For most looking at the history of Ann Summers, there is one main question.

Who is Ann Summers? Not the proprietor, as most people believe, but it was named after the secretary – Annie Summers – of the company founder, Caborn Waterfield.

Anne Summers is a very successful chain of high-street sex shops and online retailer of adult themed products. Sales amounted to over £117 million in results announced in 2008.

But the modern-day Ann Summers owes it philosophy and success to current Chief Executive Officer Jacqueline Gold, who first became involved in 1979.

Ms Gold is the daughter of David Gold, another key player in the Ann Summers business, and it was he who acquired the original four Anne Summers shops in 1972. In 1979, Ms Gold was trying out a management career at Royal Dalton, but knowing that it was not for here, she asked her father to join his company and gain some hands-on experience.

Ms Gold is said to have been a little uncomfortable with the ‘maleness’ of the company when she first arrived, but was astute to see that there was a very viable business if she could develop it her own way. All she needed was the right approach.

And that presented itself when Ms Gold visited a Tupperware style party in 1981. She had the idea that such a party, which attracted an all-female audience and held in a person’s home, could easily sell and promote adult themed products. It was a matter of just swapping the Tupperware, for adult products; the audience was fundamentally the same.

So started the Ann Summers Party Plan which has proved to be very successful as not only a sales distribution outlet, but also as a way of promoting Ann Summers products. They also proved Ms Gold’s credentials when it came to developing the Company. She became CEO in 1987 and has built Ann Summers into an international and hugely successful brand.

It boasts around 140 high-street stores in the U.K., Ireland and Spain, and in 1999 acquired and incorporated the up-market lingerie Knickerbox brand (including five stores) into the Anne Summers portfolio. The Ann Summers Party Plan is still going strong, with the Company making use of some 7,500 party organisers. The Ann Summers website has also proved a great success, offering the brand another lucrative sales outlet.

With its extensive store network, party plan network and online outlet, Anne Summers will continue to be a force to be reckoned with for some years to come.

Tags: Ann Summers, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Lingerie, Sexy Lingerie, Underwear

The history of La Senza dates from 1966 when the company Suzy Shier Inc. was formed.

Nowadays the La Senza Corporation, based in Montreal, Canada, is a major retailer of women’s lingerie and apparel, offering a quality product range including women’s and men’s underwear, loungewear, sleepwear, bodycare and various accessories.

It currently operates around 200 stores in its native country and a further 140 stores and licensed operations in countries throughout the world, including the U.K. and the Middle East. And via its 80 La Senza Girl stores, it appeals to girls between the ages of eight and 14.

Although it only entered the U.S. lingerie market in 2003 with La Senza Lingerie, it has sold products to its main neighbour since 1984 through its subsidiary Wet Seal.

La Senza is a public company, but 90% of the shares are owned by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Irving Teitelbaum.

Teitelbaum, along with brother-in-law Stephen Gross, teamed up to open Suzy Shier in 1966, on behalf of their store owning father-in-law Irwin Shier. Suzy Shier was aimed at the junior fashion market and after Irwin Shier died two years later, Teitelbaum and Gross began to aggressively market the store.

Over the next ten years, the number of Suzy Shier stores grew to 22 throughout Canada and in 1975, in search of fresh capital, the brothers-in-law sold a majority share (50.1%) share in Suzy Shier to Toronto-based Dylex Ltd, which had a number of retail operations in its company portfolio. With the backing of Dylex, Suzy Shier added a further 50 stores.

Also in this period, they acquired 80% of the U.S. company, Wet Seal. The deal was struck in 1984, with Dylex owning 40%. In 1990 Wet Seal was floated as a public company, raising $41 million which was used to pay back Dylex loans, reduce debt following some heavy losses and fuel Wet Seal expansion. Which it did, growing to around 600 stores.

Also in the 1980s Teitelbaum and Gross, thinking that many of their businesses had peaked, saw the growth of Victoria’s Secret in the states, and decided to emulate their success. The team wanted to avoid the overtly sexual nature of the Victoria Secret product range, but still offer a range of exciting lingerie. La Senza was born and in 1990 the first shop was opened in Ottawa’s Place D’Orleans Shopping Centre.

The concept was simple: create a private label (Senza means without in Italian) range of lingerie and sell it within a boutique format. Throughout a number of corporate acquisitions and traumas, the brand went from strength to strength, growing throughout Canada, the U.S. and then worldwide.

Tags: La Senza, Lingerie, Sexy Lingerie, Underwear

When it comes to bra and boob jobs, all you need to know, here we cover the subject of getting properly measured if you have implants.

Having an implant will affect your bra size perhaps more than you might think. You will have of course decided upon your size with your doctor, but you will need to bear in mind that implants usually make the breast wider than a natural breast. So, even if you thought you might have gone up a cup size from B to C say, it might be that following the implant, you might actually have to go to a D cup, in order to get the correct fit. And when doctors say that after the implants you will have a ‘full’ cup, this usually entails at least a half cup increase, which means you effectively have to go up a whole cup size anyway.

Remember that breast implants tend to be measured in cubic centimetres. An increase in say from 150cc to 175cc is in effect a half cup increase. So when it comes to having the correct size of bra after your implants, it is important to remember their cubic size in centimetres.

With breast implants, when it comes to measuring your bra size, it is the same as measuring for a bra without implants. You take your tape and measure horizontally around your chest directly underneath your breasts. If the tape measure gives you an odd number, you add five inches; if the tape reads an even number, you add four inches.

Discovering your cup size when you have implants, is not the same as when you don’t. So, take the measuring tape and with it running parallel to the floor (when you’re standing upright), and measure from where your breast begins at the cleavage, across the nipple, to where it ends near the armpit.

You then take both measurements and work out your cup size. For example, if your band measured 34 inches (which translated to a 29 to 30 inch ribcage) and your breast measured seven inches, the you would be a cup A size. If your ribcage measured say 38 inches (a 33 inch to 34 inch ribcage) and your breast measured 11 inches, you would be a C cup size.

Note: chart below is straight lift, so choice is optional.

Tags: bra, Lingerie, Modern Bra, Sexy Lingerie, Underwear

Okay, you’re going to pop the question, and you think a quick trip to the Red Lion at the end of the street, with your mates watching, is not the best idea.

So what should you do? Here are ten ideas for the way that you can ask that all important question, will you marry me.

Now, if you’re not a romantic, you’re going to struggle with this whole concept. You might ask, what’s wrong with asking while watching an episode of East Enders, or waiting for the traffic lights whilst in the car going to work? Because, quite simply, you have to try harder than that. Hopefully, in your time on this mortal coil, you’re not going to be asking the question too many times, and this will be one of the key milestones in your life. So, on this occasion, a little effort is needed.

Okay, lets start with one of the most popular ways to pop the question. Basically, it’s all a variation of the central theme of either asking the question, getting someone else to, or signalling the question with some neat device.

First up is the expensive restaurant, tête-à-tête. Okay, it doesn’t have to be expensive, it could just be ‘significant’ (as it was the first restaurant you ever went to on your first date) and you can do a lot to make it that bit more special. Consider having a violinist in the background; although keep a sense of decorum here, as some old chap screeching away through a grade one self-taught violin lesson is not going to endear you to your future partner, or the other diners. And maybe get the waiter to deliver the ring and a proclamation of your love on a card. That seem a bit cheesy, but if you’re worried you’re going to fluff your lines at that special moment, having your partner read the proposal, might help.

So, that’s the basic theory behind a good proposal. A great venue, a nice mood and the romantic delivery of the key question.

Once that’s appreciated, you can build various nuances.

How about ‘dressing’ the route, say when you’re bringing your loved one back from somewhere. You might start with a couple of notices along the road that x loves x, until you arrive at your place with a big sign asking the question. You can then reveal your t-shirt which says the same thing.

A big one is the holiday. Take your intended to their favourite spot in the world and then pop the question.

How about during a flight, snuggled up on the back row of a Jumbo, watching the movie, lights down and the food run finished; use this special moment to ask the key question. It would certainly bring a new meaning to the mile high club.

And for a subtle variation, buy a hot-air balloon flight for you and your partner. And while you’re in the clouds, ooh and aahing at the quarter mile drop to oblivion, ask them if they want to spend the rest of their lives with you.

Just one general point though, don’t use the venue, or the activity, to scare them into submission. The tactic of marry me or we’ll plummet to our deaths might get an initial positive answer, but they’ll change their minds once safety has been reached.

But how about this one. Hire some street artists and put on a little performance for your intended. Say a five minute show which culminates in you asking the question.

Again, a note of caution here. Don’t plan anything that will cause your partner major embarrassment. A clever joke is one thing, ridicule is likely to put off marriage for a good many years.

Perhaps you could plan a party, getting all your friends and family around. And as with the idea above, hire a magician to pull a dove with a marriage proposal out of a hat.

If your intended reads the local newspaper, or has a favourite magazine, then you might consider buying an advertisement which shouts your question from the pages.

And how about a treasure hunt, much like the annual Easter Egg hunt. You can hide clues all over the place, until the final message is encountered as the excitement builds up.

And finally, of course, is the sudden down on one leg and pop the question. On one hand this had its advantages; if your intended bursts out laughing, then it can all be carried off as a big joke and no harm done. The disadvantage is that the down on one knee manoeurve can be fraught with physical dangers. It has been known for suitors to slip over, or pull their backs, so just be careful when you do the flashing Knight bit.

So there you are. Ten ways to dress up asking that question which you hope will be met with a resounding yes. Good luck

Tags: fashion, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Proposals, Romantic, Romantic Proposals, Underwear

For some people, St Valentines Day is all about the prohibition era and two groups of gangsters who fell out about which ones were best suited to exploit illegal drinking.

But rather than call a Board meeting, or organise a management take-over, the South Side Italian gang, led by management guru Al Capone, decided to reinforce their cooperate growth strategy by getting in hired help to gun down key members of the North Side Irish gang, led by chief executive officer “Bugs” Moran.

It’s a management coup that has gone down in history as the St Valentines Day Massacre and infamous not only its violence, but also for its effectiveness.

But for others, maybe of a more academic bent, they will know that much of the day’s notion of romance on the particular day of 14 February comes down to the great writer Geoffrey Chaucer. It was in his circle, in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love became the big thing. But the title of the day, St Valentines, actually comes from a number of early Christian martyrs who were named Valentine.

In the West, St Valentines day marks a day when people swap presents, often of a romantic nature, such as lingerie, flowers and chocolate, to show their love for each other.

And, for men and women, especially men, buying presents such as underwear for their loved one, can be a trial. Women tend to have a better idea as to what their men folk would not only want to wear, but also look good in. Men tend to see underwear for women as an erotic fantasy which they will enjoy, without stopping to think how their partner might feel wearing such garments.

Women also tend to have a better feel for sizing, when it comes to choosing underwear, whereas men will often select something, think yes, that’s about right (thinking back to some previous embrace) and choose it.

So, the tips that follow aren’t really targeted at women who, a round of applause, tend to know what’s what in the underwear department, but for all the men out there who can’t help feeling slightly guilty wandering through the lingerie department in the local department store.

Right men. When choosing underwear to mark the romance of St Valentines day, don’t look for inspiration on those websites whose material would be banned in most countries. Most women love lingerie and even more, love lingerie being bought for them by their partner. And when it’s a token of love on a very special day, it calls for a degree of subtlety that expresses femininity, sensualness and love; not carnal desire. The design and colour should be warm and sexy, a sign of intimacy between two people.

And it should be underwear that can be worn on more than one occasion.

For clues, pay attention to what your partner wears for work, for play and for pleasure. The clues are all there in the wardrobe and knicker draw. On the obvious theory that women buy underwear they want to wear, have a good snoop around and see what turns her on, both from a design point of view, but also colouring. Get either wrong and the romantic gesture might just well backfire as another example of your inability to do anything right. And by the way, don’t get caught prying around in the knicker draw; it could lead to complications.

Also, while you’re absorbing your partner’s style, take a look at the sizes. For some reason your senses might pick up on the numbers and letters 34DD, but the question of picking the right size can be a minefield for the novice.

And finally, if you can’t get access to the current examples of her underwear, have a chat with her mother (careful here, ensure you make clear the reasons for checking on underwear facts), or one of her best friends (but again, caution, don’t leap into some conversation about knicker sizes without explaining the reasons first).

One thing’s for sure though, I bet Geoffrey Chaucer, Al Capone, or Bugs Moran didn’t worry themselves too much about picking the right kind of lingerie.

Tags: Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Lingerie, Sexy Lingerie, St Valentines, St Valentines Day, Underware

Have you heard of either Otto Titzling, or Philippe de Brassiere? No, well did you know that there is a curious historical battle between the two supposed inventors of the modern day bra.

Sit back and listen to the tale of a German immigrant, Otto Titzling, living in New York around 1912 and working at a factory making women’s undergarments.

The story goes that he met one Swanhilda Olafsen, a large, female opera singer who had all the usual physical attributes. She complained that women’s current undergarments, or more particularly corsets, just did not offer her the support that she required.

So, Titzling and his faithful servant Hans Delving invented what was the basis of the modern bra, although it was first called the Chest Halter. Now that invention might have netted Titzling and Delving a fortune, but the problem was, they forget to issue a patent and as it became a stunning commercial success, rivals were already in the wings.

Up steps Philippe de Brassiere (boo) who spent the 1930s stealing Titzling’s ideas and making a fortune for himself.

So incensed was Titzling, that a court battle ensued and over four years the two protagonists battled it out legally. Titzling sued de Brassiere for patent infringement and in a dramatic showdown case, the two paraded their various wares on models walking up and down the courtroom. Unfortunately for Titzling, de Brassiere was a master of self promotion, won the case and his name was forever associated with the brassiere, or bra.

And the story has been immortalised in a Bette Midler song, in which the first verse goes something like this:

“This next story is a true story.
It concerns two of my favourite subjects:
industrial theft . . . and-a t-ts!
Mmm, what a combo! This is the story . . .
The inventor of the modern foundation garment
that we women wear today was a German scientist
and opera lover by the name of Otto Titzling!
This is a true story.
His name was Otto Titzling.
What happened to Otto Titzling shouldn’t happen to a schnauzer.
It’s a very sad story. I feel I have to share it with you.”

It goes on in much the same fashion and ends with:

“The result of this swindle is pointedly clear:
Do you buy a Titzling or do you buy a brassiere?
Ohhh! Thank you!”

And what of Titzling; no remembers him and he died flat broke?

Quite a tale and all untrue of course. The first hint that it’s a piece of fiction comes in the names. Titzling is a pun for tit-sling; Hans Delving, hands delving; and, Philippe de Brassiere, fill-up the brassiere.

And it’s all the work of one Wallace Reyburn, an author who in 1972 wrote the satirical history of the bra and called it Bust-Up: The Uplifting Tale of Otto Titzling and the Development of the Bra.
The true history of the bra is slightly less exciting of course. The word brassiere actually comes from the word braciere which means, in the strictest sense, arm guard. People think the word was first used in 1907.

And the first bra dates back to 1893 when a breast supporter patent was registered by a Marie Tucek who invented a garment that consisted of material and straps designed for the female chest.

But the name brasserie wasn’t actually patented until 1913, when New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob in effect invented the backless bra.

A few years later the patent was sold by Jacob to the Warner brothers Corset Company who are still manufacturing and selling bras and numerous other kinds of garments.

So, there you have it; it’s not Otto Titzling, or Philippe de Brassiere you have to thank, but Marie Tucek and Mary Phelps Jacob. Haven’t got quite the same ring, have they?

Tags: Chest Halter, Corset, Hans Delving, Modern Bra, Otto Titzling, Philippe de Brassiere, Swanhilda Olafsen

How to introduce sex toys into the bedroom requires a bit of thought.

Coming home from work and rushing over to your partner brandishing a foot long piece of vibrating plastic and a tub of jelly, might not be the best opening move, especially as some people have yet to experience the delights of modern sex toys.

Sex toys are designed for the enjoyment of both partners, whether one is giving, or receiving pleasure, or both. But both parties have to be comfortable with their use, whether you’ve known your partner five days, or five years. And they are highly recommended by many sex experts, who believe that they add an extra, exciting dimension to a relationship.

So, here’s some tips if you feel ready enough to experience the joys of sex toys.

Firstly, and this cannot be stressed enough, make sure that both parties are willing participants. Find out if your partner has the same idea as you. Glibly getting the sex toys brochure out over the breakfast cereals is not the way forward. In your more intimate moments, bring up the subject with some degree of subtly. Environment is key here. In the bedroom, the bathroom, occupied with each other, the subject is appropriate. Suggesting it while watching East Enders is inappropriate.

One clever way of introducing the idea is to buy your partner a sex toy as a ‘joke’ present, something that is an adult gift, on a birthday, or Christmas, and one that can be seen as a bit of fun, between consenting adults. Just make sure no relatives, friends, or kids are around when the unwrapping takes place. Adopt the same sensitivity as if you were buying sexy clothes, or handing over a naughty card. And again, pick your moment to hand over the gift. A darkened room, soft music and few glasses of wine can all help to create the ideal mood.

But, if you’re partner throws the sex toy straight in the bin and starts throwing kitchen knives at you, then think again.

Second, start slowly. How about something ‘lite’, such as creams, lotions, or oils? Don’t kick off with the device that delivers multiple orgasms every five minutes and needs to be powered by the national grid. Make it a fun learning curve; start with something that is non-threatening and doesn’t give anyone a complex.

Thirdly, don’t see the sex toy as a way of compensating for a poor relationship. They are there to enhance enjoyment, to add an element of spice into a relationship, but not to address a serious problem. They have to be seen as a bit of fun, a way of adding a twist on certain techniques and pleasures. They must not threaten, or inhibit either partner. And, they must not become addictive. You don’t have to use them all the time. Rushing to the drawer to unleash the one foot monster everytime the moment happens, is not the most sensitive approach.

How to introduce toys into the bedroom is a delicate subject, but if you have patience and take a little care, the rewards could be huge, literally.

Tags: Adult fun, Ann Summers, Sex toys, Sexy Lingerie

There are some key lingerie buying tips that every woman should be aware of.

Firstly, make sure you’re partner has had a recent heart check-up and also make sure you choose your moment. Arriving in the room in full regalia of basque and stockings, and high heels, might be a lot of people’s dreams, but if its just as they’re unwrapping their fish and chips and dying to watch Corrie, then don’t be surprised if you get a non-plussed reaction.

But appreciate your partner’s mood, because if you’re feeling up for it and they are definitely not, then the sense of rejection you might get will kill the moment stone dead, and for a long time as well.

Secondly, enjoy the experience of selecting and acquiring your lingerie. Half the fun is in the preparation. It’s good to appreciate that there’s sexy lingerie, and there’s sexy lingerie. There’s sexy lingerie that any woman might feel good in on a general basis; even to do the weekly supermarket shop. But then there’s the sexy lingerie that is there for a purpose; to trap the target and pull him, or her, into your web. This might not stay on long and be discarded a few minutes into the carnal act, or it might be the backdrop, a sexy aide memoir for both parties.

Now, if we turn to the lingerie that is there for a purpose, to woo your partner, then the best place to buy that is online. Few women, and fewer men, are comfortable striding up to the shop counter and asking for different coloured frilly suspender babydolls. No, the choice can be discreetly made online, and then sent to your home without anyone being the wiser.

You can of course get your partner involved in this part of the process, as flashing through the various options on offer, and how they look when worn, might raise more than a smile.

Which brings us to another tip. Wear something you find sexy, comfortable and alluring; don’t just wear something you think you’re partner might find attractive. If you’re there decked out in a pretty awful version of a Parisian can-can girl, feeling like the Parrot that escaped from the zoo, it’s going to do nothing for your ardour, or ultimately, your partners.

Buy something that makes you feel sexy and worth a million dollars, that feels good on the skin. Sensual silks and satins bring out the best; but watch out for harsh lace, especially in those more sensitive parts of your body, which might rub when the action starts.

And be critical with yourself. Have a quick deckers in the mirror. You know what to show and what to hide; where the emphasis needs to go, or where a few enhancements can be made. If you don’t possess the cleavage of some famous Hollywood movie star, and why should you, then its amazing what you can buy that will push you up and out. Also think about the colours. Blondes can get away with black tones and pastel colours; brunettes can go for red, purples and other strong colours; and redheads, they can exploit bright colours, as well as earthier tones.

Final tip, make sure you get your size right. You can always get down to the shops and get professionally measured for your day-to-day wear, but use those measurements when ordering the goodies.

So, when the mood hits you, don’t forget the lingerie buying tips that every woman should be aware of.

Tags: Adult Gifts, Ann Summers, Lingerie, Sexy Lingerie

Planning sex without losing the spontaneity is worth the effort.

Sex is great when spontaneous, especially if you have no worries or responsibilities in life, but when you get to that stage, they might also be emptying a bag at the side of your bed and wiping the drool of your chin.

So, for most people, there’s a lot of stress and a lot of other commitments that get in the way of foreplay: an ever-increasing workload, mounting bills and demanding kids are all things that are designed to kick the whatisname out of your libido.

Right, so what can you do? Over-plan a sexual encounter and you kill the moment, simple. It’s not all about soft lighting, mood music and a condom on the bedside table.

Having good sex is about creating the mood, but the best bit of advice is to create a long enough time period for the mood to develop.

Rushing upstairs with the announcement that the kids have gone next door, most of the office is at lunch and your sure you know where the Batman and Robin outfits are, and you can spare three minutes 30 seconds before the mother-in-law arrives for the weekend, is hardly going to entice your tired partner whose sexual urges left home about three weeks previously.

Plan for a window of opportunity long enough so that spontaneity can develop naturally and doesn’t become forced.

If you have kids, then seriously consider offloading them with the grandparents and get a cheap break at a hotel, even if its just down the road. Bear in mind that the home reminds people of their pressured life. Home is where the telephone rings, the dogs bark, the kids run riot and the neighbours argue about the bins.

A hotel room might not be a Parisian bordello, but it represents privacy (unless of course you prefer the blinds open and the local residents getting an eyeful). But you get the point. Hotel rooms are neutral territory. No-one can disturb you. And hotel rooms have an atmosphere of illicit affairs, of dubious goings on, which will add a certain excitement. Things can be allowed to develop. Book a business-orientated hotel on a Saturday night and you’ll get a great rate.

Get there early and have a day together. Lunch, a movie, an intimate table for two in a romantic Italian eatery, and back to the room for a long, hot bath, a few glasses of champagne and some of your favourite chocolates. And make sure you tease aplenty – don’t just jump into bed. Build the moment, the anticipation. And once you can’t wait any longer, treat yourself to one of those films that require a payment – then sit back and learn a few tips. If nothing spontaneous happens then, perhaps it never will.

And in the morning, once you’re over the night before, you might well rise to the occasion again. Sleep in late, order breakfast and see if you’ve recovered enough to test the positions from the previous night’s movie.

Planning sex without losing the spontaneity; just give it time.

Tags: Adult Gifts, Adult Toys, Sex

Sourced From http://www.adult-lingerie-store.co.uk/

Global warming is touching us all and the ways to combat it are numerous. Now, thanks to innovative thinking at Ann Summers, women can enjoy world-shaking orgasms without shaking the future of the world.

IntraMedTM

IntraMedTM is a medial grade material used to make many top sellers from Ann Summers, including the Rock Chick. This soft, sexy material is also 100% recyclable meaning that it works to combat global warming with reduced carbon emissions.

IntraMedTM is also completely phthalate free. Phthalates are plasticizers that help increase the flexibility of materials. There is concern that over-exposure to phthaltes can have a hormonal effect on the person, including liver and teste damage.

Green Sex

It is not surprising that the green movement is starting to take on sex as well. In face, what is surprising is how long it has taken. In addition to purchasing toys made with IntraMedTM here are some other ways that you can environmentalise your sex life…

1. Purchase high quality sex toys such as those available from Ann Summers. High quality items last longer and limit the number of products manufactured. By buying items that will not have to be replaced frequently, you are reducing the carbon footprint you create.
2. Purchase toys from reputable companies like Ann Summers. Large corporations are accountable to their shareholder and their customers. They are always looking for ways to meet your needs, including your desire for environmental sustainability.
3. Purchase organic products such as lubes and massage oils whenever possible. Not only are these products healthier for you and your partner, they are also friendlier for the environment.
4. Ask questions and make requests. You are a valued customer and your input is important. Talk to representatives from companies you support and ask them questions about ways they are going green.

Even the dirtiest sex can be clean for the environment. With a little research and a conscious mind you can keep things green while you are spicing it up in the bedroom.

Tags: Adult Gifts, Adult Toys, Ann Summers, Environmentally Friendly, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Orgasms