Instead get ready for the new summer “bikini” (I’m not sure if we can actually call it that…) - Victoria’s Secret has just invented the “topless bikini” as modeled by Lindsay Ellingson in an Elle photo shoot. So the swimsuit does have a removable bandeau option, but according to Elle, the idea is to go without it, so it’s basically just “a pair of panties with some fancy strings”.

So here is the bikini as it SHOULD be worn:

Bikini???

And here is the bikini with the attached/removable option for those of us who are not considered “French” enough (I think the word is slutty/shameful/naked).

But the point is to wear it bare – so what is the point of the little bandeau strip anyway? You can check out a video promo for the suit on the Victoria’s Secret website. I’m sorry, but I just really don’t know who would invent such a thing, why, and who would BUY such a thing?!?!?!? I certainly never would. It’s not a bikini! You may as well go nude to the beach, without paying US$68- what is the point?

Honestly, what are your thoughts? I dislike the topless bikini, I’m sure men don’t… but no woman should actually wear that in public. Seriously! Hate it? Love it?

]]> http://www.flossielifecasting.com/fashion/half-the-bikini-twice-as-sexy-i-beg-to-differ/feed/ 1 http://www.flossielifecasting.com/body/top-10-of-2009-bodies/ http://www.flossielifecasting.com/body/top-10-of-2009-bodies/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:18:04 +0000 samantha http://www.flossielifecasting.com/?p=2264
In the world of celebrity there’s always a race to be the best, and this time its the best body of 2009 race that has Grazia talking. Grazia’s top 10 bodies of 2009 showcases the 10 most fab stars who not only look amazing on the red carpet, but off it too. But don’t go thinking they are just born that way – these ladies work damn hard for their bodies. Take Megan Fox (who ranked no.1) for example. THe 23 year old sex-symbol devotes her body to a “Turbulence Training” regime designed by one of Hollywood’s most in demand trainers. FOx trains 3 times a week, a combo of strength-training mixed with cardio, and is also a fan of drinking plenty of water and apple cider vinegar to help flush the system and reduce bloating…

Now of course we can’t all get our hands on Hollywood’s hottest trainers. But we can follow their little rules, exercise regularly and eat well. Try yoga, kickboxing, weight training, pilates and even karate. Along with this, the celebs follow a stirct diet, eliminating processed foods, alcohol, and other junk.

So who else made the cut for the top 10?
2. Miranda Kerr
3. Jennifer Aniston
4. Kate Hudson
5. Angelina Jolie
6. Scarlett Johansson
7. Blake Lively
8. Leighton Meester
9. Gwen Stefani
10. Madonna

It’s time to quite the junk and get ready for a healthier, sexier 2010!

And now America’s “V” magazine has been leaking images and previews of its much anticipated “size” issue, set to hit the stands in the U.S. mid-Jan. The magazine is putting forth its size issue which will showcase curvier, bustier, and healthier looking women, featuring models – both nude and clothed – whose dress sizes hit double digits.

It’s a far stretch from the everyday models we see showcased in nearly every other female fashion magazine (although we applaud Madison mag’s latest showcase of “real” girls … in the nude!). Super-thin, waif looking models are being replaced with a more “normal” looking woman, in an attempt to change what the media perceive as beautiful and trendy. It’s an attempt to showcase that women can be beautiful outside the normal and shallow definitions of how we have come to perceive beauty.

Yet “V’s” size issue isn’t all curves… the magazine has two competing covers for its issue, one featuring 250 pound “Precious” film star, Gabourey Sidibe, while the other cover features stick thin, 100 pound, size 0 actress, Dakota Fanning. Did someone forget to mention that Fanning is also probably half the age of Miss Precious, and may have not even fully developed into her womanly self… of course she is going to be a size 0.

I think the point “V” magazine is trying to make is that beauty can come in a range of sizes (yes, cliche i know). But, then again, the fact that they have to advertise and make a magazine called the “size” issue just shows it isn’t a regular magazine isue, and has been specially designed for this matter. We all know that the next issue they release will be just like any other, featuring the emaciated looking model as we know it.

Do you think it’s really worth V putting out this “special” issue when we know it’s only a phase?

During Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2010 catwalk show, many of the models were painted with temporary tattoos and body art to add to their runway look. Karl Largerfeld wasn’t the only one to use this concept, others including Rodarte and Jean Paul Gaultier. But now Chanel is offering you the chance to etch your own skin in Chanel, with its Temporary Skin Art.

Starting in mid-Feb, Les Trompe L’Oeil de Chanel Temporary Skin Art will be launching its Chanel temp tattoos, available for a limited time through Chanel.com. For about US$78 you’ll get 55 tattoos to choose from, which seems pretty reasonable for Chanel! Then again, they’re not permanent and how long they actually last for is uncertain… hopefully long enough to keep up with the fad itself!

What are your thoughts? Would you tattoo (temporarily) yourself with double C’s? And what would happen if someone else was wearing the same tat?!

Click here for some more images of the fabulous artwork.

It’s the latest in the trendiest salons across Europe, recently hitting the scene in London. The chocolate body wrap… it sounds extravagant, because it is! It’s the ultimate beauty treatment, said to be every chocolate lover’s dream with “well over an hour of pure bliss!” (http://www.viewlondon.co.uk).

The luxurious skin treatment (which sadly isn’t available in Australia just yet), features the the powerful properties and antioxidents of pure cocoa butter. The Matis Cocoa Body Wrap is a two hour treatment that claims to leave your body feeling conditioned, nourished and satisfied…. mmmmm. If only we felt this good when we actually ate chocolate?

Of course, with such yummy beauty treatments there comes a price… and this one is not cheap. Neville in Knightsbridge (nevillehairandbeauty.net) charges 230 pounds for this indulgence! Alternatively, for 43 pounds you can have a “quick fix” – a 20 minute power chocolate wrap. Hmmm… a girl can dream can’t she?

What’s your thoughts? Would you wrap yourself in chocolate because it can supposedly make you look healthier, feel younger and appear thinner? I think I’d rather eat the darn thing!

We’ve all seen and heard of the most desirable designer website, the Sartorialist.com, and the legend behind it, Scott Shuman. His website tracks the latest fashion trends on everyday people seen in Milan, Paris, New York and Sydney… and now I’ve landed my own copy of his book! The cute (and quite heavy) paperback is filled, cover to cover, with Shuman’s brilliant photographs, capturing some of the trendiest looking dressers around the world.

Every fashion diva's bible

According to Cathy Horyn of The New York Times, “If he [Shuman] spots you in the crowd, whether in New York or Paris or Milan, it’s a kind of validation. And everybody likes to see who he has photographed for The Sartorialist, because it’s proof of his critical eye”.

Unfortunately, it was too hard to nab a copy of the book in stores, so I ordered mine online. Order it from Amazon or Borders, and have it shipped right to your door!

And if you haven’t checked out Shuman’s website, it is a MUST. Click here to see his much-loved blog/website, and his showcase for the wonderful tastes of real people around the world!

Another day, another body debate heating up. The latest glam girl to strip off in order to “prove” something to the world’s media, fashion industry and average gal alike, is Jennifer Hawkins for Marie Claire magazine. Oh, and this time here’s no touching up allowed.

Says the press release:

“Hawkins has posed without clothes, and without any digital tinkering, in a swipe at fashion fakery. The former Miss Universe says the photo shoot is revealing because the photos haven’t been touched up.”

While editor Jackie Frank says it took some convincing, by the look of the pics there’s not much difference. A photoshopped limb belonging to Hawkins looks no better than the real thing. And many can’t help but wondering if putting an un-photoshopped supermodel on the cover (who, let’s face it, was born with those features and perfect limbs) is not exactly taking a swipe at the fashion industry, but rather at all the women in the world who don’t have perfect bodies and would give their right arms for a little photoshopping …

Radio personality Bianca Dye is one of those gals who’s caused a stink over the photoshoot, especially considering she stripped off for Madison magazine in last month’s issue in order to show women that it’s not so bad having a spot of cellulite and that they should be proud of their bodies no matter what.

“No wonder there are so many eating disorders out there,” Dye told the media. “She’s a lingerie model … how brave is it for her to take her clothes off?”

Bianca Dye nude in Madison mag

This time it’s taking it straight from your thighs and putting it into your breasts. That’s right ladies – you can now put your own fat into another part of your body, which eliminates the need to put something foreign into your body to enhance your breasts.

The downside however, is that when you lose weight, the new breasts diminish at the same time.

While I’m not a fan of any sort of plastic surgery (unless it’s for medical purposes), take a look at this video and decide for yourself …

Man-lingerie, skinny jeans, breast implants … these are terms usually not put in the same sentence as the word “men”, unless of course there’s a woman in the mix. But nowadays, it seems the lines have been blurred and this neglected little subsector of blokes is starting to get noticed by marketers, plastic surgeons and clothing manufacturers. Ladies, may I present you the weird man-trends of 2009 …

Implants

It’s true. Pecs and calves are all being implanted into the bodies of blokes who are not exactly over the moon with their natural given curves (or lack of them). While Johnny “Drama” Chase’s character in the hit HBO show Entourage claimed he wanted nothing more in life than a pair of new calf implants – and apparently it saves about four hours a week at the gym – I’m not so sure how many Aussie men would opt for such a procedure. Let alone a pec implant, which supposedly gives blokes a more “manly” look. Could have fooled me …

mantyhose

“Sales for mantyhose are booming!” Or so valiantly claims CNN news. There’s even an entire movement titled “e-MANcipate“, which aims to “accelerate the acceptability of male pantyhose as a regular clothing item”. And if you think that’s strange enough, well, it’s not only mantyhose that is causing a stir. There’s the Willy Warmer Sweater Thong – a G-string for men made out of soft mohair; the One-Piece Girdle (meant to flatten out the body to get rid of any signs of man-boob or back fat), and of course the Bro (the man bra) all gaining momentum in a department store near you. Hmm.

Put on mascara

It’s no secret that male cosmetics are on the rise, but now blokes in Britain are being encouraged to coat their lashes with a little man-mascara. Clothing store H&M now stocks its own male brand in the men’s department right beside the sweatshirts and ties. Then there’s the rise in use of guyliner (eyeliner for men), not to mention bronzing creams. Perhaps Russell Brand and Pete Wentz have something to do with it …

Would you wear any of these, or date a man who did? What other weird man trends have you come across?

Rihanna's dimpled thighs courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

It’s no secret that we all look at gorgeous celebs and just wish we had their perfect dimple-free thighs, cellulite-free limbs and six-pack abs. Hence the gossip rags take it upon themselves to make us all feel a little better about ourselves by exposing the celebs in their worst-looking glory.

We see them without makeup, without underwear, and most recently, with cellulite.

The latest celeb to feel the wrath of the secret paparazzi lense if Rihanna. Yes, she has dimples! Yes, she has cellulite! No, she’s not that darn perfect … Makes us feel a whole lot better about ourselves, doesn’t it…

a photo shoot I did where my own cellulite and dimples were mistakenly on display

What do you think? Should stars ridiculed for having a little cellulite?