Sodacoda Shapewear for Butts

Until recently, I'd never considered shapewear before.  Padded bras with push up effects were as far as I'd been close to and anything in the territory of slimming girdles would be obnoxiously overboard.  So when online lingerie and shapewear retailer, Sodacoda, contacted me recently, my mind was open although a little apprehensive about something I felt didn't affect me.

Sodacoda sell many recognisable brands but also produce their own lines, including the shapewear items.  I particularly found intriguing the fact something called a 'bum bra' existed.  I never in a million years thought anything related to a woman's derriere would feature in the realm of shapewear with the consensus of boosting and drawing attention to that region.  So many women have a complex about their bums, so why the fuss - and the need - for bum boosting?

I was sent two pairs of butt enhancing pants.  The Silicone Buttocks Padded Pants is a black brief which looks very much like a typical shapewear brief with its deep cut leg and front panel.  They're a really soft, slinky fabric which make them comfortable on the skin.  The sizing comes up extremely small, with my usual size 12 making me an XL and even then I found them on the small side.

Now the crazy bit - silicone inserts!  I thought these were just made as bra chicken fillets but no, these larger, flatter versions are created to boost your bum shape.  There are two pockets on the inside of the pants where you slide in the pads.  I wasn't sure whether I'd put them in the right way or not (I figured I had).  To be honest, I didn't see much of a difference.  I have a curvy bum anyway so it was difficult to judge but I guess it made a firmer appearance.  I did notice how the silicone pads made the pants very heavy which was a downside to wearing them.  

The second pair of briefs was the Bum Bra.  I wasn't expecting it to be in the form of shorts but it was a pleasant experience.  They aren't sexy at all but the comfort factor was up there.  The fabric is a quality thickness with a flocked pretty floral design and edged with lace.  The sizing was spot on with the medium being a good 12/14.

Where the bum bra works its magic is at the reverse - the scary back of the pants where your entire bum cheeks are exposed!  This was a very weird feeling, one I didn't much like.  I felt as if I was wearing some form of kinky wear which were far from attractive to look at.  I'm not too sure what the purpose of such pants would be for.  If purely for lifting and not for exposing like a cleavage enhancing bra (which would be strange) then I would so much more prefer them with the bum encapsulated.  A whole, intact brief with no baring holes would be far more appealing - and warm.

I guess I'm not ready for embracing shapewear yet but it seems the world is.  Bum enhancing underwear has become the new craze, believe it or not, so if your bum isn't as pert and cheeky as it could be, don't lag behind the crowd and become the butt of all jokes.  (Sorry! lol)

Becky x

An excerpt from hilarious Bob's Burgers which sprung to mind...

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Christmas Decorations - Vintage & Homemade

I am hugely excited that there's less than a week left of November because it means very soon our Christmas tree and home decorations will be going up!  I have a nostalgic love of all things Christmas, and this year I'm really into the homespun and bygone era look, channeling that 'make do and mend' mantra and the colour pops of the 50s.

Image - Cath Kidston

What I covet most about Christmas is tradition and being able to indulge in reminiscing past Christmases and adoring passed down decorations that have made it through to another generation.  My Dad, who's the most Yorkshire of Yorkshire gents I know brought from home some of the best Ye Olde decorations dating back decades before his own birth.  Ancient glass baubles which hang precariously from their ever thinning stems are beautiful to unwrap and gaze at, but what's more beautiful is the age behind them and the love, the family stories, and a time you can never revisit.  In my too young an eye to know first hand, the 40s and 50s were the best times for a good old Christmas.  When that satsuma and apple in the bottom of your stocking (or Dad's old long sock) really was a festive treat and we appreciated every little carol and cracked nut.

So this year I'm especially hoping to create a bit of a vintage spin with my already bulging collection of decorations, but there's another look I also warm to quite a lot, and that's the Scandinavian look.  Natural fabrics and materials, rows of repeating patterns in vibrant singular colour, and reindeer depictions.  Everything a cosy fair isle wooly jumper represents and more!

Star Pendant Lamps - Ikea, Mushroom Decorations - Dotcomgiftshop, Robin Ornament - Next,
Wooden Reindeer - Parlane, Deer Mug - Cath Kidston, Owl Decoration - Homebase, Vintage Cushion - Dunelm Mill, Fair Isle Stocking - Linea at House of Fraser

There is so much on the high street right now that confirms vintage and homemade is the current trend and I've been battling the temptation to buy it all.  But, with a clever eye for a bargain I've been able to find some amazingly priced Christmas pieces, and what I haven't succumbed to purchase I've crafted myself.

Here are a few items I bought -

Wilkinson Wooden Deer Heart - £1

Wilkinson Paper Chains - £1

The Range Jingle Bells - 79p

The Range Glass Toadstool - £1.59?

Here's some cross stitched hearts I've been making.  They are stitched on red, green and natural aida, backed with red felt and sewn up with blanket stitch.  The deer and stag designs came from Cross Stitcher magazine which I made with my own shades and I padded these ones with wadding.  The Noel heart is a flat tree decoration and my own design!  I love this kind of pattern.

Is a vintage Christmas your style or do you prefer a more modern look?  Or perhaps a winter white theme?

Have I missed a shop that I would go crazy in?

Share your favourite Christmas trends and traditions!

Becky x

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My Curves and Me & Cleo Meg

There's one rule I fastidiously live by and it's always be a bargain hunter.  I'm thankful for growing up in a household which meant our family had to watch the pennies because it taught me to be thrifty and wise with my cash.  I hate to pay the RRP on anything and always hunt high and low for the best price on the smallest of things.  This explains why it makes me so happy when I find out about a new bargain bra shop on the block!

When My Curves and Me got in touch to tell me about their launch I was so excited.  The brand new web store is a much needed addition to the small pool of large bust bra retailers we have to choose from.  We're often bombarded with sales offers but it's refreshing when a shop's ethos is already with the mind of low pricing.  Browsing through My Curves and Me using the simple navigations, it's quick to see both old and new collections of popular brands are available in many, often difficult to source, sizes.

I hadn't had a Cleo for quite a while so when the autumn winter style, Meg, appeared on the screen in a 28H I was tempted into ordering it.  Listed for £20.25 there was an already huge saving on the RRP of £27.  You can save so much more than this though, with the vibrant red Cleo Marcie selling for an amazing £15!

Meg is a really pretty bra but not overly girly so perfect for anyone who dislikes pink and frills.  The swallow print is on trend and contemporary, set against a navy blue base colour, highlighted with bursts of red.  It's a perfect look for a dark winter wardrobe and quite festive looking too.

The fabric is an all over fine mesh with fully adjustable straps that are the just the right width preventing the bra from being anything close to frumpy.  The back fastens with just a double hook and eye but the wings aren't particularly narrow so you still get ample enough support from the band.

Sadly the cups were very disproportionate to my figure and didn't fit me in the cups.  The under wire and centre gore were not a problem but there was so much bagginess to the tops of the cups.  I feel this style would suit a fuller up top bust better, so to fill the entire cups which are very rounded all over.  I was so disappointed Meg didn't fit because I was so hopeful and I love Cleo bras so much for their modern styles.  Thankfully I know Lucy is a good fit so all is not lost with this young at heart brand.

Over at My Curves and Me there's a free delivery promotion going on so now is probably a good time to get ahead with your Christmas lingerie list.  ;-)

Becky x

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Panache Bra Fit & Masquerade Persia Review

Panache are a god send to many D+ bra wearers.  With the Superbra, Cleo and Masquerade lingerie lines catering for varying tastes and budgets, not forgetting Panache Swimwear, it wouldn't be uncommon for most busty girls to own at least one Panache brand bra.  Whether we're wearing the best size for us is another matter, which is why, some three months ago, Panache launched the Bra Fit Challenge.

They designed some really cool posters for the challenge which I just fell in love with.  There's a vintage loveliness about them in a modern sweetie coloured palette.  These were my favourites - 

Found on Panache's Facebook page and website, The Bra Fit Challenge is a simple series of questions about how your current bras fit you to establish whether you're wearing the right size.  Addressing issues such as a band which rides up at the back - which means your band size is too big and you need to downside - and other bra fit problems including straps that slide off, cups that bulge and under wires that dig in.  Before you find out what bra size Panache think you should be wearing you do need to provide your name and email address, which could be seen as a sneaky way of collecting people's data, but I didn't mind giving mine so long as it means I stay in the loop of the latest offers and releases!

I thought I would take the Bra Fit Challenge to see what size I would be told.  Having used some questionably dubious bra fitters elsewhere on the web I was expecting an equally funny response.  So it was pretty refreshing to see, following the good advice and pointers throughout the short survey, that the size I wear, a 28H, is my Panache recommended size.  Phew!

I had forgotten all about the challenge until recently when I received an email telling me I'd won a lingerie set from the competition!  Alongside the challenge ran a competition to win one of 50 lingerie sets and I had won one of them.  I'd been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my surprise parcel so it was exciting when my delivery landed just last week.

I had won a beautiful Masquerade bra and brief set called Persia which particularly made my day because I LOVE Masquerade bras.  Not only are they luxurious and well made but they always make me feel fantastic.

The Persia is an exotic collection oozing Middle Eastern delight.  The new colour added for the winter season is this stunning sapphire blue, the perfect jewel for the festive period, fashioned in silky satin and fully embroidered cups.  The lace detailing runs up alongside the front of the straps with the same fine lace adorning the briefs.  Where bows are commonplace, tassels instead grace the centre gore and the top hem of the knickers.

Whilst I adore Masquerade's never failing quality and attention to detail, I'm sadly not disillusioned by the grandeur of Persia.  The full covering balcony style didn't fit my boobs properly, it looked distorted, unfilled and unhappy on me.  Lifting, scooping and rearranging did nothing to improve the situation.  My boobs were having none of it.

And that was all once I'd managed to get it on.  Usually a 28H Masquerade fits me like a dream but I seriously struggled to fasten the band because it was so tight.  Laying it out next to my Masquerade Amira I found the Persia was a good centimetre shorter in the band.  Despite eventually hooking it up, it was far too restrictive to keep wearing.

I know plunging bras fit me best but there are many balconettes exception to the rule.  As long as the centre wires are close or the centre gore sits high enough then it's no problem.  I'm undecided whether a higher set bust would fit into Persia better than me, or whether the strange cup design and small back is down to miscalculated design?

I'm hoping this is just another bra that doesn't fit me well and that there's still some fabulous beauties yet to come from Masquerade.

The Panache Bra Fit Challenge is back on for the run up to Christmas, so if you missed out last time you still have chance to bag a beautiful lingerie set in your very own size.  Get checking now!

Becky x

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Review - Leia Lingerie Store, York & Freya

I finally went down to check out Leia Lingerie's only store in the North, right in the heart of York.  Having reviewed bras sent to me courtesy of Leia head office, I was really keen to look into the Leia experience from the consumer point of view.  After all, buying online is all very well but how does it compare to proper instore interaction where you look for professional advice, was a question I wanted to know.  Knowing here in the UK we have a serious lacking of good, reliable bra fitters in our high street shops, I was hopeful Leia would stand apart from the retailing competition.

Me going to Leia, York

Walking into the small but perfectly formed store was like stepping into a perfectly organised ladies room.  The walls boasted lit viewing displays of bras whilst on racks hung the prettiest of bras in various sizes.  There was much to take in with the eye; the shop was modern with good lighting, clean and presentable.  The atmosphere felt cheerful and yet calm.

It was easy to approach the ladies and I spoke to Angela who immediately offered me her time for a fitting session.  I was taken to a good sized fitting room where Angela asked me if I would like her to leave the room while I undress my top half and I expressed I was happy with her staying with me.  With a swift measure of my chest and no hint of the foisty Plus Four technique, my 28 back was confirmed.  As I was originally wearing a 28GG bra Angela nipped out and brought back a bra in a 28GG and 28H to compare the fit between the two.  I was encouraged to 'lift and scoop' myself into the cups throughout the fitting session which was sound advice, whilst Angela adjusted the back straps for me.  Preferring the fit and the way the centre gore sat between my boobs on the latter size, Angela drew to the conclusion that the H encased me much better.

Asking if there were any particular brands I like to wear and any colour preferences, Angela selected a small range of Freya bras with 28 backs, bringing some GGs just in case.

The first bra, which was actually the bra Angela fitted me in, was the newly released Freya Gem.  Having only seen Gem in the catalogue, at which point I'd decided I liked the design, I'd also assumed the form of the fabric and the design.  How mistaken I was, as when Angela brought the bra in, I said "ooh which is that one?", thinking it was a totally new bra I didn't know about.  I loved Gem instantly! The fabric is so beautiful and light; what is actually intricate lace I thought was a print.  I'd also previously believed there was a light pink colour beneath the cups but I was wrong again.  The only pink on black Gem is the three little bows.

I would liken the style and fit of Gem very closely to Jolie, one of Freya's best selling lines.  It's extremely similar in the construction of the cups, centre gore and wings.  This likeness isn't a bad thing.  It was really comfy and I felt the difference between the GG and H as the H was much closer to my chest at the centre gore.  I had slight unfilled area in one cup which is only due to my boob.  My larger side was much happier in the roomier cup.  (I did try the Gem in the blue colourway too but I totally forgot to take a photo, so sorry!)

Wearing the 28H Gem

I tried a black Freya Jolie for fit next.  I do have the Jolie myself in white and in a 28GG.  I always thought it fit really well, that was until I tried it in the 28H!  The difference again was noticeable when I put it on.  The extra room for my larger side was appreciated and it just felt perfect.  The base design is almost identical to the Gem but the fabric, although thin and unpadded again, is made from a different lace.  It's also not sheer in the way Gem is, so the ideal lace bra if you prefer the more opaque look.

Wearing the 28H Jolie

 Eyeing up the lovely bras hanging, waiting to be tried on, I realised there would not be much point trying the GGs out.  Oh how gutted I am, butterfly print Martha :-(

There was also tattoo floral print Ada but it must have been a GG and not in stock in the H as I didn't get to try that one on.  Oh, and biscotti colour Carys, which, well, I didn't like enough to try on...

But, I did try on the brand, spanking new to AW12 Ivy in the very festively vibrant design of fern like leaves and spots which resemble berries in hot 'firecracker' red and teal green.  I love colour and Ivy really does deliver in that respect.  It felt very much like summer's Ellie, the same slinky fabric and the way the lace panel edges the tops of the cups.  Ivy in 28H felt a lot better than the 30GG Ellie I tried, so at least I know it's not that the shape and style didn't suit me.  Ivy felt and looked fabulous so I'd recommend you try her out!

Wearing the 28H Ivy

After much deliberation I decided to go with Gem!  As much as I liked Ivy too I knew I had to follow my heart as Gem did something for me the minute I laid eyes on her.  I wouldn't normally go for a thong, usually a brief or short, but Gem brazilian thong is a beauty; honestly, the back is so detailed and intricate I couldn't not take her home too.  So I got the matching thong in a medium, which is basically a 12.

I just want to thank the ladies in the York Leia store for being so brilliant and on the ball, especially my very friendly and efficient fitter, Angela.  If you've not gone for a fitting yet or even had a nosey around the store, I fully recommend their service!

What do you think of Gem?  Would you have gone with another style?

Becky x

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