(!!!)
Aerie vintage lace tanga, $12.50 or 7 for $26.50(!!!)
Aerie vintage lace bikini, $12.50 or 7 for $26.50(!!!)

Say Hi to Thursday: Adorable, Affordable Swimwear from Aerie!

Say Hi to Thursday, a special day of the week when there's only one more work day before a glorious weekend awaits. Pretty Little Underthings will showcase a weekend-perfect piece we'd love to wear.

Aerie by American Eagle Swimwear

I can't remember why or how I ended up on American Eagle's website a few days ago, but I was really surprised and excited about Aerie's new swimwear collection! I'm going to L.A. next week for a long weekend (thank goodness for a vacation) so beachy things are all I really can think about. These were three of my favorites:

1. Geometric Print Bandeau Bikini

Ya'll know I love prints, so I'm sure it's not a surprise that this one would be at the top of my list. I've been really drawn to funkier, abstract prints lately, and this bikini gives me exactly what I want. ...Yeah, I may really have to get this one.

Bandeau bikini top, $29.50. Cinched bottom, $24.50.

2. Seashell String Bikini

Adorable, right?! I love the sketched, drawn quality of the print. Like, if there were photos of shells on the swimsuit, then... that might just look really creepy. But it's not! It's so cute! And the lighter color way will look SO good when you have a tan. (Note: always wear sunblock! Always!!)

String bikini top, $29.50. String bikini bottom, $24.50.

3. Seersucker Halter Bikini

Classic seersucker for your for east coast beach getaways like Fire Island, Cape Cod, Newport... this is your swimsuit, preppies! I always love red seersucker the best (there's a blue option too), and as long as you don't get sunburnt, it'll be a fun, sweet option rather than those crazy swimsuits I've been seeing this season with so much metallic hardware!

Halter bikini top, on sale $19.95 (reg. $29.50). Bikini bottom, $14.95 (reg. $24.50).

Five Robes to Cozy Up in This Fall!

1. Juicy Couture Ruffle-Edge Short Robe

Available at Neiman Marcus, $110

2. Betsey Johnson Loop Terry Robe

Available at Bloomingdales.com, $78

3. BTS Lingerie New Playdate Robe

Available at BTS Lingerie online, $165

4. Eloise Hamam Robe

Available at Anthropologie, $78

5. Aerie Fleece Robe (with a hood!)

Available at Aerie.com, on sale $29.95 (regularly $44.50)

5 Fabulous Bikini-Style Bottoms!

With so many different kinds of panties showing up these days, sometimes you just want a good ol' reliable bikini-style bottom. Here are 5 that I thought were adorable and look oh-so-comfy!

1. Torchlight Panty by The Lake and Stars

Available at Barneys.com, $43. 

2. "Slinky" Knit Mesh Back Boyshort by Betsey Johnson

Available at Nordstrom.com, $22.

3. Light of the Moon Bikini by Elle Macpherson

Available at GigisCloset.com, $27.76.

4. Heathered Bikini by GapBody

Available at GapBody.com, on sale $7.99.

5. Cheetah Lowkini by Aerie American Eagle

Available at Aerie.com, $7.50 or 5 for $25.