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

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

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!

Tutti Rouge's feline fancies

When Tutti Rouge contacted me asking if I'd like to review their aptly named Kitty set for them I almost snapped their hand off as this set is truly stunning!

The luxurious satin/lace Kitty comes in a bright pink/magenta and mysterious Liberty blue. I initially wanted the Liberty blue but it was out of stock in my size so I opted for the pink/magenta, and once it arrived I didn't regret my decision one bit!

The Kitty bra is a half padded balconette with satin and lace top cup. As with all Tutti Rouge bras, the adjustable sliders are heart shaped and the brand name is embossed on the back. A new addition to those little details that put Tutti Rouge aside from other brands is the little tag reminding you to check your breasts! It's nice to see that a number of lingerie brands are now working with breast cancer charity Coppafeel, check them out here.

Disclaimer; As I always say, it may well be my boobs that don't work with whatever I'm reviewing rather than the bra itself being at fault. So please don't be put off by my minor gripes I'm about to describe!

So the fit: I really struggle with Tutti Rouge. I don't know what it is that makes my boobs not work with them but they just don't particularly well, and the Kitty (£32) is no exception. I'm a big fan of round, forward projection when it comes to my boobs, which isn't ever going to happen in a balcony bra on me. I feel Kitty gives me a bit of an east/west fit, and the pattern would benefit from a little more structure at the outer sides of the cups to encourage forward projection. My other mini moan is the straps. Please, Tutti, I beg you to make them FULLY adjustable! I have petite shoulders so I face a constant battle with dresses and bra straps so I need them to be adjustable.

On the plus side, it's not too bad a fit! I went for my 'usual' size of a 28GG so Kitty is very much true to size. The band is nice and snug, just how it should be. The straps, as I've said, are too long, and I will be shortening them to get a bit more support as I feel it's sitting like a strapless bra at the moment.

Again, it's those little details that win me over! That eyelash lace on the upper cups, the contrasting purple ribbon with offset pink rose, the little roses on the base of the straps, oh my!

I was also sent the Kitty Skirty Short (£16) in a medium which is perfect on my 40" hips. As  much as I love these I found the skirt part was difficult to get right, but I think on someone with a smaller backside it would sit properly! The front centre is finished off with a purple bow with offset pink rose like on the bra and a two roses on the back. The back is full coverage mesh, and as always, no photos of my sheerly covered rear end!

The Kitty Brazilian (£15) I was sent worked much better on me. Again in a medium, and again with the same details. I much prefer this style. I love how the lace back hugs by butt cheeks! These are some seriously pretty pants!

So, You're probably wondering how the set looks on me. Here goes, unedited and gratuitous as always!

Kitty bra and Brazilian

Kitty bra and Skirty Short

Kitty bra and Skirty Short

Kitty bra and Skirty Short

Kitty bra and Brazilian

The Kitty set also features an awesome suspender belt(17.50) which hasn't yet been released, so if you love the set, keep an eye out for it in the future.

The Kitty bra is available in sizes 28-38 D-HH and the Brazilian and Skirty Shorts in sizes XS-XXL.

All in all I love this set. It's up there in my top 5 most beautiful sets I own for sure! Tutti Rouge are certainly one of, if not THE most aesthetically pleasing lingerie brands catering for bigger cups. Who are your favourite brands for looking great?

*please don't steal my photos without my permission (unless you're Tutti Rouge!). I don't watermark them because I don't want pervs coming to my blog to steal my pics for misuse*