Introducing Bolero Beachwear – Dresses for Busty Pinup Gals!

I love reviewing lingerie – it’s my passion, obviously – but I do have a great love affair with pretty dresses as well. The thing with pretty dresses though is, that not every dress I try fits me that well – not even half of them! I can rarely zip up UK size 10 past my boobs which is why I usually result in buying a size up and then cinching the waists with a belt. When I heard about Bolero Beachwear and saw some lovely fellow bloggers rocking their dresses, I decided to chat to Patricia, the owner of this lovely brand.

Bolero Beachwear started out when the recession hit the USA in late 00’s – many women were left without jobs and so was Patricia, as the beachwear company she was working for had to close down because of the owner’s cancer and customers closing down their own businesses. Patricia, the wonder woman behind Bolero, decided to start a business of her own and so she ended up founding Bolero Beachwear and designing her very own beach cover-ups. After consulting with a busty customer, Patricia decided to make additional dresses and other items for us well-endowed women, as she wanted to accommodate her customers’ needs. Today I am reviewing two of her DD+ clothing collection dresses – Erica and Carmen! *These dresses were gifted to me by Bolero Beachwear. All opinions are my own! Photos were taken by Nina Tulilahti Photography. *

The Erica dress – named after Erica from the fabulous “Sophisticated Pair”!

Patricia was super excited to send me the dresses as she knew how much I would enjoy styling them with my pinup way! Both of the dresses are full circle style with deep pockets (!!!) so they can definitely be worn with or without a petticoat (I am wearing them with one in each pic), whatever suits your personal style the best. I really enjoyed both of the styles and opted them in basic colours, black and white, which makes them both perfect staples in my wardrobe.

The Erica dress is a 1/2 sleeved wrap-dress style which I loved the most of all Bolero dresses. It comes in a sweet polka dot print, but also in basic black and another, more modern monochrome print. I haven’t owned any polka dots in years which is why I wanted to be a bit nostalgic and try to style them to my current taste. Patricia was so kind to send a couple of different sashes along my dresses, and I paired the Erica with the classic red sash you can see in the pictures. I think it goes perfectly with some red lipstick and a hair flower (from Sophisticated Lady Hairflowers) which look quite Christmassy together!

Carmen dress + the signature black bolero!

The Carmen is a more feisty little number which could easily work as the little black dress in any woman’s wardrobe, especially in the summer. As I live in Finland, I need a cover-up for this particular dress as it’s sleeveless, but luckily Patricia had included a lovely little black bolero in my parcel as well – the perfect pairing with anything sleeveless or even strapless! I rarely wear any boleros actually but find this style particularly flattering and simple enough to please me.

When it comes to the style of Carmen, I would prefer it with some small cap sleeves even, as I am a bit self-conscious about my arms. It’s probably a bit silly as I have worked hard for my biceps (lol!) but I do find them a bit masculine with my pretty dresses. So to conclude, I do like my dresses with sleeves as they soften out my features a bit. However, I can imagine this dress being perfect for anyone who lives in a warmer climate and does not like her armpits getting damp!

When it comes to sizing, I found the dresses to run fairly true-to-size in the waist area. I went for my regular non-vintage-reproduction size (as repro usually runs smaller than high street) Small and was very happy with the result. The Small is perfect for my 28-29″ waist and even though the bust is meant for 36″, I can easily fit my 40″ boobs into it without any fabric pulling or distorting the polka dot print. Both dresses fit similarly and are really easy to get over your head and wear casually. The sleeves of the Erica dress are also roomy enough for my big guns (hehe) and the fabric is overall wonderfully stretchy. As a huge plus,s these dresses feature a reinforced back (an extra layer of fabric at the back part of the dress), meaning your bra bands are less likely to show through (I wore a tight Polish band in the shoot so you need to excuse me!).

What I wear my Bolero dresses most for, is everyday situations when I don’t want the hassle of closing a difficult back zipper or I know that I might get messy at some point. These dresses are really easy to clean, as you can just toss them in a washing machine and even if you spill something over yourself (don’t get me started on ketchup!), these materials are super easy to just rinse clean. I would say, if you work with kids and still want to stay fancy – you really need these dresses in your life! Another upside is that Bolero dresses don’t wrinkle whatsoever, so they are perfect for those active days, even while travelling.

All in all I am very happy with my new Bolero dresses and regard them as a lovely option for anyone with a fuller bust and interest in a more casual pinup style. The Bolero garments are designed and manufactured in USA which adds up the awesomeness of the brand even more.

If you are interested in getting something from Bolero, they are having a sale right at this moment so go and snatch up a lovely wardrobe staple of your own! You can get free shipping and 20% off with a code HOLIDAY20. The Erica dress is now on sale for $140 and the Carmen dress for $120.

What are your go-to clothing brands for a fuller busted figure? Let me know, I am always open to any good tips on how to dress my boobs! xx

2COP’s X-Mas Picks – Five Curve-Friendly Pinup-Style Party Dresses for Christmas

Y’all, it’s December already! How in the earth did the year pass along again? Well, anyhow, what is for sure that now that many of you have recovered from Thanksgiving meals, it’s time to slip into those lovely glittery frocks again and rock those curves you’ve got. I wanted to put up a list of my own personal favourites that look curve-friendly enough to flatter your boobs and butts and look sophisticated at the same time. So here’s my list of pinup-style curve-appropriate Christmas dresses for different types of occasions!

For a night out with friends…

Most of us probably agree that it is not the same dress you wear to all your Christmas parties (cause let’s face it, of course you’re gonna be attending many 😉 ). This quirky number by Voodoo Vixen is the perfect option for a night out with your girlfriends: it’s fun, it’s bright red and looks still laid-back enough for a night at a pub or a bar. The Connie dress (£49) is also a practical choice for later wear – it can be dressed up or down whether you want it to be more festive or everyday-appropriate. Pair it with glittery pumps and some red lipgloss and you have the ultimate girls-night-out outfit!

For a Family Dinner…

We have a little tradition with my family to get together on Christmas Eve, eat amazing food together and unwrap the gifts while eating chocolate and watching children’s movies. It might be a no-brainer to some but my parents are divorced and I always admire their ability to still get together for a Christmas meal even though they sometimes want to chop each other’s heads off. Even though the evening usually proceeds to pajamas and no makeup, me and my sister usually start off the day with some nice dresses. I picked this lovely “Ophelia” dress (£34,99) by Lindy Bop as my choice for the Xmas mealtime as it’s practical cotton material but still manages to look festive. I actually own the dress in another shade of red and it’s great for anyone with a fuller bust! I would pair it with some chunky cream-toned wool tights and a matching hair scarf tied to a lovely bow.

For a party with the co-workers…

This dress is like straight out of Mad Men! The office Christmas party requires something sexy but not too sexy – it’s important to show that you have power and feel confident about yourself but if you get too ranchy, it might tell your boss you’re not being professional. I would go for something a with figure-enhancing shape like this “Ava” dress ($114) by Pinup Couture. The colour is excellent if you don’t want to be too flashy with red. The shape of the dress flatters your curves but doesn’t reveal too much while being knee-length and sporting little sleeves to cover up your shoulders. I would pair Ava with some silvery or black pumps and a statement cuff.

For a date night out…

You know those times when you head out to with your boo for drinks, just for fun? Well, as it’s Christmas, you might as well spice up you date attire a bit. I would go for something formfitting and sexy, such as this “Penny” dress (£55) by Collectif. I am actually planning on getting this for myself as my boyfriend is crazy about wiggle dresses and well, I do want it myself as well. (Thank Georgina for that!) I would pair this gorgeous piece with some hair flowers and Minna Parikka “Cornelia” shoes. (Check them out, they’re lovely!)

For a dinner with your In-Laws…

There’s two types of In-Laws – the ones that drive you crazy and the ones you love almost like your own family. Mine belong luckily to the latter category so basically anything I wear is an object of adoration especially for my Mother-In-Law. I would still wear something quite formal and pretty for a dinner out in the town as I want to give them the best impression of me. However, if your In-Laws are a bit “Meh” I would avoid anything too flashy that might raise eyebrows. This Dovima “Gatlin Gal” dress (£145) is classic and bold at the same time and flatters a curvy hourglass figure without being too revealing. I would pair with some red pleather high-heels, like this.

So these were my picks for the Holiday Season! What would you wear for a Christmas party and what did you think my wishlist? Let me know in comments! xx