Lingerie Review: Ewa Bien “Daria” B103

It has been a while since I tested Ewa Bien bras myself: they are actually visually one of my top favourite brands but unfortunately, most of their beautiful bras stopped at G- or H-cup in Polish sizes. As someone who wears 70J in their bras, this made the brand out of reach for me. When I reported this problem to Ewa Bien and though I understand the limitations when it comes to bra manufacturing and running a business successfully, Ewa Bien team took my advice and plea, and added a couple new full-bust appropriate styles to their collection! This is amazing, as making J-M cups is not always the easiest nor the most cost-effective thing to do. Today I am trying out their new B103 style in Black/Grey Daria. Here’s how it turned out for me! *This bra was sent to me by the lovely Ewa Bien team. All opinions are my own.*

The Design: The B103 is meant for the fuller bust as it goes up to Polish M-cup, equivalent to UK J-cup. This is an amazing size expansion for a family-lead brand, that doesn’t yet have the audience of Panache and other huge brands. In Poland however, businesses such as Ewa Bien are very popular and Polish women trust in their country-women’s knowledge on bra-making. No wonder – the shape you can get with a Polish bra is unrivaled and Ewa Bien is no exception.

The shape with the B103 is very uplifted and it has a great deal of immediate projection, which is something many women look for in their bras. The cups are constructed of four parts: it has the traditional three-part cup construction but for added support, there is a side sling to bring the breasts even more forward. This prevents the breasts from splaying towards my sides, which is something I can always appreciate.

The Daria style seems to be something that Ewa Bien is making as one of their core styles for bigger cup sizes. The style is also available in other cuts which doesn’t have the massive size range, but they do make it in one other full-bust style, the semi-soft B151. The Daria also comes in two colour combinations: Black/Cream and Black/Grey, of which I chose the latter one. Grey has recently become one of my favourite colours in both clothing and underwear and I love the sophisticated combination of black and grey a lot.The cups are completely see-through which is nice if you are looking for something a bit sexy for your everyday bradrobe.

The Fit: The B103 is quite a regular balconette style cut, with a 3/4 coverage. Personally, I would prefer something a bit more revealing like the styles I tried a couple of years back from Ewa Bien, but I have no issue wearing this bra either on a regular basis. The cut still suits a variety of necklines and is a great basic style for everyday wear.

I am wearing my regular Polish size 70J (UK 32GG) with this bra and I am very happy with the size – the band is stretchier than with many other Polish brands but this suits me fine as I like my bands comfortable. The fastening happens with three hooks and eyes and the band is wide enough to feel comfortable and supportive on someone with my body type (ie. small band, big cups). I would say the size runs very true-to-size if you have tried Polish or other European brands before. If you are between band sizes, I would advice to size up with most Ewa Bien styles.

My only gripe with the fit is the wires – however, wires are the one part that are highly personal when it comes to what fits your body the best and I prefer wires that are medium-to-narrow width. This style is a bit on the wider side for me, but not alarmingly so. If I could, I would have them just one cm narrower, that’s all. The depth is absolutely perfect for me, and I like how it contains me fully top, bottom and sides without any extra bulging.

Comfort: This set is made of very comfortable materials and it’s lightweight which makes it easy to wear almost under anything. The top part of the cups is a bit stretchy so it suits many breast shapes without being too restricting for a full-on-top girl like me. The band is comfortable and the whole ensemble is very sturdy if you need to be active and walk/move around a lot during the day.

The only thing I am having issues with, are once again the straps. Even though they are rather wide and comfortable themselves, they are placed a bit too widely for my body type. This makes the bra cup’s edge chafe my armpit just a little, which is not ideal if you want your bra to “feel like nothing”. Overall, I would say this bra style is meant for someone a bit wider than me, when it comes to breast tissue distribution, shoulders and rib cage.

The panties are, in a very Polish manner, quite snug in sizing. I went for the size Medium which does fit me okay, but I would perhaps prefer something a bit more covering. However, the C511 style is a classic Brazilian so it’s not even meant to cover a ton. Great for feeling a bit cheeky, quite literally!

If you would fancy giving this new full-bust style a go, you can find it on Ewa Bien’s own online store. The B103 bra (219 zl) comes in Polish sizes 65-100 B-M (enormous size range, right?!) and the C511 briefs (109 zl) come in sizes S-XXL. What do you think of size expansion and the Daria? Let me know in the comments!

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!

Moda Exhibition – Preview of the AW14 Eveden collections

Hi dear readers! Today I continue previewing the lovely new AW14 collection and next up is the Eveden brands; Freya, Fantasie, Fauve and Elomi. I will be focusing more on the first three since I’m not plus size and have no idea how to review that kind of bras, from a construction point of view. But, I will have a treat for you Elomi-fans in the end of the post since I saw this beeeeautiful bra that I wanna show y’all. 

Freya 

I have always been most fond of Freya when it comes to Eveden brands; it’s their most youthful line with bright colours and quirky prints which makes it a great option for 20-something girls like me. The past couple of seasons however I have not seen that many deligthful designs from them which is why I was super-eager to see if they’d come up with something fun for the AW14 collection – and I was not disappointed. Decos had become even more lovely in their animal prints and bright jewel tones and neon colours had reached the Freya collection as so many others seen at Moda.

The Freya’s best seller Deco range had gained a few more members and renewed some of its old styles into new colourways. What especially caught my eye this season were the amazing Deco Charm in the new Fuchsia shade and also the more everyday look of Deco Spotlight, which I adored for its beautiful lilac shade. I also love how Deco has finally been turned into a animal print version which is a nice welcome to full-bust world. This pattern was also seen in a other collections but maybe in a more evening-wear way. The leopard-print Deco brings a nice sassy addition to one’s everyday look which is what I really like about it.

What really struck me about the Deco range this time was the fact that there was something for everyone; I could easily see me, my mom and my sister wearing certain pieces which is awesome regarding the popularity of the range amongst women of all ages, tastes and styles. Deco is truly an every-occasion style which can camouflage both into everyday and evening-look. In one sentence; all of my friends who I’ve introduced Deco to, have loved it to death.

With their other new styles I really felt like Freya got back to pleasing the young eye; it has all the neon brights and fun prints we are used to seeing from it. I find myself already leaning towards the more adult-appropriate lingerie but to see such nice colourways made me truly happy for those Freya girls who have been waiting for them the past couple of season. I would also say the designs were very girly; something I would have loved to wear as a busty teenager a few years ago.

What really caught my eye from the whole Freya lingerie collection was the new Pansy longline with adorable little violets on it! I would die to get my hands on that bra and am absolutely gutted I still have to wait until autumn to get my mittens on it. However, this design is exactly what my lingerie wardrobe craves – something fun yet quite sexy and feminine. I think the print is gorgeous and trendy and it’s definitely my favourite Freya design of all times (yes, even better than the Arabella!).

Freya Swimwear 

Oh hell yes! With their swimwear collection Freya hit the jackpot since it brings the funky 60’s and 70’s trends to swimwear world as well. I have seen dresses on high street with these kind of prints which is why I loved how Freya had made the perfect pair of bikinis to wear under those retro pieces I have been lusting for. Also the colours were amazing – I love a good portion of red and the shade was so appropriate for summer, a very bright hue with a dash of orange in it. So me!

Fantasie and Fauve are both brands I admire from a far partly because of their more grown-up styling and partly because of their also more grown-up price range. I love Fauve’s Bronte for its luxurious design but must say that I had terrible comfort issues with it according to my excema and bony ribcage. Otherwise my boobs got pretty well on with the fit but that’s about all I can say about Fauve. Lovely designs, just not for me.

Grown-up doesn’t have to mean boring though and I loved some of the styles Fantasie and Fauve presented for next season. I was especially thrilled with the unusual colour combinations and the amazing water colour prints that I saw. These brands are probably not something my super-traditional mom would wear but great for someone in her 30’s – the collections were luxurious but still quite young and fashion-forward with a feminine touch.

 

 

Last but not least Elomi which is very well known and loved in the lingerie-blogging world. I have not been following the brand too keenly because I don’t fit into their size range but this beauty above just stunned me with its sexiness. I love how Elomi had several options for different tastes; something for the wild and something for the sultry. I think this brand just upped their ante and with this design it hit the jackpot and probably will be a popular choice among their target market. I could easily see a couple of my dear friends lusting over this gorgeous design and the padded cups will make it even a more bet-safe hit.

Here were my Eveden favourites, now I’d like to know which ones were yours! Let me know in the comments xx