Freya's Deco never fails to Delight!

For those of you who already follow me in Twitter and Instagram you're probably already very aware that I LOVE the Deco bra by Freya. I own something like 20 now yet weirdly I've never actually written a post dedicated to them! So here we are!

My Deco collection minus two!

A few weeks ago Freya contacted me asking if I'd like to review a Deco for them, and of course I said yes! After a little deliberation we finally decided on the Deco Delight, a spin-off of the original, this time with pretty lace details and a racer back, as first seen on the Deco Charm from their AW14 range.

My eagerly awaited parcel of joy arrived and as soon as I got my paws on it I tore the box open to find a hot pink paper bag emblazoned with the Freya logo with orange Freya tissue paper oozing from the opening. So exciting! I carefully lifted the tissue paper (wow, I'm really building this up aren't I?) to reveal not only a Deco Delight bra, but Brazilian brief, shorts AND a chemise too! Oh Freya, you really went to town, much love to you!

The Deco Delight range comes in a cosy shade of marl grey with cream lace detailing and tiny cream bows. It's the only colourway available at the moment and it's just lovely. Initially I thought it was made from t-shirty fabric as it's a grey marl, and I'm so glad it's not because I've had that sort of bra before. They tend to cling to whatever you're wearing and don't sit well. I digress, it's not made from that but instead a smooth mix of 64% Polyster, 24% Nylon/Polymide, 8% Elastane and the magic ingredient, 4% Tactel, making Deco Delight soft to the touch. Hurrah!

Unfortunately Freya didn't have a 28GG in stock so we decided to sister size to a 30G. I never sister size on the band unless it's super tight, and particularly not with my Decos since I like a fuss-free fit. However, given the circumstances and the fact I own a Rixie Clip band shortening...thingy... I agreed to try it. So with that in mind, I'll base my review on my 'true' size of a 28GG since I own so many Decos in said size. I'm too honest for my own good. I could have just lied and said it's a 28GG from the offset, but nope.

"Why is such an ordinary looking bra your absolute favourite?", I hear you ask. I shall tell you for why my dear readers! It's what it DOES to my boobs. Hello cleavage! Not to mention it's perfect under almost ANYTHING. Seriously, I wear a Deco every. Single. Day. They're really comfortable, supportive and with the addition of the racer back clip on the Deco Charm and the Deco Delight they're super practical. I'm hoping to see the racer clip featured on the basic black and nude colours in the future as this would open up a new realm of clothes shopping for me as I've ALWAYS avoided racer backs for bra strap reasons.

Normal straps...

 

...Racer straps! (Apologies for the wonky clip!)

So on to the products! The iconic Deco bra is a t-shirt bra with its smooth moulded cups and with a wide range of colours/patterns available each season. For me it's a winner because It is padded, wearable with almost anything and comes in my size! Sorry for those who it doesn't fit, but I'd recommend getting in touch with Freya to show you're interested in a wider size range. The only way they'll know more sizes are in demand is if we all tell them. FYI the Deco Delight (and most of the Deco range) comes in 28-30 D-GG, 32-36 B-GG and 38 B-G. I only have two small gripes about the Deco; the band is a tad too big but not so much that it creeps up my back, and I sometimes get a little spillage, however that's down to my badly behaved boobs(!) rather than the bra itself. For those of you with firmer boobs this shouldn't be an issue. If you like a firmer band, go down a band and up a cup (if you can) when ordering for a better fit, although I can't say I've experienced any problems to write home about in my usual band size. The Deco Delight Moulded Bra currently costs from £34 depending on the retailer.

The Deco Delight Brazilian briefs(?) are really quite lovely. They share the same cream lace and bow detailing and on the backside the lace runs across each butt cheek, which is apparently what makes them a Brazilian brief. Think something between a thong and a normal brief. I don't like to show my cellulitey butt on my blog as you may or may not have noticed, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do with product pics! I wear a large in undies for reference. The Deco Delight Brazilian is currently priced from £13 depending on the retailer and come in sizes XS to XL.

The Deco Delight Shorts again share the lace and bows and are again a large. If you're wondering why I wear a large when I'm a UK size 8, it's because I carry my fat around my butt/hip area so to wear a small would be muffin tops ahoy, which I just can't deal with on myself. I prefer the shorts to the Brazilian as they're a bit comfier. I've realised I don't have a lot to say about undies, so enjoy the pics! The Deco Delight Shorts cost from £13 at the moment, depending on where you buy them and come in sizes XS to XL.

Last but not least (I tell a lie, I like this the least) is the Deco Delight Chemise. The chemise has a hidden support panel inside with an elasticated band, which is nice and comfy if you're slobbing around. 

I found it didn't offer enough support and that my Bravissimo nightwear was better as it has much more structure and padding, although that tends to have a weird shape to it, so it's the lesser of two evils. I found that the elasticated band was far too stretchy and I probably would have been better with the XS instead of the S. That said, it's comfortable enough to sleep in. 

The chemise is dual sized from XS-L in either a B-DD cup or E-G cup and costs from £34 currently. Here I'm wearing it with the Deco Delight Bra underneath, which I think makes the prettiest combo. I imagine throwing on some chunky knitted socks and a big cardigan with these to curl up on the sofa with my boyfriend. Ahhh, bliss!

Are you addicted to any particular items of lingerie? Do you need a bra in every colour ever made? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Le Curvy Kitten

xxx

The Super Sweet Sophia by Tutti Rouge

,A while back you may remember me trying out new big cup lingerie brand Tutti Rouge's Liliana and Betty bras, but sadly neither worked on me. I was contacted by the lovely Jessica from Tutti Rouge who then offered me the chance to try the beautiful Sophia, as she seemed adamant on me becoming a 'Tutti Rougette'!

After some too-ing and fro-ing (are they even words? No..) we finally hit the nail on the head with this set! First I tried the Sophia in a 28H as this seemed to be the correct cup size for me in the Liliana and Betty, but it was far too big in this style as you can see in the photo below.

I was then sent my recommended Sophia size of a 28G and it's near perfect! My only quibbles are that the half adjustable straps are a bit too long, but I can easily shorten them, and like all the Tutti Rouge bras I've tried so far, the cups appear to have a shallow part right at the bottom of them, creating an unusual 'dent' in the underside of the bust. It's not really visible in my photos as I couldn't quite manage to photograph it accurately. If you look at the bottom on the cups in the shots of the pink Sophia above and the green below you should be able to see what I mean.

The band is nice and snug and the bra is oozing with all of Tutti Rouge's usual sweet little details such as the embossed branding at the hooks, heart shaped adjusters and a little bow and button to the central gore. The bra is lightly padded and has a contrast in textures between the satin cup and double mesh layer of the upper cup, helping keep everything in place.

I won't go into great detail but a mix up over brief colours resulted in me getting the set in this gorgeous shade of mint, the likes of which my lingerie drawer has never seen before! Here I'm wearing a medium in the retro brief. I was also sent a thong in the same size and they're both spot on. For reference I usually wear Primark pants in a size 16-18, Freya Deco shorts in a Medium and Deco thongs in a Large. There's very little difference in the look of the brief and the thong at the front, but the back of the brief has a bit of ruching, a keyhole and a couple of little bows. Very cute!

Sophia is currently retailing at around £16 in various sales such as LargeCupLingerie and is also available here on the Tutti Rouge website.

I've not worn Sophia for any long periods of time as yet since I've not managed to find the time to alter the straps but as first impressions go, Sophia seems to be pretty good for me and I've decided not give up on Tutti Rouge just yet!

Have you ever been put off a brand you were really looking forward to trying?

The Ahh Bra...The Marmite of bras?

*Firstly, I'd like to say that I was sent the following items to review by the company in question. I blog honestly and will not lie about a product just because it was sent free of charge.*

We've all seen those late night shopping channels advertising miracle products that you simply can't live without, right? Sometimes they can grab your attention...

"Tired of hooks, wires straps and underwires?" Sounds interesting, go on..."Say goodbye to the barbaric torture of traditional bras and hello to technology made perfect!" Riiiiight...."The Ahh Bra...." Oh, that thing...

Like I said in the title, to me the Ahh Bra (affectionately know as the Argh Bra by some bloggers!) is like Marmite; you either love it or hate it. I'm a firm believer in the need for wires, hooks, straps and a solid band to support the breasts, so I'm in the 'hate it' camp. So when a representative of Rhonda Shear contacted me to see if if I'd like to review the Ahh Bra, I was reluctant but in the interests of my blog, thought it would be an ideal product to try.

Rhonda Shear, the designer of the Ahh Bra is undoubtedly a passionate and inspirational businesswoman, having won numerous entrepreneurial awards since the launch of the Ahh Bra 2002. Rhonda was an all-American beauty pageant kind of girl, later posing for Playboy, then moving onto TV, movies and stand-up comedy. Wanting a new project, Rhonda decided to embark upon designing a revolutionary new bra; and the Ahh Bra was born! Rhonda's range has since expanded to include nightwear, outerwear such as leggings and secret support vests, dresses and shapewear, which I was hoping I'd get to try out.

The ever glamorous Rhonda Shear (photo courtesy of Up All Night)

The Ahh Bra has no hooks, wires or adjustable straps and comes in sizes XS-2XL without the 'need' for cup sizes. It's supposedly guaranteed to fit perfectly. We'll see about that...!

Beautifully presented. But never judge a book by it's cover...

I was sent four items from Rhonda's 2012 collection; the original Ahh Bra, an Ahh Bra with removable pads, the 'Sweet Tart' butterknit gown and the 'Pin Up' bra.

The Original Ahh Bra: 

I received this in the Raspberry colour, in a size medium, based on my overbust measurement of 36" (I think). The underbust measurement isn't taken into account therefore I found it a little loose in the band.. The other major problem is that the straps aren't adjustable, and needed to be about 4 inches shorter. You can see in the picture below how the fit of the Ahh Bra is improved simply by shortening the straps, which also encased the 'armpit boobs' I was experiencing, an issue the Ahh Bra boasts to eliminate. Even then it's not something I'd be comfortable wearing outside the house.

I can't argue that the construction of the Ahh Bra isn't well designed, with it's tight knit in place of traditional wires, and looser knit to accommodate the bust. This is not an exclusive design though, as there are other bras on the market that sport a similar construction. 

The Original Ahh Bra is unsuitable or use as a functional  bra in my opinion, as it does not support the bust in a way that a wired and adjustable bra can. I'd only suggest the Ahh Bra to be worn as a sleep bra or for slobbing out on the sofa.

The Ahh Generation Bra (with removable pads):

This one is virtually the same (looks and fit) as the Original Ahh Bra, except it has removable pads and is in the Blush colour. The fit in this one was...interesting, the pads far too small for my GG cups. However much I tried, I couldn't get my boobs NOT to look wonky, so I don't really have much to say on this one that I haven't said already. Er....enjoy? 

The Pin-Up lace metallic leisure bra:

I so badly wanted this to work as I hadn't had much luck with the first two. But the only positive thing I can find to say about this non-wired, soft cup bra is that it has LOADS of hooks and eyes, see? I wish other bra makers would follow suit, although they were quite fiddly to fasten, so maybe not.

This bra was a Small yet the band stretched right up to 40". Yes, the fabric is that stretchy. Bearing in mind my underbust measurement is 28", you can see why this particular style doesn't work for me. Again, the straps were far too long and coupled with the very loose band, the bra offered no support whatsoever. Yes, that's my natural shape in the first picture. Also, check out the HUGE arm holes! 

The Sweet Tart butterknit shelf gown:

Possibly the most disappointing of them all. I was hoping to at least salvage this to sleep in, and on unwrapping it, it was instantly my favourite of the package. The nylon/spandex mix is beautifully soft and stretchy, and the black lace over nude is a nice touch. Although the straps are adjustable, I didn't find this helped at all, since they are very thin and flimsy, completely unsuitable for supporting GG cup boobs!

Again, this is a small and again the band was extremely stretchy, offering no support, so my boobs sit as though I'm not wearing a bra at all. I think the pictures speak for themselves:

All in all, I wouldn't recommend any of the products I've reviewed if you have a fuller bust. They might work okay for a woman with a smaller bust than myself I guess, but since you're reading fuller bust blog, then I can't say I'd be able to guess. Apparently, the Ahh Bra is hugely popular and has sold millions of units, so I guess a lot of women have had success with them. What works for one might not work for another, so who am I to argue?!

Have you tried an Ahh Bra? What did you think?

Boux Avenue. A boob of a bra fitting.

So it seems the latest initiation to the world of lingerie blogging is to go for a fitting in either Victoria's Secret or Boux Avenue. Today I opted for the latter due to a lack of the former.

The Boux Avenue store in question is the Trafford Centre store which opened a little over a year ago. The store itself is beautifully laid out, with drawers under each rack of bras containing each back size and multiple cup sizes. Boux Avenue stock bras from a 30 band and cups up to H, sizing me and my 28GG's out from the offset. But me being me, I thought I'd play devil's advocate and go for a fitting so see what they came up with. 

I went in wearing my 30G Freya Deco that rides up at the back and just about encases my boobs and made sure it looked worse by jiggling my boobs to the point of being close to spillage. I grabbed a 30G red gingham bra I liked from one of the drawers and ask for a fitting. The girl who fitted me was as lovely as fitters always are, but I didn't hold out much hope for her from reading the experiences of Cheryl and Becky from investinyourchest and Georgina from Fullerfigurefullerbust. She came armed with a tape measure, whcih she wrapped around me VERY tightly and told me I'm measuring up at a 30 back. Now I know this not to be true because I'd measured myself a few nights before and came up at 27" meaning I should be in a 28 band. She told me that the G cup I was wearing was clearly too small and that I should be wearing a 30GG. After a few fails, the fitter suggested I try a 32G to get the correct cup size. A 32 band is a massive 5 inches larger than my actual band size!

Here is the first bra I tried, a red gingham number in a 30G. I'm a sucker for red gingham! As you can see, it's too big in the band. The fitter agreed that it didn't fit, but didn't seem to notice how big the band was.

The next two are both 30GG's and both fitted much better than the last, but still were too big on the band. When I fastened them I used the loosest hooks and then adjusted the straps to fit. The fitter told me this is wrong and that I need to create a 'perfect circle' around my back. She then apologised for using training talk and explained that the band should sit parallel around your back and not ride up. Correct. She told me the way to do this is to fasten the bra on the tightest hook and THEN adjust the straps. This way the band won't ride up. Erm...what? 

In this coral 'Poppy' bra, there was a little extra fabric above the top seam which made it not sit flat, and he correctly said this is because my boobs are bottom heavy, but she didn't suggest I try a smaller cup. The fit in this was isn't too far off, but the gore didn't sit flat and the band was too big when I pulled it away from my body.

In this floral 'Taliah' bra, the shape was all wrong, and didn't completely encase all my breast tissue like it should have, so she fetched a 30H for me to try, which was of course, far too big. The band wasn't sitting parallel as you can see, so I wasn't getting the support I needed.

Finally, the fitters' stab in the dark. Two 32G's. The fitter said that the central gore was sitting away from my chest because the cup isn't big enough. Now this interested me, as I was told the same thing by a customer service representative when I rang Bravissimo once. I'm almost certain this is not the case, and it's all down to band size as normal.  Check out the length of the fully adjusted straps in this electric blue 'Chloe' bra!

The fitter said that I need a wider central gore to prevent spillage, and chose the 'Loretta', a black silk bra for me to try, saying it runs smaller in the band than their normal range as it doesn't have a lot of stretch. This was not the case...

As lovely as the fitter was, I expected more from a self-proclaimed 'Fitting Ambassador'. After she realised none of the bras weren't going to be suitable for me, she asked if I'd heard of Curvy Kate. This made me pretty happy because it's nice to know they're becoming well known. She also suggested Caprice's range, available from Littlewoods, but again, my real size of 28GG is not catered for.

While Boux Avenue have some really pretty bras and a store interior to die for, I wouldn't suggest you go to them for an accurate fitting. I still haven't found a decent fitting outside Bravissimo sadly! 

Have you had a fitting at Boux Avenue? How did they do?

My shiny new Panache collection!

As mentioned in my previous post, I won some fabulous prizes from the gorgeous Georgina Horne of FullerFigureFullerBust. This post is about the massive 5 Panache sets I won! Yes, 5 sets, how generous!! I was astounded by the generosity of both Georgina and Heather Kipling of Panache. As you know, big bras aren't cheap, and I think myself very lucky! After a number of weeks of too-ing and fro-ing to get the right sizes, I finally have 5 lovely new sets in my drawer! Heather chose my sets from their current range, and although they're not all styles I'd normally choose, I'm very happy with the selection.

Firstly I'll mention that I was originally sent a lovely red 'Veronica' swimsuit that reminded me of the Kellogg's Special K adverts. Sadly, my rather large derriere didn't agree with the swimsuit idea. I always struggle with swimsuits because, as you will all know if you've been reading my posts and not just looking at the pictures (I know it happens-shame on you!), my bottom half is somewhat bigger than my top half, so the swimsuit sent to me in a 30G (Panache don't make 28 bands as yet in their swimwear) fitted better at the top than at the bottom, and rather than the usual '4-boob' effect us women often rock (get fitted girls!), I was getting a '4-buttock' effect instead! The lovely Heather replaced the swimsuit for a gorgeous bikini. More on that later.

First up for the bras, the much coveted Masquerade Rhea in black. I was sent a 28GG and it's perfect. The band is snug and has very little stretch, an issue I was already aware of, so if you're looking for comfort, the Rhea may not be right for you. However, if you're looking for luxury and gravity-defying boobs, then go out and get a Rhea! It's quite expensive to buy, at around £35, but the silky fabric and materials used lend themselves perfectly to the price tag. The Rhea is a padded balcony bra, so if you struggle to stay in plunges, this is a style that could work for you. I was sent matching shorts in a size 14, which fit beautifully. There's just something about Masquerade lingerie that makes you feel a million dollars! Definitely worth buying for that special night in ;)

Next we have the Panache Sports Bra. When I first saw this, I loved it but not being a sports fan, watching or taking part, I had no need to buy it. It's a very different style to the other sports bras out there, and very much lends itself to be worn as a work out top. It has a built in racer back clip, which can be useful if you want to hide your straps under racer back tops. If you're feeling (very) brave, the shorts (here in a size 14) are also suitable to be worn as outerwear too! I had a little bounce around my room in this and my boobs stay firmly in place, doing exactly what it says on the tin. It seems pretty high impact, and is more 'solid' than my Shock Absorber sports bra, which is unpadded and lacks the engineering that the Panache has. Don't get me wrong, it's a damn good sports bra, but the Panache one just pips it to the post. The Panache Sports Bra has the style that other sports bras lack, and would certainly be my go-to should I ever decide to get off my lazy arse and do some exercise!

Boasting on the tag 10 years of being Panache's best selling bra, the Tango has clearly been a favourite in a lot of women's lingerie drawers for a long time. I was sent the special edition 'Ocean' colour unpadded balconnet bra, which has a touch of diamante at the gore, offset perfectly by the turquoise of the bra.At first I tried this bra in a 28GG, which was too large in the cups, so it was replaced with a 28G, which could fit better if I'm being honest. The cup is fine at the front, but I have a bit of 'side-boob' where breast tissue is being pushed under my arms.  think the underwires need to be a little less u-shaped to combat this. Sadly I don't think I'll get much wear from this bra as I don't tend to wear unpadded bras, and with the fit being slightly out I fear it may be uncomfortable. Tango also comes in a plunge bra, so if you like the Tango balcony but don't get on with it, there's another option for you to try. Again, the briefs were perfect in a size 14, no complaints there!

The most troublesome of my 5 sets is the Alexa by Cleo, a colourful unpadded balconett. I tried 3 sizes; 28H, 28GG and 28G. The 28G fits best, but still not quite right. Like the Tango above, the wires are very u-shaped giving a touch of side boob, and the fabric above the seam on the front of the cup is slightly large, similar to the Cleo Juna I previously reviewed. The fit isn't perfect, but it's definitely wearable and not uncomfortable and boasts incredible uplift! The shorts are a size 14 and fit perfectly. My favourite thing about this set is the colours and pattern. Panache have really pushed the boat out with their Cleo range, aimed at the younger market of busty girls. I adore their choice of bright colours and styles. Take a look for yourself!

Last but not least, the Page halterneck bikini! I was delighted when I opened this parcel, I can tell you! I'm a little disappointed that Panache haven't extended their size range in their swimwear, but to be honest, I'm less picky about wearing the correct size when it comes to bikinis. I was sent a 30FF and it fits really well. The back is a tad loose, as expected, but it's not really an issue. The fold-down briefs are a 14, and again perfect. The reason I love this bikini so much is because it's nautical-looking and has a retro feel about it. It's so cute!

So there we have it, 5 gorgeous sets by Panache! Again, many thanks for Georgina from FullerFigureFullerBust and Heather from Panache for their generosity and help :)

Any publicity is good publicity....Or is it?

When I won Brastop's Model of the Month December competition, I immediately contacted my local paper, The Sentinel, to generate a bit of publicity for Brastop and the competition. I went to speak to a reporter, who asked a few questions, then met a photographer for lots of fun shots with my bag of bras I took with me, including Curvy Kate, Ewa Michalak and Freya. I'm hoping to get some of these photos to use here on my blog, so keep your eyes peeled.

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Kelly-aims-star-bra-D-plus-lingerie-magazine/story-14446747-detail/story.html

Now....I have some issues to say the least with the article...Hmmm....32G? I haven't worn a 32G since before my diet, which was about 18 months ago! I told the reported that I was a 28GG and she looked shocked, so I went on to say that women are often scared of bigger cups and that they shouldn't be, because if they went for a proper fitting then they would probably BE in the cup sizes they're so scared of. It seems that the reporter didn't listen to me and added 4 inches to my band size *RAGE*, as so many fitters and online calculators do. 

The other issue is that they mentioned I'd been buying Brastop's magazine for a year, which is also untrue. The Brastop magazine, which can be read online here, is free and sent out to customers. It hasn't been running for a year either! Also, the prizes listed in the article aren't 'runner-up prizes', they are prizes for winning the Model of the Month competition. 

It's all so wrong...I wanted to set the record straight here, just so you know the truth!

Note to reporters: LISTEN TO YOUR SUBJECT!