Lingerie Review: Cleo by Panache “Marcie” in 32GG

Who remembers my endless love for Marcie? This bra has a distinct cult reputation in the world of lingerie blogging and full bust industry. It was launched a few years ago and still goes strong in the Cleo collection, changing its colour every season. For a couple of years Panache was asked to deliver their customers a Marcie in basic colours; black and nude. Again, nude is not the same for everyone but this time, the shade was so perfect for me personally I really wanted to try it – and who knows, maybe we will get a chocolate coloured Marcie sometime soon! Here are my thoughts on this old favourite in my most recent size, 32GG. *This set was generously provided by Panache. All opinions are my own!*

The Design: I have always been a big fan of Marcie – it’s a cutesy style that is perfect for everyday wear with its flat embroidery and thin materials. The scalloped upper cups look adorable and give me a mermaid-y vibe, which is always a good thing I reckon. It’s very girly so not everyone’s cup of rum but I don’t mind the bows and dots now and then, as I am quite a versatile person when it comes to my bradrobe (obviously, haha!). The shade of beige is absolutely spot on for me, that is very pale, and I just wish Panache would make some more dark-coloured options for people with tanned, brown or black skin tones. To me though, it is the closest I can probably ever get to a skin-coloured bra!

Marcie’s cups are constructed of three pieces each, with one vertical and one horizontal seam forming a very classic balconette shape. The shape that is creates is super forward-projecting and rounded: something most lingerie bloggers have come to love from the very launch of Marcie.

The Fit: So what has changed since I last wore Marcie? Well, I think my size has changed since a bit; my body has probably a bit less fluff and a bit more muscle and my boobs have got a cup size bigger. I am now wearing a size 32GG whereas two summers back I wore a 30G, which was probably a cup size too small to begin with. To say the least, the 32GG feels quite a bit different, mostly because even two cup sizes can change the fit specs of a bra. Mostly the difference seems to be the wires which are a tad wider than what they would need to be for me. There is also a bit more empty space at the top of the cups which makes me wonder whether I should have tried 32G as well.

The cups are as deep as with the 30G which is definitely a good thing. I would say that they even so deep that you may be able to go down a cup size with this style, especially if you are in the upper end of the size range! The 32 band still fits me fairly well, even though I still think I could wear a 31 band with Panache if it existed. The Cleo bands are a bit tighter than with the Panache main line, which is why I feel the 32 band is still a better choice than the 30.

Comfort: I still love Marcie even though I think there may be some slight fit issues with the bigger cup sizes, such as the too wide underwires (that is for me, I know there is always someone who these would fit perfectly!). My only real gripe with this bra is the placement of the straps; as you can see, I have pulled them up on my shoulders so that they sit diagonally on my body, which is not the best thing regarding comfort. However, I am surprised how little this feature affects me and how well the straps stay up regardless. Nothing about this bra rubs me or pokes me so even though the fit itself is not perfect, I love how comfy and lightweight it feels during a full day at work.

The pants are cute as ever but as a vintage gal myself, I really wish they would start making them in a higher waisted version as well. These are super low cut so not the most comfortable choice for me personally. I know however that some gals adore the cut of these and I used to love it too, but ya know, tastes change. They are still nice cute everyday panties and I never say no to ruffles!

If you are interested in the beige Marcie set, you can find at Bravissimo (£27 + £14) and Bare Necessities which both ship internationally. The bra comes in sizes 28-38 B-J and the bottoms in XXS-XXL.

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!