National Lingerie Day

Did you know National Lingerie Day is April 24th?  Don't worry if you didn't, most people are not aware of this "holiday." Which made us wonder?  Is National Lingerie Day a real holiday or just a made-up event?

To start, there actually is a difference between National Days and Awareness Days.  Awareness Days are usually health related and seek to raise awareness of various illnesses and diseases.  National Days are usually staged by commercial organizations to promote their products and services.  But who decides what day is a national day?  Does it require an act of Congress or can any entity just deem it "National Blow-Job and a Steak Day" (March 14 - really!).  

Apparently anyone can apply to the United Nations or their government to have their day formalized.  Unless the day is racist, sexist or otherwise hateful, it's generally accepted.  There's even a website where you can apply to have your day formalized by answering four simple questions and paying $300.00.  

The origin of National Lingerie Day is apparently the brainchild of the Intimate Apparel Council.  This industry group is made up of U.S. designers, brands and retailers.  Apparently in April 1989 they began promoting National Lingerie Week to "reaffirm the message that intimate apparel is fashion."  They wanted a week-long celebration of in-store promotions, unique prices and fit clinics.  Frederick's of Hollywood then picked up the torch and began promoting it as a special day in their stores and on their website.  

What't interesting to us at Fantasy Gifts is why more lingerie stores are not promoting this event.  The Intimate Apparel Council does not even mention it on their website anymore.  The top three lingerie retailers - Victoria's Secret, Wal-mart and J.C. Penney - are not even mentioning this day.  And even Frederick's of Hollywood, who started the craze, appears to not be celebrating it this year.  

According to Business Insider, the intimate apparel industry is a $29 billion global market.  The United States represents 30% of the global market and 20% of total apparel sales.  This is an National Day tailor-made to the intimate apparel industry and everyone is just ignoring it!  

Well, not us!  Come to any Fantasy Gifts store in South Jersey on April 24th and celebrate National Lingerie Day by picking out a free $5.95 panty with any lingerie purchase.  And let's get National Lingerie Day celebrated right up there with National Hairball Awareness Day - that's April 26th!  

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Halloween Isn't Just for Kids

Halloween is just around the corner and we've all been inundated with costumes.  With pop-up costume stores on every corner, it may seem impossible to create a unique, adult costume that won't make you look like every other sexy cat in the neighborhood.  Luckily, a creative adult costume doesn't have to come from a package.  With a few basic pieces, you can transform yourself into almost anything you can imagine.  Best of all, these pieces can all be worn again giving you a significant return on your investment.  Ready to start creating?

Step 1.  Start with a great corset.  A great corset is the perfect foundation from which to build your costume.  Best of all, no female wardrobe is complete without one.  A corset is not only sexy on its own at a club, it looks great under a blazer for a sophisticated night out and looks even better alone with a g-string as lingerie.  There are so many wonderful uses for a great corset that if you don't already buy one, now is the perfect opportunity.  Fantasy Gifts in New Jersey has a great selection up to sizes 3X and some are even reversible - giving you even more bang for your buck!

Step 2. Add a tutu.  Almost all fun, sexy costumes for women can incorporate a tutu.  Witches, showgirls, pirates, cats, princess, flappers - the list goes on and on.  Tutus are fun and can show off a great pair of legs.
They are also relatively inexpensive, even the light-up ones cost under $20.00 so go for it!

Step 3. Pick out hosiery.  No matter what the costume - you need to cover those legs on a cold fall night. Fantasy Gifts in New Jersey has a large selection of fishnets, thigh his, back seamed, school girl tights - you name, we have it in your size and color!

Step 4.  Add a wig.  Wigs are fun.  Don't mess with styling your hair - a great wig will instantly transform your appearance while still keeping you super sexy.  For one night, have the hair of your dreams!

Step 5.  Add some lashes.  False eyelashes are the surest way to make your eyes pop.  This is Halloween - make a dramatic statement.

Step 6.  Add your accessories.  You already have a great foundation - now you can accessorize it any way you want to truly make your costume unique.  Add cat ears and a tail and you're a sexy cat.  A witch's hat and a wand - boom!  Some cute wings and you can be a ladybug, bumblebee or anything that flies.  Put your hair in pigtails and add a plaid skirt and you're a naughty school girl.  Accessories are the cheapest and easiest way to take the guess work out of your costume building.

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