Passionata - What They Offer The DD+

Passionata is one of those brands that even if you've never bought from the brand, you'll most certainly have heard of them.  Stunning Bar Refaeli is the representing body for French lingerie label, Passionata, and I've long been a fan of the campaigns.

The photos from each collection are always visually appealing with a strong pin up vibe.  The final edits are highly emphasised on bold colour palettes complimentary to the image theme while poses are delicate and shapely, showcasing the beautiful lingerie in a cheeky, feminine manner.

Putting out the laundry has never looked so glamorous!

Passionata's latest Spring Summer '12 campaign oozes French seductress with the demure flicked eye liner, silk scarves and a quirky vintage bicycle.

Passionata generally cater for the sub DD market, although this season we see the addition of the E cup to their curvy range, Jolies Courbes, which is great news for those with bigger boobs.  

The gorgeous, curve loving Passionata 'Poupoupidou'

I've pleaded for a GG cup, and as far sighted as this may be at the moment, I am hugely hopeful for the future!

Passionata Win!

Recently I was lucky to win a cute Passionata camisole and short from the Lovely collection.  My Lovely set arrived in the black colourway which is a subtle pin stripe design trimmed with ice blue satin ribbon and beautiful sheer lace paneling.  The fabric is so slinky and light; easy to wear and luxurious.

My camisole and short came in a medium which I would guesstimate as a 12.  The short fits perfectly and feels lovely.   

The camisole, however, is sadly not sufficient in the bust area which means my boobs are encroaching on the body territory; not a very pretty sight.  The lightly shaped pockets are trimmed beneath with the satin ribbon that underline the bust.  If I pull this down to where it's supposed to sit, ie. under my boobs, you can tell here that there's boob falling out all over the place.  Hmm, sexy maybe but not very supportive.

Overall it does feel nice and comfortable in respect of the materials and shape of the camisole, and the fully adjustable straps are a good detail too, allowing for optimum fit.  It would be nice to see in future Passionata camisoles the option of a slightly larger bust shelf on the camisole.

Passionata 'Lovely' Bra and Short on Bar Refaeli

I love Passionata's branding; their fun and flirty campaigns and their attention to detail.  French lingerie is renowned for being luxurious and covetable and Passionata fits the reputation to a T.  All I want now is a fit to a GG!  ;-)

Becky x

Read More

Freya Loretta - I Found Her!

I'm so elated!  I finally found the elusive bra of my dreams - Freya Loretta!  Happy is not the word!

Not long ago I listed Loretta in my Bras I Wish I Owned - But Can't post, saying how much I adored the styling and colour but couldn't buy it because it was discontinued.  By chance I came across a Loretta bra on eBay being sold by a boutique lingerie shop selling their old stock.  It was a 28GG - my size - so I bid on it right away.  Later on the seller apologetically told me that they'd mistakenly listed the bra as a 28GG when in fact it was a 28H.  It worked out perfectly because since bidding I'd been doubting whether it would in fact fit me as I've been wearing more Hs than GGs.  It felt like it was meant to be because I've been finding that a 28H is my best size so far.

The bra arrived quickly which was great because I couldn't wait to receive it.  It was so pretty and I fell in love with Loretta's appearance.  It's honestly the most gorgeous bra I've ever owned, period.

The traditional paisley design is given a modern makeover in a pretty blue, pink and cream colour way and it's gorgeous!  The fabric is so smooth with the even silkier feeling cups semi fashioned with beautiful delicate cream lace.  A cute centre bow bears a sparkly jewel which makes for a truly decadent bra design.

What I have noticed by comparing my Loretta to other sizes I've seen of this is that the scale of the design isn't consistent.  My H cup has deeper lace panels than those cups that are slightly smaller and the centre gore comes up higher.  It would have been nice if the lace was embroidered somewhat more so that there isn't such a huge sparse area between the detail and the cup fabric or made so the fabric was extended over the boob a little further.

When I initially put on the bra I was taken aback at how tight the band felt.   I was sure it was feeling beyond snug but I was determined it would fit me and be fine so I continued to wear it throughout the day.  I tried to ignore the constriction but it was too overbearing and I found myself continually needing to pull the band away from me to make breathing space.  I knew it was far too tight for comfortable wear so I wasn't surprised when I found huge angry red marks left on my skin when I finally took the bra off at the end of the day.

I was totally gutted to find Loretta was too tight in the 28 back for me because it was made worse that this bra is rarely available anymore and I wouldn't likely get another opportunity to buy it.  I was all set to give up with it when it dawned on me I could try a bra extender.  I've never used these in my life and always considered them to be dodgy ways of extending the life of a bra that doesn't properly fit but I realised it could be the answer in this case.  Despite my nearest town being over a 20 mile round trip I dropped all that I was doing to go and buy a bra extender before the shops shut.

When I eventually got home I fastened the bra extender to Loretta and found it had in fact now made the band too wide which in turn caused the cups to pucker and the straps too far off my shoulders.  How frustrating!  It seemed I'd need to manually adjust the length of the extender to make it shorter using my questionable sewing skills.

I managed to secure it a short enough position so when I tried the bra on again it fit a lot better.  I've since worn it a whole day again and I'm happy to report it's been really comfy and not bothered me in the slightest.

I don't know if in general a 30 band would be better for me when the fabric is less stretchy like in this case with Loretta.  The material is very taut with little give in the fabric which is probably why my usual 28 felt so overbearing.  It would be interesting to see if this is the case with future Freya bras but unfortunately I couldn't do it in this case and will never know if Loretta in 30H would have been my perfect fit.

But hey!  I have the Freya Loretta!  I think it was all worth it in the end.

Becky x

Read More

Review - Masquerade Amira

Following my discovery of Masquerade's Rosa bra I was keen to look at this brand further and I was delighted to be given the chance to check out exquisite Amira, S/S '12s new addition to the Masquerade family.  What a star she is!

Masquerade Amira - ad campaign

Amira is an exotic beauty fabricated in a sensuous satin that feels like silk to the touch.  The colour is very dusky, a powdery silver lavender - or elderberry which is its official colourway.  An intricate lace applique emblazons the straps and flows down onto the top of the cups with a delicate applique to the centre gore in the same lace overlay.

Amira plunge bra

The beautiful detail trim

In keeping with Rosa's fantastic plunge style Amira offers a gorgeous cleavage enhancing shape while still managing to give amazing support.

Me wearing the Amira set

Amira is clearly beyond the territory of any old plunge bra with a design that commands adoration.

I ordered the Amira in 28H and it is a perfect fit for me.  Boobs being uniquely different as they are, my right side has an ever so slight gape, but its barely noticeable and okay because both my boobs are quite happy and well encapsulated.

Close up of me in Amira

Just a slight gape in the right cup

I got the gorgeous matching briefs in my usual size 12, and they're a perfect fit.  The fabric is beautiful and skims the skin, owing to its smooth almost totally seamfree line.

The silky smooth Amira brief

Again like Rosa, Amira's cups are lightly padded for additional comfort and a smooth line over the bust.  I love how soft and silky it feels to wear and it makes me feel amazingly supported.

Prior to receiving the Amira set, I asked Panache (parent company of Masquerade) which other bras are like Rosa, in which they told me of Amira.   Writing this review it made me think how the two bras are similar, so I decided to compare Amira with old friend, Rosa.

My 'tweet' from Panache

Surprisingly I found that the bands and straps are not alike.  Some people found with the Rosa that the straps were a little too narrow and I did note myself that the back band was very thin.  If you didn't like the Rosa for that, you'll be over the moon with Amira.  Amira has a really good width of back band; not hugely wider but a marked difference as you'll see from my photos.  Rosa's band is about 3cm where Amira is almost 4cm.  Amira's straps are also 2mm wider, at 2.3cm.

The marked difference between Rosa (bottom) and Amira (top)

So Amira in specification is a much improved Rosa without compromising on its super fit and stunning design.  Its a contemporary modern design whilst maintaining a luxurious and refined edge.  To find out if Amira's range covers your size, check out the official Masquerade website and also the Panache main website for more of their large cup brands.  The Amira plunge bra retails at £38 while the brief is £18.50.

For a truly boudoir sensation Amira is the set to embrace.

Becky x

Read More