I've been coveting What Katie Did lingerie basically as long as I've been a pinup model, so about three years now. I've had the opportunity to try on and shoot in it for Gigi's House of Frills (also their only stockist in Toronto), but the Emily set is the first WKD set I've purchased to date. I couldn't stop thinking about the gorgeous pale pink colourway and the fantastic black stitching on the bra and the girdle and brief that I decided that I had to have it. I also had some cash and some free time the other day and I was passing through the area, so I figured I'd stop into Gigi's and buy it!
I mentioned What Katie Did in my post about my favourite vintage reproduction lingerie brands, but if you haven't read that yet (but you should!), here's the lowdown on the brand. What Katie Did was founded in 1999 by Katie Thomas because she couldn't find the proper to-the-period undergarments to wear with her vintage wardrobe. When it comes to 40s and 50s fashion, the undergarments are just as important as the dress you're wearing because they provide that vintage silhouette. When Katie did run across true-vintage lingerie, it often wasn't the correct size, so it only made sense to create a company that fulfilled a need within the vintage community and allowing many women to achieve a true mid-century look.
What Katie Did's lingerie is some of the most authentic reproduction lingerie on the market and that's why it's so popular amongst pinups and vintage lovers. It's one of the biggest brands in vintage reproduction and it's because they pay so much attention to detail from the pieces they draw inspiration from, and even use patterns from the 40s and 50s to create their garments.
WKD can be seen all over from television shows like The Crown to the pages of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour, to on celebrities like Madonna, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Emma Watson, Oprah, Christina Hendricks, Penelope Cruz, Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, and many others.
The Emily collection is one of my favourite ranges from the brand, probably because it's pale pink! It's probably my favourite colour at the moment (along with lilac and mint green!) so I couldn't resist. From what I hear, this collection is fairly limited so if you like it, you should grab it. If you're in Toronto, I'd say you should pop into Gigi's because they have it already and the website says that it will take about a month to ship out.
The collection features two bras (a bullet bra and a cathedral bra), a high-waisted knicker, a "little" knicker, a garter belt, and a girdle. I went with the bullet bra, the high waisted knicker, and the girdle and I'm very happy with my purchases! I got the bullet bra in a 36DD and it fits me perfectly in the cup and gives such a killer point, it makes me feel like a true 1950s sweater-girl. The 36 is a tad large in the back but there was no 34 to size down in so I bought it. Besides, the fit of the cup is absolutely wonderful and I have no problem altering the band later on if I need to.
I love the way the bra looks and feels but the construction isn't perfect. There are some raw edges of the pink fabric peaking through the seams and some overlock stitches are a little messy with some loose threads poking out. I still love this bra and think it's great, but these things are worth noting.
As they're both mostly constructed of powermesh, I found the girdle and knicker to be a bit tight and I decided to go with a UK 12 (US 8) for both. I personally like my bottoms to feel a bit looser so I prefer sizing up than down. I tend to hover between a 6-8 in bottoms nowadays anyway. I love the way they suck me in and smooth me out, and they just look so adorable and retro. I love a high-waist because I think it always looks great, but also because I can be a bit insecure about my stomach so I generally feel more comfortable wearing and shooting in high waisted bottoms. I also personally think the high waisted knickers in this collection are much cuter than the lower rise ones.
The bottom has a cotton gusset and full bum coverage in the black powermesh, which I find to be quite comfortable. The girdle has six straps to hold up stockings and has a good grip, like all WKD girdles and garter belts. They're made for full-day wear and stockings don't move or shift around in this piece or in other WKD pieces I've worn.
Similar stitching issues are found on the girdle and the panty but this doesn't really bother me all that much. I love the way this set looks on me and makes me feel. It's such a unique style and colour for vintage inspired lingerie and it tickles me pink! I've been thinking about this set for a long time and I'm really happy that I finally took the plunge and bought it because I know I would have regretted it. It was also nice to think about the pretty lingerie impulse buy I bought for the rest of the day!
What do you think of What Katie Did and the Emily set? Let me know in the comments!