Lingerie Review: Gossard “Amour” in 30DD

It seems Jo’s taking over my blog, haha! Can’t blame her though – it’s not always easiest to find a vast array of interesting lingerie brands that make sizes up to H-cup. I am also super grateful for her help as I could not probably do this blogging thing as well if it wasn’t for her. So thank you darling for being the best friend and guest blogger ❤ Today we are bringing you the Gossard “Amour” range which launched near Valentine’s Day – unfortunately 2COP’s review pile was so high at the time that we couldn’t write about it before today. Let’s get on with the review then! *This set was generously  gifted by Gossard for review purposes. All opinions are our own!*

The Design: Amour is part of the Gossard VIP range which is a collection with more detailing, European style embroidery and boudoir-inspired co-ordinates such as waspies and suspenders. The Amour set consists of a non-padded balconette bra, a low-cut brazilian brief and a lush suspender belt, all featuring the gorgeous colour combination of orange-y tomato red and bright fuchsia. The styling of the bra is very French-chic and the design is finished with beautiful key-hole detail on the centre gore.

The shape of the bra is a very classic unlined balconette with one vertical and one horizontal seam – very similar to some of the non-padded Gossard bras I have reviewed before. I wish these sorts of unpadded styles were more popular in the Gossard design team as the fit is so good both with the smaller and the bigger cup sizes! The balconette bra gives Jo a subtle point to the bust line which creates an almost vintage-like look. The Amour bra also seems to minimize Jo’s bust a bit, which is sometimes an upside when wearing tighter tops that may not mesh well with a push-up bra or anything padded for that matter.

The Fit: As always, we went for the size 30DD and size Xsmall bottoms with the Amour set. Again, Gossard seems to be very consistent with their sizing – the set fitted almost perfectly, with just some little bulging on Jo’s bigger boob. I think Jo might actually be right between Gossard’s 30DD and 30E at the moment so this was expected. The shape of the bra is very appropriate for full-on-bottom breasts – the mesh and the embroidery of the bra are quite rigid so if you are more full-on-top, I would suggest sizing up with this style. The underwires of the Amour bra are quite narrow compared to some other Gossard styles and hit Jo’s breast root at the right spot. The cups are not deep nor shallow but something right in the middle which is typical Gossard.

The band of the Amour bra is quite flimsy with just one row of hooks and eyes but that is understandable taking into account the size range and the purpose this set is designed for – it is meant to look delicate and boudoir-appropriate resulting in the choice of narrower bra band and straps. Jo wears the bra in the second set of the hooks to make the bra more secure and better-fitting for her tiny 26″ frame.

Comfort: Gossard sets are usually pretty spot-on when it comes to comfort but with this particular one Jo did have some issues, especially with the narrow band. The back band is so flimsy it tends to twist a bit and the hook moves against the skin in the way it starts to itch after a while. Also, the band features the signature Gossard gateway back which requires a piece of extra boning at the edge of the bra band, where the gateway straps start. This piece of boning is not the best option for sensitive skin types and can dig in and rub at times, which is less than ideal. Otherwise the materials are quite comfortable, the lace is soft enough to not itch and straps are placed pretty well even for Jo’s narrow frame.

The co-ordinates are made of the same sturdy powermesh as the bra band and the shape of the brazilian brief is improved version of the Gypsy thong that scrunched a bit when wearing. These bottoms are designed a bit better with some extra seams at the front to create a better shape that moves effortlessly with the body – they also rise higher above the thigh. The suspender belt is as sturdy as other Gossard ones we’ve tried – the garters themselves are made of metal which helps them to hold on to stockings efficiently. Both of the co-ordinates ran true-to-size, which is quite standard with Gossard.

If you would like to give the Amour a try, you can find in the Gossard online store for £39 for the bra (30-38 A-E), £20 for the Brazilian brief (XS-XL) and £39 for the suspender belt (XS-XL). Keep in mind that this part of the Gossard VIP range which reflects in prices – if you are interested in Gossard as a brand and are on a budget, you can still most likely afford some pieces from their regular collection. How do you like the Amour set? Would it be something worth making in G-cups? Let me know in the comments! xx

Happy New Year with Playful Promises – Review of “Juliet” in 32G

Hi everyone and happy Three Kings’ Day! Christmas is finally over and I am finishing off my holidays as well – the uni is starting again on 11th so still a few more days to go. The reason I haven’t blogged for two weeks is because, obviously holiganza happened but also because I have been organizing things for my incoming exchange students. I am taking care of 11 students this spring term and it has already been a hassle so excuse me for lacking the time to engage with you! I am happy to say though that I am back and will start off the year with something super lovely – that is the Playful Promises full bust collection.

When Anna from Playful Promises contacted me this late autumn and told me about her upcoming DD-G collection, I was so excited – PP is a brand I have been loving and drooling over for a couple of years now and as they were out of reach for me because of the size range, they left my heart broken in million pieces. Imagine my joy when they announced the size expansion! Anna was kind to offer me a set from this new collection and as I had been lusting over the strappy lingerie trend for a while, I decided to go for the sexy and edgy Juliet. Here’s how I like the complete set!

Design: I had such a hard time picking a set from this fantastic collection as Playful Promises really nails it with every single design they do. And I am not kidding – you know when most brands come up with a couple of gems a season but this brand is something else. Each set is a carefully crafted piece of seduction that speaks to me personally on so many levels. When I saw the Portia on eg Becky from Becky’s Boudoir I went instantly nuts and was sad I couldn’t catch them all – but you mustn’t be greedy ya know 😉

I have loved the strappy Dom lingerie trend when it first came in fashion and even though some people are predicting it to finally see its end, I am really loving these sorts of designs still. I was happy to see Playful Promises translate the style to a full-bust collection and I think they hit jackpot with Juliet – the clean styling and black colour of set emphasize the carefully placed straps that adorn the bodice and upper bust area. The bra comes with a separate harness that goes over the bra and can be tossed if it does not suit your ensemble of the day. I personally haven’t found many dresses that would compliment this bra that much but I have a red little number on the way that just might be it.

The bra cups are constructed of three pieces with two vertical seams – which is actually pretty unusual for a G-cup bra. Most brands refuse to use this pattern as it is not seen as the most supportive one – which I beg to disagree on. I really like how PP uses this sorts of style to create half-cup like look but unfortunately, there is still some work that needs to be done on the shape. I personally feel it flattens and widens my bust a bit which is something that Anna and her design team could still look into. I prefer a very rounded look to my bust and this is why I would love to see this style tweaked just a bit.

Fit: With new full-bust collections it is always a bit of a hassle to find your perfect size and fit. As PP does not go above G yet, I decided to sister size down from 30GG (which I still sometimes wear in addition to 30H) to 32G. I was aware that PP might come a bit small in the band like most vintage inspired / reproduction lingerie brands which is why I was quite certain the band wouldn’t come up too loose. And I was right – the band is very tight and the 32 only stretches up to approximately 31″ which is my exact underbust measurement (I should probably cut down on my back weights at the gym, sigh…) at the moment. If you are between band sizes, I would definitely suggest sizing up. The band is a rather rigid sort of power mesh which is why I don’t see it stretching out too easily either.

The cups are pretty much true to size and fit the same way as with most British full-bust brands – quite wide and shallow that is. This does not personally suit my breast shape that well and I would love for PP to experiment with just a smidge deeper cups to achieve a better fit for so many girls like me. However, I know that there really are wide and shallow girls out there as well and this could be a great fit for them. I am just being greedy and wanting this brand to fit me amazingly so I can buy all the pretties, haha!

The wires are not super wide like some British underwires so I definitely don’t have a problem with them going too far in my armpits. The cups are also pretty low-cut meaning the wires are not chafing me anywhere. The centre gore of the bra floats a bit off my sternum but not horribly so and if the cups were just a teeny bit deeper, I am sure this would be fixed (though I am not too fussy about floating gores, I actually hate when they tack me too hard and pinch me in the sternum!)

Comfort: As I did mention before, the band is very tight on me which is why it’s perhaps not the most comfy on me yet. This is because I have not gotten much wear out of the bra for not getting my creative juices flowing and pairing it with enough outfits. I am sure however that after a few more wears the band will loosen up and feel more comfortable. In fact, it is better for the band to be a bit too snug at first, so it will still be supportive after you “break it in”. The materials are lovely on this set and I love how good quality they feel on – the metal parts are sturdy and the garters of the girdle are “real” garters which actually hold up your stockings.

The straps of the bra are quite wide and placed well so they won’t fall off my shoulders easily; they are also half-adjustable but still quite a good length so I could see this working on someone a bit taller or shorter than me (I am 5’6 for reference).The underwires of the bra are very flexible meaning they move nicely with my body while being active throughout the day.

The co-ordinates to this set are equally lovely as the bra itself – I love that the set comes with a high-waisted panty which is my preferred style of knickers but also with a lovely vintage-style girdle. Both of them have little peep-holes at the back which is a great design detail and suit the set well. I got both the panties and the girdle in a UK size 12 but I can see that there is a slight size difference between them – the girdle comes up a bit snugger than the knickers and I easily could have sized down to 10 with the panties. I think this might be because the girdle is a smoothing garment as well and needs to suck your tummy in a bit to create a desired silhouette. All in all, I love both of the co-ordinates and they are perfect for everyday wear for being simple in design and creating a clean line under pencil dresses and other sleek clothes.

If you would like to get some extravagant full-bust lingerie for yourself, do check out the Playful Promises full-bust collection on their online store. The prices are a bit higher than your average full-bust bras and everyday panties but then again – this is not your average lingerie. The Juliet harness bra (comes in sizes 28-36 DD-G) sets you back at £65, the high-waisted knickers (UK sizes 8-16) at £25 and the girdle (sizes 8-16) at £38.

How do you like the new Playful Promises full-bust collection? Do you think boudoir brands are in need in the full bust market? Let me know in the comments! xx

V.I.P. Lingerie: Review of Gossard “Temptation” in 32G

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? I had a fantastic one with some other bloggers from my hometown Oulu. I will not go into details yet but I promise a blog post about the night as it was so much fun and I have some pretty nice pics. Today I have another Gossard review for you and it’s one of my absolute favourite sets from Gossard (I think I say this everytime I write about Gossard?) – the Temptation. Temptation was released last month as a part of Gossard’s V.I.P. range and even before that I was super excited about the set as it includes some pretty badass eyelash-lace and a lovely deep suspender belt. The lovely folks at Gossard sent me the entire set in sizes 32G and Small and here are my thoughts about these lovelies.

The Design: This style is pretty unique to any full-bust bra I have ever tried; it’s a demi-cup bra meaning it only covers about half of my breasts. This may not be something that works for all sizes and shapes, but for my full-on-top breasts the look and fit is pretty stunning. The cups are constructed of two parts with a vertical seam going across the cup and making the breasts look super rounded. This bra also created my signature cleavage – two cakes on a plate! It’s a very “pushy” in-your-face kind of look but I love it as it’s not that well-achieved after you go past the G-cup barrier.

The overall look of the set is super sexy and looks as if someone had created a full-bust bra using the traditional aesthetics of a smaller cup lingerie – meaning pretty lace, fantastic half-cup cut and some gorgeous painting-like floral print. The whole look is so stunning and vintage-like I could simply die out of adoration. The deep suspender belt creates a lovely hourglass illusion and suits my pinup style very well whereas the brazilian is cut to be invisible under clothing if that’s the look you need to go for.

The Fit: This bra fits me pretty much like a dream. I decided to go up to size 32G instead of my regular Gossard size, 32FF. With other brands I am usually between 30GG and 30H right now. So I would still advice you to go up a band size and down a cup size with any Gossard style. However, if you are more full-on-top and in-between sizes like me, I would suggest taking the bigger cup size. I still fit fine into eg my Botanical bra even though it’s a 32FF. This is probably due to the demi-cup shape of Temptation and a size smaller would definitely lead to some spillage with my breast shape.

The band did not feature the gateway design this time so I would say it feels a bit more secure than your regular Gossard bra. The straps were quite thick but also widely placed and slippery so they tend to slip off my shoulders from time to time when combined with another slippery material. However, they are also fully-adjustable so that’s definitely a good thing!

Comfort: Even though the straps caused a bit of tricky situations when combined to eg a polyester dress, this bra is otherwise very comfortable. The wires are perfect again and I can’t praise Gossard more on their comfortable and high-quality co-ordinates. The lace doesn’t feel scratchy at all and even with my worst skin condition the bra felt pretty damn comfy on.

The suspender belt and shorts look fabulous but also feel good on. I really liked how the suspender belt flattered my tummy area and sucked some of it in to form a more streamlined look. However, this is not the most subtle piece of lingerie, so be aware that it does show through clingy clothing. Even though the look is very “bedroom” I think the suspender belt is also very wearable under eg vintage-style swing dresses as it is not too tight or restrictive and has high-quality metal parts that hold your stockings in place during everyday or evening wear. The panties were very appropriate for any outfit you can imagine; even though they do feature some lace the back part is seamless and looks overall great and flattering with or without clothes.

This set is priced a little higher unlike your usual Gossard lingerie; it’s part of the V.I.P. range so it’s definitely a bit more luxurious style with more exquisite details. In my opinion the whole assemble is so alluring and stunning I would pay the higher price tag for the quality and style one gets for the money. You can find the whole set on Gossard’s online store and the sizes go up to G-cup. There is also a plunge bra available up to D-cup if you are smaller-breasted and look for a more sheer look! The demi-cup bra costs £42 whereas the brazilian and the thong are sold for £24 and the waspie suspender belt for £54.

Hope you liked the review and if there is anything else you would like to know or just something you want to comment, please leave me a comment below! 😉 xx

Bra Review: Gossard V.I.P Lingerie “Phoebe” in 32FF

As many of you have already noticed I am a Gossard girl big time. There was no way anyone could have kept me away from their V.I.P range for long, the vintage feel of it screamed my name so loud I just needed to have my hands on some of their luxe sets. Lucky me, Gossard offered to sent me their new Phoebe set to try and I got my very own portion of V.I.P treatment. Here are my thoughts about this gorgeous set…

  
The Design: The Phoebe is a non-padded balconette shape bra that comes with a matching thong and a suspender-skirt. The whole set feels very luxe and is all over adorned with beautiful details such as shimmering embroidery and tulle. I love the colour of the set – it is a great “nude” shade for me with a touch of pink to it. The whole set screams ballerina elegance which I personally adore.

The style is what some people call “bandless” – the band doesn’t reach the lower curve of the wires meaning it comes up higher and looks more invisible. This is the very first bandless bra I have tried and so far it feels comfortable and fits well. This however, is not the case with everyone, I have heard some ladies saying it’s not the best choice for them fit-wise. The cups give me a rather low-profile pointy look which bothered me a bit first but actually looks great under more vintage-y dresses (such as my new Collectif dress, a review to come soon!). 

The Fit: I opted for my regular Gossard size 32FF but as I am now more near 30H with other British brands, I think I could have probably gone for 32G as my other boob tries to escape the cup now and then. The bra itself fits otherwise as should and feels the same size-wise as other Gossard non-padded bras. The cups are constructed of three parts which gives the cups their somewhat pointy shape and low profile. The depth of the cups is great for me, as they don’t feel too shallow. I would say Gossard makes probably the deepest cups when it comes to British bras – I would say they are on the same line as Cleo. So if Cleo works for you, I think you should definitely give Gossard a shot.

The wires are again prefect and I love that I can count on Gossard on this. Also the band feels like a standard Gossard band. I read another review of it saying the band feels a little more snug than usual but for me this feels like my other 32″ Gossard bands. So if you are between band sizes, I would suggest to size up. The Gossard 30″ bands fit more like 28″s making it a great choice for smaller girls as well.

The Comfort: This bra features the signature gateway back that Gossard does with most of their bras. The band feels rather supporting but I cannot help but want a wider band, just for some extra security. The band features two hooks and eyes meaning it does look rather subtle-looking which is of course a plus. Also the straps feel a bit thin for someone with a full-bust. However these things have not kept me from wearing this set, it really is a comfortable one.

I wore this bra and the thong through a massive move to our new apartment meaning the bra needed to stay comfy through two days of lifting, cramming myself into tiny elevators and a few nervous break-downs. Ten points to Gossard for keeping me supported and comfy during those days, cause bra rubbing or chaffing is the last thing you want when you are feeling super-not-comfy otherwise! The wiring of the bra feels nice on and the bra stayed put through the whole move.

I got the matching thong and the suspender-belt in size Small this time as I have grown myself a booty and it requires more space nowadays. The choice was spot on and both feel great on. I haven’t had the chance to test out the suspender too much as it’s truly a more novelty piece than something for everyday wear. However, I wore it around home for a couple of times and it truly looks really nice and covers all my soft bits giving me a more tucked-in feel. 

All in all, I am totally in love with this set and I hope Gossard keeps on making such lovely pieces for us full-busted gals as well! What do you think – yay or nay? Drop me a comment telling me would you wear Phoebe! If you are as excited as me, you can get yours on Gossard’s online store for £39 for the bra,  £18 for the thong and £45 for the suspender skirt.