Lingerie Review: Lepel “Lyla” in 36DD

Hi dear gals! March is already here and spring is around the corner – meaning some of us will be wearing lighter-coloured clothing and starting to reach for lighter-coloured bras as well (at least if your skin tone is light). Tis the season of women going on endless hunts of the perfect nude bra to wear under those crips white t-shirt and blouses – so we are bringing you an option for you pale babes out there! Today our guest reviewer will be the ever-so-lovely Miss T, who I asked to review something on the blog to bring more body diversity into 2COP’s array. Miss T is a gorgeous raven-haired gal who usually wears a UK 36DD-E and is giving you her thoughts about the Lepel “Lyla” in Beige today.

The Design: Lyla belongs to the basic offering of Lepel and comes in beige, black, white and French Navy colour. We thought about showing this beige option here on the 2COP as it is something that pale-toned women like ourselves would appreciate – it’s the perfect shade of pale beige for Miss T, not too pink, not too yellow but a creamy neutral shade. The styling of the Lyla is quite simple yet pretty with the smooth cups, cute bow at the front and some lace on the bra band to make the design more feminine. This was exactly what T was looking from her basic beige bra so she was very happy with the looks!

The shape of Lyla is a traditional Lepel moulded balconette which personally doesn’t suit me at all – I have tried the Lilly, which is a similar shape and unfortunately the fit wasn’t the best for someone with upper fullness. However, Miss T’s shape is quite different from mine; her breasts are more on the shallower side, meaning there is no need for super deep cups or narrow wires. The shape of the bra is very rounded yet natural and looks like a great affordable option for a beige t-shirt bra.

The Fit: With size, it is always a bit of hassle to come to a conclusion when the person hasn’t tried a specific brand before. Miss T had a little bit of experience with Lepel a couple of years back when she ordered the plunge Fiore from Figleaves – and sadly it didn’t fit at all size-wise! Her breast size hasn’t changed much in these years and with my experience of Lepel fitting tight in the band and big in the cup, we decided to go for a 36DD. Unfortuntely I did not remember that Lepel’s Lilly (Lyla’s printed sister) was a bit looser on the band so with Lyla as well, Miss T could have easily gone down to 34. This however, is a preference thing as well – I like my bands quite comfortable and T prefers hers very snug. The 36 is wearable but for longevity of the bra, the 34 might have been a better option.

The cups are quite the right size for Miss T, even though her left boob (which is usually the bigger one!) is bulging a tiny bit when standing up with a good posture. This is something that happens quite often with moulded bras – the bra doesn’t stretch or conform to your breast shape but tries to mould your breasts into the shape of the bra. Otherwise the cups fit quite nicely – the width and depth of the cups is pretty much perfect for Miss T and the coverage is low enough to be practical under most regular t-shirts and blouses.

Comfort: For comfort Lyla gets a clear A! This set is great for everyday wear and for long working days – the materials are super soft and smooth and the wires don’t chafe or poke Miss T at all. The straps are fully adjustable meaning it’s a great option for shorter girls as well. The straps do fall off the shoulders now and then so if you are very narrow, that might be something to think about. The band is quite stretchy which is something to think about fit-wise but is also a pro when you think about comfort – I personally prefer stretchy bands as they allow for more movement.

The bottoms are a size 18 and a bit too large for Miss T – usually Lepel bottoms run true to size but the Lyla briefs are made of very stretchy lace and Polyamide/Elastane combo so if you are between sizes, we would advice to size down. The rise is quite high so something Miss T prefers and finds comfortable for everyday wear. If you don’t like as much coverage, there is also the option of Brazilian brief which is perfect under the most skinniest jeans and pencil skirts!

The Lyla goes up to only E-cup so it’s a great option for more smaller and average-sized ladies – the size range also includes eg sizes 30B and 30C which are quite hard to find anywhere. This could definitely be a great first bra for a young girl, so take note moms! If you would like to order your own Lyla, you can do so on the Lepel online store. The balconette bra sets you back at affordable £24 and the briefs at £12. How cool is that?!

How are you preparing for spring? Do you see a shift in your bra preferences? Let me know in the comments!

Sunday with Samanta – A479 Goshenit in 65E

Hi everyone! It’s another end of the month and I am happy to introduce you to one of my newer guest bloggers and my little sister, Emma. A few things about this lovely specimen: we are both gingers, love food and lifting – but those are pretty much our only similarities! As you can soon see, we also look quite different; Emma has a lot straighter figure and is more petite all over. I LOVE showcasing different body types on my blog which is why I am happy to have my lovely sis here! This time we are bringing the Samanta A479 style in 65E. This particular style was originally meant for Jo but it was too small for her – so I figured Emma would be just the right size. Let’s take a look at the ensemble! *This set was gifted to Emma free of charge by Samanta. All opinions are our own*

The Design: The Goshenit is a beautiful style part of the Samanta Glamour collection – it is a set with a beige base and an a blue heavily adorned overlay. The style is quite universal to all ages and thus suits a 20 year old as well as a 50 year old lady, in my opinion at least. The bright indigo blue is one of Emma’s favourite colours which is why this set was a jackpot for her personally.

The A479 is a push-up style bra for smaller busts and thus also runs a bit smaller in the cup than some of the other Samanta bras. It goes up to F-cup in 65-bands which is an equivalent to a British E-cup. The bra could give you intense cleavage depending on your bust shape but Emma’s bust is a bit shallow meaning the bra brings the boobs up and front but don’t create a super over-the-top vavavoom effect. The style is a “bandless” true plunge which is great for low cut tops and dresses. The push-up padding of the bra is not detachable like with most Samanta styles which is something to be considered if you are not always into the more enhanced look.

The Fit: As said before, the size Emma is wearing is a EU 65E which is 30DD in UK sizes. Usually Samanta bras run a bit big in the cup which is why I thought this would be a good size for Jo but it seems this particular style, the A479, is running quite true to size in the cup. Emma is now pretty much exactly 30DD with most brands and the 65E Goshenit fits her like a glove! The moulded cups are great for Emma’s shallow-ish breasts (she does not usually fit well into non-padded bras actually!) and the low-cut push-up style is something that Emma likes wearing when it comes to her everyday bras. You can see a tiny bit of gaping in the top picture above but I assure you it is only due to her posture. The cups are perfect for a more shallow breast shape and the underwires encase Emma’s breast tissue beautifully without being too narrow or wide.

Emma measures 29″ under her bust so she usually wears a 30 (=65 EU) band comfortably. She is quite muscular for her size so there is not much squish on her ribcage area and while she is between band sizes, she will rather size up than size down in the band so there won’t be too much pressure on her ribs. She is also working as a baker and a pastry chef which requires a lot of physical work – hence she needs a bra she can breath and move in but which will also keep her supported through the long working days. The Samanta 65 band is tad on the looser side for her but she wouldn’t still go for a smaller size as she appreciates comfort like I do. She is still wearing the bra on the loosest set of hooks which is always a good sign after a few weeks of wear.

Comfort: So far the two ladies I have personally introduced Samanta lingerie to – Emma and Jo – have both tremendously enjoyed their bra sets as they are pretty, well-fitting and damn comfortable. The Goshenit set got the ultimate compliment from Emma; it feels like you are not wearing anything underneath your clothes, in a good way. The materials are soft and top quality and they wash well without the colours fading or band stretching out. The straps are half-adjustable (with a multiway function) but as Emma is on the petite side (a bit over 5’4 for reference) she hasn’t had any problems with them being too long or falling off the shoulders. The only tiny gripe with them is that the adjusters slide down a bit after wearing the bra for a while and need to be adjusted now and then.

Emma got the B300 Goshenit briefs with the bra and I opted for a size Small in them. Again, these were supposed to be worn by Jo but luckily Emma and her are about the same dress size! The briefs area great fit for her and look sweet in the see-through style they come in. They are a bit more of a brazilian than a regular brief so they don’t offer tons of coverage – but I am quite sure Emma is not bothered at all! All in all the whole set is a beautiful and comfy little number which has quickly become on of Emma’s favourite sets of all time.

If you are interested to give Samanta a try, you can find their online shop here. The A479 comes in sizes 65-80 A-F and the B300 bottoms in S-XXL. The Goshenit bra retails for a 73€ and the briefs for €36,30. As this style belongs to the Samanta Glamour range it is a bit more expensive than some of their other lingerie but I assure you that it’s worth every penny! xx

Sunday with Samanta: A475 Anvers in 65E

It has been a while since I did a “Sunday with Samanta” post – it’s understandable, the holidays came in the way of both me and the Samanta team, so we put the feature on hold for a couple of months. We also ran out of styles that would come in my size, so we had to figure something else out first to showcase the Samanta styles that fit the more average and small busts out there. This was however, not a problem. As most of you know I operate with an array of guest bloggers with different body types – to give you a teaser, in addition to Jo and Miss E, I will be adding Miss T and my sister Emma to our happy company very soon! However, let’s start the series of more moderately sized Samanta bras with a review of Anvers in style A475 (49,70 €). *This set was generously gifted to Jo by Samanta. All opinions are our own.*

Design: The Samanta’s A475 is a style targeted to small and medium sized busts, going up to EU H-cup in the 65 band. That is an equivalent to UK FF-cup. The style is a smooth push-up t-shirt bra which brings the girls together and facing forward (= loads of projection!), instead of splaying them towards the sides of one’s torso. The push up padding inside is not detachable but yet very light to give you only a slight boost to your own breast size. It also gives a lovely rounded shape and an alluring cleavage, modest enough for most casual work places but also visible enough for a nice boost under a plunging neckline when sipping for cocktails at after work.

The Anvers style itself is a beautiful painting-like floral printed ensemble which features the smoothest materials on earth and some pretty dotted mesh to make it even more pretty. This is definitely one of my personal favourites from the Samanta AW16 collection and even Jo is very much pleased with the looks of this set despite not being a huge fan of floral prints in general.

The Fit: To warn you off right off the bat, this is going to be an overwhelmingly positive review. So if you feel like you can’t trust a super positive review where the set has been gifted, I am so sorry, but there is nothing I can really do about it at this point. This sets fits LIKE A DREAM on Jo and she actually told me it’s now probably her favourite bra of all time and Samanta her new favourite lingerie brand. And she, my dear friends, is an honest son of a bitch, to say the least! I opted for the 65E for Jo after weighing in for a while – Samanta bras usually run a bit large in the cup so I figured that she might like the same size with them as with Gossard (for reference, Jo’s best size with British brands is 28F or 30E). The British 30DD is a rough equivalent to a Polish 65E.

Jo got four different sets to try for the next few months and each of them fitted a bit differently – with the Anvers being the best of them in style and cup depth. Jo has full-on-bottom boobs, which means, there is not much breast tissue on her upper half of the boobs – her shape fitted perfectly in the A475 style and there is no empty room on the bottom nor the top half of the cup. The wires are a perfect length and height for Jo and the gore sits flat on her sternum. The only complaint that we have (which is not really a flaw) is that the band is a bit too big for Jo’s ribcage – this however, is not surprise as she measures 26″ under her bust and thus would fit better in a 28 band with most brands.

Comfort: The A475 is a very smooth t-shirt style bra which is why there are not a lot of extra seams or lace on show. This is great for wearing the bra every day to work and under the very thinnest materials. The underwires are exactly the length and height Jo needs, which is why there is no poking or any sorts of discomfort because of them.

I have sometimes had trouble with Samanta straps being too widely-placed for me but Jo found that they were spot-on for her. In fact, the feedback that I got both from Jo and my sister Emma (who will be reviewing another Samanta style next month!) was super positive especially regarding the straps – they seem to be firmly placed on the shoulders without falling off a single time during a busy day at work. Even though the straps with the smaller sizes are a bit thinner than what Jo is used to, she still found them very comfortable and sturdy. They are also fully-adjustable and detachable, meaning the bra can be converted to a multiway and will suit an array of body types and heights.

Jo also received the M300 brazilian briefs (19,70 €) (or thong, as the Samanta website states) with the set, which we opted in a size Small – I am two dress sizes bigger than Jo which is why I thought the Small would be perfect for her instead of the Medium I tend to wear with Polish brands. The materials and the style of the brief is very convenient under tighter jeans which is why it makes a very nice option for Jo in addition to her collections of actual thongs. The back of the brazilian features a lovely see-through dotted mesh that makes the ensemble even cuter.

What do you think about Anvers? Are you feeling the winter florals trend? Let me know in the comments! Also, if you wish to get your hands on this set, do check out Samanta’s online store and for US customers, ask for a shipping quote by sending them an email. Have a great rest of your Sunday, gals! xx

Review of Curvy Kate “Starlet” in 30GG

Recently I have been looking for a suitable and pretty t-shirt bra that would go well with my full-on-top breasts. I grew out of my Curvy Kate Smoothies and my Deco which is a tragedy as they both fitted me so well and for months I went without proper smooth bras which would be invisible under clothing made of thin fabric. However, the amazing folks of Curvy Kate gave me a chance to review their new Starlet which is a lovely peach-shade t-shirt bra with a similar shape to their previously released style Smoothie. I just had to get my hands on the beauty and when it arrived I instantly put it on and tested it for a few days.

Design: As said before, Starlet is very similar to Smoothie, however some bloggers have even preferred Starlet as a better-fitting option. I was very happy with my Smoothies so expectations were quite high! The style turned out to be lovely but a bit different style-wise compared to Smoothie. Starlet feels like the little sister of Smoothie – a bit more girly and fun. It’s a a fun number for everyday use and I absolutely love the mermaid-kind-of look of it! The colour combos have been great as well – especially the red Christmas edition left me drooling. The summer shade of Tigerlilly is very suitable for the season and so flirty with its pink trimmings and a little star on the center gore! The cups also have a nice almost fish-skin-like pattern which even adds up the mermaid-feel of the set.

The shape of the bra is great under clothing. It is very rounded yet natural and doesn’t show any lines under clothing like some other padded styles do. The cups are quite thin for a padded bra which is definitely a plus for so many ladies out there. Also the Starlet gives me a decent cleavage unlike my old Smoothies. It is a great feature since I am a lover of proper cleavage – this bra would make my boobs look pretty awesome in a low-cut shirt!

Fit: Very similar to my Smoothies which means the fit is very close to  perfect. The cup depth is quite good for me and the size 30GG absolutely right as with my other CK styles as well. When I first received the bra I was 99 % sure the cup size would be too big since the bra looked huge. However when I put it on I was happy to note that it was exactly the right size, even with some extra space at the bottom of the cup. This is what I think is the most significant change CK made since releasing Smoothie and getting critique about the fit. For me, this change was not needed and I would have preferred the original fit but as said, the change in the fit has clearly worked out really well for other women and especially more full-on-bottom breasts. The slight folding of the cup at the bottom part doesn’t bother me that much and it’s nothing too noticeable.

Even though Starlet gives me a pretty awesome cleavage it doesn’t make me spill at all from the cups. Therefore I would say it’s still quite a good choice for full-on-top boobs as well. No spillage, no gaping and the wires sit on a almost perfect spot, maybe a tad wider than I need. However, the wires don’t go further than the edge of my armpit which is great regarding how G+ bras tend to have horribly graded wires. The edges of the cups are also placed really nicely on a medium height which means there is not too much spillage towards the armpit nor does the edge of the cup chaff my skin.

The back band feels firm yet comfortably stretchy which is what I prefer at the moment. I have been thinking a lot about the complaints towards stretchier bands recently and have come to the conclusion that in fact 30 should not only stretch to 29″ or 30″ like some do but preferably have a little give to them for comfort reasons. This is where +0 method sometimes goes wrong: if the bands are created to be exactly 30″ they will still feel uncomfortable on a true-30″ ribcage. This is why Curvy Kate never fails me with its sizing: I know that their 30 bands are quite stretchy and suit my bodytype really well (eg I have very prominent ribs that sometimes affect the fit of a bra).

Comfort: Curvy Kate has always managed to be one of my favourite brands because of how comfy their sets are. I can just throw them on and forget that I am actually wearing underwear. The Starlet is a great everyday bra and again, as said before, it has quite a good wire width despite that it’s a G+ bra. If I remember correctly Smoothie had a few problems with the wire width in bigger cup sizes combined with small backs. I can’t say anything about the GG+ versions but mine was beautifully graded so that the wires weren’t digging into my armpits nor my back which is great. Also the materials were smooth and didn’t cause any irritation. The back band has three hook and eyes which is great for weight distribution and relieves the stress on my shoulders and back. It doesn’t dig in either which both comfort- and looks-wise very important.

If I could make a slight improvement to the bra it would be placing the straps closer to each other since, in my size at least, they felt a bit wide-set and as you can see in the pics above, they were chaffing my armpits a bit. However, the straps haven’t fallen off my shoulders a single time because of the material of the straps, so that hasn’t been a problem to me. It’s only when doing “bigger” movements with my arms is when I notice the strap placement. Also the straps are fully-adjustable which is always a plus for more petite women.

This time I went for the thong as a co-ordinate option since I haven’t recently been too keen on trying high-waisted knickers, just for the sake of my body type. I am also trying to learn to use more thongs since they are quite practical under tight clothing and also cause I do feel sexy in them. However, it is very hard to find a thong that would flatter one’s body type and also feel comfortable during the day. I was thrilled when I tried the Starlet thong on cause it truly is a great everyday option eg under tight jeans. I loved how comfy the thong felt and size 8 was definitely the right size for me; no muffin top and also no feeling of the thong rising to high up my butt during the day. A+ plus for panty that’s usually regarded as an uncomfy sexy-time garment!

Overall the set is lovely and a great option for those who love something a bit different for their t-shirt bra choice! The set is available in sizes 28-30 D-J, 32 D-HH, 34 D-H, 36 D-GG and 38D-G, panties in sizes 8-20. I would also love to hear any other experiences about the set so if you have any, please share them in the comment box!

This set was generously gifted by Curvy Kate for review purposes. All opinions are my own.