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 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

A Bittersweet Tale From Lady V London

It was love at first sight...BAM! On browsing Facebook a few weeks I was completely taken aback by the most beautiful sight. Rosetta was her name, she flaunted as many red roses as a sleazy Lothario on Valentine's Day. She flirtily enticed me to take a closer look and I was hooked.

Photo from Lady V London

Rosetta is of course this beautiful dress from Lady V London. Priced at £60 she's at the higher end of what I'd normally pay for a dress on account of me having so many I don't get enough use to justify the cost. Alas I was unable to resist. I knew she'd sell out quickly so I took the plunge. A few days later she arrived and I eagerly slipped her on...

I'd ordered my usual Lady V London size in the Rose Print Rosetta Swing Dress which is a UK 8. The size chart puts me at a 10 bust, 8 waist and 12 hips but I'd recommend working from your waist measurement if your figure is anything like mine. To ease the awkward 'which size do I order?' dilemma of the Rosetta Swing, you only need to take into account your bust and waist measurements since it's free at the hips. The Rosetta Swing Dress size chart below suggests a UK size 8 to be 33" bust and 27" hips. I'm currently sitting at 36" bust and 25.5" waist and the Rosetta fits fine, possibly because of the mock wrap bust line giving a bit more flexibility on size. The Rosetta Swing Dress sits a few inches below my knee. I'm 5'2" for reference. 

Rosetta Swing Size Chart from Lady V London

So let's take a look at Rosetta in full. Here I teamed her up with red accessories as I felt they worked best. My belt is from a random Chinese seller on eBay and my shoes are an old style from Debenhams. The clutch came from my local indoor market. I chose not to wear a petticoat as it doesn't necessarily need one, but you can add one if you like a more voluminous look. The neckline is definitely ideal for showcasing your cleavage and may not be suitable for those less inclined to flaunt 

Now as you may have gathered from the title of this post, this love story does not end well. It's visible on the middle photo above that one of the sleeves is slipping and that's with me posing in an attempt to prevent that happening. As I've discussed a number of times before, I often have issues with the fit of dresses and tops at the shoulders since I'm quite petite, causing straps to slip, gaping collars and a generally awkward fit. Rosetta, my love, this is where it all went wrong.

As you can see in the photo above, I'm not posing to make it look any worse, this is genuinely how much bigger than my shoulders the dress is. Sadly, the sleeves can't be altered easily as they are pleated and it would be quite a difficult job to do neatly so I'm told. This was the deal breaker for me. It's okay to have a bit of extra wiggle room in the waist, not quite enough in the bust, but the shoulders slipping, nope. 

I feel I need to throw in a disclaimer here that the dress itself is absolutely stunning and I would have kept it in a heartbeat,  but my petite shoulders let me down here, not the dress. If you're of a more standard build around the shoulder area then you'll more than likely find it will fit. Damn shoulders!

Rosetta is available from Lady V London for£60 in 7 different colours, sizes 8-20/22.

Photos from Lady V London

As an aside, if you love this dress but prefer a more streamlined silhouette, check out Loretta which has the same top half with a mock wrap tulip skirt.

Alas, I bid farewell to Rosetta. Please join me and my wardrobe in mourning this sad loss.

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*

Hand over your money to Bras and Honey! A Freya Deco Rebel Review.

A little while ago I was contacted by online store Bras & Honey who asked if I'd like to review a lingerie set for them. I'd be mad to say no, so here we are!

Bras & Honey stock big cup brands like Freya, Curvy Kate, Elomi and Panache, not to mention a wide range of shapewear from the likes of Spanx, Maidenform and Miraclesuit.

After a quick browse through the site, I chose my staple favourite of a Freya Deco, however this isn't any Deco, this is the Deco Rebel, a much anticipated leopard print Deco! 

The Freya Deco bra is a smooth moulded t-shirt bra offering excellent shape, support and comfort. I wear a Deco every day, no word of a lie, so when Freya announced they were making a leopard print variant AKA the Deco Rebel I was overjoyed!

The Deco Rebel features a nude background in the same shade as their basic nude Deco, but with the addition of a wonderful coral and black heart-shaped leopard print. It has fully adjustable straps (with neon orange bows at the bottom!) and 2 rows of 2 hooks to fasten. The moulded cups and plunge front make it ideal to wear under pretty much anything, and if it's the pattern you're worried about, the Deco also comes in a whole plethora or different colours and patterns. I'm wearing a 28GG in my photos which is a good fit, but you might want to go down a band size and up a cup size if you prefer a firmer band.

The Deco Rebel Thong makes the perfect match for a wild look! It's edged in nude just like the bra and has a little neon orange bow to the centre. I have quite big hips for my size (UK 8) so I need a large in Freya bottoms.

I think it's safe to say that Freya have blown me away yet again with another wonderful Deco, and Bras & Honey have blown me away with their huge range of Freya Decos in stock right now, and some are on sale too! Take a look here.

The Deco Rebel Bra comes in sizes 28-30 DD-GG, 32-36 B-GG and 38 B-G and costs £34 currently. The Deco Rebel Thong is available in sizes XS-XL and costs £10.50. Both can be purchased from Bras & Honey right now! If you love leopard print then go ahead and treat yourself. 

One last thing, you've probably noticed my awesome 'Kitten' necklace I'm wearing in my pics. I had it custom made by Extreme Largeness. They do all kinds of cool and kitsch jewellery and accessories, check them out!

Bras & Honey are having a huge sale at the minute, so be quick and grab a bargain... It's almost pay day after all! 

Thanks for reading,

Le Curvy Kitten 

xxx