So here it is… the first part of my interview with Gok Wan! There I was, armed with my dictaphone in a swanky hotel suite at the Hilton Manchester. I was very nervous beforehand but as soon as I met Gok he put me compeltely at ease. Trust me he is just as wonderful as he comes across on the TV. This part of the interview focusses on the the importance of the right underwear, and the Gok Wan lingerie range from Simply Yours.
Why is wearing the right sized bra so important?
Obviously the silhouette is the main reason and because clothes are always going to fit better on a cleaner silhouette. Also health reasons as well - helping you with your back ache and that kind of thing. If you’ve got quite big boobs, which the women that buy my stuff have, if they wearing the right kind of underwear it is always going to help them with their back and back problems. And also a confidence thing as well you know… a proper fitting bra will push your breasts the way they should be which instantly gives you more confidence.
What would you say are the essential lingerie items every woman should have in their knicker drawer?
It depends on her body shape. I would say probably as a generic the slip dresses that we do (Divine Outline, Sassy Slip). They fit most body shapes - whether you are a pear shape, top heavy or apple shape they will always give you a good silhouette. A good fitting bra and a pair of power shorts as well. The other pieces, even though they are brilliant, they are more bespoke to body shape but the power shorts are great for creating a clean silhouette for all seasons which is why I like them. So for spring/ summer or autumn/ winter if you are going to wear clothes that are tight you always want to give yourself a seamless finish and that is what they are really good at.
What would you say about different styles of bra, are there any key styles you recommend?
Again, it depends on what size breasts you have and also how big you are on the back. My favourite cut is a balcony bra because I think they are quite sexy and you get a really good cleavage. I quite like breasts to be revealed and on show and balcony bras give you that. Anything with a deep plunge as well. I think cleavages are really important. A cleavage will give you not only more confidence because it looks in its place but it is easier to wear clothes as well with a cleavage.
Which is your favourite piece of your lingerie range?
I’ve got two. I have to say two! I love this piece here, the Sassy Slip. I think it’s really sexy and I think it depicts a really sexy era of fashion as well, you know the 40s. This style of underwear - it’s nice, it’s empowering and it’s a cover up. I think it’s great but I also think Divine Outline is absolutely brilliant.
I like it because it is clever and it’s very, very simple at the same time. Also the fact that I think women probably get their money’s worth with that because if they do have a bra at home that fits them perfectly they can wear it with this piece that also gives them support.
Why did you choice the 40s style look for your lingerie?
The 50s has become very on trend, it’s very en vogue - people like Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Monroe are icons, they have made the 50s very important for women, but the 40s were in fact more important. It was post-war; it was the year women were finding their confidence with their clothes, they were starting to go out there, they were now working and I just think it’s a really very sexy era. It was about karma for women and even though the 50s was really glamorous the 40s seem to be slightly more glamorous underneath the clothing, a far more personal era.
Check back tomorrow for part 2 of the interview, where Gok talks about his work helping women with body confidence issues and public attitudes towards women’s bodies.
