Lingerie Review: Ewa Bien “Ratri B230” in 65F

Summertime requires some pretty light-coloured lingerie – at least if you go by the spring trends which include pastels every single year. Even if you are not a fan of pastels with your outerwear, it is refreshing to revise your lingerie collection every now and then with pieces that are a bit different from your regular wardrobe. Today we are reviewing the Ewa Bien “Ratri” in B230 which is beautiful summer-appropriate set for any fair gal out there. *Disclosure: This set was gifted to Jo by Ewa Bien. All opinions are our own!*

Design: The Ratri B230 is described as a push-up balconette, which I think is a Ewa Bien’s description for a regular padded balconette with one vertical seam right in the middle of the cup. This construction can be hard to get right, but it seems that Polish lingerie brands are masters of it. To be honest though, the one vertical seam does not help a lot when it comes to bigger sizes, so at least two seams are needed to form a better shape with say, FF-G+ sizes. However, Jo is wearing a Polish 65F which is a 30E in UK sizes, which looks great with even just one seam. The shape is very rounded, not rectangular at all like some bras with the same construction. The coverage is quite low, which is great for more open necklines – the true balconette style also creates a perfect Marie Antoinette cleavage which is the doing of the amazing uplift the bra offers.

The styling of the set is lovely – it’s a creamy yellowish beige that looks beautiful against the Finnish skin tone. However, it is not fully beige so under the whitest thinnest fabrics it might still show through! The embroidery is very delicate and has a nice rococo vibe to it. The bottoms are actually really cute too – even though they are made with a very practical Brazilian cut, they still manage to look very girly while the detailing is absolutely on-point, to say the least.

The Fit: As you may have already deducted from the pics above, the B230 was not the best fit for Jo’s breast shape. This is not the fault of the bra, it just wasn’t meant to be! The B230 is a rather shallow and wide balconette shape for a Polish brand, but then again, Polish are famous for trying to cater for multiple breast shapes, even within one brand. Jo likes her bras quite like me; moderately deep and with average-width wires. This balconette shape reminds me more of the regular “British” shape of bras – a bit too shallow and wide for most breast shapes. However, let’s not forget that there are people who definitely need these kinds of bras, so there is a market there.

The sizing with the B230 Ratri was pretty much on par with most Ewa Bien bras, if not a little on the smaller side with the cups. I would perhaps suggest sizing up in the cup if you are between sizes! The 65-band was quite loose for Jo, but that is understandable as her underbust measures around 26″ (so she is better off with a 28/ 60 band with most brands). She is wearing the bra in the middle set of hooks meaning a 60 band would have been a better choice with this bra. Unfortunately, Ewa Bien does not offer 60 bands quite yet, but let’s hope that is something they will consider in the future!

Comfort: As the fit of the bra is not the best for Jo, nor is the comfort aspect of it either. This is something that we like to preach here at 2COP – the right size AND the right style are crucial to one’s comfort when it comes to bras, so something that does not fit your body, will not likely be as comfortable as a bra with eg the right length and height of underwires. With the B230 Ratri it appeared to be exactly the wires that were the problem for Jo: they were cut too high and shaped wider, which meant they wouldn’t sit at the right spot for her. Jo is tiny, so she needs her cup height pretty low near the armpits to avoid chafing and with this particular style, the wires and the cup edge were just too high for her body.

If I could think of someone who the B230 would be perfect for, I would probably say someone who wears a bigger band size and small to average cup size, and someone who has shallower breast shape with a wide breast root. This someone could perhaps be one of our own guest bloggers, Miss T. Even though this is a balconette shape which are usually very open at the top, this particular style is actually quite closed at top, which is why it does not require a lot of fullness at the top part of the breasts. What I think suits everyone with this bra though are the straps – they are fully adjustable and detachable meaning you can make them work for a variety of body shapes and heights.

As said before, the true highlight of the set are the panties though. They are beautifully made and look amazing on Jo – they are also quite practical and have a seamless look at the back, if you don’t mind the little bow. The lace on the legs is placed well with just the right width and also with the softest stretch lace material that will adjust to your body, no matter its shape.

If you think this set could work for you, please check out Ewa Bien’s online store to make a purchase with them. The B230 Ratri goes up to H-cup with the smaller band sizes, so it’s actually quite full-bust friendly unless you have crossed the FF+ barrier like myself. The bra sets you back at 159 zl and the Brazilian briefs at 89 zl.  If you are based in USA, the easiest way to order would probably be through Luxury Goddess, who offer a great selection of Polish brands for US customers. What do you think of the B230 Ratri? Let me know in the comments! 

Lingerie Review: Ewa Bien “Laskar B139” in 65F

The first time I encountered Ewa Bien was in my second year of blogging when I ventured more into the world of Polish lingerie. They have always been super nice to me and their lingerie features some of the most gorgeous embroideries in the market. When Joanna from Ewa Bien contacted me to ask whether I would like to feature some of their SS16 styles on the blog I jumped at the chance with joy. This time their spring collection did not include any sizes up to J-cup unfortunately so I asked Jo if she wanted to try something from EB. Of course she did! Here’s a review of their Laskar bra in style B139.

The Design: The style of the Laskar is once again breathtakingly pretty. It’s a muted light orange colour with the right splash of pink – one of the most trendy colour combos this spring. The materials are very light weight with the cups being mostly made out of the thinnest layer of mesh and net-like material. The embroidery is one of the key elements of this design as per usual for Ewa Bien and it instantly brings the bra up to a princess level.

The shape of the bra is a revised Ewa Bien B130, which used to be a shallower version of this new B139. This time the cups are deeper to contain more fullness but also a bit wider to catch all the breast tissue near the armpit area. The shape is super rounded due to the one vertical seam at the centre of the bra cup – almost a bit too rounded for Jo’s liking. She prefers a natural slope to her bustline but I can imagine this ultimate round shape would be a winner for so many other ladies out there. The style is also a multiway as the straps are detachable from both sides of the bra – this is quite practical as during the summer months Jo will most likely be wearing an array of different tops that need more unconventional bra solutions.

The Fit: We asked for a size 65F for Jo as I had the experience of Ewa Bien bras running pretty much true-to-size. The Polish 65F is a rough equivalent to UK 30E which is Jo’s usual bra size in addition to 28F. As she is very petite and Ewa Bien bra bands are on the stretchier side (I would compare them to most UK 30 bands like with Panache and Curvy Kate), a 60 band would have been a closer call for her, but she is still happy in the 65 when wearing it in tightest set of hooks. The cups are on the larger side so there is a tiny bit of gaping on Jo’s smaller boob, which is also completely understandable taking into consideration that her boobs are more full on the bottom. I personally think the B139 would be a great match for more FOT breasts so I would be intrigued to try it in my size in the future (a girl can dream!).

The bra wires are tiny bit wider with Ewa Bien than most Polish brands but this suits Jo quite well. Her breast root is quite average just like mine so the likes of Samanta, Gossard and Ewa Bien are the best fit for both of us. The cups are almost a bit too deep for Jo so the statement about the new version of this bra being deeper all over holds very much true. The centre gore lies flat on Jo’s sternum but is still very comforable and doesn’t stab her despite her bony ribcage area. Even with the slightly too big band the whole ensemble feels super sturdy on and thus supports the ladies through long working days.

Comfort: The Laskar B139 is a great style for everyday wear if you don’t mind the embroidery and like non-padded bras as opposed to regular t-shirt bras. It gives you a modest bustline and coverage while still remaining low enough to go under more low-cut tops. The materials are extremely thin which makes the Laskar a perfect summer bra to wear in hotter climates as well. All of the materials – the sleek band and bottoms material, the netting, mesh and embroidery – feel soft against the skin and don’t cause any irritation even on a more sensitive skin. The C511 Brazilian brief is made to look seamless and smooth under the tightest of jeans, but take our word of warning: Ewa Bien panties run very small so prepare to go up a size or two from your regular UK size. Jo is wearing a Small in the pics.

The only tiny flaw with this bra is one very typical for so many bra manufacturers – the straps are just too widely placed on the shoulders and the bra cup edge near the armpit is too high, causing some minor chafing when having an active day at work. This can leave a hint of red trail where the cup edge cuts the armpit. Red marks are not always a sign of pain or eg a too small bra band, but near the armpit area they are usually a sign of too widely placed straps. The straps themselves are very sturdy though meaning Jo has no trouble of them slipping down and causing inconvenience. Also the chafing problem is sometimes corrected with enough washing which softens the edge a bit to feel more comfortable.

Overall we are very impressed with the Ewa Bien SS16 collection and are looking forward to introducing you to some more styles next month! There will be two more reviews to come so stay tuned ❤ If you would like to give this brand a try, Ewa Bien has their own online shop where you can place an order (as an international customer, you will be billed by email). The Laskar B139 retails for 189 zl (roughly $48) and comes in sizes 65-90 B-I. The C511 bottoms cost 95 zl ($24) and come in sizes S-XL. Have you tried Ewa Bien bras? How do you like them compared to other Polish lingerie brands? Let me know in the comments! xx

PS. If you are a US customer, you can also find Ewa Bien at Luxury Goddess online store!

Sleepwear Worth of Sleeping Beauty – Review of Gossard “Elegance”

When it comes to sleepwear, there are occasions when I see something really pretty, get my hopes up but unfortunately my boobies turn out to be a bit too big for the beauties I have laid my eyes on. This is exactly what happened with the “Elegance” sleepwear range that Gossard sent me a few weeks ago – what pretty pink shades, what a lovely rose petal print! And when the parcel arrived at my door and the skivvies were on, I huffed and puffed for a moment because the garments just didn’t fit my 30GG/H bust. What a bummer! In these occasions I usually always do the same thing – I ring my friend Jo to “help” me (aka release me from the agony of owning too small pretty things) and there again she was, turning something that didn’t work on me into pure magic. Here are a few notes and pics of the lovely Gossard “Elegance” slip, cami and the french knicker which are part of the Gossard SS15 collection.

  
To start off we perhaps need to mention Jo’s bra size which is usually something around 28F or 30E (with the expception of Gossard bras fitting in 30DD). She is quite tiny all over and wears a UK size 8 (EU 34, US 4) with underbust measurement of roughly around 28″. The Elegance comes in UK sizing, sizes 8-16 which translates roughly to 34-42 in EU sizes (excluding France, Spain and Italy). Even though I am usually a size 10 and Jo a size 8, I did feel the Elegance sleep range does run a bit small so the 10 fitted Jo quite comfortably without much extra looseness. The fabric (which is mostly polyester and elastane) is rather stretchy so you might get away with your regular UK size but just be aware that this way it will be quite clingy!

The bust area of the Cami and the Slip feature lovely stretch lace which is very soft and forgiving for different bust sizes but with size 10, I wouldn’t recommend anyone with above 30F wearing this, unless you don’t mind a very odd shape to your bust line. Even with the stretch lace, the top part squishes a bigger bust to very sad droopy boobs and this is definitely not ideal for support nor aesthetics! This however, is not the fault of the product but something that us GG+ have to get used to now and then. Up to F though, the slip and the cami should do their job fine and the bust area certainly looks great with Jo’s 28F full-on-bottom breasts.

The colour scheme of the set is very pale but even with our Finnish practically white skin tones, it does work pretty anyways. Some people are convinced that pink and red/ginger hair don’t go well together but I disagree on that too – I think the pale pink is a marvelous companion to Jo’s light ginger bob! The print is very unique and on-trend considering that water-colour and painting-like prints have been really “in” for a couple of years or so. Nevertheless, the print is by no means restless and seems like a pretty suitable option for someone wanting either pretty bedroom or loungewear.

When it comes to practicality, the Elegance range does seem to suit boudoir or lounge purposes better than actually sleeping in. Both of us sleep pretty much butt naked or in old longjohn’s (yap, I said it) so for actually sleeping in, these wouldn’t be neither of us’ first choice. However, if you are in a mood of looking/feeling a bit prettier in the morning/evening and feel like slipping into something luxurious, Elegance is a very good quality choice for an affordable price. The slip retails for £32, the cami for £28 and the french knicker for £21. As opposed to some other high-end or even pricier high street brands, this is a fair price for something a bit more special for your loungewear. However, the range does include a lovely plunge bra up to E-cup and some skimpier bottom choices as well, so if you love the print but are not a big fan of sleep/loungewear, you can invest in something a bit more practical as well 😉

What do you think of the Elegance range? Do you wear pretty sleepwear on regular or is it just an occasion-kinda-thing? Let me know in the comments!

Guest Review of Chantelle “Superbe” Full-Bust Half-Cup Bra

A couple of months ago I received a very alluring invitation to a Chantelle Blogger’s Party which was all about their new “Superbe” full-bust line. I was so excited one of the most sophisticated brands in Europe had decided to make something for the full-bust customer and even though I did not make it to the party (for obvious reasons…) I was sent one of the bras to test out. I am still nowhere near their size range as a 30GG (the range stops at FF) but luckily, I do have my lovely friend Jo who is a very practical size of 30E/28F. Here are some thoughts on Chantelle’s full-bust half-cup bra, hope you like the review!

The Design: We both really liked the look of the bra: it’s very sophisticated, sexy, very “French”. The black on purple/blue make the bra look interesting but still practical and approachable to those who are not fans of bright colours. The lace looks lovely too and the whole bra is super chic. The cups are nice and low for a full-bust bra which makes the bra look even more attractive. The bra gives Jo a lovely naturally rounded look with a rather low profile. The bra construction could be a bit tricky with bigger cup sizes but luckily this style works quite well up to F-cup. The cups are constructed of two parts with a vertical seem in the middle and some extra support from side-support slings.

The Fit: When it comes to fit, new full-bust brands and sub-labels are always tricky as you never know how much work has gone into them, if the grading has been done properly and what the construction is going to be like. Even though the 30E is in the bottom end of full-bust spectrum, it’s still easy to see that Chantelle has a very long history of making bras and the fit looks rather good on Jo. The sizing was a bit of an issue for us though; we had no previous experience with Chantelle so we went for the size that we thought would probably do the best.

However, we found that the bra runs a little on the bigger side with the band and smaller side with the cups so we came to the conclusion that 28FF would have been the best size with this bra. The 30-band seems like something I would have gotten well on with as I am on the larger end of 30″ and sometimes need a 32 with tighter bands. Even though Jo is very full on bottom when it comes to her breasts, the left cup cut into her breast a bit which leads me to the conclusion the cups ran a bit on the smaller side. In the pictures we have hooked the bra to the tightest set of hooks and it’s still a tad loose. However, the cups have nice average-to-narrow sized wires and otherwise enough room for Jo’s projected breasts, which improves the fit tremendously.

Comfort: As the bra was not the right size to begin with, it’s really hard to say about the comfort aspect of this bra as with a too-loose band it’s never perfect. I have seen Jo wearing this bra though for a few times now (I totally know what underwear she is wearing when we see each other!) and seems like it’s doing its job pretty well! The materials of the set are very high-quality and look super luxurious. The wires hit Jo at the correct spot which is always a key to great comfort.

The centre core is quite high which can lead to less-than-perfect fit with very close-set breasts but as Jo’s pair is a bit more widely-set the core tacks nicely.However, wide and tall cores can also be a bit irritating and even stab you in the chest if you are a bit bony on your upper body. As Jo is pretty thin and doesn’t have that much flesh on her chest, she found the core to pinch her sternum a bit at first. She tried bending the wires as I had suggested her before with other bras as well (this is a rather common problem for her) and now the wires are much more comfy.

The panties of the set are a low-cut Brazilian-style shorts which I really liked. Unfortunately the size Small was a bit too roomy for Jo so I snatched the panties to myself. I find them to run true-to-size as I am now a solid size Small with most of my bottoms. However, if you are between sizes, I would suggest you to size down. The panties look super flattering and great quality and can be combined with a lot of other bras I own, so I am definitely not too sad that they didn’t fit Jo! 😀

The Superbe half-cup bra comes in sizes 30-40 D-F whereas the plunge and t-shirt styles go up to FF. You can find the set eg. at HerRoom. How do you like the new Superbe bra and would you be interested to try it in your size? Be sure to leave me a comment, I would love to know 🙂