My Thoughts On Maison Lejaby Rosae from UK Lingerie

A few weeks ago I received an email from UK Lingerie asking if I would like to receive something to review from them.  UK Lingerie sells a fairly wide variety of brands including some European brands.  I looked through the website and made my selections, one bra was out of stock in my size, but they let me know quickly.  The set I chose that was available is the  Maison Lejaby Rosae, there was a Pour Moi I was interested in as well, but my size was out of stock.

The Rosae is a full cup bra and is a bit tall 7.5in. It looks looser here than it truly is though.

I received the set within a couple weeks, fairly quick for UK to US shipping.  The set itself is quite stunning in a gorgeous shade of red.  Surprisingly since finding my correct size, this is the first red lingerie set I've owned, a bit shocking since I love red.  The set is called Rosae, and appropriately so  since the bra and panties both have a rose applique on them.  The Rosae also comes in black with a red rose.

I find Rosae to be a fairly decent fit, not quite ideal as the shape may be a bit off for me, but it'ts looks and comfort make it a bra I will still wear.  The wires are narrow (5in), but quite flexible which kind of makes them feel wider than they are, or it is how short the wires are and not being used to a wire ending that low.  Regardless the wires are comfortable and my armpits are no where close to being in danger, and the soft wires offer a nice break from firm wires. 

The gore is a bit wide (.8in), but it is low (2in) so it doesn't sit on tissue and isn't really an issue, though I do think a narrower gore might help give a bit better shape.  My main issue is how tall the cups are 7.5in, and despite having slightly tall roots and being high set, I don't have quite enough upper fullness to fill it out.  However since it is a bit closed at the top, the fact I don't fully fill it out is a bit concealed.  The cups are fairly generous at 9in deep, but don't offer a lot of immediate depth, there is more apex projection.  

The shape is more natural, and not really round.

The shape I get from the Rosae is definitely a more natural and not super lifted or rounded (with a shape that better fills out the upper section this may be a different story).   I feel like it may minimize some, but this also leaves breasts more outside of my frame so in some aspects it doesn't appear minimizing, if that makes much since.

The set looks quite stunning and it is also quite comfortable, even the embroidered cups are not scratchy or anything.  The embroidery will show through a thin shirt, just something to be aware of if you are bothered by that sort of thing.

This is a think $2 Wal-Mart t-shirt you can see the embroidery a bit, but should do fine under a thicker shirt, also the shape appears a bit more rounded in clothes than it does in just the bra.

Even though the Rosae isn't an ideal fit, the comfort and style of the bra do make up for it.  I would highly advise sizing down in the band though.  I got this in 32DD and while the cups are good, the  band has 4X2 hooks and I'm able to wear this on the tightest setting of the 4 and still get some riding up.  The band easily stretches to 34in and unstretched it is 28in.

I would probably recommend the Rosae for someone who has average projection and is a bit FOT.  It is also a great option for anyone who doesn't like firm wires.  Those whose armpits are always in danger can also have no fear in the Rosae (the wires are 8.5in long).  Just be sure to size down in the  band.

I also got the matching panties which are great.  I got them in a small and they are a perfect fit on my 31in hip bone and 37in hips, they are really comfortable too.  They also have the same rose applique but on the opposite side of the bra.

Other than not being an ideal fit I do really like the Rosae, I have already worn it several times.  The bra is quite comfortable and somehow even though it has several fit issues that could normally be deal breakers, the Rosae somehow manages to make them almost non issues.  I do look forward to trying more bras from UK Lingerie as well, they seem to have a nice selection especially of European brands.

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Foxers Sexy and Comfy Lougewear, Bralette and Boxers

After reading another review (My Fashion Insider) on Foxers I was intrigued and wanted to try them out for myself.  Foxers sets from what I had seen look absolutely amazing.  I got in touch with Foxers and they were kind enough to gift me a set to review, I was not told what to say, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Foxers White Lace

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My Thoughts on Impimi Adell

Impimi is a Polish brand and like Comexim I have heard that Impimi is able to make customizations to their bras.  I contacted Impimi about possibly getting a bra to review.  First they sent me  65G and 65H which should be equivalent to 30E and 30F (I also wear 65H or 70G in Comexim and both being Polish figured one of those should work, and 30E/F is my UK size).

So I received the 65G and 65H, as soon as I opened the package I could tell there was no way either would work for me.  Just looking at these bras it looked like both my boobs would fit in one cup especially on the 65H.  I did try them on just to be sure, but as I expected they are much too big for me.  I emailed Impimi back and told them the issue I was having some fit issues with the 2 bras and sent over some photos.  We decided that they would send me 65D and 65DD (UK 30D and 30DD).  

The smaller bras arrived and they looked like a much better possibility.  I tried both on, but could barely tell a difference in fit/ sizing between the two bras.  I did pass one of the Impimis on to another blogger (Dreams and Underthings), in hopes of getting some more information out there about Impimi.  I chose to keep the 65D as it seemed to be just slightly better than the 65DD at least I think. They were literally so close in size, if it wasn't for the tags I wouldn't have known which one I had on.  

The bras Impimi sent were the Adell, they had initially said they were going to send me the Nichol, but I received the Adell not sure why, but no problem I just wanted to give an Impimi a try and wasn't concerned about the model.

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Bra Size Bralette from Dreams and Underthings

30F Bralette by Dreams and Underthings

I've been looking for a bralette for awhile now and haven't found one that fits in both cup and band from the standard XS-XL sizing bralettes come in.  I usually find a cup that fits in a M/L but the bands are too large, and if I tighten up the straps the back is riding up.  I have been a reader of Dreams and Underthings brog for awhile now and remembered reading her post about making her own bralette and later finding out she was starting to sell bra sized bralettes. Being fed up with trying to find a non bra sized bralette I decided to contact her.  She uses UK sizing and asked my current UK size (well, at this point I mostly wear mostly Polish), I told her my current sizes Ewa Michalak (65F), Comexim (70G) and the couple UK bras (Freya in 30E and Curvy Kate in 32DD) I have around. She recommended I go with the 30F.

Laura was on vacation when I initially contacted her, but we discussed colors, and band length, I decided on the midline and nude with black lace overlay.  I wanted something pretty that could also possibly be a decent neutral.  I was pleasantly surprised in how quickly I received the bralette.  I had initally contacted her around August 6 and placed the order around the 11th, and it arrived by around the 20th.  This seems like an amazing turnaround time for a handmade, made to order bralette.

I absolutely love the look of this bralette, at some point I was second guessing my thoughts on the beige/black combo, but was very happy with it when it arrived.  It seems to be quite well made and I'm glad that we decided on the 30F size.  The only issue I have is that the midline length might not be the best for my shape. I do have a bit of rib flare so while I measure 30.5 underbust, just below I measureabout 31.5, this causes the part of the band on that goes just across my ribcage is a bit too snug in that area.  I can wear it with an extender and alleviate the tension in that area until the band stretches out a bit.  When I order again I will probably get the regular length.

The cups are a single seam triangle cut, and while the top of the cup where the strap attaches is a bit high it causes no discomfort issues, because the wings are very low and the part of the cup that comes up higher is very narrow.  When laid flat it seems like the cups would be a bit wide (6.5in) but if you shape the cup a bit as if your breast was in the cups it becomes much narrower at roughly 5.25in (it's harder to measure this way as I have to try to keep some shape to the cup and measure), this being said the wireless cup offers some flexibility for it to fit a decent variety of shapes since it can kind of conform to your shape to some degree. The cup itself is about 8.5in deep. 

I also give an acceptable shape under a shirt, slightly minimized but still fairly round with just a touch of east west.

I would highly recommend Dreams and Underthings bralettes if you are looking for a better fitting bralette that still offers good support.  It's also great that you can get a custom look.  You get to choose your colors as well as strap, bow and trim colors.

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32DD Aerie Sunnie Full Coverage- Sensationally Soft

Sunnie Full Coverage in Royal Navy, stock photo from Aerie

After trying out a few Aerie bikinis, including one bra sized top, I was intrigued by how their bras might fit.  I had tried the Blakely bikini top in 34D, while the band did run small it was still too big for me.  None of my local American Eagle stores seem to carry any bras in stock (other than a small bralette selection, literally one bralette style in a few colors).  I contacted Aerie and mentioned my interest in their bras, and that I don't have a local store that carries my size or really any bras in stock (they did inform me that all online orders do come with a return slip for free returns).  However Aerie was generous enough to gift me a bra for review.

I got my package while out of town for work, I just got back this morning and tried it on immediately.  Aerie sent me the Sunnie Full Coverage Lightly Lined T-shirt bra in 32DD, also listed as being Real Soft T-shirt bras.  I will not argue with the bra being "Real Soft", everything about the Sunnie is soft and silky smooth feeling including the band. Quite possibly the softest bra I've ever tried one.  Sunnie comes in slightly expanded matrix sizing and is available in 30A-D, 32AA-DDD, 34-38A-DD, and 40C-DD.

If you look at the right side of the photo you can see how tightly I have to adjust the straps.

The band while being incredibly soft is fairly TTS, it stretches to about 32.5 inches.  This is a slightly larger than ideal stretched length for me so this does fit more comfortable on the middle or tightest hooks.  I know many people say Aerie bands run smaller, but that is not the case with the Sunnie, at least not in the navy color I received. 

On the loosest hooks the band rides up slightly.

The Sunnie does have fully adjustable straps, the straps are quite thin, but not crazy stretchy feeling (they are a bit stretchy, but my Comexim Dottie straps feel more stretchy than this), and I don't have to constantly readjust them, they do stay put.  I do however have to tighten the straps almost all the way (I am high set so this might not be an issue if are lower set, see first photo of me in bra for strap adjustment).

The gore is a bit wide for me, but low enough that it isn't sitting on tissue.  The cups are about average width at 5.5in and are actually quite projected (8.5in cup depth), and have decent immediate projection as well.  The top of the cup is a bit closed off so if you are rather FOT this could be an issue, I'm highset and mostly even and it does slightly press in, but not enough to be noticeable under a shirt.

I did feel like the bra wasn't staying in my IMF, but when I took it off the marks were in my IMF, the wires were obviously a bit too wide, but they are not irritating.  Speaking of the wires, they are also quite soft and flexible, good for comfort, but if you need the support of a firmer wire it might not work for you. The wires felt like they were in my IMF more when I tightened the band.  All photos are with band on loosest hook.

Here you can see the slight pressing in of the cup edge and that the wires are slightly too wide.

While Sunnie is an okay fit for me, it doesn't give me a shape I particularly care for, it's quite separated and very east west.  I'm fine with the shape under a looser t-shirt, but not under a fitted shirt. I feel supported, but the bra is most certainly full coverage (6.5in cup height), I'm not a huge full coverage fan.  I do not get the slightest hint of cleavage from the bra either. The bra would be a more ideal fit for me if the gore and wires were a bit narrower.  The Sunnie also comes in a push up version, I'm not sure how much the push up padding will effect the depth of it, but I would probably prefer the push up over the full coverage. 

Despite not being an ideal fit for me, it is still an okay fit.  The fact that this bra is ridiculously comfortable makes up for the few fit issues.  If you are looking for a comfy lounge around/ lazy day bra or seamless t-shirt bra Sunnie might be worth a look if you fall into the size range, there are also quite a few older colors of Sunnie on sale right now as well on Aerie.

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Freya Tootsie Halter Bikini Top

I'm not sure why, but I'm really trying to find a great bikini top (I rarely go anywhere to wear one, but I want a good fitting one for those rare occasions).  I ordered the Freya Tootsie Halter top prior to trying the Aerie bikinis.

I thought the Tootsie was really cute and I found it on ebay for a reasonable price.  I had purchased a couple Freya bikini tops on vacation last year in the Florida Keys, but they weren't a great fit since nothing in my actual size was on clearance and I bought the closest thing.  Since then I wanted to try a Freya top that was in my size. 

Freya has a pretty good swimwear selection and a lot of really cute stuff.  Tootsie is no disappointment in the styling.  It's just as cute as I had hoped. The pink is a bit more vibrant than expected, but I like it. In the Tootsie I went with a 30E, I was debating on a 32DD instead since I am between band sizes and the top only has a plastic closure with no adjustments. 

Here it looks like a pretty decent fit.  If you look closely you will notice the gore isn't tacking and is sitting on tissue a bit.  If the gore were a bit narrower it would probably tack. 

In the next couple photos it still looks decent, the wires are a quite wide and I think the tie portion of the halter could start a bit lower (I feel like it's somewhat full coverage).  I also don't feel like it's giving much lift or shape, if I tie the halter tighter it is better but I have to do so to quite an extreme and it's no longer comfortable.  The underwires also feel like they are floating a bit which again tying it tighter helps but it isn't comfortable.

 In the next photo you can kind of see that the cleavage I'm getting is actually slight quadding.  The elastic on the cup edge digs in quite a bit.  If I reverse scoop I can get rid of it some, but I would prefer some cleavage (actual cleavage,  not deceptive quadding) in a bikini top.  If it didn't do a werid smoosh and quad thing, I wouldn't mind it, but the combo is of quadding and being smooshed is annoying. (much worse in person than photos)

 Finally, it's a really good thing I went with the 30E and not the 32DD.  Keep in mind I measure 30.5 comfy underbust, and don't think I've ever had a 30 band that was too big.  I'm also not pulling this back really hard either.  The material is very stretchy and easily stretches to 32in without wire distortion, and could stretch a bit further but then wires start to distort a bit.  I did have another Freya bikini in a 28 band and the band on that was TTS/small, so I don't think this is typical of all Freya bikini tops, but for this one I would advise sizing down in the band.

 I really like the style of this top, but I'm not a huge fan of how it fits on me. I think this would be better for someone who has somewhat wide roots is shallow and wide set without much center fullness.  There is not much immediate projection in this which I think is part of what causes the wires to float on me, and may contribute to the quad boob as well.

 Freya Swim Tootsie Bandless Halter Bikini Top (3601) 30E

* Stretched band length: 32.0in

* Band length: 23.5in

* Cup width: 5.8in

* Cup depth: 8.5in

* Wire length: 9.6in

* Cup separation: 1.0in

* Gore height: 1.3in

* Wing height: 3.0in

* Strap width: 2.0in

* Hooks: 1

Full details at: http://bra.pe/XT3R/

I have found a couple tops that fit better and give the look I prefer in a bikini top.  Check my review on Aerie Bikinis.


There is plenty of selection of Freya on Amazon, both swimwear and bras.

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Aerie Swimwear, a Pleasant Surprise

After going out shopping with my friend, and almost bravangelizing her (she wants padding, and what she tried was only lightly padded or unlined, no measurements but guessing about a 30C or 28D), I decided to try to look up some padded options. I came across a few recommendations of Aerie for small band small bust.  While browsing I got distracted by a $10 swimwear sale.

Needless to say I dropped my mission of looking at bras for my friend and decided to see how many cup sized bikini tops they have to choose from.  Sadly their swimwear size range is not so great from what I could tell mostly 32-36 A-D with not all cups available each band (then again some it is late in the bikini buying season, so some sizes might be out of stock) which is quite disappointing since their bras have a larger size range than that.  They do have XS-XXL for their non cup sized swimwear though, more on that in the section on Perky Triangles.

Since I couldn't find anything in a 32DD, I looked for tops that were available in a 34D. I realized I could search and see which American Eagle near me had that size in stock.  Being very unfamiliar with how Aerie bras or bikini tops run, I really wanted to try something on and not blindly guess what a size might work and order online.

Since I have some time off work at the moment and the store that had it in stock is nearby I decided to swing by and try on some bikinis.  The store inventory locater actually worked they had several 34D's in stock in that style.  I grabbed the one I had seen as well as a couple others.  There is a string bikini style I had also seen online that comes in XS-XXL, there wasn't much of a description and the name was intriguing, so I grabbed the only one I could find and it happened to be a Medium (probably the size I would have picked had I had options).  I also found a cute bandeau style with sleeves, super cute thought it had no chance of working, but also grabbed it in a medium

Blakely Wraparound in 34D

I really almost didn't recognize this top on the hanger.

So before I get to photos of me in this top, I realize now I didn't tie the thing quite right (I'm really not very good with strappy, lace up, tie things lol).  Also I apologize for the grainy photos, dressing rooms have such awful lighting.

Blakely Wraparound 34D

Despite my lack of top tying skills you can see that it is actually a fairly decent fit.  I do have to slightly reverse scoop after doing a full scoop an swoop as the gore just very slightly will sit on some tissue on one side without the slight reverse scoop.  It I did pull the wraparound piece somewhat tightly to make up for the band being a bit too big on me, which doing this does give slightly more cleavage as well.  The gore is a bit on the wide side and I think by tying this tighter it brings a bit closer together as well.

 

Here's a shot with it tied looser, with it tied loose I was questioning if I could go down a cup

Overall I think the fit is pretty decent at least for a bikini, I'm not expecting as much from a bikini top as I am a bra.  The wires look like they are a bit wide, and it doesn't feel particularly supportive, if I was actually a 34D this could be a different story.  When I pulled the band tighter it did seem like it was more supportive.  The underwires aren't perfectly in my IMF, but I think that's partially because the band is a bit loose because the top is actually pretty well suited for projection.

The wires look wide, but I think it's an illusion somehow, the cup width is 5in.

I tried it with the matching bottoms in medium.

I did end up ordering the Blakely top later that evening at home. It was part of Aerie's $10 swim sale with free shipping (It's going on through 7/6).  Here are some pictures with better lighting from home (I think I tied the top right?)

Before tying to give a better view of fit and the gore.

I have this on the tightest of the 3 adjustments, the band does only easily stretch to 31.

I also took some measurments of the Blakely and entered it on Bratabase.  Despite the wires looking like they are wide, they surprisingly measure 5in, the band does run a bit more like a 32 than a 34 though still feels a bit loose to me, I'm assuming because the swim material is a rather stretchy feeling material.  If this came in 32DD the band would probably be perfect on the loosest adjustment.

If you are in the size range of the Blakely and are narrow and projected and looking for an affordable cup size bikini top I highly recommend the Blakely (also comes in a non wraparound style).

Perky Triangles

Next up was the Perky Triangles, which is basically a more structured string bikini top with a thicker bottom string, almost like a pseudo band (although other styles have a thinner "band").  It comes in sizes XS-XXL, I tried it in Medium.

Perky Triangles in Medium

I'm actually quite impressed with the Perky Triangles.  When I was a bit smaller I would mostly really wear string bikini tops (usually in a smaller size,to look bustier).  However a couple cup sizes up and I'm not a huge fan of regular old string bikinis despite being fairly self supporting.  I must say I really like this, would have liked to try it in a large just to see how much a difference there would be, I'm fine with this amount of cleavage, but in case I wanted less, or wanted more sideboob coverage.

No quadding, but a good amount of side boob

Perky Triangles size Medium

Since this top has no underwire and it ties, it could be adaptable for quite a few sizes.  Especially since this top comes in XS-XXL. This is great option especially for those in the small band medium/full bust community that want an affordable somewhat easy to find option, many of these are on sale online for $10 and free shipping until 7/4/16.

Sleeve Tube Bikini Top

The last top I tried, I really had no hope so it working, the Sleeve Tube Bikini Top, it's a bandeau style with sleeves.

I thought it was different and cute which is why I decided to give it a shot.  I tried it in a medium. 

Sleeve Tube Bikini Top size Medium

From the photo above you can kind of see it's a bit wrinkly.  This would probably more ideally fit a 34ish band that way the top would be a snugger fit around the ribcage.  It surprisingly seems covers everything and it does look cute.  My main concern would be the top riding up since the band (tube?) isn't tight enough.  I did look at a small and I don't think a small would have enough coverage and would look more like a censor bar than a bikini top (I guess I should have tried on a small for fun).

Aerie Sleeve Tube Bikini Top size Medium

Aerie Slevee Tube Bikini Top size Medium

From the side views you can see I'm kind of at the end up the volume range the medium can handle.  There is no lining or padding in this top which probably helps it to be a bit more accommodating of different sizes.  If Aerie could make something like this with a tie back I think it would open this top up to working on more sizes.  I'm between a 30/32 and find the top too loose fitting for it to feel secure enough for more than casual poolside lounging, I don't think I would brave the water in this, and definitely no water slides.

Overall Aerie does seem to have decent selection of swimwear.  I would be great if they could expand their sizing to the same as their current bra offerings, but if you are on the cusp of a matrix size they have some options.  Also if you are okay with a somewhat more supportive version of a string bikini the Perky Triangles seems like a pretty versatile option.

While I didn't purchase, it wasn't because I didn't like the fit, but because while most the swimwear was on sale, it wasn't $10 like it is online.  I did end up buying the Blakely Wraparound on the Aerie website, I wanted Perky Triangles too, but the one I really wanted must have sold out and I wasn't sure about the other since it had a center decoration that I was worried wouldn't tack (I also just ordered 4 bras from Comexim, so I really don't need to spend anymore money).  Although I will have to go back to American Eagle for the bottoms since my size is sold out online, but I think the bottoms come out to about $10 after the 60% off.


Update: Since I had to go back to American Eagle to by the bottoms to go with Blakely, I did end up also purchasing the Perky Triangles top.  With the 60% off that one was $10 like it would have been if any were left online to order.  I do a think a large would be a slightly more covered fit, but I don't mind showing some cleavage in a bikini. and compared to an old string bikini top that no longer fits me, it's a lot more coverage.

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Victoria's Secret Sports Bras

So I was with an unbravangelized friend :( at the mall last week.  She insisted on going to VS, since the Semi Annual Sale is wrapping up and a lot of bras are on sale for around $15.99.  I decided to browse the 32DD/DDD bins since I was in there and had nothing else to do.  I apologize for the dark and kind of lousy photos, VS fitting rooms have awful lighting.

The straps on this one are quite wide, I don't remember them feeling irritating, but I only had it on a few minutes.

I came across some sports bras in 32DD and the bands looked like they ran on the smaller side (at least for VS), since I'm between a 30/32 a small 32 is a decent fit.  I tried on the sports bras and they actually fit somewhat decently.  I did go ahead an put them on the tightest hook.  I don't think they ran as small in the band as I expected, the lowest part of the band sits closer to high waist which may be why it looked smaller.

The underwire section of both styles I tried on has a thick padding over the wire, I feel this may be part of the reason I don't feel super supported.  It seems to be in my IMF, but I think the extra padding on the wire is making it feel like it's not and therefore seeming a bit less supporting.  It could also be that the band could be a bit tighter and then maybe it would feel more supportive.

The wires are still on the wider side like most VS bras, but these do seem to be decently projected.  Here you can see the wires are too wide for me.  While they are too wide they didn't feel uncomfortable.

While they look and even feel like a pretty good fit, I don't feel like it gives as much support as a sports bra should.  If you want a sports bra for light activity, or don't need a ton of support this could be a good option, and if you are interested you might want to run to VS to stock up before they run out of the ones on sale.  Of course they still only have the typical VS size range, but that does go to DDD (UK E), so if you are close to a matrix size,it might be worth a try.

I decided not to purchase and didn't have a measuring tape, so I don't have measurements for these bras. 

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