5 Tips to Survive the Christmas Crazziness....

   

Here in the Bravado HQ we love nothing more than the change of seasons. . All things festive, holiday crafts and the smell of your favourite tipple being heated up and spiced!

All being said we have not one bauble in sight ...just yet! Why might you ask, while every shop in town has the jingle bells blaring?...well for precisely that reason..

December is approaching and before it does we need to be prepared so we are sharing our shopping wisdom to you our Bravado beauties...remember these 5 tips for successful serenity filled shopping this christmas and you'll be laughing all the way to New years!....

1. Shop Local

There are so many benefits of shopping local this christmas. You can escape the madness of the high street. 

You're guaranteed to get one of a kind gifts for your loved ones AND you're helping support local businesses...the best kind of present to give to your community and to keep it thriving.

2. Plan Plan Plan

Make a list and stick to it. The best feeling in the world is buying for others but its so easy to get sidetracked when shopping. (We can't be the only magpies who get distracted by anything shiny!?)

3.Avoiding the "Oh you shouldn't have..."  Scenario 

Help those who are trying to make their list successful. Drop hints to your loved ones. Steer them in the right direction rather or perhaps a forceful nudge if they seem distracted and let them believe they made that choice themselves. 

4. Recharge

Theres more than enough choice in Edinburgh this year for a well deserved midday shopping recharge. Seems like everywhere we look theres a someone with a spiced gingerbread latte! Support local and independent cafes and restaurants and tuck in to the seasonal specials.

5.Embrace don't Retaliate!! 

If you hear a carol or the latest x-factor plugging their latest and cheesiest ballad. Hum, whistle or do your best whitney impression if you will.

Why not hop on to Pinterest and find some crafts to do. What better to get you in the mood? It's the go to place for DIY craftiness for all ages and find the ultimate indulgent recipes, home and fashion inspiration, enough to put a smile on anyones face!

Whatever gets you in the mood this season, spread the joy and let the happiness bounce off each other. It may be too early to get the tree up(maybe not for some!) but the Christmas season is unlike any other to embrace it and spread the love!!

So its officially 4 weeks till Christmas...there we've said it!!

Wrapping up in Woolies

This Autumn weather is slowly creeping in on Scotlands capital. Winds are picking up (Hair brush in bag at all times!) and the trees are transitioning from their bright flourishing greens and flowers in full bloom to rustic reds and autumn ambers that blanket our pavements. The heatwave of July seem a distant memory at this stage as we unbox the winter woolies from the depths of our wardrobes and the forward thinking of " How many layers will I wear today?" start to conjur.  

Although it's not quite pumpkin carving time just yet, we thought it'd be the perfect time to introduce the new Autumn/Winter ranges in store. Popular brands such as Falke, Kunert and Hudson have certainly delivered without disappointment this year.A gorgeous range of thick tights and chunky socks and leg warmers are the perfect addition to any winter wardrobe. Vanilla Nightwear have also landed in the past few days with rich and warm colours of plum, chocolate and cream...almost sounds delicious!
This calls for our all time favourite "The Ultimate Hot Chocolate" Recipe to warm those bones. Take it from us...once you've tried this you'll never go back to shop bought stuff ever again...

...........................................

2 Pints of Milk 

2 Tablespons Horlicks

2 Tablespoons Cornflour

3 Tables Icing Sugar

4 Tablespoons of Quality Cocoa(Green and Blacks is our Favourite!)

100g Good Quality Dark Chocolate, Finely grated

1 Pinch of Ground Cinnamon 

1 Pinch of Sea Salt

Pour the milk into a large pan, and bring almost to the boil over a medium heat. 

Meanwhile, add all the chocolate mix ingredients to a large jar and give it a good shake to combine. You need around 10 heaped tablespoons of the chocolate mix for this amount of milk. Simply spoon the chocolate mix into the hot milk, give it a good whisk and leave to bubble away for a few minutes before serving. You're looking for that gorgeous, thick, almost claggy, knockout texture.

We believe this is the best Recipe in town created by Jamie Oliver.  

XXX

Monday Blues??..Not Here!

Summer is officially over! 

We hate to be there bearer of bad news but hey...at least the weather seems to be holding up?

(Touch-wood!)

Why so happy do you say? Well Autumn is one of our favourite times of the year. Yes the days might be getting shorter but with all this blustery weather, theres nothing we enjoy more than getting wrapped up in our woolys and tights and open our fall 

                                   wardrobe and discovering clothes we had

                                     forgotten about.

Nobody can say they like Monday mornings. You've caused havoc at the weekend and have that 'Just 5 more minutes' feeling when the alarm went early this morning? 

Well let us share some lovely news with you to change the monday blues.

Navy Blues are a predominant colour this season and can be seen in Our Prima Donna, Marie-Jo and our stunning Simone Perele Collections. Set the Black bra aside for the time being and warm up your drawer with a Navy number!

We are happy to say that our in-store Private parties are still as popular as ever. September looks likely to be another jammed packed month with several parties taking place. We can't wait to welcome you all through the door for a fabulous evening!

As always we still have our swimwear available right throughout the year, for all you lucky ones taking a winter break make sure you pop your head in before you jet off.

August 30th Bravado held a Gin Tasting and Tutorial, Hosted by Assistant Manager Aly. Well what a giggle we had tasting 5 different Gins, in 5 different cocktails!! 

The Night was a complete success, thank you for all who came along and joined in in the fun!

Love

Bravado 

X

Essential Guide to surviving the Morning Mayhem

Commuting in style...easier said than done. Whether it's going to the airport, catching a bus/train or simply deciding that a nice morning walk to work will do, arriving to work the same way you left the house can sometimes be the morning challenge of nightmares. 

Although it's certainly not time to brush the dust off the wellies just yet,  as Autumn approaches so does the blustery winds and brollys. We all hate that type of rain..you know it..light enough to let us think we won't need our waterproofs but heavy enough to still let us walk into work with humidity hair that has a mind of it's own. 

This is your essential guide of what to wear & pack in your bags during these confusing fews weeks ladies.

1. A Brolly....Gone are the days the free metro from our daily bus journey will suffice. Our beautiful, stiff with hairspray, half the morning time spent on it barnet is no match for the four seasons in 20mins you're about to face.

2.'Walk to work' shoes... don't let a peep of the scottish sun fool you. Have your flat/heels you intend to wear about the office in your bag and do a quick change when you get in, or even better leave your good pair in the office so you don't have to cart them about. 

3. A compact mirror...Oh sure a quick peep in your reflection of the shop windows may give you a all round glimpse of what to fix in a hurry...take it from us..that reflection does not show the nutella lipstick left from that morning's sugar fix...avoid the funny looks from bus drivers and fellow passengers.

4. A Hairbrush...whether you like a comb, tangle teaser, brisley roller or paddle brush it doesn't matter. What does, is that some form or hairdo device is packed. If you've managed to use enough product to maintain your luxurious locks then good for you...some of us on the other hand, get hit with humidity and *Puufff*...we can join the cast of the lion king coming to the playhouse in October.

5. A Good Bra!!..Ah-ha.. we had to get it in there somewhere...but lets be honest. It's an essential piece of clothing that we wear every single day. Different occasions call for different underwear...probably best not to be wearing your beautiful push up when you're running late for the bus. Let us fit you for a bras for a variety of purposes and have you surviving the morning mayhem.

Autumn/Winter Collections available from early September.

Love

Bravado

X

Come Rain or Shine...(well maybe a wee bit more rain)

Pyjamas, PJ's, Jammies, Jim-Jams...Whatever we call them, they're always a necessity and as the weather changes so does our sleepwear wardrobe. Great thing is that we don't have to walk about town in them, so we can go as comfortable and colourful as we like. 

We're seeing a growing diversity of favourites. Of course we stock a continuous favourite Damella, which have a great range of both nighties and sets along with dressing gowns too. Beautifully lightweight, perfect for trips away or just a light alternative to heavy fleece adult onesie....(something you won't find here we're afraid!)

If you have a special occasion on the horizon why not try something from our Marjolaine range with stunning silk and beautiful unique colours you won't find in any department store.

Whatever the weather, or whatever the occasion Bravado has something in store to make you feel great.We have been truly blessed to get such great weather in July, August is turning a bit muggy and although we are still catching a glimpse of the sun once or twice a day the looming clouds threaten rain with some thunder and lightning to keep us guessing...the wise ones will still pack an umbrella even if temperatures soar! 

Love

The Bravado Team

X

Fun in the Sun

We are like the rest of you, completely dumbfounded by the amazing weather we've had over the past couple of weeks and its here to stay says the weatherman (touching every piece of wood available!!)

Its so nice to see women though the doors treating them to a bit of 'Me' time and coming 

in either for a fitting,  re-stock of their favourites, or trying as many pieces of swimwear as possible and we just love to dedicate our days to making you feel your best. 

As many of you know we had an extension through the back of our store over 3 years ago now. We still have people who can't believe how much the shop extends through. We like to think of it as a bit like Narina experience. Once the our front door is opened and people get to explore through our store and our range, they get speaking to our staff and all of a sudden an hour has passed. Time flys eh? 

Creating an environment where women don't feel pressured or conscious trying on underwear and swimwear and they can enjoy their experience is a priority. There is nothing more that we love than taking the time for each individual customer, getting to know what they need and have a bit of fun along the way. There are absolutely  no appointments needed for fittings. We will always have someone on hand to help you find what your after.

It's also exciting to see all the brides coming through for their essentials for their big day. We encourage our customers, whatever the occasion, to bring along their dress or outfit and try the underwear on underneath to ease their mind of the "will it, won't it" situation.

Hoping you all have a fabulous next few days in the sun wherever you are.

Love

Bravado

X

A sassy woman is a happy woman!

Do we really need an excuse to treat ourselves every once in a while?

We love welcoming people from all walks of life into our store and we endevour to make sure that when they leave with a smile on their faces.

A Sassy woman is a Happy woman....lets us explain...

S.A.S.S.Y 

Size.Age, Shape.Style.You 

SIZE

Every Bra has its purpose and fits in different ways. Some with more filling to give you that extra boost and some with less to let our bigger busts take their beautiful and natural shape. It is inevitable that with every bra you will be a different size according to the design and structure. We try not get to fixated with the numbers and letters, although its important to know, we are more focused on the fit and feeling of each piece.

AGE

Our bodies are forever changing. From the teenage years, through the maternity months and right through to our sophisticated ladies. Our beautiful bodies goes through more stages than a traveling Broadway musical. We cater for each of these stages and understand the importance of individuality.

SHAPE

We can talk to you about what kind of fruit or object you most resemble but its not going to help boost anyone moral if you find your once hour glass figure is now a plum. Your shape is entirely individual to you and again it will change with your age.  Of course is important to dress for your shape and this is where our fashion advice comes in. We spend our day talking you about the perfect fit and support and encourage you to love and embrace the shape that you are. Knowing what you have underneath your clothes creates your gorgeous shape will shine through and make any woman radiate with confidence.

STYLE

We admit it, we too have looked back on old photos and cringed at that horrendous trend we once followed. Being based in such a culture rich city we love to see the different and unique styles that walk through our town these days. We cater from the active swimmers and avid outdoors enthusiasts to the ladies who love lace and believers in black.

YOU

This is the most important factor of being a sassy woman. YOU! When you purchase a Bra, Lingerie Set or Swimwear from us you have to ask yourself the questions, questions that only you can answer. Do I feel comfortable in this?Does this cater for MY needs?Ask us all the questions you need to and ask yourself just as many. After all, it is you who wears it and we want you to be 100% thrilled about when you leave. 

Love

Bravado

X