Our favorite wisdom and insight provider is back with her latest episode of Help Me, Hannah! Hannah McKnight tackles the importance of shapewear this episode – and bares all to show us what it takes to achieve those curves and smooth those lines using some of our most popular shapewear such as slimmers, cinchers and corsets! As always, Hannah delivers with her usual wit and charm to help us get the look we want when we step out in that dress or outfit. Watch Now>>
This is the longest video we’ve done and was one of the more humbling ones lol. I hope you enjoy it! I love doing these things.
Not to sound tooooo shallow but when the MN T-Girls meet up it’s not uncommon for us to compliment each other on our outfits. Can you blame us? We always look so cute.
Talking about shoes or a dress usually leads to us talking about lucky we were to find heels that fit or the wonderful experience we had trying on a dress at a department store. Every outfit has a story.
Part of the story is where we found it. It seems like most of the clothes I wear on a regular basis are from En Femme. And this is not because I am promoting them specifically or because of the Help Me, Hannah! videos we create together. I wear En Femme for the same reason I work with them: because I love their clothes.
This adoration comes from the variety of outfits, the quality and design of their gaffs, but also from how they fit. I love that a bodysuit can solve a lot of my wardrobe dilemmas and I love how their bodysuits just fit perfectly, especially in the shoulders.
When they have a new item on their site I am excited to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised when they announced the Angelina Bustier. I heart lingerie and I was excited to see En Femme add this to their website. They do amazing things with bodysuits and dresses so expanding to more lingerie options made me a happy girl.
It arrived and I added it to the ever expanding items for my last photo shoot. Like every item I order I had tried it on to make sure it fit (no concerns there) but I usually try things on in boy mode since that’s my default presentation. When I actually wear something whether it’s for a shoot or going out, that’s when I really see how something looks on me.
I was excited to see how the bustier looked with my forms (hooray for breast form pockets) when I was all dolled up. I was not disappointed. Like En Femme’s bodysuits, the bustier is designed for a longer torso. Since the bustier has pocket bras the addition of curves did not alter how the bustier fit. Sometimes a dress fits perfectly but when I wear it with forms the added va va voom alters how it drapes over me.
I paired this with one of En Femme’s thong gaffs, stockings, and gloves. I think I looked amazing.
I feel that a quality and sexy bustier is hard to find. I also feel that they are an underrated piece of lingerie with a lot of attention pointed towards corsets. But a bustier is sexy and is perfect for someone who wants something beautiful without the discipline that a corset demands.
Love this item and I hope that En Femme continues to offer more pieces like this.
This past weekend Shannonlee and I filmed an episode of Help Me, Hannah!, the webseries I am partnering with En Femme for.
We haven’t’ filmed a new episode for a few months and I thought I would be a little rusty but rest assured I had no problem resuming my normal habits of saying “um” and letting my hands flap all over the place.
This episode is about makeovers, specifically etiquette and what you can normally expect when it comes to conversations with an artist. We filmed at Cajah Salon and interviewed my makeup artist, Raven.
This was a lot of fun! I think it went well.
And just because I like sharing outtakes with you all, here’s a short clip of us testing the microphone and adjusting the camera.
Sometimes it takes forevvvvvvvvver to decide on a title for a blog entry. Sometimes they just pop into my head and I am amazed that I came up with it. Today is one of those days. Fingers crossed the rest of the day works out like this.
I like shiny. I like pink. I like short. I like tight. I like dresses.
So, as you can imagine, this hologram dress from En Femme was like an answer to all my hopes and dreams.
I am using a little hyperbole. I am not as shallow as I appear to be.
This is one of the outfits I wore for my photo shoot last November. I love the dress and it makes me wish I liked being out of the house past 6pm, lol. It would be perfect for a club or essentially any place that I don’t typically go to.
Despite all the cute tops and cute skirts in my wardrobe I gravitate towards dresses. They’re so easy! Slip into it, zip it up, and bam! you’re dressed.
Of course, it’s not as simple as that.
I tend to shy away from skirts because they, obviously, require a top. I am not always confident I am choosing separates that look cute together AND of course some tops should be tucked into a skirt and some shouldn’t.
And! Sometimes a top ISN’T supposed to be tucked in BUT it just looks a little… unattractive. The outfit might look baggy or unflattering or even just a little unkept.
And! For tops that SHOULD be tucked in, they may not be long enough to be properly tucked in.
These are the reasons I love bodysuits.
BUT! the challenge of bodysuits for someone with a body shape like mine is that they are often not the right size. I have a long torso so they need to be long enough to cover my shoulders, have enough room in the bust, and to be able to snap between my legs. Most bodysuits I have that are designed for cisgender girls tend to unsnap as soon as I sit down OR a seam splits somewhere.
I always feel a little awkward when I recommend anything from En Femme. I imagine some readers might be thinking “oh what a surprise, the girl who partners with En Femme to make videos is recommending a product from En Femme”.
Fair enough.
But I choose to partner with En Femme BECAUSE I like their products. I like their clothes. I like working with them. I wouldn’t work with anyone if I didn’t think they had a quality product.
And honestly of all their products, their bodysuits are just perfect. The sleeved designs have long enough sleeves. The capped sleeves fall exactly where they should. The material is perfectly stretchy and are designed for someone with my body shape.
Bodysuits also avoid the “should I tuck this top or not?” dilemma.
But like any top, I am often paralyzed with what I should pair it with.
En Femme sent me their new Sleeveless Mini Fishnet and Mesh Cutout Bodysuit to review and I was excited to do so. I love doing reviews because I will include items into a photo shoot and often times they are for an item that I normally wouldn’t think of adding to my wardrobe but this girl loves her bodysuits and I am always happy to add another to my closet.
I went through my closet looking for a skirt to match it with. I have a hard time with the color white and I wasn’t quite sure what to pair it with.
So, I skipped a skirt altogether.
I love how certain articles of clothing can be worn as real clothes or as lingerie. Like a bustier as a top with a jacket, for example. Although a more fashion savvy girl could easily pick out the perfect skirt to go with this cute bodysuit, I decided to treat it as lingerie.
I chose to match it with white stockings (a very under utilized stocking color) and silver glittery ankle strapped platform stilettos.
The cut of the bodysuit is very flattering and the mesh and fishnets are perfectly placed to be modest and have a hint of sexiness at the same time.
The material is stretchy enough to be comfortable and the shoulders are the right dimensions to be flattering and to not cut into my skin when I move.
As you can tell from what I hope is a tasteful picture above, it is a thong cut which I feel is the ideal style for a bodysuit when it comes to the snaps.
The only drawback for a bodysuit in my opinion is that they are not really practical when it comes to dressing and undressing. Since they tend to be form-fitting, it can be tricky putting it on and taking it off without it smudging your makeup or without removing a wig. If I am out shopping and I intend on trying on new outfits I don’t wear a bodysuit. However this one has a zipper in the back which isn’t very common in a bodysuit which makes it easier for outfit changes.
I love this bodysuit. The fabric and pattern are fun and unique, sexy and modest at the same time. I will have to try pairing it with, well, real clothes, but for the time being, I love this cute new addition to my lingerie wardrobe.
Is there anything in particular you’d like to see? I would like to do more “field trip” videos, similar to the bra fitting video we did, such as visiting a wig boutique and getting a makeover.
So, En Femme announced a new collaboration with Garo Sparo last year and not too long ago they revealed a few pieces from this new partnership.
And of course they are stunning.
I heart leather and En Femme has quite a few vegan leather items that I love and wear as often as I can. I was very drawn to these new items not only because the corset vest and the skirt were vegan leather, but also because, well, they are simply beautiful.
I was thrilled when En Femme asked if I wanted to review them.
Girl, yes.
I should really do unboxing videos so I could capture my initial reaction when I, well, unbox something but with these items I really, really should have.
“Oh my goodness.”
On God those were my first words I said when I opened the package. These items are beautiful and, well, heavy. I mean, not heavy heavy but vegan leather can usually be pretty light but the material used here feels incredibly similar to actual leather.
I feel that clothes and confidence go hand in hand. Some outfits need a confident girl, some outfits give you confidence. But I also feel that sometimes an outfit can be… ah, intimidating.
Usually in a good way. Like, do I have the… everything it will take to pull this outfit off? I mean, I wear leather on the regular and I don’t feel as intimidated by an item very often anymore, but that old, familiar voice echoed in the far reaches of my soul.
You can’t pull this off. Pack it up.
Of course, being the stubborn bitch that I am, I was even more motivated to wear it.
So I did.
Like most items I review, I scheduled a photoshoot. And like most items I am intimidated by that are in my little photoshoot suitcase, I had my second thoughts the morning of the shoot.
Photo shoots take a little time easing into. Before Shannonlee starts working her camera magic, I will have spent the morning running around getting my makeup done or remembering to hydrate myself or pick up a few items for the shoot. We arrive at the studio, get a feel for the space, chat about stuff, and discuss the clothes and the vibe of what we’re trying to do.
It’s like… one of those meetings that your boss wants to have BEFORE a meeting. But photoshoot planning is waaaaaaaay more fun.
It takes a few camera clicks and it takes a few minutes for me to mentally transition from running around to posing and smiling and, well, not smiling. If I am feeling flustered or stressed this mental transition takes more time and more effort.
This is even more challenging if I have the added mental hurdle that a certain outfit takes. Lingerie is like that. When it’s time for me to undress I have to take a deep breath and just… disconnect from my brain for a bit. Which is never easy or successful.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a photoshoot for an outfit that intimidated me the way this corset vest and skirt did. And I’m not even sure why. I wear leather/faux leather on a regular basis but I think this particular outfit was a little daunting because this was the highest quality of vegan leather I have ever seen. It was like trying on a $900 evening gown, lol.
We did a few outfits to ease into the mindset that a good photoshoot requires until It Was Time.
I had tried on the outfit when I received it but that was in male mode. That was a simple test to make sure it fit. But this was The Moment when I was in heels and makeup and I would find out if I could truly rock the outfit.
I mentioned earlier about the paradox of HAVING the confidence to wear a certain outfit and how a certain outfit GIVES you the confidence. It’s not enough for the outfit to fit, the outfit has to feel comfortable. It has to feel like YOU. I’ve worn things that fit, that were cute, that just weren’t ME. But this outfit, especially the WAY it fit, felt wonderful.
These two pieces can absolutely be worn with other items. The vest can be worn with jeans, the skirt with a different top… but I wasn’t sure how the pieces would look when worn together.
Very striking, as I found out.
But see for yourself!
Pencil skirts and leather/faux leather skirts don’t usually lend themselves to ease of movement. It’s not uncommon to more or less hobble around in a skirt (depending on the material) that has this length. However I was delighted to experience that it moved with me easily and I had no issue strutting (this outfit BEGS to be strut in, lol) around or going up and down stairs.
The vest is, in a way, without compromise when it comes to putting it on. The vest feels and looks like genuine leather, meaning that there’s little give when it comes to dressing. It felt comfortable wearing it, however. Depending on your perspective of what makes a corset a corset, it’s up to you to decide if this vest can truly be called a corset vest. There is no back lacing so cinching is not possible. It either fits or it doesn’t. If you are going to add this vest to your wardrobe, please please please get your exact measurements. Not the measurements you want, but the measurements you are. If you plan on wearing shapewear, such as a cincher or breast forms, take your measurements with them on. Even if you know your measurements, review the chart on En Femme’s website and order accordingly. If I have a criticism it’s that this vest runs small and you might want to opt for a larger size. I followed my own suggestions here and it still felt small. However, once I zzzzziped it up there was no discomfort at all. It didn’t feel tight or restrictive.
This is a pricey outfit. It might not be something that every girl is going to add to her wardrobe but if you are feeling yourself, and I mean really feeling yourself and you are ready to project confidence, this outfit might be exactly what you need.
I kinda wish youtube had a better frame of me to go along with this pause screen but whatever, lol.
This was a super fun video to shoot and was done with the expert help of the bra fitters at Allure in Saint Paul. My favorite lingerie is from Allure and the MN T-Girls have had several private shopping events with them. I can’t imagine a better boutique for a video like this. Thank you to Allure for making this possible.
We are planning videos for 2024 so if you have suggestions for topics please let me know!
I can’t decide what to title this post. Is “Fall Fotos” or “Phall Photos” better? I mean, they are both pronounced the same way, but this girl absolutely always adores alliteration.
Part of last week’s celebrations included my friend Alicia coming alllll the way from sunny California to spend a November weekend in chilly Minnesota.
Buuuuut was luck would have it the weather was remarkably comfortable and the cold hadn’t really moved in yet.
Alicia visited last year and we did a photo shoot so OBVIOUSLY we had to schedule another one.
Of all the little details that needed to be worked out for last week, my outfits for the shoot were a very low priority. I kept putting that key part of the shoot off and just hoped that it would sort itself out.
And somehow it worked out??
I had a couple of new dresses from Venus, a shiny dress from En Femme, some new lingerie from the Allure event, stockings from The Tight Spot, as well as a very sequinsy dress from Target of all places.
This was a very fun shoot. We shot at a studio we hadn’t been to before and the warmer weather allowed us to strut outside for a couple of outfits.
Here’s a peek at what I wore and I can’t wait to post the pictures!
I had kind of a last minute photo shoot two weeks ago. The stars aligned with an outfit review for En Femme and a corset review for Glamorous Corset. I also wanted to show off my new lingerie from Allure and my Halloween costume.
This was a very fun shoot and I can’t wait to show you the final pictures.
On a related note, I am fortunate to work with such an amazing photographer and makeup artist. I have known and have worked with these two amazing women for years and I am so happy we’ve become friends. I am humbled when I am asked to review an outfit. I am feeling very blessed and I know I’m very lucky. It’s hard to really express how grateful I am for the life I have without sounding like I’m bragging… do you know what I mean? Please know I am sincere when I say I’m lucky and I know that every blessing I have, whether it’s a friendship, my health, or anything else, can change in a moment. I want to live while I’m alive.
This is a pretty deep thought considering in about two seconds you’ll see a few pictures of me wearing lingerie but that’s how my mind works.
Hannah McKnight 