Say YES to Undress: Full-Bust Bridal Lingerie Finds at Moda SS17

I don’t know exactly how to start this post but by the title you may have guessed it – I got engaged over the weekend! We have been together with my Mr for over three years and have been talking about getting married for a while now. It has been kind of a joke for me to say “Oh marry me already” when he has been particularly lovely and on Friday, it was his turn to actually, seriously ask the same question. So, I am wearing the most beautiful engagement/wedding ring on my finger now and I still cannot believe it’s real life – it still feels like playing some kind of weird dress-up!

If I wasn’t living in a smaller city, I would actually probably be a wedding planner and now that I have finally the permission to plan my own wedding, I am so ecstatic. I will start this happy engagement period of a little over a year with bringing you (and me!) the most delicious bridal lingerieof this spring 2017 season. However, there will be many more round-ups to come in the future, so try to stay patient for my sake!

Disclosure: These pics were taken at the Moda catwalk in August 2016. I am very aware of the gross cultural appropriation in the form of Native American dream catchers and head that were sadly worn as accessories on the runway. This is not cool in any way, but the purpose of the photos is to deliver the latest bridal trends to you and these were the only pics available. I am sorry and do not support wearing someone’s culture as an accessory.

The white on white trend has been floating around in the lingerie business forever – mainly because bridal lingerie is never out of fashion and always needed, but statistically white has also been on the top three when it comes to men’s lingerie colour preferences. Even though lingerie should, in my opinion, be bought first and foremost for oneself, there is nothing wrong with wanting to wear something that pleases your partner as well.

On a wedding night white historically symbolizes purity and virginity – which to me, is a bit disgusting as I am not a lamb to be sacrificed in some weird ritual. Or, that’s what I’d like to think (even though marriage has been exactly that, not even long ago)! However these days, we still wear white a LOT when it comes to our wedding attire and that is the chosen colour of my wedding dress and the lingerie I will be wearing as well. Maybe I’ll break the “pure and innocent” look with some red or gold, who knows! Anyway, here are a few examples of what you or I could be wearing on our big day, when it finally comes.

ADINA REAY

Adina Reay is one of the newer more luxurious options for us fuller busted brides. The prices are a bit up there for a bride on a budget, but the materials are pure heaven and the quality is breathtaking. I haven’t had the chance to try this brand for myself yet, but I’m super interested in their fit so if anyone has got any experience with them, please let me know! Even though I haven’t tried the pieces on, I have seen and touched them at the Moda show last August and have so much faith in this brand.

The two styles shown above are Pen in Champagne and Jess in Swan which are both part of the continuity line at Adina Reay. The prices are around £90-130 for a bra £50-80 co-ordinates which definitely put them into the luxury category, but I think full-busted brides need to have options. I also like the fact that the brand offers multiple different co-ordinate options, so you can choose whether to go for skimpy thong or an elegant high-waisted panty. The size range with Adina Reay is 30-36 DD-G, and S-L, which can unfortunately be a bit limiting.

FREYA

If you are D+ girl on a budget, Freya might be a better option for you. This beautiful ensemble is called Sassy and goes up to GG-cup with the longline and up to H-cup with the padded balconette bra. The white on beige combination seems to be becoming more and more popular and I personally like the look a lot.

The one confusing thing is that the sample I was shown was a lot more beige than the stock picture above. I personally like the beige one a bit more, but maybe they tried to make it look a tiny bit more bridal? Who knows! This style isn’t available until March, but if history is to be trusted it will retail around £40-50 which is pretty good for a well-fitting strapless full-bust bra.

PARFAIT BY AFFINITAS

Parfait is another great option if you are looking for something comfortable in the D-G size range and like something traditionally feminine and sweet. The brand offers many beautiful options both in their continuity line but also in their fashion range. These are the two styles that caught my attention in this ss17 collection: let me introduce you to the pale rose Sandrene and white Irene. These styles are great for plus size brides as well, as they go up to 44 band and 4XL in the panties! They are perhaps not the most practical under your actual wedding dress but would be nice options for a romantic wedding night.

HARLOW & FOX

If I could choose absolutely anything for my wedding night, one of the strongest options would be Harlow & Fox. They are the essence of bridal glamour and actually carry a decent size range of 30-38 DD-G, XS-XL on their site. The Serena range in Ivory is utter perfection: it is made of the most beautiful embroideries, tulles and ostrich feathers – everything a vintage girl could want! The only limit for me buying this range is the price – even though Harlow & Fox may be well worth it, I cannot afford to drop 142€ on a bra, let alone 999 € on the kimono robe! A girl can dream though, right? Maybe I’ll get rich before 2018, hehe!

Here are some of my picks from the Moda show bridal offering – what do you think? What is your dream bridal lingerie ensemble like? Let me know in the comments!

Lingerie Review: Parfait “Darlene” in 32G

Even though Parfait by Affinitas collection is not the biggest on the full bust market, Parfait has nonetheless acquired a steady staple status as being the most promising American full-bust brand, going up to K-cup with their cult favourite bra Charlotte. I have been lucky enough to have met with the brand’s reps several times during these years of lingerie blogging and they have always been super supportive of my blog. This winter, even during my non-inspired phase and not-that-frequent blogging, Parfait has still wanted to keep me in the loop with their new styles. Today I am bringing you some more snow-queen-off-duty realness (which seems to be this winter’s theme here over at 2COP!) and introduce you to the new beautiful Parfait set, called Darlene. *Diclosure: This set was kindly sent to me by Parfait. All opinions are my own.*

The Design: Darlene is a rather unique sort of bra to me personally as its shape is something between a full-cup and a balconette, but it is also nor seamed nor moulded but something in between – does anyone actually have a name for such a cut?! There is one seam going across the bottom half of the cups but it only reaches the apex of the cups giving the otherwise moulded fabric a bit more uplift. Completely moulded non-padded bras have a reputation of not being very uplifting and thus attractive shape-wise (at least I like my boobs lifted, huh?).

The shape of the Darlene is still rather subdued so it’s not “up your chin” type of boobs, but a more natural look, almost a bit minimized if you ask me. The one thing that I would change about the bra is that the cups don’t necessarily bring my boobs closer together, which is something I would prefer. However, the balconette neckline is quite nice under wide necklines such as my Pinup Couture peasant tops. The bra is very appropriate for work as it does not offer much cleavage, which suits me well as I work with kids and need to look “appropriate”.

The look of the bra is quite subtle and elegant, and I like that is not your average t-shirt bra even though it works pretty well for that purpose. The lace lies flat under most tops and there are no extra ruffles to show through – yet the ensemble is still pretty and not too boring.

The Fit: I have a pretty “wild” history with the Parfait sizing – starting from 30G a couple of years back, trying 30HH at some point and now settling into 32G/GG. My Darlene is a 32G as most Parfait bras are not made in 32GG which would probably be my best size with them. The Parfait bands are said to be on the snugger side and this holds true with most of their styles – however, Darlene seems to run rather more true-to-size as opposed to eg Elissa which was the latest Parfait I tried last spring. I enjoy the Darlene’s band quite a bit – it is supportive with three hooks and eyes yet it is still rather comfy.

The cups are true-to-size as well – which unfortunately mean that they are just a tiny bit too small for me, mainly on my bigger boob. You can see the edge of the cup cutting into my full upper breast tissue, but I have forgiven the bra for this as it is a great shape under certain tops I already mentioned above. The cups are actually otherwise very flexible and thus if you are more full-on-bottom, you might enjoy this bra even in a smaller cup size.

Comfort: Even the look of the bra oozes: “I’m so comfortable! Wear me to everywhere!” The materials of Darlene are lightweight which is always a plus for me – I don’t need any more bulk to my bust and the Darlene works perfectly when I need a bit of minimizing to my bust line. As said, the bra cups are quite stretchy which will be a good thing for ladies who fluctuate in breast size during their cycle or have a bit of asymmetry.

The cups of the bra are a bit too shallow and wide for me, but the too-wide underwires are not a problem per se. I take more issue with the strap placement, which is sadly a bit too wide for me and leads up to some minor chafing in the armpit. If you are more broad-shouldered and wide overall, this may not be an issue for you. I wish Parfait would take into consideration the strap placement when going back to their designing table, as otherwise, this bra is very comfortable indeed!

The bottoms are a bit of a pass to me, as they are not exactly my taste to begin with. I always give a low-cut brief a chance – after all, I do have some really nice low-cut panties as well – but this time the sizing was a bit off for me and the Small felt just a bit too snug. I would say the Darlene panties feel a bit smaller than eg the “Charlotte” briefs. They are cute everyday knickers for someone who likes a super basic low-cut brief, but I prefer my panties a bit higher to feel comfortable and covered.

If you would fancy to treat yourself a bit for Xmas, you can find the Darlene set at Bare Necessities for 33,70 € for the bra (sizes 30-40 D-G) and briefs for 14,29 € (sizes S-XXL).

Lingerie Review: Parfait “Elissa” Longline in 32G

Spring and summer are time for romance and weddings – shoutout to a fellow lingerie blogger Becky who married her boo a couple of weeks back! As I have probably never worn white lingerie since primary school and never really introduced you to bridal options in DD+ here on 2COP, maybe it was time I reviewed something plain white for your curvy bride-to-bes. When Parfait asked if I wanted to try something from their SS16 collection, I decided to give their Elissa range a try. Here’s how I liked the set…

The Design: On the Parfait website the Elissa longline is named as an unlined wired bralette; to me, bralette indicates a wireless bra which is why I’d rather call the piece a longline bra. This particular longline features six rows of hooks and eyes and four bones on the band; two at the front and two on the sides. This keeps the longline from flipping up and moving around and also gives the piece a bit of structure. The cups are constructed of three parts, one vertical and one horizontal seam. The shape of the bra is quite natural, so a bit pointy and goes very well under my vintage dresses.

The style of the bra is very pretty even though I am not a big fan of white lingerie. I chose this set so I could break my own boundaries and I do actually like it a lot – there is nothing too juvenile or basic about this set, it is sophisticated enough for bridal wear but also smooth enough to be worn on regular everyday basis. The lace on the band and the upper part of the cups is very beautiful and a tiny bit stretchy to maintain a pretty good fit.

The Fit: As most Parfait bras only go up to G-cup, I decided to opt for size 32G with Elissa and see how it goes. Usually 32G has been a pretty good success with Parfait and I was right again – the cups are a teeny tiny bit too small as my boobies are bulging just a bit over the cup edges. However, I would say this bra suits more full-on-bottom breast anyway, so maybe we were just not meant to be. You can also see a bit of wrinkling on the bottom part of the cups which I have no clear idea of where they came from. Maybe it’s a shape incompatibility issue? If you have ideas, please let me know in the comments! If I had the chance, I would have loved to try a 32GG with this bra to see if it would solve some of the fit problems.

The longline band of this bra is quite tight for a 32. I would say it stretches up to exactly 32″ so if you measure 32″ or 33″ I would suggest sizing up to 34. I can just about do this up but not on my own so that is definitely something to consider when opting for your size! The underwires are quite wide for me so if you are more wide-rooted this may be the bridal bra for you! However, I am not too bothered by the wires as they don’t rub me or chafe my armpits at all.

Comfort: My history with longlines is not the most smooth one – the ones that have been here from the start remember that infamous Fauve “Bronte” review where I complained about the bones on the bodice that rubbed and stabbed me all over my torso and armpits. Not a pleasant experience! Since then I have been hesitant to try longlines. I needn’t have worried this time though – the Elissa is a pretty comfy little number even with the four bones on the band. Sure, it will never be a comfortable as a bra without extra wiring but the bones don’t poke me all around like with Bronte. The materials are also quite soft and the lace does not cause any itching even when being so close to bare skin on the bottom half of the band. The straps are fully-adjustable so they suit many body types with ease.

I got the bikini brief bottoms with the set in size Small and I would say Parfait really knows how to make comfy panties. These run quite true-to-size but they have some give at the back because of the stretch lace. If I could suggest something to Parfait, I would ask them to make a deep suspender belt to match this set or perhaps a high-waisted panty with garters.

All in all I think this would be a fantastic set for any full-busted bride out there, if you don’t need a strapless bra under your dress. Longlines are usually a pretty good choice under a party dress anyway, as many women like the smoothing ability they have – I am looking at you ladies who are neurotic about back fat! If you would like to get yourself an Elissa set of your own it comes in sizes 30-40 D-G and S-2XL and you can find it on Kohl’s and Classic Shapewear . The longline bra retails for $54 and the bikini briefs for $25. What kind of lingerie did you wear/ are you planning to wear on your wedding day? Let me know in the comments! xx

SIL Tradeshow -Parfait AW16 Collection Preview

Parfait is one of those brands that are really famous for one bra – that is the Charlotte. Most of us have bought it at some point of our lives and love the bra as a great bradrobe staple. It is a wonderful ensemble with a unique design and great shape, but I also feel that the rest of the Parfait collection seems to stay in the darkness and not many of my regular online shopping platforms offer some of the other lovely Parfait styles. I hope this AW16 season will be a different story as it is one of the strongest collections Parfait has come out with. Even while being small, the AW16 range offers a variety of lovely lace pieces but also practical basics. Let’s dive into it!

Charlotte in Bronze, Casey in Ruby Wine & Estelle in Merlot

This new AW16 was definitely a great step towards more inclusive DD+ lingerie industry and thus a season for “nude” lingerie for women of colour. As compared to this spring season we are already seeing lots more variety with the “nude” colour palette and Parfait is a great example of it – they didn’t come up with just one, but three styles that will be a great match for dark chocolate toned skin.

The first one of the styles featured above is the good old Charlotte. This style already comes in a dusty rose colour which is great match for my skin for example, but now Parfait has created another lovely basic colour for their signature bra style. Also another classic, Casey (sizes 30-40 D-G), comes in a warm, almost red-ish dark brown colour with the lovely smooth surface to go under the thinnest of t-shirts. If you are looking for a more sexy style though, I would go for the Estelle which is my personal favourite from this whole collection – it’s a lacy, almost Marie Antoinette-like version of the Charlotte and I really like its more feminine look as compared to Charlotte’s fashion forward and edgy design.

Estelle in Black, Aline in Black and Nude

Estelle and Aline are the two new styles for Parfait that come out around July/August in 2016. With the Estelle being a total queen of the collection, the Aline is a new more basic style that comes in both Black and Nude and a classic pinstripe pattern. The design is bandless, which means there is no band fabric at the lower part of the centre gore and the wires make a U-shape on one’s ribcage. I am not a fan of basic t-shirt bras but I know there is a market for them – my mom for example would really enjoy the nude version of Aline.

Destiny in Nightshadow Blue, Marianne in Cobalt Blue

Blue is still going strong as an alternative for black and purple. I am also very much fancying the grey-ish blue tones that seem to also be making their way into basic colours this SS16 season. The new colour of the Destiny bra set would be beautiful on any redhead like myself – it also sports some luxurious satin and lace, which makes the set look far more expensive than it actually is. Both of the sets above come in 30-40 D-G. I am really hoping that at some point Parfait will expand their size range with some of their other styles in addition to Charlotte – I think that would make a lot of ladies super happy!

How do you feel about the new Parfait autumn collection? Do you like the dark brown options? Let me know in the comments below! xx

Lingerie Review: Parfait “Leslie” in 32G

For a long time, I have been eyeing Parfait and been asking myself the question – should I just cheat and buy something in a 32G? As some of you may know I have been having a love/hate relationship with their Charlotte bra – I am a size 30HH with their G+ version of the bra and to be honest, it is just way too much of a bra for me. Sadly none of their other styles go above G-cup, hence my hesitation. When Parfait contacted me and asked if I would like to try something from them, I jumped at the chance and asked to try their lovely Leslie bandeau balconette in 32G. As my usually size ranges between 30-32 GG-H, it was a long shot but one worth taking – here’s how I liked this spicy little beauty!

The Design: I have recently got more into animal prints which is why I decided to give the leopard print Leslie a go – also, I am a huge fan of blue as it suits my own colouring so well. The Leslie is very similar to Charlotte in styling as it comes in both the classic contour bra and the balconette one and it also features the signature black trimming we all have come to love. As a print lover this version of the classic Charlotte shape intrigued me and I decided to challenge the bandeau bra and see how it would work for my breast size and shape. I was very happy with the results and as you can see, the bra gives me a lovely vintage-sorts of looking Brigitte Bardot kinda cleavage.

The Leslie bandeau balconette is not a moulded cup bra as it might seem but the cups construct of three parts with one vertical and one horizontal seam. This gives the bra its distinct shape and gives phenomenal uplift even with padding. The Leslie is indeed quite heavily padded, meaning it’s a great option if you want that extra oomph (I wear this bra mostly under my Collectif “Dolores Doll” dress).

Fit: As I knew, the 32G wouldn’t probably be my best option, but this time it came pretty close. As I have a-symmetry, my other boob is spilling over the cup just a bit but my other one seems perfectly fine – which is why I can easily wear this bra especially if I want some vavavoom with my dresses. The 32 band is surprisingly firm and passes almost as a 30. If you are between sizes with bands like me, I would suggest sizing up! The cups seem very true to size, meaning in a perfect world I would be wearing a 32GG.

The wires are a tad to wide for me as per usual with Parfait but somehow, they are far better than with the 30HH I wear my purple Charlotte in. The cups are fairly deep as well so no orange-in-the-glass effect luckily! They are also quite closed at top which makes me wonder if I would have been fine with a 32G if they were more open. However, this makes the bra perfect for any full-on-bottom ladies out there. The centre gore floats just a bit from my sternum but as I have noticed, I prefer it that way because of my atopic eczema – super tacking gores give me a horrible itch!

Comfort: For my luck, the straps of the Leslie are not quite as widely placed as with Charlotte. I really like this feature as my armpits get chafed really easily if the underwires are too high at the sides and straps are placed right at the edge of my elbows. The straps and the bra band are both wide meaning the bra is truly created to take a lot of weight and support you throughout the day. The materials are not horribly rigid meaning I can wear the bra for hours without discomfort. The cups are lined with black cotton which feels nice against the sensitive skin of my boobs.

I also received the Leslie high-waisted briefs in size Small which is still my preferred size with Parfait. I wanted to give their high-waisted options a chance again and was not disappointed – these panties are fantastic! I must admit they are not the most seamless option under tight dresses or jeans but still look gorgeous as they are and I love how high they actually come – right up to my belly button! The back side of the knickers is completely sheer which makes them a bit more sexy than your regular high-waisted panties and thus, I love them all the more.

If you would like to give Leslie a try, do check out Amazon as they have the best size range for the bra. What do you think of Leslie? Do you like the animal print more than the basic two-toned Charlotte? Let me know in the comments! xx

Retro-Style Lingerie: Review of Parfait “Charlotte” in 30HH

Many of you must have become familiar with a very well known Parfait style called Charlotte (click for my previous review in 30G!). Basically, Charlotte is a Parfait best-seller going up to K-cup and this way, it has become a favourite for so many women who crave for sexy options for a fuller bust. I myself have owned Charlotte in its pink colourway but this autumn the Parfait team has come up with a great new colourway of Purple Wine. I was so smitten with the purple shade and as I had grown out of my pink version, I knew I had to have my hands on the purple Charlotte. Luckily, my friends at Large Cup Lingerie were so kind to send me a whole new set of Charlotte so here’s the updated review of Parfait’s G+ Charlotte.

Design: As you may know by my last review of Charlotte, I absolutely adore the design as it is very retro pinup-like and always comes in delicious colourways. I liked how the Charlotte has now seen a few deeper shades as the previous ones have been quite pink and cutesy. The purple hue is very lively and rich and reminds me of berries. I also like the black trimmings – they make the style a bit more whimsical and classic at the same time and give the design its signature look.

The cups of the 30HH Charlotte cover a lot more than my 30G but that is quite expected as many brands don’t really know how to make supportive bras with a little less fabric or just believe than bigger busted gals need a bit heavier bras. The shape of the bra is still good and it leaves a fair amount of my chest bare so I think the looks of the bra work well in bigger sizes as well. There is not much cleavage in sight but it’s always good to own even some bras that cater for more modest look under clothing.

Fit: As the my previous version of Charlotte in 30G fitted me true-to-size and also otherwise very well, I was a bit baffled when I heard the G+ sizes were a different story. The cups ran small, the cups and straps were wider and cups came up high in the armpit. I wanted to know if this was something I could get on with and found indeed the bra to be a different fit with in 30G and 30HH.

I don’t find the fit differences such a huge problem but as there are significant differences, I suggest you read my review thoroughly. First of all, the cups do run about a cup size and half small so I would say you need to size up either a cup size or two if you are bigger than a G-cup. My 30G was on the smaller side of G but still not as “off” as the cup volume in the bigger sizes. My usual size is now between 30GG and 30H so a 30HH was a pretty good guess I’d say. Also I had tried the red version of the bra in a 30J before and it fitted me well (!) BUT the sizes has been revised a bit since last spring and they now come up a tiny bit roomier. The bands are snug but I would still go for your regular band size as the 30 band fits my 30″ underbust very nicely.

The cups encase my breast tissue well and the whole bra feels very supportive on – it’s one of the most sturdiest bras I have at the moment. If you do have a large bust and need something that will keep your girls in place, this is the bra for you. The straps are very wide in my opinion which is also a pro if you want something super supportive. The bra band is also rather wide and so are the cups/wires. I would say Parfait could still do some revising on the fit as the cups tend to come quite high up in my armpit but as it goes, I can deal with that issue pretty well. Also the fit is quite good for my full-on-top boobs though there is some folding at the bottom of the cups as they seem to be a bit too shallow for me. However, the top part of the cups is not cutting in and the bra gives me a nice shape so I don’t mind the wrinkling too much.

Comfort: As the bra is a bit heavy and sturdy it is probably not your best choice for a summer day in hottest heat but when you want to feel secure and strapped down and eg need to run for a bus, this bra is a great option. I sometimes find myself opting for the lightest bras I own and in the end of the day, the narrow bands and straps just feel painful and too flimsy, especially if you are wearing the bra for several hours. I would say that Charlotte does have a lot of bra going on, but it can be a saviour of the day when you have been running around all day and your boobs still haven’t bounced and hit you in the face.

The panties of this set are again comfortable AF and look super flattering too. I have even worn my Charlotte panties for dance class and other sports and they always seem to do the job superbly. So if you get the bra, make sure to get the bottoms as well! Charlotte set also includes a pair of lovely high-waisted knickers so if you want to add up some extra retro vibe, make sure to check them out too. The panties run true-to-size in my opinion so I went for my regular size Small.

The bra goes up to 40K (!) and costs only £30 so it’s not gonna break the bank either. I would also like to dearly recommend Large Cup Lingerie as they have a fantastic customer service and they offer a FREE international delivery! The ladies at LCL put their heart into their work and it really shows while interacting with them. If you don’t find your size on the online store, just pop them an email and they will do their best to order your size asap.

Have anyone of you tried Parfait Charlotte in the G+ sizes? How did you like it and is there something you would improve? Leave me a comment below as I would love to know 🙂 xx