Best Designer Underwear
A charming southern belle – the Amsterdam South that is -- with a degree in fine arts and a hankering for making her own purses, Jenneke is always on the hunt for the treasures Amsterdam shops have to offer. Her keen eye for art, fashion and beauty, exposes the most original spots in the city. Join her on unusual excursions through the maze of streets to eclectic places you may miss discovering on your own.
Burn that bra
Leather, rubber, feathers and decorative silk bows with bells. Underwear made to peek out of pants and designer bras displayed proudly under shirts.
How far we have come since Hermine Cadolle invented that practical brassiere at the end of the 19th century!
The Dutch touch
Several designers have pushed the bra to a higher level over the years, offering a bit more class or spice, without giving up the comfort. World-famous Dutch designer Marlies Dekkers has transformed the bra and other undergarments into something simply too pretty to hide. Her designs are classy, sexy, contemporary but not conservative. Visit her new boutique in the Negenstraatjes (9 Streets).
Naughty by nature
Across from the Marlies Dekkers store, Stout (‘naughty’ in Dutch) has a good selection of lingerie brands to choose from.
There is lingerie for every occasion here; from basic and classic (such as La Perla) to the more kinky little items for a night out (or in!). They also carry playful brands like Naughty Janet (with a bra of two pink satin roses, and matching panties), Pleasure State, and the sensual designs of Lee Kleimann inspired by lingerie from the 40s to the 60s.
Remember those cone bra's from the 60s? They have them here, and then in soft, sheer black fabric. Stout also sells accessories like stockings, tassels (the sparkly nipple-covering pieces worn by burlesque dancers), toys, elegant sleeping masks and sexy nightwear.
His & hers
Female & Partners sells a wide variety of lingerie, most of it for women but there’s also a section for men. There are the more classical brands like La Luna (lacy corsets, bras and camisoles) as well as the trendy brand Pussy Deluxe (naughty but girlish, with a lot of pink). The lingerie styles here range from the soft to the erotic; with leather lingerie by Bijzonder and a selection of playful costumes. Men’s lingerie brand Body Art produces all kinds of men’s underwear in different colours and body hugging fabrics. The shop also carries a wide selection of accessories and toys.
Love From Holland
What started out as a simple mail-order company now also has a showroom in the Nieuwe Vijzelstraat. Mail & Female (Nieuwe Vijzelstraat 2) was born out of sheer ideology: to sell quality erotica-related items made especially for women.
The shop sells two lingerie brands: La Fille d’O and their own brand, Love From Holland. La Fille d’O is playful and sensual. Some items are based on lingerie from the 40s and 50s, such as high-waisted skin-coloured panties made from soft, comfortable material, or a bustier in thin beige tulle with a star-shaped stiffening, trimmed with red frills, and reminiscent of a burlesque costume.
Love From Holland has three lines: Basic, R&B, and Wild at Heart. The R&B collection is erotic and fresh and has the signature red and blue ribbons; Wild at Heart carries just the right outfit one would wear on an adventure to the wild west. The motto here? Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere.
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