Let’s talk lingerie confidence, Cosabella, and croissants with Raphaëlle.

Meet our first guest blogger for the Paul & Joe x Cosabella Spring 2017 collection: Raphaëlle Leboeuf. The namesake of her blog, Laparvenue, comes from “Parvenue”, a french word describing a woman coming from nowhere who goes her own way to reach her goals and doesn’t care about the codes. Raphaëlle Leboeuf studies luxury and fashion business in Paris.

I have taken many good resolutions for this new year including boosting my self-confidence (which is not the easiest!), so when Paul & Joe contacted me for their collaboration with the lingerie brand Cosabella I took it as a sign, a challenge I had to take up.

I may have posted a few bikini/bodysuit pictures on Instagram in the past but shooting a dedicated lingerie post is a first for me and I have to say I’m proud of having been able to do so. The thing is that self-confidence isn’t something granted for most of us and I regularly suffer from this state of mind even though I might appear like an assured and bold person. Fighting the lack of confidence is a daily struggle, to make up for it I always try to give myself new challenges every time I can even though I think I’m not up to them. I read somewhere that if our dreams don’t scare us it means they’re not big enough, which I think is true so I always try to keep that in mind and dive into new projects eyes closed!

So here we are, my friend Swann and I, on a Sunday morning on my white bed surrounded by roses and croissants taking pictures half naked (trust me it was less weird than it sounds lol). We’ve known each other for years now so we felt comfortable but even though I know my body is nothing to be ashamed of (I work out for it right?) I was still worried that the pictures wouldn’t be what I expected. Why? Because you probably don’t know it but I had to fight against a strong scoliosis when I was younger and my spinal bone still looks like it was dancing Salsa in my back making my left ribs more salient that the right, etc. People usually don’t notice it on a first sight but you know, when you have a complex that’s the first thing you see on your body. This shooting was a way for me to turn the page on this load which I’ve carried for too long trying to hide it on every picture. I am more than a physical difference and I can focus on many more fulfilling aspects of my life!

Now back to the fashion matter, I had the opportunity to pick 3 pieces in the Paul & Joe x Cosabella collection and went for 3 different types: a kimono, a set and a bodysuit. All three had in common to be soft, well designed and manufactured (since made in Italy Baby!). I wanted to shoot in a cosy yet feminine atmosphere to reflect how I felt in those pieces.

The kimono is so long it almost touches the floor when I wear it which adds something aristocratic and elegant (I actually wear it over my PJs when I wake up in the morning to give a glorious start to my days!). You guys know how addicted I am to bodysuits and this one is by far the softest I’ve ever tried thanks to a diamond pattern that enhances the curves, I could almost wear it as a top with a pair of jeans! As far the set is concerned, I had never owned a pink one but actually enjoyed feeling like a baby doll! Special mention to the high waisted briefs that make your legs look longer and your waist tinier (we never say no to a little help!). This shooting was filled with so many positive vibes that I’ll probably post lingerie/bikini pictures more often from now on!

I hope you liked this special post and the lingerie pieces I was wearing! Let me know in the comments if you’d like to share a self-confidence experience or wish to overcome complexes, we all have weakness but also have the inner strength to turn them into powers! Bisous.