Wishlist: Africa by Chantelle Lingerie Set From Bra Smyth

I am not always a good girl or a practical one. Recently I made the mistake of telling my alt.fashion friends I like to change into lingerie as soon as I get home from work-- hopefully not too bad of a mistake because the only guys in that group who aren't gay live in Canada. The reasons for this are actually practical: lingerie is as comfortable as a tee shirt and shorts, helps me keep cool, and makes me feel glamorous. But the price of good lingerie is hardly ever practical (although my mom did find some Wacoal bras at TJ Maxx last week for $7), which is why this week's Wishlist item is from Bra Smyth:

This Africa Three Quarter Cup lingerie set by Chantelle is truly a knockout. The underwire bra offers more coverage than a demi cup, important for us Jayne Russell types that sometimes spill out of our cups, but still shows enough skin to be extra sexy. The matching brief features lace that looks like it was hand-embroidered by nuns who have spent their entire lives in a cloister in the Alps. And the price is enough to give you altitude sickness: $95 for the bra and $58.00 for the briefs.

Making It Work-- Dealing With Wardrobe Malfunctions

Ten Pretty Girls is back after a two-week hiatus due to my sister's wedding, but as you'd expect, I have a lot of great fashion stories to tell. Friday night was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and I waited until the last minute to decide what to wear. I'd picked up a black matte jersey v-neck faux wrap dress from Tahari at Annie Sez for $58, marked down from $200, and I threw it in my overnight bag, figuring an LBD would be perfect for the twilight-in-the-garden party at Bergen County's best French restaurant, Chez Madeleine.

I changed into the dress about 10 minutes before we were due at church for the rehearsal, only to find that the V-neck was cut down almost to my navel-- NOT acceptable attire for a Catholic church at any time, never mind when you're part of a wedding party. My choice was to change back into the shorts and print top I was wearing, make an impromptu cape out of a hotel towel, or emulate Tim Gunn and find a way to make it work.

I untied the faux-wrap self-belt, criss-crossed it over the bodice and tied it at the back of my neck like a halter top and I was good to go. The amazing thing is that I got more compliments on this last-minute emergency wardrobe malfunction than anything else I've worn all year. Everyone thought it was a clever, complicated and chic art deco neckline. I promise to post real pics of me in my salvaged dress when they come back (I lost my digital camera and have to resort to disposable Kodaks), but in the meantime, here's a similar dress from Studio M for $69.98 from amazon.com.