Oh Darcy! Cleo’s balconnet reviewed

Posted on December 10, 2012 by busts4justice

Cleo by Panache: Darcy balconnet reviewed

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman in possession of a large bosom, must be in want of a good bra. And how could any self-respecting heroine not fall head over heels with Darcy?

Cleo by Panache is totally rocking my world for the second season in a row. Darcy is not the only cracking print on offer at the moment, but with its bold print and pin up colours it is the one that caught my eye the most.

Cleo by Panache lingerie: Darcy

I’m in love. Like, when-Mr-Darcy-comes-out-of-the-lake love. Darcy is beautiful bra and its moulded balconnet gives a fantastic cleavage whilst being everyday comfortable. She has a firm (but not tight) back and – trying my usual starter size 30G – fits perfectly in the cup from every direction. The cups give a full, rounded cleavage, and I love the slim straps (although these are marginally wider in the GG+ versions).

The print and contrasting colours are striking on, and pretty without the avalanche of twee we’ve seen from other brands in recent seasons. And while the lace and the bow do add a feminine touch, the unusual ridge-textured straps add a contrast that makes Darcy a very special day bra. Even bra-blind Mr B4J noticed…

My only niggles are that the side cups come up very high – not high enough to be uncomfortable on me but may challenge more petite/shorter girls. And the red lace detail does flare a little at the top meaning it’s not the perfect t-shirt bra either. But then, I live in Northern Europe and it’s December. Who’s wearing t-shirts anyway? I love her and she loves me. And they all lived happily ever after…

 

Darcy from Cleo by Panache is available in sizes 28D-H.

Thanks to the lovely people at My Curves and Me for sharing Darcy with me, and to introducing me to their rather exciting website stocked full of bra bargains (including Darcy, for a mere £15). Will be keeping an eye on you ladies…

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Ten treats for the winter blues (and blacks. And reds. And purples…)

Posted on November 22, 2012 by busts4justice

It’s dark. It’s cold. My clothes are increasingly shapeless and made of wool, and my layers of thermals are starting to make my body look like a questionable sausage. Doesn’t a girl deserve a lace-wrapped early Christmas present (or ten) to fight those winter blues? *looks pointedly at Father Christmas, who she’s pretty sure reads this blog…*

What are your favourite winter warmers?

1:  Coco Mulberry Padded Half Cup Bra by Fauve, 30-38 B-G

Fauve Coco Mulberry Underwired Padded Half Cup Bra

2: Fifi Bra by Agent Provocateur, 30-36 B-E*

Agent Provocateur Fifi

* Some bras make you remember that your +4 size (34E, Santa) wasn’t always that bad.

3. Darcy Balconette Bra by Cleo, 28-38 D-H

Darcy Balconnette Bra by Cleo

4: Amelie Mink Balconette Bra by Miss Mandalay, 28-38 C-G

Miss Mandalay Mink Amelie5: Rosseti Bra by Masquerade, 28-38 D-H

Masquerade Rosetti Lingerie

6: Martha by Freya Lingerie, 30-38 B-G

Martha by Freya Lingerie7: Nicole by Fantasie, 32-38 D-H

Nicole bra by Fantasie8: Mademoiselle bra by Bravissimo, 28-38 DD-HH

Mademoiselle bra by Bravissimo9: Wild Bra by Curvy Kate, 28-30 D-J, 32 D-HH, 34 D-H, 36 D-GG

Wild by Curvy Kate10: Alondra by Rigby and Peller, 28D-38G

Alondra by Rigby and Peller

 

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The eye of the beholder: Curvy Kate’s Daily Boost reviewed

Posted on November 12, 2012 by busts4justice

Curvy Kate Daily Boost Bra Reviewed

In an ideal world, we would all judge each other on the merits of our character and actions rather than the arbitrary outcomes of the great genetic tombola that makes up our outsides. That said when it comes to lingerie, increasingly I need more than a good fit and compatibility. It’s not enough to just be a good bra. I need it to be beautiful-on-the-outside too.

Curvy Kate’s Daily Boost is a much loved bra by many other boob bloggers, and blindfolded it’s not hard to understand why. Slightly moulded, it is soft and supportive, everyday-ishly comfortable, and gives a great silhouette with a firm, uplifted support. I accidentally ordered a 30GG, which proved to be the perfect size for me – I would have had an uncomfortable four-boob situation had I received my usual review/starter size of 30G. So be prepared to size up in the cups to find your perfect fit.

Alas, fickle reviewer that I am, as perfectly as Curvy Kate’s Daily Boost fits me, I can’t get over how unattractive she is, both on and off. I’ve wrestled with my reasoning on this long and hard, but however comfortable and well-suited she is to me I can’t see beyond the way she looks. It’s a fairly irrational response to what is a fairly plain and inoffensive bra. She’s basic, sure – but not repellent. There are no perverse/tacky/itchy details. There are no t-shirt spoiling seams or oddly shaped wires. It does not make me look like an old lady, or a quarter way through the mummification process.

But when it comes down to it the Daily Boost simply, unshakeably, reminds me of my first bras. Those bras, which fit badly (thanks M&S!) and only came in boxes. That were shiny and unsexy and made me feel freakish and huge. That were my only option, because on the high street in 1997 there really weren’t options over a D cup. Daily Boost may be four million times better than those first bras, but just looking at her reminds me of the bad old days. Which is unfair to you, dear reader, because it skews my judgement when it comes to writing this. Objectively, the Daily Boost is a perfectly fine bra. She’s just – in this incarnation at least – not for me. Not anymore.

Daily Boost is widely available in sizes 28-40 D-K.

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It’s not me, it’s you….

Posted on October 29, 2012 by busts4justice

Tangled up brasI’ve just read a string of blog posts and articles about how horrible/impossible/torturous bras are when you’re busty and I just have to say…

It’s not you, it’s them.

Your breasts are not wrong. Your body is not difficult. And you don’t have to put up with this crap any more.

If your bra is so uncomfortable by the end of the day you can’t wait to tear it off, that’s not just how it is: that’s a clear sign your bra is treating you badly. You deserve more (and can get it too!) if you learn to recognise good fit. Your band should be firm, flat to your chest, and horizontal to the floor (even if you raise your arms). Your breasts should be totally encased by the wires with no poking or resting on soft tissue. And the cup should sit flat, not pucker and gape or dig in to the skin. Don’t be afraid to disobey the fitter or to try something new: you know your body and your comfort better than she does. And don’t be afraid to experiment: you may find your perfect fit miles from where you started. E.g:

  • Band riding up at the back? Try a smaller back size.
  • Shoulder straps digging in? Try loosening the straps, or try a smaller back size.
  • Cups spilling over? Try a bigger cup.
  • Front center pulling away from chest? Try a bigger cup & a smaller back size.
  • Cups gaping at the top? Try a smaller cup size
  • Band too tight? Try a bigger cup size or a bigger back size.

Have an open mind and forget everything you think you know about bra sizes. And if you’re stuck, head to facebook.com/busts4justice for help finding that fit from B4J and some rather nice friends too.

Remember, poking wires, digging straps, gaping cups, bouncing breasts and wriggling bands are not something you have to accept just because a high street lingerie fitter tells you it’s right. It’s not your body making these (usually) well engineered  pieces of clothing useless – it’s just the wrong shape for you.

I wish I could tell my 15 year old self that I wasn’t a freak for being the shape I was – that I could save her years of body issues and self-consciousness caused by bad fitting advice and worse fitting bras. Breaking up is hard to do, but it’s time to dump bad bras and ditch body blaming. It doesn’t matter if you’re big boobed, small boobed, skinny, fat or somewhere in between. We all deserve better from the bras we choose – and better is out there. We just need to demand it.

Love from, B4J.

 

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Midnight feast: Curvy Kate’s Tempt Me in blue reviewed

Posted on October 4, 2012 by busts4justice

Curvy Kate Tempt Me Midnight BraTempt Me is far and away my favourite from Curvy Kate‘s unstoppable Showgirl collection, and since reviewing the scarlet colourway a while back I’ve been dying to get my hands on the new Midnight Blue colour…. until this week, when a Curvy Kate shaped parcel landed on my desk. The mailroom, I suspect, is on to me…

First things first. I usually review all bras in what I think of as my ‘starting point’ – a 30G. This is to create a relative ‘standard’ by which to judge bras, to make bra shopping easier for anyone using my reviews as a tool (*hello!*).  Fit is, however, not standardised – so it’s important to remember your ‘right size’ will fluctuate, depending on brand, style and cut. Having recently reviewed Tempt Me however, I know already it runs small in the cup. Instead of making the same miss twice, I went for the 30GG this time.

And oh my G-cups… I love it. My lingerie style isn’t usually this, er, obvious; but for Tempt Me I can make an exception. The blue and black together are a stroke of genius: rich, luxe and flattering without being cliched – this bra is a treat for the eyes and the cleavage. Oh, the cleavage…

The GG cup was exactly the right call, giving the a perfectly uplifted and fitted (and yowzers) cleavage without any quadraboob. The extremely low scooped center is extremely comfortable (for me as a flared ribbed girl, at least), and gives the illusion of your boobs being suspended almost in mid-air. The back is decently firm (I could take a notch tighter, but it’s not enough to make me crave a 28 back) and for what looks like a wholly impractical bedroom bra, it’s extremely soft and comfortable on.  Topped off with pretty satin bows and buttons – and some wonderfully silly suspender pants-  this is a perfect bra to cheer you up as the darkness closes in. All I need is an open fire (or effective central heating, let’s be real…), a glass of wine and a scrabble set, and I’m set for winter. LOVE.

Tempt Me in Midnight Blue is widely available in sizes 28-30 D-J, 32 D-HH, 34 D-H, 36 D-GG, 38 D-G.

 

 

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