Lingerie Review: Gossard “Amour” in 30DD

It seems Jo’s taking over my blog, haha! Can’t blame her though – it’s not always easiest to find a vast array of interesting lingerie brands that make sizes up to H-cup. I am also super grateful for her help as I could not probably do this blogging thing as well if it wasn’t for her. So thank you darling for being the best friend and guest blogger ❤ Today we are bringing you the Gossard “Amour” range which launched near Valentine’s Day – unfortunately 2COP’s review pile was so high at the time that we couldn’t write about it before today. Let’s get on with the review then! *This set was generously  gifted by Gossard for review purposes. All opinions are our own!*

The Design: Amour is part of the Gossard VIP range which is a collection with more detailing, European style embroidery and boudoir-inspired co-ordinates such as waspies and suspenders. The Amour set consists of a non-padded balconette bra, a low-cut brazilian brief and a lush suspender belt, all featuring the gorgeous colour combination of orange-y tomato red and bright fuchsia. The styling of the bra is very French-chic and the design is finished with beautiful key-hole detail on the centre gore.

The shape of the bra is a very classic unlined balconette with one vertical and one horizontal seam – very similar to some of the non-padded Gossard bras I have reviewed before. I wish these sorts of unpadded styles were more popular in the Gossard design team as the fit is so good both with the smaller and the bigger cup sizes! The balconette bra gives Jo a subtle point to the bust line which creates an almost vintage-like look. The Amour bra also seems to minimize Jo’s bust a bit, which is sometimes an upside when wearing tighter tops that may not mesh well with a push-up bra or anything padded for that matter.

The Fit: As always, we went for the size 30DD and size Xsmall bottoms with the Amour set. Again, Gossard seems to be very consistent with their sizing – the set fitted almost perfectly, with just some little bulging on Jo’s bigger boob. I think Jo might actually be right between Gossard’s 30DD and 30E at the moment so this was expected. The shape of the bra is very appropriate for full-on-bottom breasts – the mesh and the embroidery of the bra are quite rigid so if you are more full-on-top, I would suggest sizing up with this style. The underwires of the Amour bra are quite narrow compared to some other Gossard styles and hit Jo’s breast root at the right spot. The cups are not deep nor shallow but something right in the middle which is typical Gossard.

The band of the Amour bra is quite flimsy with just one row of hooks and eyes but that is understandable taking into account the size range and the purpose this set is designed for – it is meant to look delicate and boudoir-appropriate resulting in the choice of narrower bra band and straps. Jo wears the bra in the second set of the hooks to make the bra more secure and better-fitting for her tiny 26″ frame.

Comfort: Gossard sets are usually pretty spot-on when it comes to comfort but with this particular one Jo did have some issues, especially with the narrow band. The back band is so flimsy it tends to twist a bit and the hook moves against the skin in the way it starts to itch after a while. Also, the band features the signature Gossard gateway back which requires a piece of extra boning at the edge of the bra band, where the gateway straps start. This piece of boning is not the best option for sensitive skin types and can dig in and rub at times, which is less than ideal. Otherwise the materials are quite comfortable, the lace is soft enough to not itch and straps are placed pretty well even for Jo’s narrow frame.

The co-ordinates are made of the same sturdy powermesh as the bra band and the shape of the brazilian brief is improved version of the Gypsy thong that scrunched a bit when wearing. These bottoms are designed a bit better with some extra seams at the front to create a better shape that moves effortlessly with the body – they also rise higher above the thigh. The suspender belt is as sturdy as other Gossard ones we’ve tried – the garters themselves are made of metal which helps them to hold on to stockings efficiently. Both of the co-ordinates ran true-to-size, which is quite standard with Gossard.

If you would like to give the Amour a try, you can find in the Gossard online store for £39 for the bra (30-38 A-E), £20 for the Brazilian brief (XS-XL) and £39 for the suspender belt (XS-XL). Keep in mind that this part of the Gossard VIP range which reflects in prices – if you are interested in Gossard as a brand and are on a budget, you can still most likely afford some pieces from their regular collection. How do you like the Amour set? Would it be something worth making in G-cups? Let me know in the comments! xx

Lingerie Review: Cleo by Panache “Della” in 32GG + THE GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Hi everyone! So sorry for not posting for a while – life got in the way and I had a very exciting job interview, an exam (first one in three years!) and a dance performance to practice to. So I hope you will excuse me! As a little consolation, I have decided to announce the blogiversary giveaway winners today before the review. The winners have been informed by email already and asked to get back to me in a week’s time. If they fail to do so, another winner will be picked. Congrats to everyone and if you did’t win – well, there is always next year 😉

THE WINNERS ARE…… *drum roll*

For the Playful Promises “Cordelia” set… Amber

For the Signature lingerie set… Sian A., Kelsey, Cat J.

For the Curvy Kate lingerie set… Ruth H.

For Tutti Rouge lingerie set… Kimberley R.

For the Cleo lingerie set… Coline T.

I hope you will all enjoy your new lingerie sets ❤ Now, we need to get on with a review that I am actually super glad to write – I haven’t reviewed any Panache nor Cleo lingerie in a while even though they are definitely one of my favourite lingerie brands. When the lovely Tia from Panache asked me what I would like to review from the spring collection, the Della stood out to me as something a bit different. It was the most Barbie-like design I had seen in a while, and as a living Barbie princess (hehe!) I was instantly drawn to it. Let’s see how we got on with Della!

The Design: As said, the Della looks exactly like something a Barbie doll would wear under her clothes – pink, leopard and all around sweet with a sexy edge. The style is quite simplistic actually – there are no additional lace, bows or ruffles anywhere, just a combo of a killer print and contrasting black trimmings on the wiring, straps, cup edges and the bra band. This set does not need the ruffles – it’s girly and powerful at the same time without any extra touches. The Della bottoms also feature some badass suspenders which is always a plus when it comes to styling the set in a few a different ways.

The shape of the bra is pretty much what Cleo is known for – immaculate roundness that will look amazing under any dress or a shirt, unless you prefer something super natural of course. It is the same shape that made Cleo “Marcie” famous and will continue to win over hearts as something quite unique in the full bust world! The style of the Della is a balconette, meaning the cup edges form a rather straight horizontal line and the centre gore comes up quite high on my sternum. I have to be honest – this is not a bra to wear under low-cut shirts as the gore will show but I do love it with more covering necklines.

The Fit: I was super curious to try Cleo now that I haven’t tried on any of their bras in over a year. My last Cleo bra was a yellow Marcie in 30G which was already a bit tight and small in the cup – which resulted in me in trying a 32GG this time. I was a bit hesitant as I knew that sometimes Panache bras can run on the generous side with the cups but I decided to cross my fingers as this is one of my most common sizes to wear with British lingerie brands. Luckily, I got it perfectly right and the 32GG fitted like a dream! I actually didn’t even remember how well Cleo and Panache bras fit me in general so I was almost crying happy tears to discover my old love for Cleo’s rounded and amazingly deep cups.

What really sets Panache apart from other UK full-bust brands is especially their wire width and cup depth. Personally, I find most British bras too wide and shallow for my shape and thus I am always happy to find some brands taking their own route with this matter. Sure, even Cleo is not the most narrow and deep brand on the market but it is definitely a winner among its rivals in the British full-bust market. For me the cup depth and the wire width of this bra were quite perfect and I have no complaints whatsoever!

When it comes to sizing, I would advice to think carefully what your personal comfort preferences are regarding bra bands. I have found Cleo 30-bands a bit too tight for me so I have decided to take the 32 from now on, even though I can hook it into the tightest set of hooks after a few wears. I just prefer my bands a bit more comfy. However, even if you are between sizes, you can choose to take the smaller option if you like your bands tight – this is definitely a preference thing. The cups of the Della bra run true to size so I would advice to go with your regular UK size with them.

Comfort: In addition to superb fit, I have nothing bad to say about the comfort aspect of Della. The materials are sturdy enough to keep everything in place and even though the band only features two hooks and eyes, the strong power-mesh makes up for it very well. Even the high underwires haven’t caused any problems for me so I am a happy peanut! I do have one downside to report about the bra though – once again, like with most bras I own, the straps are placed a bit too far apart for me personally. However, they are made of a sturdy material, meaning they do not fall of my shoulders constantly, but only a couple of times a day. So not too bad, I would say! Sometimes brands make super cute and sexy bra straps with satin-y materials and those are just a nightmare to me.

The bottoms I opted in a size 12 as I know that Cleo runs on the smaller side with their panties – and I was again quite right! The 12 fits me spot-on but I do wish that these would come up a bit higher. They are meant to be a high-waisted briefs so I would like them to go up to my belly button, whereas now they only reach the middle way of my cookie pouch. Not the most flattering look for me I might say! Also, with this rise the panties do roll down my tummy a bit when sitting which is a pet-peeve of mine. The styling of the bottoms is stunning though and I am glad Cleo had included some suspenders to make the bottoms more sexy and versatile. If you are not a garter-kinda-girl, you have the ability to take the them off and just wear the bottoms as-is.

The Della comes in a whopping size range of 28-28 D-J so there are plenty of sizes to choose from! The bottoms come in sizes 8-18. This set is not very widely available online yet but you can already find it on Breakout Bras, if you would like to give it a try.

How do you like the new Cleo offering for ss16? Are you a fan of their rounded shape? Let me know in the comments below! xx

Introducing Scantilly: Curvy Kate’s Naughty Sister!

You may have bumped into Scantilly already – she is a frivolous little thing Curvy Kate came up with to satisfy their customers’ more specific needs, that is erotic full-bust lingerie. I did not include Scantilly in my Moda roundup post last time when they were first released to the crowd as I felt there were enough bloggers already raving about the new range. This time however, I am early in the Scantilly bandwagon and will show you all six styles at once. The first three sets, telling the stories of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, will be launched any day now and the next three sets will be launching in November – just in time for my birthday! Also, there is a lovely naughty little story/competition I will tell you all about in a minute… So tag along!

  
From top to bottom: Peek-A-Boo, Pounce, All Wrapped Up

First, I really need to address that traditionally ‘erotic’ lingerie has never really intrigued me – I am not sure why as it seems to be the thing for many women out there and has exploded massively after the 50 shades phenomenon came alive. To me, traditionally sexy lingerie has just felt a bit boring and sometimes even cheap – the materials are usually quite tacky and the fit is poor, which is not an option for someone who writes about lingerie on a weekly basis! However, I do like the idea of having something special when you just feel like a total babe and perhaps, it is this sweet spot that the Scantilly range touches in me. It does have the same sexy feel to it as some more mainstream erotic brands but the materials and the execution just seem a bit more sophisticated and interesting to me.

The Scantilly range will be released biannually just as with the regular Curvy Kate collection but each drop will include three styles to continue a certain story that can be read in the brochures (which are super limited, sorry Anna for stealing this one! I am a horrible person…) which will come together as a writing competition in the end. First six styles will come with a story about each weekday with the Sunday left to mystery – this is where you come in! All Scantilly fans have the opportunity to write a story ending of their own which makes it all more interesting and seems like a nice way to engage customers in a fun way. I certainly will be taking part and perhaps… publishing my story ending here on the blog as well 😉

The first three styles of the Scantilly range, called Peek-A-Boo, Pounce and All Wrapped Up are fantastic designs to start the collection with and I pretty impressed with the unique and fun ways that Scantilly embraces the whole erotic theme. Of course, I am a fan of suspenders which is why this collection makes me particularly happy (although I never seem to wear them really…)! Also, the Peek-A-Boo set features a lovely open-back bottom which I adore. Nothing is done in trashy way and I have to say, I would adopt any of these babes in my lingerie collection in a heart-beat!

  
Top to bottom: Peek-A-Boo, Invitation, Surrender

With the next three styles the Scantilly girl goes even a bit wilder with some lovely reds, straps and see-through materials. It is no secret or wonder which one of the new November styles is my favourite – the boneless Surrender-basque is definitely something different in the full-bust scene! However, the red Peek-a-Boo and Invitation are both stunning designs as well and again, both come with the infamous open back bottoms. To be honest, from the red and black Peek-A-Boo sets I would probably go for the red one as black is not really my thing. Also the pink shade of the Invitation hints of innocence when the half cup shape of the bra leaves a bit more on the show.

The Scantilly range has a bit narrower size range than Curvy Kate but still goes from DD to HH which is very impressive for such a new collection. Also, if the collection turns out to be a success, the cup sizes will definitely be extended in the future. How do you feel about Scantilly and which of the styles is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below! xx