Friday 2 December 2016

Timeless Trends Emerald Cincher of DREAMS!!

Ever since I heard that the all-knowing corsetry goddess Lucy's Corsetry helped design a range for American corsetry brand Timeless Trends last year, I've been coveting one of their gorgeous Emerald waist cinchers. I mean, c'mon, LOOK AT IT!

I almost peed myself with joy when they contacted me asking if I'd like to choose a corset to review, so naturally I went with the Emerald waist cincher ($89) that I've wanting for aaaaaages. I ordered a 20" for my 26.5" waist, the same size I wear in What Katie Did and Orchard Corset styles.


When the cincher arrived I was delighted! It was so pretty with its brocade panels and green ribbon lacing the back. I tried it on but I had a HUGE gap in the back, and because this corset doesn't have a modesty panel, you get the bunched up skin in the back if you're wearing it as underwear, which I don't personally like. Despite this, since its an hourglass cut, the corset gave me a great shape and really nipped in my waist without too much bulge underneath as it's cut for bigger hips. I wasn't happy with the gap though so I exchanged for a 22" and to be honest, there's not a *lot* of difference between the two, as seen in the following two photos. I think I could easily wear anything from a 20"-24" with varying gaps at the back of course. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it gives more options if sizes are out of stock!

20"

22"

So, let's talk more about the shape. I'm what you would call an 'extreme hourglass' as my hips are over 10" bigger than my waist, so finding off the rack (OTR) corsets to fit well can be quite tricky. Thankfully more and more corset makers are becoming aware of this and Timeless Trends offer one of, if not THE best range for an hourglass shape.


This corset is classed as a cincher, but for those with shorter torsos like myself, it works well as a standard underbust corset. The front busk measures 8.25", side length 6.25", back 9.5", meaning it is nice and short, allowing more feedom of movement than a regular length underbust corset, ideal for everyday waist training. It is not recommended to wear this shape if you happen to have a bit of a tum and it won't cover your 'pooch', but can be worn by those with short or tall torsos, and of course, anything in between.


The corset ties at the back with matching emerald green ribbon and doesn't have a modesty panel as mentioned previously. It has alternating panels of emerald green satin and Asian inspired emerald and gold brocade, which looks stunning both as an accent to an outfit or with lingerie. I had a bit of fun when shooting this corset and teamed it up with a vintage kimono I picked up on Etsy and also a Frida Kahlo inspired look with a vintage embroidered top and red swing skirt.



Having worn this corset for a day I must admit it did cause a bit of discomfort in the form of long lasting (4 days!) redness on my skin at the top and bottom of the corset. Yes, it's my own stupid fault for not wearing a corset liner, I know! I'm wondering if the fabric contains something that I have a slight allergy to perhaps, but with this being said, it's no reason not to buy this beautiful piece, as corsets aren't really meant to be worn against bare skin anyway.


I'm a huge fan of this corset and can't wait to break it in as I think it may well end up being a favourite in my collection. I highly recommend taking a look at Timeless Trends as they've been working with some big names in the world of corsetry, and this can only mean even greater things are to come!

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your patience with my LONG waits between posts! 
x


Wednesday 18 May 2016

Summery Stripes with Lilly & Lime

Sadly I've not been fortunate enough to have had a lovely beach holiday for a number of years now, so when Lilly & Lime asked me to review a bikini of theirs I agreed with a heavy heart. Poor me, I know!
Lilly & Lime are an Australian specialist D cup and up swimwear brand, launched in January 2016 and based upon an idea the two busty founders Emma and Ashleigh had during a champagne fuelled night out!



I'm a huge fan of nautical stripes so naturally I opted for the Blue & White striped full cup bikini top in my current size of 28H and Blue & White striped hipster tie bottoms in a size 14. I really wanted to try the balconette shape as I feel it would work better on me, but the striped bikini wasn't available in my size. Emma from Lilly & Lime was most helpful when it came to fit advice and suggested their sizes are similar to those of Curvy Kate and Panache, which I found particularly useful to know when shopping newly discovered brands.


The full cup bikini top has fully adjustable straps (a godsend!) and the band size is fixed, fastening with a white plastic clip at the back. The cups have non-removable pads and it is made from a double layered stretch swimwear fabric. I must admit I was slightly underwhelmed with this bikini top. Although it offers support and a good size range, I'd ideally like something a bit more...wow! Admittedly this is probably due to my choice of the full cup and my 34 year old boobs (that have seen better days!), so I am just speaking for myself here. One thing I would LOVE to have seen is a narrower gore. I just think it's a touch too wide for my liking and tends to flatten my boobs a little. If these are things that bother you, the balconette shape does seem to have a bit more of a wow factor and I kind of wish I'd made my decision based on shape rather than pattern so you might want to bear this in mind when shopping with Lilly & Lime


As for fit, it seems pretty darn good on first impressions, maybe a tiny bit small in the cup but not enough to warrant going up a cup. The band is nice and snug and I'd suggest going up a band size if you're on the upper end of your usual band measurement. My underbust measures 27" so the 28" is perfect on me.

Yes, I have cellulite, I'm a human.

The tie side bottoms are lovely! I LOVE tie sides, mainly because they give you the option of loosening them off if you're feeling a bit bloated and you don't need to worry about the sizing too much either. Again they're made from a double layer stretch swimwear fabric and the fit is spot on!


The Lilly & Lime bikini top range comes in band sizes 28-38 and cup sizes F-HH. Bottoms come in sizes 8-18 and run in UK sizes. Currently Lilly & Lime are producing bikinis in two colours (nectarine and black) and three prints (floral, chevron and stripe). Go forth and shop!


Thanks for reading ,
Le Curvy Kitten 
x






Friday 13 May 2016

What's the (Corset) Story, Morning Glory?

So, Slightly confusing title. I thought it would be a good idea but then I couldn't get it to work, ok?? Don't judge!

After looking back at last year's review of the black underbust corset with hip panels and realising how well it fitted I decided I wanted to try the overbust version, and when the folks from Corset Story (AKA Corsets UK) offered I willingly accepted!



I originally wanted the plain satin version but it was out of stock in my size (22" for Corset Story corsets, usually 20" elsewhere) so I chose the black brocade overbust with hip panels (£69 at the time of publishing) instead. I'd intended to use it as a base for my Columbia costume when I see The Rocky Horror Show in May, but on arrival I realised it was too pretty for that, so I might have to rethink my plans!


As always, Corset Story provide a swing tag with a bit of blurb on their corset construction along with a sample of their spiral steel boning, which I think is a nice touch. The outer fabric is a decadent black brocade which doesn't photograph especially well but in person is divine!


With my awkward measurements I was concerned about the corset not fitting well enough in the bust but for a relatively inexpensive off the rack (OTR) I'm happy to report its pretty damn good! Its not bang on as you'd expect but it's close enough! .The hip panels, as I found with the underbust last year, help make this corset an excellent fit on me and give a nice gentle curve whilst still being shaped enough to give that Jessica Rabbit style nipped in waist I'm always looking for in corsets. 


Since I'm short in the torso this corset is a touch on the longer side for me, but that's not to say it won't work on you. The modesty panel is a pesky little thing to straighten when you're lacing alone, so bear that in mind when you're thinking "WTF?" while looking at my pics! It laces up quite easily and the cords slide smoothly, but also have a bit of 'bite', meaning they don't slip much when you're lacing, which as some of you corset wearers may know, is a huge bonus, particularly when lacing alone.

Before this next picture I'll mention that yes, I'm aware that corsets should be laced evenly, meaning the back should be parallel but I have shoulder problems and was struggling to fully lace up on my own! Also, since I wouldn't be wearing an overbust for waist training I don't feel this is as important as it would be for an underbust.


This corset is well constructed and I'm surprised to find something OTR that fits so well. Given their low price point I'd recommend Corset Story to anyone wanting to dip their toes into the decadent pond of corsetry. Avoid cheap cylindrical corsets on eBay and start here! Keep your eyes peeled for offers over at Corset Story as they often have good deals and sales on!


As always, thanks for reading
Le Curvy Kitten
xxx






Friday 29 January 2016

Make your cleavage illegal with Tutti Rouge's Jessica

As always, apologise for the radio silence. You know how life gets in the way? Yeah, that. Coupled with the fact that it's January and that means we're all recovering after having had a few months run up to Christmas.


In early December Tutti Rouge so kindly offered me their new Jessica set to review. I'd been hotly anticipating it's release and subsequent #illegalcleavage social media campaign featuring curvy redhead Lucy V. I was delighted when I received the set through my door! I initially requested the bra in a 28GG and thong in a medium but on arrival I realised that I'd underestimated myself and needed a size up in both, so a 28H and large thong, which I'm happy to say, fit beautifully. The matching suspender belt is a small. So if you're between sizes in both bras and pants, you'd do better to size up as I did.

What sets the Jessica bra aside from anything else I've ever seen on the market (particularly in plus bust brands) is that the bra has pockets on the inside of the cups for its padding. Now, this may not seem that unusual but the bra is unpadded and the padding is made in a way to give you multiple options. The band is accurately sized and the cups, Although not particularly supportive on myself, as my boobs aren't all that perky, are made from a stretch mesh are accommodating for asymmetrical boobs. If you're a fan of unpadded AND padded bras, then Jessica is worth a try.




The pads, or 'cookies' as Tutti Rouge like to call them, are a rectangular-ish shaped pocket (so a double layer of padding) containing another smaller pad. The idea behind this is that you control how much cleavage you want with the added benefit of being able to even out asymmetrical boobs should you struggle with that. The cookie system gives you, if you're not taking into account any asymmetry, 4 different levels of padding; unpadded, small cookies, cookie pocket and cookie pocket with smaller cookies inside. Are you feeling the urge to eat a cookie yet...no, me neither... ;)




I love the idea of effectively customising an OTR bra yourself, and as I touched on before, if you have noticeable asymmetry then this bra if definitely worth trying out. I estimate I have a difference of half a cup maybe, so it's not all that noticeable once I'm wearing a bra.


The thong in a large is perfect on me, as long time readers know, I'm well blessed in the hip/butt department and I like to make sure I don't get any bulges so I usually size up on what's recommended on your average size chart. The suspender belt is a small and is a little on the large side if I'm being picky, but works out fine. I just wish I could buy suspender belts and pants in the same size! Damn curves! That said, I don't ever wear suspender belts for anything other than photoshoots anyway, so ignore my whinging!



As always with Tutti Rouge, it's the details that make the sets that bit different from other brands, such as the heart strap adjusters, which I bloody LOVE! The fabrics, trims and colours have all been chosen with great care and tie in beautifully with one another.




Since I always have to have something to moan about it would have to be the bulk and particularly the shape of the cookies. Once you have all of them fitted inside your bra you will be able to feel your arms rub against them once you start moving around. The other issue is the shape. provided you're not wearing something *too* tight fitting, you'll be okay, but when you wear this bra with a slinky bodycon dress there's a very real risk of the chunky non boob shaped cookies being visible. Personally I'd have made the cookies in the traditional 'chicken fillet' shape.



Anyway, Overall I love how this set looks and how versatile it is with its multiple looks. Have you tried the Jessica set yet? Is the concept of customising the level of padding something that makes you want to try it?


As always, thanks for reading x


Living With The Enemy

*CW sexual themes, mentions of threat and abuse*
I wasn't originally going to write about this, but after reading posts by Leyah Shanks, Rachel GeeBee and Danielle AKA RollsAndCurves I felt my badly written, disjointed story is just as important as theirs.

If you're a regular follower of Le Curvy Kitten on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook you'll be familiar with my bio which reads, in no uncertain terms "NO PERVY COMMENTS PLEASE". Does it work? Hell no.

You see, there's a pocket of society who can't help but ignore your wishes, bombarding you with their sordid messages, objectification, sexualisation, pictures, or worse still, threats of violence, rape and even death. And it's not an uncommon occurrence.

The quotes features in this post are lifted from comments on my photos, direct messages, etc.

A Brief History of Le Curvy Kitten
Let's head back five years to 2011 when I first started my blog. If you're new to my world you might not know that I started blogging as a result of entering Curvy Kate's annual modelling competition, Star In A Bra back. I knew then that should I make it through the initial stage of being chosen by the judges I'd be online in my lingerie for all to see so I'd already anticipated a certain amount of attention. I was both delighted and apprehensive that I'd made it through to the first rounds of the public vote. 

Not long after my entry photos were made public for the competition did I start receiving messages from men telling me how 'sexy' they thought I was, picking me apart into body parts to describe which bit they were into. "Your thick thighs are perfect", "you have great boobs", "your hair is so f*cking hot", "turn around, I'd like to see the booty". You know, that kind of thing, sometimes complete with descriptions of what they'd like to do to me. I'll spare you the details but let's just say they don't want to take me for a romantic stroll on a moonlit beach. But you know something? I'm more than that. Women are more than that. We're their mothers, sisters, grandmothers, friends.

"Yes please. I need two...I am sure I will break the first one."
"Oh myyyy.... That is very tasty! <3"
"Nice 'Big Bird'!"
"I think you are training me to cum on command!!"
"Let me suck yur pussie."

And So It Begins...
On starting my blog I began to receive the odd message alerting me to the fact that my images were being shared here, there and everywhere and even used in ad campaigns for 'Ugly Girls Need Love Too' and more as recently as last year 'Fat F*ckbook'. It hurt and still does that my image is being used as porn. It was never intended to be that way. My blog was intended to bring bra reviews to those of a similar size to myself who struggle to find bras in their size. Instead I've ended up with a firm following of men/ some of which can't resist sending me messages to find out if I'm single or worse. When you call these men out on their behaviour they typically feel the need to insult you in return although the odd few do back down and apologise. Sometimes I'll get the "calm down and learn to take a compliment" line, but it's not a compliment to reduce me to a pair of boobs. I just happen to have them. They're not an achievement I worked hard for. They're just 'there'. If you were to compliment me on my writing or arts and crafts then yes, I'm more than happy to accept that as a valid compliment. Anything based on my looks (unless it's about something I've worked hard on, such as my hair or make up) is just....luck of the draw, genetics, being a human.

And gah, the male sexual entitlement is painful! 

"Holy boobies...I need a tittie f*cking"
"With hips like that, I know she can put her back into it..."
"Wow you're gorgeous, I want you. Cum to the Ozzy."
"Great body. Very beautiful. DM me please."
"Hey shug how are you I think you look stunning and, I was wondering if maybe you'd show a lad what's it's like to sleep with a woman as beautiful as yourself."

I've also found a couple of (thankfully) very badly photoshopped images of my head on the body of a fetish model. Apparently I became fair game. On one occasion I was named a 'butterface bitch', reduced to nothing more than a body with an ugly face. Something to look at, to play with, an object. Complete disregard to the fact that inside said body with an ugly face there's a fellow human being, with feelings, thought processes, intelligence, morals and insecurities. More often in these situations I'm referred to as a 'that'. Oh nice. 

"Oh my...that's just....perfect"

On anonymous Q&A site ask.fm I've been threatened. It was disgusting. I felt violated and scared knowing that someone had actually taken the time to find me on there and say such sordid and brutal things. Rape and beheading was mentioned, as well as one person naming my place of work and telling me not to be surprised should I find them masturbating at the windows. I'll spare you of this anonymous person tying to justify why rape shouldn't be a crime...

"And after I'm done mouth raping you I'll go and put your head on a pike with the other bitches."

Also from ask.fm;

"I just wanna pound u and leave u gasping for more. Sorry ur just too hot."
"But I just want that big booty, them big curves, big boobs, soft smooth skin, lips, us so sensual, u ooooze me, us so cuddly."

And disturbingly;
"Do you work at (insert my place of work here)? If so, dnt be alarmed when I'm masturbating through the window at you."

The Dreaded Dick Pic
Amongst the messages I've received over the years some have had the most delightful attachments in the form of unsolicited photographs of the sender's erect phallus. The worst of these by far was a snapchat I received of my own photo covered in, ahem, 'mangoo', called a 'tribute' apparently. Yes, I'm aware this happens, I can't do anything about that, everyone hads needs and preferences, but I don't want or need to know. So don't tell me.

"Just to let you know that I have masturbated to your pictures many times."
"The pic of yourself in the black bra pic got me really horny, do you mind if I get off over that pic?" Followed by "if you don't like that I will respect it."

I've never fully understood why this has become the norm. Is it some kind of misguided compliment, like "hey girl, you gave me a boner"? An invitation? Is it merely a statement; "I AM MAN, I HAVE PENIS"? Either way, why do it? Would they flash me in the street? Nope, because that would be a crime. Indecent exposure. Someones private inbox is no different to you jumping out on someone with your knob out in a park having waited until there's nobody around. Think about that guys.

Now here's where things got frustrating. I felt at the end of my tether so having received a couple of seedy messages and a dick pic over as many days I decided to take action. I publicly shamed these guys. The 'gent' who sent a message asking whether or not I minded if he masturbated over my pic had his private message and username reposted publicly, as did another guy similarly sending me creepy private messages. He fought back with abuse, then begged me to delete the post, then fought back with abuse again and so forth. One guy who sent me a photo of his shrimpy-looking weiner had an emoji carefully placed over the offending article (one that looks like its eyes are bleeding, no less) and again a public repost.

A friend of mine pointed out that I was technically committing the relatively new crime of revenge porn and I should probably delete the post. I took to Facebook to discuss with my favourite girlie group and things got heated as group members argued against me, leading to my post being deleted as it was turning into a witch hunt. I felt my voice as a victim had been taken away. People were forgetting that I'm the one who's having to view these awful messages and pictures. It's very easy for others to say "Just ignore it" when they're not experiencing this themselves. And to say "it's to be expected when you post stuff like that!" doesn't help either. So do lingerie models deserve explicit message and dick pics too, just because they happen to be modelling lingerie too? This is victim blaming, akin to blaming a woman for being raped on a night she was wearing a short skirt. Nope.

Having thought about it, yes, reposting someone's dick pics and private messages does technically make it revenge porn but I can't help feeling I'm being silenced as a victim. Why should those men, forcing their horrible sexual words and photos on women like me get the same protection as, say a man recently out of a relationship with a woman who is now using private photographs to try and blackmail him maliciously? This left me feeling so disheartened. Not only was I being let down by me peers in the Facebook group, but I was also being silenced from naming and shaming these sexual predators. What is this teaching them? That it's perfectly okay to carry on flashing their genitals and being vulgar to those they're sexually attracted to. Well it's not.

I Would
Two words. Two words that hold so much hope for the writer, yet so much despair and repulsion for the recipient. "I would". Sometimes I'll see those this 'compliment' typed without thought in my social media comments. I would. No, you wouldn't. "Why?" you ask, often with a 'lol' thrown in for good measure. Because I wouldn't allow you to. EVER. Again, you're dismissing the fact that I'm a free thinking individual and not just something to stick your meat maggot in given any opportunity. It's the presumption that I'd allow these creeps to do these things to me that annoys me the most I think. Check out the presumption in these internet nuggets I've received. 

"The things I'd do to you."
"Damn baby I would do things to you I wouldn't do to a farm animal."
"Who is this and how do I get into her pants"
"I so would. A girl with confidence in her curves = the sexiest thing! <3"
"I would let her do me bad."
"I will f*ck u baby ur boobs so yamy."
"Plzz baby I wil kiss us pussy. Come on my bedroom without cloths. My dick long 8 inch ur ass fucking so fan ahh ahhhhh. Plzz one day full night f*ck.

The repeat offender
Over the past few years, yes YEARS, there's been one particular follower on Twitter who, despite me constantly blocking their multiple accounts, still feels the need to create new accounts in order to tweet me their favourite fetish/dominatrix photos and make unwanted comments about me. When I block them, they typically get nasty, for example tweeting my other half pictures of other women saying that their boobs are bigger than mine (and??), and tweeting lingerie brands to tell them not to work with me as I'm a bad representation! I always know its them as they follow and harass the same list of women every time, and their dialogue is ALWAYS the same. "OMG I burst my zipper!" is the usual mating call of this particular creep.

When the f*ckboys fight back
The creepers don't take it well if you happen to call them out on their behaviour. They'll hurl random unfounded insults at you such as slut, slag, dick tease, bitch. They will victim blame to try and excuse their behaviour. Here's what happened when I called one individual out on his creepy "mmmmm" comment. I think it all speaks for itself...

"You remind me of a girl wearing a low cut top then giving you a dirty look for looking...hope u find what your looking for."

"Why have your tits out in the first place. You only want people you find attractive looking. If a man you find attractive looking at your tits you wouldn't find it pervy. So if I walk about within erection and tight trousers does that mean anyone who looks is a perv?? or am I may be being a bit inappropriate...... And seeing you know men are the ones that have a higher sex drive and a drawing to things of a sexual nature. Either you don't know this or you're playing a game women have been playing for years."

"And I'm sorry I have to say.. You want to mention creepy? Try posting hundreds of sexual pictures of yourself for thousands of complete strangers. Like I said I hope you find what you're looking for."

What I find most disturbing is when women stand up for these creeps as though it's okay for them to behave in this way. The following is a quote from a woman replying to me complaining about receiving an email in which a man asked if he could masturbate over my photo.

"You're being unfair now. What do you expect if you put up pictures like this!? At least he has the decency to ask you. You have the right to say no if you please. But I think there is no need to shame other people for expressing their sexuality honestly. If you do that you're just a big fat tease. There is nothing wrong with people finding others attractive (even if they have a partner) it's NATURAL. So don't go around strutting your stuff and then shaming people for being honest. Unfollowing you for this..."

Yes, this example of victim blaming is from a woman. 

Biting Back

Why do I feel the need to bite back? Why can't I just sit back and take a compliment? Because objectification is not actually a compliment. Because it shouldn't be happening in the first place, and the only way to tackle that is to call these people out on their objectification. 

And yes, I know this works both ways too. Only yesterday I was alarmed to see in one of my girlie Facebook groups a number of posts featuring conventionally good looking men accompanied by words such as "Where can I get one of those?" and "Is there a catalogue for these?" as though these men were non-thinking inanimate objects to take out and play with then out away when you're bored. I found myself recoiling in disgust at this to be honest. "If you can't bet em, join em"? Really? Ladies, let's not lower ourselves to creeper standards!

We don't need to remain silent anymore. We don't have to smile if someone in the street tells us to. Remaining silent and/or complying only reinforces this behaviour. If, for example, a creepy guy comments on your instagram and you shoot them down, then the next creepy guy (provided he's read the previous comments) sees that you're not going to stand for that kind of crap, he probably won't comment. Yes, you may get abused in the process but we mustn't allow this kind of behaviour to continue.

In Conclusion
If you're not happy with your mum/wife/close loved one seeing the comment/message and if it's unsolicited, then don't post it. Be respectful to your fellow human beings. 

How do you deal with/how would you suggest dealing with these slimeballs?

Thanks for reading as always,
Kelly x