Getting Ready for that Honeymoon: Bolero “Margarita” Dress Review

Hi everyone! Only 1,5 weeks until the “big” wedding! I am so excited, needless to say. I am sure you understand that is why I have been a bit absent lately 😉 It takes a superwoman to plan a wedding, finish your uni essays in time, plan a burlesque event AND go to work everyday, so I have been too busy and exhausted to blog recently. However, I managed to fit in a photoshoot with my trusty friend and photographer Perttu Luomala, to create this review for you guys!

I received my latest Bolero Beachwear dress months ago, but sadly it was too cold already in Finland to wear it over the autumn and winter. You may not believe it, but we still actually have a bit of snow here and it’s almost mid-May! Our temperatures here in Oulu climbed above 0 C only a few weeks ago. Now it’s full-on spring and we are enjoying our generous +10 C almost everyday 😉 I am so happy, as I couldn’t wait to wear my new Bolero beauty – the Margarita dress – that had been sitting in my closet for months with no wear!

Thank you also to our wonderful photo location Mango Discobar for letting us have our shoot there! Great place to take some tropical shots of a tropical dress 😉

The Margarita dress is a flowy summery little number with a knee-length hem and some versatile “puff”-sleeves. I personally like the sleeves off my shoulders as it shows off the cleavage area nicely. All in all, I am happy that the dress even has sleeves, as many summer dresses are designed to bare the arms – which is not something I prefer with my body personally. Don’t get me wrong – I love my strong arms! But I do find my figure more balanced when they are covered even just a little bit.

The dress consists of a black peasant-style top and a flowy, circle-skirt like printed bottom which meet at my natural waist with an off-the-centre black sash that is attached to the dress. I like this detail as it accentuates my waist but also is practical being attached to the dress and not falling down or rolling around my waist while moving! The skirt part of the dress is not a full circle nor does it need to be – I think your could wear it with a short petticoat but I actually like the relaxed look without one! However, the choice is yours depending on your style. I have had many compliments about this dress already and I’ve only worn it for a few times because of the weather! The colour combo is fresh yet stylish – I like my clothes colourful but classic, so they fit many occasions.

This dress is a size Small and it fits my roughly 40-29-40″ measurements well. Bolero sizes are very forgiving, as their garments are made of stretchy yet high-quality materials that can take a bit of size fluctuation. This is a rare combination in my opinion, as most regular high-street brands do offer stretchy clothing but their clothes also become a bit shapeless after some wear. This does not happen with Bolero dresses – my Bolero “Erica” dress is still my go-to dress for almost any occasion except for formal events. It is my most worn dress for teaching burlesque workshops – I have literally rolled on the floor wearing it, and it is still perfect with no signs of wear on the fabric.

The Margerita dress is made from a similar fabric to my Erica dress, which is why I have high hopes for its durability as well. Can’t wait to wear this in my future workshops! It’s pretty but still practical which is the combo I need while teaching. The top half of the dress is double-lined as with all Bolero dresses and it fits my 32GG bust in it easily. I would imagine this dress could fit even a couple of cup sizes more if needed! My suggestion for the bra to wear with this would be the Curvy Kate “Luxe”, which you can read a review of HERE.

Once again, I am trying to come up with some constructive critisim on the Margarita dress, but I really have nothing to complain about. The usual little issues I have – too little bust room and a too-high waist seam – shine with their absence! Once again, the Margarita dress is designed truly with curves in mind. Even the sleeves fit well for someone as muscular as me and have plenty of stretch to accommodate movement.

As regular readers know, I am also a big fan of companies that manufacture their products where they design them. This allows for a more transparent manufacturing process and both the designer and the customer know that these clothes are ethically made. Personally, I only buy vintage and ethically-made (read: no child-labour, stolen designs or dangerous chemicals involved!) vintage-style clothes these days. I want to support small businesses, so we can build a better fufure for our planet and economy. If you want to do the same thing, check out the Margarita dress (sizes XS-1X) here for $140 at the moment.

Moda Lingerie Preview: Tutti Rouge SS17

Hi everyone! Today I need to start by being completely honest with you even if it hurts just a bit to admit that I haven’t lately been that inspired to blog anymore. I don’t know exactly why, perhaps it’s a combination of so much time spent on the computer already doing my uni essays but also because I have so many samples to review (which are lovely and I am grateful for them!) that I don’t have time to write anything else. This is why I wanted to take a break today from the reviews and start showing favourites for the upcoming spring season. Luckily, I am going to the Salon de la Lingerie in Paris just next month, so hopefully I will gain some inspiration there for my blog as well! I would also like to write more about vintage reproduction brands that are suitable for a fuller bust, so if you have an opinion on that or a brand you would like reviewed, please let me know in the comments.

Also, if any of you have any suggestion for blog post topics, I would be more than willing to hear your ideas. Also, if there is something YOU would like to write about here on my blog, don’t hesitate to email me! I always accept thoughtfully written guest posts unless it’s a company trying to get free ad space. I don’t have money to compensate you but if you have a blog of your own, I am more than happy to link to your blog here as well. Without further a do though, let’s dive into the new spring collections as I am so sick of this winter and most of all, winter blues! Today I’m bringing you some sunshine in a form of the new Tutti Rouge collection, “the Birds & the Bees”.

Sukki & Lexi, both up HH-cup

Tutti Rouge collections are still rather small but what they lack in size, they patch it up with a good dose of sweetness. The first thing we encountered at the Tutti Rouge stand was the lovely new colourway of the Sukki, a style inspired by a pinup model and a burlesque diva Sukki Singapora. I am a big fan of the lady herself but regardless of the inspiration, I truly love this set a lot. The past season colourway of black and cream was something a bit too obviously sexy for my taste but I am now head over heels in love with the new blush colourway. I love the combination of the sweet colour and the naughty (detachable) strapping and I would love to wear this with a crisp white summer dress. The style also looks perfect for us ladies with a little extra fullness at the top of our breasts, so I am really looking forward to trying this style!

Another option in a similar style minus the strap detailing and padding is the new Lexi bra. The Lexi is a true half-cup shape which is rather rare in the full-bust market. It has one seam going vertically in the middle of the cup and re-enforced side panel which should bring your boobs more to the centre instead of giving an east-west sort of look. The style looks promising but I haven’t seen it on anybody yet, which makes me wonder how Tutti Rouge managed to make the fit right for us fuller busted ladies. Here’s hoping the HH-cup fits as well as the F-cup!

The Chloe is a style that makes me really happy just looking at it – the bright lemon-y yellow gives me life and makes me want to jump into spring already. The pink bows add a touch of cheeky contrast to the set and I am absolutely in love with the lacy half-longline addition to the bra band. The shape of the bra is similar to other half-padded bras of Tutti Rouge but I do have to say Chloe looks just a tiny bit more uplifted and centred when it comes to its cup shape.

My only gripe with this set are the panties. I used to love TR pants so so much but lately, I they haven’t been that much to my taste anymore. I like my high-waisted pants HIGH, like up to my belly button so this trend with the middle-rise panties is killing me on the inside. I frankly think it’s one of the most unflattering rises you can wear, for me at least, so I have been pushing designers to make them higher. Let’s see what happens next season, I hope my wishes have been granted! Another interesting panty choice in the collection was the high-legged brazilian knicker. I don’t know what has got into people but these seem to be super on-trend right now in the lingerie industry, and I am not digging it. Don’t get me wrong – I have seen some babes ROCKING them with their wide hips and all but my narrow hips would probably just look very sad in them.

Amelia, Nichole and Liliana in their pretty peachy tones, all up HH-cup

The Amelia is a new style in the TR product family and it’s based on the older Betty shape which is their signature padded balconette bra. I have been a fan of Betty from day one and the one I tried from the ss16 collection was absolutely fantastic. I have high hopes for this bra as it is super pretty and looks very promising fit-wise too! The back of the bra is especially beautiful, as the straps feature a wider lace detailing which reminds me of the trendy smaller bust bras we see on the high-street. The comfort factor of the bra seems to be getting an A+ as well, as the inner material is made of the softest cotton that caresses my skin like no other.

Nichole and Liliana are the staples of this collection but I was happy to see them clad in lovely vibrant shades of the red and peach. The particularly fun twist of the Nichole is the sweet leopard print adorning it all around – in recent years, leopard prints have grown on me more and more and this particular one is very girly and not tacky at all.

This is the set that I reeeeeaaaally wanna get my hands on next spring. It is called Pixie and it’s a whole new style and shape for Tutti Rouge. If you are a fan of the Jessica bra WITHOUT the cookies, just like me, I would suggest looking into Pixie. It is a non-padded plunge bra adorned with the Tutti Rouge exclusive print “Birds and Bees” – something super girly and young yet I still would love to wear this as a 24-year-old. The corset detailing at the centre gore, the cutesy print and the practical shape of the bra makes me go all grabby-hands and I am sure to get this bra for all those low-cut summer dresses. Just perfection!

How did you like the new Tutti Rouge ss17 collection? Any favourites? Please, let me know in the comments so I can take your opinions straight to Jessica in January! The collection will launch in January according to the brochure, but I would say TR usually takes a bit of time with their launches, so I would be ready with the shopping money in February. Hope you are having a fantastic Sunday and I will write again soon! xx

How to Fight Thigh-Chafing – A Bandelettes Review

Anyone else enjoying a good sunshine  and 19 C degrees out there? Well, it certainly feels that the summer has finally arrived to Finland and we are enjoying the best weather we can. I am a girl for mild but warm temperatures and even though I love the occasional 28 C it does not serve my body well – I am a sweaty pig to put it nicely when the temperatures climb above 25 C. Now, enter Mish Online and Bandelettes – the anti-chafing bands for people of all sizes and shapes.

The story starts from a Twitter pic the lovely George from Fuller Figure Fuller Bust posted sporting her very own lacy Bandelettes and I was instantly intrigued. I was so swoon I hit the comment button and had to complement the look and the idea of the Bandelettes.  A few moments later Mish Online – a British lingerie online shop who stock Bandelettes – dropped me a message asking if I wanted to try some too! I was so smitten and of course said yes – the last year’s July had been hell on the thigh rub front so what could be a better way to avoid it this year.

The Bandelettes come in various sizes and a few colours and textures – luckily, they do make them for slimmer people as well. I am a UK size 10 at the moment and was hesitant if the sizes would go small enough for me as the so called “chub rub” is sometimes seen as exclusive to plus size gals. To be honest, I actually hate the whole word as it is so misleading – I sure don’t have chub on my thighs as I am more of a top heavy gal (the fat goes to my tummy, arms and boobs) but I still get thigh chafing when the hot months hit us. My thighs are pretty muscular (I can do squats with my 70+ kg boyfriend on my back) and my hips rather narrow, when I do have some roundness to my bum. This means my thighs do touch each other even though I am definitely not plus size! It might seem that I am trying to justify something here but really, I just want everyone out there to know that if your thighs touch, it does not mean they must be particularly big – it’s just a body shape kinda thing.

When opting for the size, I was determined the A would be a good fit for me as my thigh measures 22″ at its fullest. As the size A is meant for thigh measurement of 21-22″ the darling Stacie at Mish decided to send me both the A and B Bandelettes so I could compare the two sizes to each other. This was great as I don’t have any squish to my thighs so the bigger size (meant for 23″-24″ thighs) could indeed be a great option for me.

When I received the parcel I was happy to notice that both of the A and B sizes fitted me well! It seems I am between sizes – the A feels a bit tight at first and the B feels a bit on the looser side. However, neither of the sizes fell down or made me uncomfortable during the day and I could easily wear them for several hours. I was also sent two colours: the A in Beige and the B in Black. I really loved both of them and liked the possibility of matching them with my underwear as a lovely little accessory. The Bandelettes that were sent to me were both the lacy ones but Bandelettes are also made in plain styles, for example for sports purposes – take note runners in hot climates!

When it comes to the materials, the Bandelettes are very comfortable and and feel soft against skin – I barely noticed them after a couple of hours of wear! However, as George pointed out in her review HERE, the Bandelettes do leave a subtle little noise when walking. This could be due to the material but is no way super notable when you start wearing them regularly.

I have not tested the Bandelettes in our hottest weather yet as I have to wait until July for that but if you my dear readers are interested, I could do an update post about how they worked in an even hotter weather. Let me know in the comments if this is something you would be interested in! However, from my rather short testing period I can tell that these suckers will most likely work like a dream when I really start needing them; the Bandelettes are pretty and practical enough at the same time to earn a firm place in my lingerie drawer from now on.

If you wish to buy your own Bandelettes, Mish Online has provided all 2COP readers a 10% off your Bandelettes with a code “2CAKES10“. How awesome is that? The regular price of the lace Bandelettes is £12,99 so very affordable, especially with the discount! Also, do let me know in the comments if you have already tried the product or have any questions about it – I would be happy to answer!