PJ from a Touch of Blusher proves that being able to understand Japanese is a huge asset in the beauty world, as she spied these images of the Yves Saint Laurent 2007 Holiday Collection on woman.excite.co.jp way before they're been featured in any western media. Ditto the sparkly Lancome Holiday Collection gloss ring - Precious Carat.

Keep reading for more images...

Like that? Try this: Guerlain Holiday 2007 Collection - gold, golden and more gold | Too Faced Good Girl Bad Girl Holiday Collection Palette

This edition of Ask Knickers, we’re trying to help out a reader who has excellent taste. Here’s her question:

The Question

Hello,
I think you guys at the Knickers blog might be just the right resource for a hard-to-answer question I’ve got. I’ve had a very difficult time determining where I can get the bra worn by Dita Von Teese in this photo:

Any suggestions (or similar pieces) would be much appreciated. Thanks!

M

The Answer

M, congratulations on your fantastic taste! The infamous shelf bra worn by the delectable Ms. Teese is made by Parisian designer Chantal Thomass, but regrettably the photo is a few years old so the set is no longer available. It’s tough to find a shelf bra in this style (most are now of the saucier, nipple-baring variety), but here’s what we tracked down for you:

Lascivious “Pout”

The closest match in style we could find was from London designer Lascivious, famous for their simple and sultry lingerie. The “Pout” balconette pictured above (£104, up to F cup) has the same style of front panel with a slightly higher cup, and a decidedly darker air than Dita’s set. Still, this style looks fantastic in chic black - and the rest of the set is just as lovely. We think Dita would approve.

Faire Frou Frou

On the other side of the pond, LA boutique Faire Frou Frou has some more colourful Dita-esque options. The sweet-as-pie plaid bra (pictured above, left) is from Betsey Johnson, and is available in limited sizes for just $49. For something a bit wilder, turn to the Italians and Parah - this zebra print (pictured above, right) is sexy, but the exaggerated lace trim adds a retro twist to the style. The Parah bra is $145 and only available in B.

Larger-cup options

Thanks to the extra fabric for additional support, this style of bra is also perfect for larger-cup women looking for a fresh style. Miss Mandalay is the master of this style, using this flirty shape as the base for many of her popular larger-cup bras (including the lovely Fran, £50 or $98) . Freya is also fond of this look, and the colourful Arabella (£29 $58), is a refreshing splash of colour in this sweet balconette style.

Bonus Burlesque!

Here’s a wee burlesque bonus in the spirit of Miss Teese. For you lucky Parisians out there, the lovely Gentry de Paris is throwing a burlesque extravaganza, featuring some of America’s best performers, Vienna la Rouge, Bettina May, and Tana the Tattoed Lady. The details are below, but if you can’t make the Paris flight (not this week, daahling), try browsing the performer links above - there is plenty of burlesque fashion on display!

Tags: dita, von, teese, lingerie, cherry, bed, bra, burlesque, bettina, may, vienna, la, rouge