Undress To Impress
By Ron Donoho / Photography by Brevin Blach
Raquel Pomplun claims she was a late bloomer. “I was a nerd; nobody knew me in school,” she says. “And then, all of a sudden, everybody remembered who I was.”
Her moment of exposure: appearing on the April 2012 cover of Playboy with pop star Bruno Mars.
On sharing the cover with Mars: “I love his passion and voice and the way he performs live. I also love Pitbull. He keeps the party going. I keep the party going. I love to dance. I’m the first one out on the floor and the last one standing.”
Pomplun is a Chargers and Padres fan, and she’s finished part of a biochemistry degree at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, but when it comes to tearing up the dance floor, she’s partial to Tijuana.
The 5-foot-6, 25-year-old says she was “made in Mexico” but attended middle school (and up) in Chula Vista. Fond memories on this side of the border include Ruth’s Chris Steak House, the underground Gaslamp Quarter bar Vin De Syrah and going for motorcycle rides in Eastlake on her 250 Honda Rebel.
These days, the energetic Pomplun keeps busy as a dancer at Playboy special events, does a weekly show on Playboy Radio Sirius XM 102 and does hostess stints on Blackbelt TV, which features mixed martial arts.
The future? “My modeling career is blooming,” she says. “It’s exciting.”
During a break in her all-day PacificSD lingerie photo shoot at The Lafayette Hotel in North Park, she reveals what guys should sport in the bedroom.
“A man should wear tight, tiny black boxers,” she says. “And a bowtie.”
Under Wear Lesson
Lingerie 101: The historical skinny on the skimpy
By Brooke Bunch
On Valentine’s Day, naughty girls come out to play in lingerie. With lacy roots dating back to the 16th Century, lingerie tantalizes with mystery. What’s she wearing underneath that skirt? Widely known Victoria knows the secret. Like a vampire, lingerie has innate power to provoke and excite the most reluctant of prey. Whether you’re going for the Hot Teacher, Sexy Cheerleader or Sultry Librarian look, here’s a quick lesson on these articles of seduction:
The Corset: It’s the proverbial under-wearing classic. First used literally to take the breath away of Victorian-era women by cinching waists to unrealistic proportions, the corset dates back 500 years, says Jill Fields, author of An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie and Sexuality. “The corset accentuates
the female figure,” says Fields, “emphasizing the hips and pushing out the breasts.”
The Thong: Designed for look (definitely not comfort), these barely- there panties are a staple in any woman’s drawer. “Small in size but big in rewards, a thong spells enticement,” says Rebecca Apsan, author of The Lingerie Handbook.
Push-up Bras: Before there were breast implants, there were push- up bras. These boob-boosters have been making men stare and women curvaceous since the 1920s.
The Garter Belt: Most hosiery today doesn’t need to be held up by a snap hooked to a belt, but garters live on for aesthetic pleasure. “The garter belt is purely erotic, conjuring up carnal pleasure and naughtiness,” says Apsan.
The Colors: Black is the Number One color in lingerie sales. “Black and sheer is a lethal combination that will drive him crazy,” Apsan says. Red turns up the heat, especially a fire-hued bra or vinyl red stilettos. White? Slightly nostalgic and mildly innocent, but driven snow can only get dirtier.
Fashion Director: Simone Perloff
Styling by Amanda Thorne-Pritchard with Thorne Artistry
Hair by Maegan Cooper with A Robert Cromeans Salon
Makeup by Sara Stewart
Stylist’s assistant Erin Riley with Thorne Artistry
Shoot assistant: Jessica Hoerth