Through the Looking Glass with Parfait & Affinitas with Charlotte fromLazeme

Ever since Parfait & Affinitas released the Icy Blue version of their Charlotte set I've wanted to try it in an Alice in Wonderland themed shoot. I put the idea to the back of my mind until  the lovely ladies at Lazeme contacted me offering me the set to review!

I already own Charlotte in both red and peach and I have to say, they're by far the highest quality sets I have. Other bloggers have referred to Charlotte as 'scaffolding for the boobs' and they're not wrong! Not only is the bra very well constructed  but it also looks stunning too with a vintage pin-up feel.

Charlotte in red

The bra (£30) is a padded balcony shape with matte finish cups and satin side panels and wings, cut quite high under the arms so if you have problems with high wings then this might not be the bra for you. The back is wide and made from a black powermesh. The band is true to size, nice and snug, as is the cup. If you're between sizes then my advice is to size up. I wear a 28H in Charlotte, the same as my Curvy Kate size but a cup bigger than my Freya size of 28GG. 

Front (with high waisted brief)

Back (with high waisted brief) 

Side (with high waisted brief)

Back (with bikini brief)

The briefs come in a gorgeous high waisted style (£14) and a bikini brief style (£12). I'm wearing a large in both, but think I could wear a medium in the high waisted brief as they're a touch on the baggy side.

Charlotte bra (£30) with high waisted brief £14

Charlotte bra (£30) with bikini brief (£12)

Charlotte bra (£30) with high waisted brief (£14)

Charlotte bra (£30) with bikini brief (£12)

My only criticisms of the Charlotte bra are that it can become uncomfortable under the arms as its cut quite high and the black trim and edging can be quite difficult to hide under clothes both due to the contrasting colours and because they're slightly raised. 

One of the things that sets Charlotte aside from a lot of other fuller bust style is its size range in 28-40 D-K cups, all inclusive, which is 'praise the lingerie gods' lovely if you fall within those size ranges. Both styles of briefs are available from a XS (UK 6-8) to a 2XL (UK 18). The Charlotte range is currently available from Lazeme in Purple Wine, Dusty Pink, Wild Pink, Red and Icy Blue.

All in all I LOVE the vintage look of Charlotte and would recommend it as a staple in your lingerie drawer. Gets yours from Lazeme today! 

Taming your waist with Corset Story

When the folks at Corset Story offered me the chance to review a corset for them I must admit I was reluctant to try, as from past experience their corsets haven't been quite curvy enough for me ad as gorgeous as some of the corsets are, I resigned them to the 'just won't fit me' category of websites I no longer visit.

It turns out they've been working on their range since I last browsed their site, now offering 'waist taming' corsets including gored hips and hip panels in a variety of shapes and patterns. Take a look here, some of them are really beautiful!

I chose the Black Satin Underbust with Hip Panels, priced currently at £59. My waist measures 25.5" currently and I usually wear a 20" in my other corsets from What Katie Did and Orchard Corset but I know Corset Story aren't as generous so I went for the 22". I think the 24" would have fitted quite well too, so please bear this in mine when you buy. It is also worth noting that this corset has waist tape, something not usually found in low-end of off the rack (OTR) corsets.

The awesome hip panels!

Waist tape, hip panels and suspender loops

Modesty panel

I wasn't expecting much for a relatively low cost OTR corset but when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised! Although it doesn't quite create the extreme level of 'hip shelf' I get in my What Katie Did Vamp underbust corset (£159.50), the hip panels mean that it actually fits my shape comfortably! 

As you can see from the back, the corset has a wide modesty panel which I failed to neatly line up and also featured suspender loops should you wish to add suspenders (also sold by Corset Story here). Fully laced, the edges are pretty much parallel, apparently the safest way to lace as it means the pressure is even throughout the corset. All the Waist Taming corsets are fully steel boned and come with tags that contain a sample of the spiral steel boning, which is one of those little touches I love!

For the above photos I teamed up my new Corset Story Waist Taming corset with some old high waisted black swim shorts and the Egoboost Multiway Bra by Gossard. I also had a bit of fun, creating a couple of Halloween looks with various items I found in my bedroom as you will see below!

If you're new to corseting and don't want to blow the bank or if you're a seasoned corset wearer looking for something new, check out the new range of Waist Taming and Instant Shape corsets by Corset Story.

Happy Birthday Curvy Kate!

This week I received a lovely treat from the team at Curvy Kate; a lingerie cookie set to celebrate their 6th birthday!

Its thanks to Curvy Kate that I started my blog. Back in 2011 I was a finalist in their Star In A Bra competition to find a new face and body for the brand for the following year. As you may or may not know, I didn't win, but my new found confidence led me to create this blog. I never thought I'd end up online in my undies but here we are!

The Star In A Bra 2011 Top Ten

One of my Star In A Bra professional shots

Not sure why they said I was a 32G...?

So thank you Curvy Kate for running modelling competitions that use your average 'Jo Public', for providing us busty girls with beautiful lingerie and for including 28 bands!

Happy Birthday!

XXX

Lovely Longline; Carmen by Curvy Kate

A longline bra is something I've coveted for quite some time and have been unable to find in my size (28GG/H depending on brand). Over a year ago, Curvy Kate saved the day yet again with their Carmen longline in sizes 28-38 D-J. 

Initially the Carmen set was released in a gorgeous Rose Mix colourway as seen here on FullerFigureFullerBust and has since been released in Black/Boysenberry (what kind of berry is that??) which I'll be reviewing in this post.

Photo by My Boudoir

I purchased my Carmen set from Brastop. It's currently on sale for just £11.95 for the bra, £5.95 for the thong in the Black/Boysenberry colour (correct at time of publishing). Unfortunately Brastop didn't have the matching suspender belt in stock but I'm hoping to find one elsewhere.

I ordered the Carmen longline in 28GG and 28H and as I often find with Curvy Kate, the 28H fitted the best. To be perfectly honest, there's not a huge difference between the two, but I generally like to err on the side of caution and go for the bigger cup. The band fits nice and snug so there are no worries in that department indicating that Curvy Kate are getting it right nowadays despite earlier teething problems with loose bands. The thong I bought in a 16 and 18 and found the 16 fitted best.

I've not yet worn the set for anything more than this shoot, so I can't comment on the comfort for extended wear. I've read a few reviews on the Carmen and most say that the band tends to roll up during wear, but that it doesn't really affect their positive ratings.

Initially I wasn't taken with either colourway in the Carmen, but unfortunately Curvy Kate haven't released Carmen in any new colours so not wanting to miss out on the only longline I know of in my size I bit the bullet and went for the Black/Boysenberry. I'd have preferred less pink, however the detail in the embroidery is beautiful.

My only criticisms are that I feel the bulkiness of the cups might be visible under clothing and that having so many hooks to fasten can be very awkward, particularly for those with mobility problems. Other than that, it's a gorgeous set and I hope Curvy Kate will release more colours in the future.

If you love this set, you can still find selected sizes on Brastop, Amazon, Ebay and at Figleaves, all of which are selling it at less than RRP! 

The Beautiful Boudoir by Pour Moi?

*PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY IMAGES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION*

Back in February you may recall my Valentine's line-up was dedicated to one brand, Pour Moi? I was contacted by the company who offered me a set to review, so naturally I chose my 'No. 1' set from the gorgeous Boudoir range.

*Firstly and most importantly, Pour Moi? don't make my current size of 28GG/H so I had to sister size to a 30G.*

The Boudoir range from Pour Moi? is made in an elegant nude mesh with black trim, straps and floral embroidered motifs. I consider the Boudoir range to be a practical way of wearing a burlesque look, with the floral motifs hinting at nipple pasties. I have to admit, I ADORE the strappy look of this range and should I ever book another shoot with My Boudoir I plan on wearing it with few extra accessories.

Pour Moi? very kindly sent me both bras from the Boudoir range, the half padded and unpadded, both in a 30G. Both bras are too big in the band as expected, but could be shortened using a Rixie Clip if needs be. 

The Unpadded Boudoir Bra comes in sizes 30D-G, 32-36B-G and 38-40C-G and costs £28. It has sheer cups with strategically placed black floral motifs to ensure no nipple show if that's something you guard against. The underwiring is highlighted in black to mirror the trim at the top of the cups and the straps are black and fully adjustable. As I've sister sized, I expected the cups to fit well, but I feel a cup size bigger would have fitted better, so if you can, size up in the cup but stick to your usual band.

Above: The Unpadded Boudoir Bra

Next up, the Half Padded Boudoir Bra, £28 in sizes 30D-G, 32-34B-G and 38-40C-G. now this bra is interesting! Unlike anything I've ever seen before it has a half cup, again with the floral motif and black underwire casing, and a...how do I describe this...a floating trim? It'll make more sense when you see the photos.Sadly this bra runs smaller in the cup by around a whole cup size, so size up by two cups and stick to your usual band. That said, this bra was clearly designed with seduction in mind so I guess fit isn't all that important! 

Above: The Half Padded Boudoir Bra

I was also sent the Boudoir Thong in a size 16 (£12 sizes 8-16) and Boudoir Suspender in a Large (£20 sizes S-XL). The Boudoir Thong is a perfect fit, if a touch baggy in the front and I love the strappy detail. It works beautifully with the Boudoir Suspender as you can see. Ideally a smaller suspender belt would have been preferable as I've ventured out before in a suspender belt that sits on my hips rather than my waist before and ended up with my stockings slipping! 

So do you love this show stopping set as much as I do? Are you thinking of buying it?

Again, thanks for reading,

Le Curvy Kitten 

x

The Jessica Dress by Gerry Roxby

As you all know, I'm slightly obsessed with Jessica Rabbit but her 'traditional' floor length gown is somewhat impractical, so when I came across this shorter version, aptly named Jessica by Gerry Roxby for Glamour Bunny, I instantly added her to my lust list.

Priced at £80 I wasn't about to go crazy and impulse buy her, so when I saw Blogger rebelangel was selling hers in a size Small for just £35 I almost snapped her arm off!

Jessica sits just below the knee on me at 5'2", has a split at the back to ease walking and is made from a stretch sequin fabric. The bodice is plastic boned which can be awkward for some, me included, as it tends to create a more angular shape rather than rounded like what I was getting in my Gossard Egoboost strapless bra.I think the idea is that you can wear the dress braless, but to someone with a heavier bust this, as always, isn't possible. The bodice also has an elasticated strap with a bra fastening to help keep the bust securely in place. Jessica is fully lined and zips up at the back.

Apologies for the bra show!

As I mentioned before, Jessica is designed to be worn braless and yes, I tried it but it wasn't pretty! The plastic boning just isn't enough to hold up an ample bust sadly, so I tried it with my Gossard Egoboost strapless in a 30G (review to follow at some point) and it worked well, although Jessica didn't quite cover my bra fully. I'm sure a couple of carefully placed safety pins or strips of 'Hollywood tape' would do the trick nicely however. My other issue is that the shape of the bust line is more pointy than sweetheart, which would have been much more preferable I feel, and may have helped cover my bra.

Jessica is touted on the Glamour Bunny site as being ideal for hourglass curves, with the measurements in a size Small being 34" bust, 26" waist and 37" hips. I'm currently at 36" bust, 25.5" waist, 39" hips and it fits me well.

Under my Jessica I also wore my What Katie Did Vamp underbust corset to give me those exaggerated hips and a bit of extra bust support. I forgot to add my shapewear to smooth out the bottom of the corset so you can see the bottom line of the corset if you look for it.

I couldn't help but strike a classic Jessica Rabbit pose!

All in all, I'm very fond of my Jessica. It's definitely a, dare I say it, more subtle(?!) way to wear a Jessica Rabbit style and comes in other colours too. Okay, so it's not the most impractical dress as I'd have to wear it with a corset and strapless bra (come on ladies, they're not the comfiest piece of kit are they?!) but for a special night out where you want to make an impact it's absolutely perfect! It's always worth checking eBay for Gerry Roxby dresses as there are a few going for quite a low price from time to time.

Thanks for reading

Le Curvy Kitten

x

Lady V London and Collectif sale haul!

If you're a regular reader here you'll be familiar with UK vintage reproduction brands, Lady V London and Collectif . Both online stores had winter sales a few months ago with dresses from as little as £20, so who am I to resist a bargain? 3 from Lady V, 1 from Collectif! All dresses I try in this post are a UK size 8.

I won't link to the individual sales page or prices for each dress because at the time of publishing, only 1 or 2 sale dresses remain so instead I'll link to the shape of the dress where you can see which if any) other fabrics are available.

Tip: sign up to their mailing list for the latest offers and sales.

For quite some time I've had my eye on the Isabella as a less expensive alternative to Pinupgirlclothing's famous Heidi, a swing dress with fitted bodice and sweetheart neckline made to flatter EVERYONE. I ordered Isabella in this gorgeous red wine polka dot, as modelled by the stunning October Divine below.

Pin up model October Divine in the Isabella

Sadly it didn't look as gorgeous on me! As always, my short torso let me down and it was a little on the baggy side too. A size smaller would have been perfect I think but it wasn't produced in a UK size 6. I also feel it doesn't have enough fabric in the skirt. It's more of a circle skirt than a full swing I'd say, and a small circle at that. If you add a petticoat it doesn't swing as nicely as Heidi does, it just sort of...sits kind of stiffly on top of the petticoat without a gathered, swingy effect. Does that even make sense? 

*Check out Georgina's review on FullerFigureFullerBust.*

The verdict; refund please!

Onto another Lady V number I've had my eye on for a while. This one I hold close to my heart as it was designed by none other than the lovely Georgina Horne of FullerFigureFullerBust. Named after a friend, Georgina put her heart and soul into creating a the Estella designed to make every super curvy woman feel like a twirly whirly dream! I chose the pretty pink rose print dress as it reminded me of the Rosetta I reviewed in a previous post.

Georgina modelling her Estella dress

 Unfortunately I'm not quite curvy enough to fill the Estella out properly so the wrap neckline felt quite modest for me. I think it's better suited to those with a larger bust and/or longer torso than myself as the waistline was too long for me too. 

The bad points aside, I liked the loose fit sleeves as it turned the dress from an ordinary 50's swing style to a sort of Japanese-y 1940's tea dress on me, which I quite liked. I then had the bright idea of throwing on my Orchard Corset CS-301 over the dress and adding my usual petticoat and it completely transformed it! What do you think?

The verdict; as much as I like the look with a corset, I probably wouldn't want to ONLY be able to wear the Estella dress with my waspie, so back it goes.

Lastly from Lady V London is an old favourite style of mine, the swing dress, this time in a gorgeous poppy print! I initially had a few fit issues with the swing dress being too big on the waist and/or shoulders so I stopped buying them, so I was reluctant to try again but with the Poppy swing dress in the sale at around £20 I threw caution to the wind. 

I'm so glad I did as this version is made from a slightly stretchy fabric and actually fits without the need for a belt, corset or alterations! Hurrah! It's a tiny bit snug on the but I can live with that. I absolutely love the print and plan to wear it casually, out to dinner and even to work on November 11th! I tried the Poppy swing dress with and without a corset and petticoat and it looks good either way. 

Poppy Swing Dress by Lady V London

With belt and corset, no petticoat

With belt, corset and petticoat

With corset and petticoat, no belt

The verdict; Faith in the Lady V London swing dress restored! It's a keeper!

And from Collectif...

Dolores Doll dress in red gingham from Collectif

And finally, one I've ordered and returned before, the Dolores Doll in red gingham from Collectif. The Dolores Doll is another swing dress, this time with a sweetheart neckline and cute puff sleeves. I have both the Dolores doll dress and Dolores pencil dress in numerous fabrics now and is a strong favourite shape for me year after year. 

The size chart advised to size up if you are in between sizes as the gingham fabric doesn't allow for much stretch, but I often find Collectif Dolores doll dresses are very much hit and miss when it comes to a 'usual' size, so I threw caution to the wind and ordered my usual UK size 8. Thankfully the fit is spot on! Since the bust is ruched, I imagine it will fit most boobs, big and small. 

As I said I'd already ordered and returned this dress before back in the summer because on me it's far too long to look cute. I'm 5'2" and it sits longer than my petticoat so it look a bit odd. I figured that I couldn't live without this dress at the sale price I got it for so I will get it shortened and won't return it! 

*Also check out CurvyWordy's review here*

The verdict; with a few inches taken off the length, it's a definite hit!

Oh, as for what I wore underneath, my Freya Deco, Orchard Corset CS-301 and Lola petticoat from Collectif.

Which dress was your favourite? Have you found any good bargains lately? Share your photos on my Facebook page or comment below. 

Thanks for reading!