Scaredpanties

Getting butterflies. Review of Idaea lingerie by Posie

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 09:50:55 GMT

It's going to be two years soon since the pandemic started. First, we waited for it to blow over. We caved home in pyjamas making rounds to the fridge, waiting for the signal to be back to life. Well, it's time to come to terms with the new reality. I was going through my piles of loungewear, choosing the topic for the coming-back review, when I got the email from Posie. It all came together: I want my first after a hiatus review to be not about dull comfort but rather about beauty, metamorphosis, and a bit of magic. Who can tell this story better than butterflies?

Disclaimer: Lingerie for the review was provided by Posie lingerie. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'll try my best to tread carefully here. Unboxing dainty things for a change brought such a forgotten joy that I may sound a bit overly excited. Having nowhere to go out for so long, many of us stopped buying pretty clothes and opted out for knitwear and cotton rather than lace. I think it was also not just myself who gained a few extra quarantine pounds and was holding off lingerie shopping "until it's all over and I'm back to my old self." With this package, I opened up not only another addition to my extensive collection. I revisited a lost for a while understanding of self-love as an everyday necessity. We can't hold off loving ourselves until we're old, new, or any other kind of self. Do I sound too dark now?

Well, nothing is dark when there are butterflies and a flamingo, so this was the most fun I've had at a photoshoot ever. I wear the Idaea soft cup bra, brazilian knickers, and a suspender belt styled with Shur Shur stockings.

Now, don't get me wrong when I oppose pretty lingerie to familiar comfort. It's definitely not jersey sweatpants and a t-shirt, but it is very comfortable. I gave this set quite a wear test: I wore it long hours, slept through the night in knickers, did a few tricky yoga poses to check the suspender belt. It passed with flying colours: No chafing, no reddish dents, no stocking holders getting undone. So I guess pretty and comfy may come together.

Overall impression

Delicate lingerie with a unique vibe of fairytales, girlish light-headedness, and carefree fun. Beauty not at the expense of comfort.

Look, Touch, and Comfort speak for themselves.
Quality - the quality of fabric, fit and seams.
Support - how quick and helpful the support team was.
Experience - the overall experience of communicating with the brand. How user-friendly the website is, how easy it was to order, how quick and seamless shipping was, if applicable - how painless the return procedures were.

Devil in details: lingerie review.

The whole set looks and feels luxurious. I had a hard time assessing the quality, and, honestly, I am nitpicky, giving it less than a maximum. It's made from beautiful embroidered tulle and finished with the finest accessories. Elastics are plush from the inside, engraved hardware is high quality, and multiple adjustable straps allow for an excellent fit. Speaking about the fit, my personal favourite detail is the natural shape of the bra, softly accentuating a pointy form of the breasts.

The only reason for taking one point off is the ends of seams and elastics unravelling a bit after a couple of wears. I was on the fence if it should be a reason enough to lower the score, so I checked my previous reviews of lingerie at a similar price point. The latest ones were Livy and Myla, with their impeccable hidden seams, so I decided to be a fair and ferocious judge today. Ask me tomorrow, I may change my mind.

The embroidered tulle is polyamide, but the knickers' gusset is lined with organic cotton jersey, which I greatly appreciate. The lining is sewn in from both sides. The labels were sewn in with separate seams, but pretty thoroughly, I didn't risk taking them off the delicate fabric before the photoshoot. Afterwards, I managed to do it with no damage to lingerie, but it took me some time and was pretty scary.

Here it is: The label spoiling my imagery

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

I had a bit of a hiccup with finding the correct sizes. My 32A bras still fit me well, so I had it as guidance. According to the sizing chart on the website, it translates to the brand's size XXS.

However, when choosing a specific wired bra size, the website shows XXS as translating to 34A.

34A bras are usually too big for me, so I decided to steer on the safe side and go with a wireless style. Bralettes' fit is much more forgiving, so I can usually get away with sizing up. I ended up with a soft cup bra in size XXS-XS.

Sizing for bottoms was more straightforward but still took me some research. Posie's chart refers to sizes in UK, USA, Europe, France, and Canada. This is a pretty standard system, as are my issues with it. I live in Canada, sizing here is usually marked by letters XXS-XXL instead of numbers. Besides, there is no consistency between brands (I have clothes in sizes from XXS to M.) With the help of some googling, I figured out that my UK size for bottoms should be 10, so I chose size S-M for the knickers and suspender belt.

My measurements for reference:

Bust - 85 cm / 33"

Band - 76 cm / 30"

Waist - 69 cm / 27"

Hips - 95 cm / 37"

I guessed my sizes pretty well. Everything fits perfectly. The only thing is that I'm not sure if it were still the case if I had a bit bigger cup or waist, and I chose sizes that are supposed to fit size up. So, if in doubt, I would suggest consulting with the support.

You can see here that my A cup pretty much maxed out the XXS-XS size

Anyways, help from the brand cleared these questions quickly, so no complaints here. Especially when I'm so happy with the result.

And the last note: The delivery from Britain arrived in less than 2 weeks, which is excellent these days.

Almost pantyless. T-front underwear by PS-Ling.

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:53:31 GMT

Email from PS-Ling caught my attention instantly. I've never heard about t-front underwear before so I was definitely intrigued. The first thing that comes to mind is erotic wear and the next level of "barely there" type of lingerie (well, maybe just to my twisted mind). Nonetheless, it appears this is not about eroticism at all.

Disclaimer: Lingerie for the review was provided by PS-Ling brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

T-front styles unveiled themselves as lingerie for... sport, dance and yoga. Generally, every kind of activity where you need all the possible freedom of movement your lingerie can provide you. PS-Ling started with manufacturing dance underwear for ballet and then expanded into daily wear.

I've got two pieces of underwear to see what it's all about for myself: a cotton low-rise t-front thong and a lacy t-front g-string. "Wow, that's like a camel-toe on steroids," my husband said raising his brows. "Ugh, you don't like it?" I asked. "Why? It's not a bad thing, it's kinda erotic." So, even though it's supposed to be more of a sports wear, at least one male considers it sexy as indicated by my neither objective nor representative sample :)

T-front cut assumes a very minimalistic coverage in the front, fabric doesn't cover any labia, and a string which we're used to as a back part of underwear continues to the front. This way, the garment is supposed to provide minimal protection to the gentle parts while allowing for free active movement and avoiding friction, irritation, and restriction of blood circulation. It may be also a good fit for ones with intimate piercing.

I surprisingly liked the feeling of this open design. I'm not much of a sports person so I can't say a lot about how it behaves during intense workouts but I spent most of the day boating when doing this photoshoot, and it was pretty comfy. I personally prefer to have a cotton gusset for hygienic reasons, so I wouldn't wear these for a long day (especially, the lacy ones which are made of synthetic material.) I also find that I start to feel them after 6-7 hours of wearing (no any irritation or any fit issues, I just experience heightened awareness of what I'm wearing) but this may be just individual thing. I would totally wear such a t-front garment for a date, not for the purpose of showing it off but just because it creates kind of carefree summery mood which I love.

Overall impression

Unconventional panties for sports or days when one wants to feel free and light. T-front design may be not for everyone or for limited wearing only for some but an affordable price allows to try something new to see for yourself.

Look, Touch, and Comfort speak for themselves.
Quality - quality of fabric, fit and seams.
Support - how quick and helpful the support team was.
Experience - the overall experience of communicating with the brand (how user-friendly the website is, how easy it was to order, how quick and seamless shipping was, if applicable - how painless the return procedures were.)

Devil in details: lingerie review.

I chose a simple low-rise thong for the review. I didn't find the fabric composition on the website but it feels like stretchy cotton. Seams are duplicated with elastics from both inside and outside. Both materials are very nice to the touch. Small plastic drop decorates the center of the top edge. Ends of elastics aren't finished super neatly but I wouldn't expect more at this price range (current price is Kč250 which equals to about $10.)

The brand sent me additionally another style: lacy g-string. It's also very cute. The cut is made of 4 pieces of stretchy lace sewn together and connected on the bottom with an elastic string. Same elastic goes along the upper edge, the front center is decorated with the tiny bow this time. I'm very picky when it comes to lace but this is a quite pretty classic pattern. Even seams are finished quite neatly here. My only concern is that the string feels synthetic, and I personally prefer natural fabric in my most private area.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

My measurements fell between the sizes S and M according to the sizing chart.

My measurements for reference:

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 92 cm / 36" (94 cm / 37'' at the time of the photoshoot)

I was advised to go for the smaller size as fabric is very stretchy which I did. My hips actually got an extra inch by the moment of photoshoot so they'd be M in their sizing but the S fit is still very comfy. Lacy piece may look a bit tight on the photo but it's mostly due to me putting them on too low (sorry, no mirrors on the boat.)

I've got my pieces from the company representative so I can't say much about the support. Normally, I wouldn't say anything about general experience either but in this case it was happening right in the middle of the pandemic frenzy. My deliveries even inside the continent were taking ages. This package was coming from Czech Republic to Canada, it did take a while through no fault of PS-Ling but the company representative was so nice and thoughtful with the updates that I still put 5/5 for the quality of communication with the brand.

The Girl with the Tiger Tattoo. Bengal by Livy

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:29:59 GMT

This set I was watching for the longest time of all, I was hunting these tigers for months. Mostly because of sizing. I found some pieces to try on in the offline store, consulted with the brand's support team, and after all still didn't get it right. Actually I'm not even sure that my size exists in the Livy's range. I regret nothing though, I can forgive anything for this gorgeous embroidery, even some fit imperfections.

Even though I didn't get the size right, it's still pretty comfy which is a rare quality for things which make you feel luxurious, and this lingerie definitely does it for me. I like how it feels against my skin, and beauty of the embroidery doesn't cease to give me that wow-effect which caught my eye from the beginning.

The high-waisted brief with a tiger on a see-through panel was a love from the first sight for me. I bought both versions of briefs available though. All the embroidered tigers have their tails outside their panels which is a very cute detail.

Overall impression

They look gorgeous, heavenly to the touch, quality and comfort are amazing. The support team was actually very good too and helped me a lot, I'm taking off one point from them and from the overall experience just because the sizing wasn't right after all.

Video of Bengal by Livy

Devil in details: purchase review.

The bra and the brief are made from fine silky black mesh with inserts of a bit rougher beige mesh. Lace appliques are sewn onto the beige panels along their edges. Most of the seams are neatly incased in dense stretch microfiber, these finishes are heat-welded for extra comfort. The high-waisted brief is made of the same microfiber. All the materials are very nice to the touch.

The bra has three eye-and-hook fasteners on the left side with two rows of eyes for adjustment of the band. Both briefs have cotton gussets, heat-welded along their front and back edges. Labels with the brand logotype and information on the garments is sewn to them with two stitches, easy to get rid of, which I highly appreciate (except of one on the mesh brief for some reason, it's a new style in the Bengal range, I hope they didn't change their way with labels.)

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

I was hunting the Bengal for months. No discounts ever were applied to this style, and sizing did look confusing for my measurements. Here is the Livy's sizing guide (it also has D and E sizes which didn't fit into the screenshot), according to it, I should have the size 95A. I understand that each brand may have a bit different sizing but standard French 95A translates into the US 36A which is super strange for me (I'm usually 32A.)

My measurements at the moment of purchase:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 88 cm / 35" (92 cm / 36'' at the time of the photo shoot)

Height - 167 cm / 5'6"

I contacted the support team, and they advised me to take a 90A. I was still hesitating so I popped into Bergdorf Goodman during my trip to New York. They carried Livy designs including Bengal at the moment but unfortunately they didn't have any A cups in stock, so I tried 85B instead. The cup was a bit big but this was to be expected, the 85 band felt a bit too tight so I made a conclusion that the support team was right with their sizing advice.

I was going to order 90A after my trip but the website didn't have the size in stock now. I waited for it to be back, meanwhile the brand changed their website, and now they wouldn't allow to order delivery outside of Europe from their original website. Their international website allowed it but with a significant markup on the price. I ended up asking my friend to buy my bra offline during her trip to Paris as it still didn't return online. The support team helped me find the store in Paris which had my size in stock.

Keep in mind that their online and offline stocks are different ones. If you can't find your size on the website and are planning a trip to France, you can ask to put your size on hold in the offline store. Also even if you're planning a trip to Europe and not to France specifically, the original website offers much more affordable pricing for deliveries to European addresses, especially during the sales.

As you already know, after all the bra is visibly large for me but still comfy to wear, and the fit imperfections don't affect its beautiful back embroidery, so still worth it for me!

Read reviews by other bloggers and Instagram spots of the brand on the brand details page in my catalog.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Everyday style. Review of Allegra bra by Bordelle

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 18:43:48 GMT

Atelier Bordelle has become one of the leaders in the world of premium lingerie, and it's no wonder. Signature SM-styled designs are easily recognizable, yet unique and fresh-looking from one collection to another. I wanted to own something from the brand for quite long but unfortunately my measurements are outside the standard brand's sizing. January sale of Pleasurements boutique seduced me though to try one of the most adjustable pieces, and I ordered Allegra wrap bra.

Read also: Bordelle named #2 in Best lingerie brands 2019 according to lingerie bloggers.

Luckily for me, the bra fits me perfectly. The piece in overall gives a feeling of high quality, luxury even. All materials are nice to the touch, it's made with great craftsmanship and attention to detail. Bordelle often brands its signature elastics, and I'm not a fan of visible branding, but here it's almost not visible so I can forgive it for the sake of a great design in general.

Allegra wrap bra by Bordelle.

I especially enjoy a contrast of a quite reserved front and an intricate back. A side effect of the style is a light nudge to keep your posture. I find myself with a straight back when wearing this piece which definitely adds to my self-confidence.

Allegra wrap bra by Bordelle. Back view.

That being said, I can't omit the important detail of finding the fabric tearing at the seams in two spots after wearing it a few times only. It hasn't even been laundered yet. I love the bra so I used my long-forgotten sewing skills to mend the garment. I hope it will hold but I find myself not wearing it for now in fear of it to keep tearing.

Allegra wrap bra by Bordelle. The tear is on the right at the seam of the side wire.

Overall impression

Beautiful piece combining intricate design and rare craftsmanship, and one of the best support experiences (both from the brand's and stockist's sides). The impression is unfortunately spoilt with tearing fabric but I do hope that it's some exceptional situation as other than that the bra looks and feels very high quality.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The stretchy fabric of the bra is lined with soft mesh. No padding or wiring, though sides are reinforced with flexible wires to ensure the band not to fold or wrinkle. Signature elastics allow adjustments in the front under the cups and in the back both for the band width and straps length. All the seams are extremely neat and mostly hidden. The labels are sewn into the side seam but they are small and quite soft and don't bother me so far (usually I'm very sensitive about these.)

Allegra wrap bra by Bordelle.

The zipper is on the back so it requires some flexibility of shoulder joints or somebody's help to open and close it.

Allegra wrap bra by Bordelle. Opening and closing the zipper.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

My measurements translate into the brand's SS size, and Bordelle doesn't produce their mainline seasonal ranges in SS. Even mass production full prices are way too high for my budget so bespoke order is definitely off the table.

My measurements at the moment of purchase:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Bra size - 32A

As seen from the table, my size is on the border between SS and S, but the cup size is even smaller than their usual for SS. I consulted with the Bordelle's support team, and they confirmed SS size for me and advised to go for the most adjustable styles only when ordering S.

Allegra is one of such styles, and the fit of the S size is great for me. I put the band's sliders in the loosest position, and strap length ones are quite loose too. It doesn't cut into the skin, doesn't leave marks, and is very comfortable to wear through the day.

Sliders on the elastics adjusted loosely.

When ordering, I consulted with the both Bordelle's and Pleasurements' support teams. The atelier's representatives helped me with sizing questions, and their advice appeared to be very successful. The stockist's ones assisted me on shipping as I was travelling again and couldn't receipt any deliveries for a few weeks. The store's support team was very helpful and even sent me reminders on their own.

Read reviews by other bloggers and Instagram spots of the brand on the Bordelle page in my catalogue.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Unique lingerie. Ada Language collection by Lisa Smirnova.

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 19:29:45 GMT

I was watching Lisa Smirnova's Instagram account for some time, actually long before I started this blog. Funny thing, I admired these pieces seeing them in my default feed so many times but it never occured to me that it's actually exactly a topic for my lingerie loving personality. Well, it's time to do it right.

Lisa Smirnova is a Russian artist focusing on illustration and embroidery. Well, I'm a great fan of embroidery in general, and of course embroidered lingerie especially draws my attention. I won't list all my favourite brands or separate pieces featuring embroidery (otherwise this article would be super long) but I'll name two collections which pop up in my mind when I think about couture lingerie. It's Sacred Nature by Sydney Duncan and Phantom on Skeleton Horse pieces by Steph Aman.

Left to Right: Sacred Nature by Sydney Duncan, source: sydneyduncan.co. Skeleton Horse Dress by Steph Aman, sourse: gallery58.eu.

I love both of these and they perfectly fall in line with my inner vision of couture: subtle, intricate beauty. Lisa Smirnova's pieces don't.

Ada Language was a collaboration project with Italian brand February First. The project was dedicated to Ada Lovelace, first female programmer and mathematician, daughter of the poet Byron. There is an opinion that Ada's mother was suppressing any signs of her daughter's fantasy fearing of the girl to follow her father's path. No practicing of any arts was allowed to Ada but she found her inspiration in mathematics and became exceptionally successful in it. "I wonder what would she draw in her childhood," Lisa thought... and this crazy collection was born.

Ada Language collection. Collaboration of Lisa Smirnova and February First.

Well, not right away. It took about two years to create a few pieces. Sketches, patterns, prints, garments finished with hand embroidery - pieces of the future collections were travelling back and forth between Moscow and Florence. Here are just some close-ups of this incredible mixture of printing, embroidery, and beading.

Ada Language close-ups. Click on the image to look in detail, it's worth it.

Final result uncluded three corset-like pieces to be worn with lounge shorts, a dress, and a few coats. Beautiful, unique pieces, each a one-off, and none conforming to any standards or anybody's understanding of how wearable piece of art should look.

Ada Language collection. Collaboration of Lisa Smirnova and February First.

Best lingerie brands 2019 according to lingerie bloggers.

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 19:40:38 GMT

Since I started my lingerie blog, my approach to lingerie changed drastically. First of all, I became much pickier. The quality which I'd considered good enough before, now gets to be compared to the best of the industry... and obviously loses often. The design I'd be charmed with before now is often "Oh, I've seen something similar." And factors I didn't even think about now may be paramount. So when I took a fresh look at my new wish list just to realize how different it is from the one a year or two earlier, I became curious about what lingerie brands are considered the best ones by those who keep an eye on the industry daily. This is how this article started. Brace yourselves, it's going to be a long read.

I started to ask lingerie bloggers from all around the world what brands they could name as personal top-3 in 2019. I've got answers from 47 bloggers (48 if we include myself) most of whom reside in the UK, Australia, and the USA.

Lingerie bloggers participating in polling by country.

Top-5 lingerie brands 2019.

Places on the pedestal are securely kept by UK brands. Number one and number two were going head to head all the time while I was collecting the votes, and I was ready for them to share the first place (besides, they both were on my personal top-3 list). The very last vote tipped the scale.

Another trend is that quite a number of bloggers name ethical reasons of their choice along with design, quality, and good fit. "... you're supporting an indie, ethical brand, and that's more important than ever now," says Cora Harrington, founder of The Lingerie Addict, about Christine Lingerie. Cora refers to moral standards again when talking about Playful Promises, "This is a brand that walks the walk and talks the talk when it comes to inclusivity, and they make gorgeous lingerie too. A win/win for everyone."

#1. Studio Pia. 15 votes.

"Both of Studio Pia's 2019 collections have blown me away with their creativity and uniqueness. The 'hands' embroidery used on the SS19 Diara and Mira ranges is hands down - no pun intended! - the absolute best thing I saw in lingerie land this year." - said Estelle Puleston, founder of Esty Lingerie blog.

Studio Pia designs. Source: https://www.studiopia.co.uk/

I cannot disagree. I'm still mourning their first collection which I missed, and their Soraya design from the second one was on my wish list for over a year. I've got my hands on it at last, and it's one of the best things in both intricacy and quality which I have ever seen. They've just launched their fifth collection, and I can't take my eyes of Naida design now.

Besides beautiful styles and excellent quality, I love how they manage to make things for different bodies beyond time and space. Their voters come in all sizes from 3 different continents and 8 countries. And even their very first pieces from 2017 still look up to date.

Studio Pia's voters by country.

Studio Pia is also very open in their endeavours of sustainability and ethical treatment of workers in its supply chain. Read other reviews and see Instagram spots on the Studio Pia page in my catalog.

#2. Bordelle. 14 votes.

Just one vote shy from the first place, Bordelle keeps its position as one of the most craved brands in the world. "When creativity meets high quality, it's always a jackpot. Bordelle makes a very recognizable product, distinctive as theirs only. That said, they are one of a few who don't move into a boring "safe space". They masterly heat up a desire to wear their pieces as outerwear. And it's great." says Tatyana Koycheva, founder of Garterblog.

Bordelle designs. Source: https://www.bordelle.co.uk/

Again, one of my votes was given to Bordelle too. I have Allegra and Kendo bras from them (the latter I still have to review but here is my short video of the Allegra bra.) And their recent Moa, Wilde, and Kew designs stole my heart.

Bordelle also has a diverse crowd of voters just slightly heavier on a smaller cup size (only one voter with a large-sized cup though) and with an even more diverse geography.

Bordelle's voters by country.

One of the things which I love about Bordelle is their devotion to craftsmanship. Their innovative patterns, custom accessories, bespoke embroideries, and a massive amount of time spent on perfecting designs never stop to amaze me. Just take a look at their Instagram post where they explain how they had to develop a whole new technique to embroider their signature elastic straps. Read other reviews and see Instagram spots on the Bordelle page in my catalog.

#3. Agent Provocateur. 9 votes.

I remember the time when Agent Provocateur was the first name to pop up whenever you'd think about luxurious lingerie. Looks like lots of the brand's lovers stay loyal, especially in its homeland UK. Milk In Armour blog writes, "I'm someone who generally likes to stick with the same makers regardless of what kind of product it is. At the beginning of my lingerie collection, I was more open-minded and bought from many different brands as I had little knowledge about quality and fit and had to find my "lingerie identity" first." She was limiting recent purchases to Agent Provocateur and Bordelle only, and this means a lot when coming from a lingerie blogger.

Agent Provocateur designs. Source: https://www.agentprovocateur.com/int_en

Unfortunately, the brand's products don't fit my measurements well (most of the designs start their sizing from a B cup, and I'm an A) so the only personal input which I can give here is a recent review of my fitting attempts. It's interesting though that almost half of the brand's voters were small-busted. The rest had medium cup sizes with no votes from fuller busted bloggers. Read reviews by other bloggers and see Instagram spots on the Agent Provocateur on the page in my catalog.

Geography-wise voters from the UK prevail with a few votes from other countries.

Agent Provocateur's voters by country.

#4. Tisja Damen. 7 votes.

The only brand outside of UK which made its way to TOP-5 is Tisja Damen from the Netherlands. "I just can't leave out Tisja Damen," said LAC(E)YSOMETHINGS. Elngerie agrees, "From Tisja Damen I bought the Spirit set and Gaia garter, all three pieces are exquisite and easily interchangeable with other lingerie pieces in my collection."

Tisja Damen designs. Source: https://tisjadamen.com/

My third vote also went here. Having already a Mystique bra and Divine set, I couldn't resist and bought recently Gaia bralette, brief, and harness. Two latter ones I still have to review but (spoiler alert) they are amazing. Tisja Damen pieces aren't just lingerie, they give birth to visions and emotions like none other. This is not surprising though with the artist behind the brand being not only a designer but a storyteller too. Tisja Damen creates stories for all the collections, the brand itself, and even for its ethical values. Read other reviews and see Instagram spots of other bloggers wearing it one Tisja Damen the page in my catalog.

Voters of the brand have representatives with small, medium, and large cup sizes in 5 countries (which is quite diverse for a group of 7 voters.)

Tisja Damen's voters by country.

#5. Shared between Edge o'Beyond and Harlow & Fox. 4 votes.

The fifth place is a tie between two UK brands (yes, UK again) collected 4 votes each. Edge o'Beyond has votes of small- and medium-busted bloggers from Europe and USA (even though the brand's range goes up to 36E, no votes from fuller busted bloggers.)

Edge o'Beyond designs. Source: https://www.edgeobeyond.com/

Edge o'Beyond's voters by country.

And vice versa, voters of Harlow & Fox are fuller busted with one exception which is not a surprise considering the brand's specialization in sizes 30-38 DD-G. Geography of this one is a bit wider with 3 continents. More info on brand at Edge o'Beyond and Harlow & Fox pages.

Harlow & Fox designs. Source: https://www.instagram.com/harlowandfox/

Harlow & Fox' voters by country.

Summary of the top-5.

2019 became a year of exceptionally good work for five lingerie brands from the UK and one from the Netherlands according to lingerie bloggers. The UK was also most generous regarding the number of bloggers who took part in the polling which could slightly affect the numbers. It obviously may be easier to try on and buy lingerie in the country you reside in and skip issues of online shopping and international shipping, so bloggers may know the variety of local brands a bit better than foreign ones. Such an influence couldn't be significant though and definitely wouldn't change the names of the winners.

Studio Pia and Bordelle are too far ahead of all others. Even if we exclude all the UK votes (which is way too extreme), they would still be ahead with 9 votes each. Agent Provocateur would lose most of its votes but still would stay in top-5 with 4 points left. Tisja Damen being Dutch brand would keep all its 7 votes as none Dutch bloggers took part in the survey. Edge o'Beyond has its votes distributed evenly between four countries (one vote per country) so it's very unlikely that surplus of UK voters gave it any advantage. And Harlow & Fox doesn't have any UK voters at all.

That said, here is a one more curious diagram reflecting the structure of bloggers voted for the TOP-5 lingerie brands.

Bloggers voted for one or more brands from the TOP-5, by cup size

Lingerie brands with up to 3 votes.

Voting wasn't easy. A couple of times bloggers would ask to include four names instead of three not being able to choose one over another. Sometimes they could prioritize but couldn't bear the thought to leave some name out (this is how five brands got honourable mentions.) All these brands are below structured by the number of votes and with the link to the brand's website.

3 votes	2 votes	1 vote + honourable mention
Playful Promises	Karolina Laskowska	Curvy Kate
Sofia Luzon	Pillowbook	DSTM
Evgenia Lingerie	Fleur du Mal	Lara Intimates
Posie Lingerie	Katherine Hamilton
Nearer the Moon	Bettie Fatal
Honey Birdette	Orchid Corsetry
	Na-Na Underwear
	Panache
	Bluebella
	Intimissimi

1 vote	1 vote	honourable mention
Angela Friedman	Freya	Marieyat
Ann Summers	Full Embrace	Tutti Rouge
Anoeses	Hopeless
Attollo	I.D. Sarrieri
Auden	Implicite Lingerie
Audrey Rose the Label	Keòsme
Blush	la fille d’O
Boudoir by d'Lish	Lonely
Boux Avenue	Loveday London
Cake Maternity	Merle Noir Lingerie
Christine Lingerie	Mimi Holliday
Comexim	Natori
Cosabella	Oysho
Cristina Aielli	Royce Lingerie
Dita von Teese	Sada by Sarah
Dora Larsen	Serpent and Bow
Dreamgirl	Silent Arrow
E.L.F ZHOU London	Something Wicked
Elomi	Teale Coco
Empreinte	The Model Traitor
Ewa Michalak	To be woman
Feather Red	What Katie Did
Fidditch Designs	Wolf & Whistle
Fleur of England	Women's Secret
Fréolic

Conclusions on the survey.

Here is the geography of all the nominated brands. The total of all the brands named was 76 with 34 of them being UK brands (45%).

Lingerie brands named as the best in 2019, by country.

Now, we remember that 14 of 48 bloggers were UK-based too (29% of all the bloggers voted). This means that the list of brands could be affected by the geography of voting bloggers. I went through all the votes to check it and didn't find confirmation for any significant distortion of the vote. There were 8 UK bloggers who chose UK only brands. But most of these brands were nominated with a number of bloggers outside of the UK at the same time. Some of the rest have quite similar shipping terms for the UK and other countries and often don't even have an offline showroom which could be an advantage for local bloggers. Actually, some US and Australian bloggers' choice was UK brands only too (and Australian bloggers nominated more UK brands than Australian ones). The only brand which I'd consider affected is Tutti Rouge which delivers to the UK and USA only but it got only an honourable mention anyway.

And as I started to check the correlation between the geography of bloggers and brands, it would be unfair not to check other countries. As a result, I would take off three US brands, one Russian, and one Australian. DreamGirl and Auden target North America only. Feather Red delivers worldwide but delivery to Europe costs about 25% of an average product price which makes its competition with local products not sustainable. To be woman (which I personally like a lot) has a website in Russian only so a very few bloggers outside Russia would be able to order from it. And Audrey Rose the Label has no updates for the last three months so looks like it's either closed or on some kind of hiatus.

Lingerie brands named as the best in 2019 (with geo correction), by country.

As the map shows, geo correction only strengthened the position of the UK as a leader with 47% lingerie brands named as best in 2019 being UK-based.

Gratitude references.

My enormous gratitude to all lovely lingerie bloggers to be so kind as to share their opinions for this article:


The Lingerie Addict	Comics Girls Need Bras	Karolina Laskowska
Sunday Stockings	The Lingerie Princess	Esty Lingerie
Garterblog	My Pretty Delicates	Place de la Dentelle
The Lingerie Raven	Morning Madonna	The Breast Life
Fuller Figure Fuller Bust	Boudoir Orchid	Milk In Armour
Lingerie by Day	Busty Diaries	The Invisible Nao
LAC(E)YSOMETHINGS	A Lingerie Addiction	Venus In Lingerie
Tatez.Y	Lovely Lace and Lingerie	Because Lace
Spicy Garden	Elngerie	Dekilah Divine
Ready Set Lingerie	From A to F	If the Bra Fits
The Lingerie Witch	In Your Internet	Lingerie Princess
Diary Probation	Tru Reviewer	Rubes With The Little Boobs
Lovely Lingerie	Stalker of Lingerie	Cuir et Dentelle
Lingerie by the Sea	The Bra Addict	AVNgel Cake
Lingering Eyes	The Lingerie Bear	FUNderthings
Silk Lace Leather	L for Lingerie

Lace in colour. Review of Brooklyn and Eden styles by Dorina.

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 01:23:50 GMT

This lingerie found me by itself. The brand representative offered me to write a review which happens sometimes, no surprise here. I answered with my standard disclaimer that I write honest reviews only, and they should be ready for it. Usually brands disappear at this point (or start a discussion trying to flex the meaning of "honest"... but disappear nonetheless as soon as they see nothing flexible here.) This time nothing of the sort happened, the brand was ready for my honesty, and just days after I've got my delivery.

Disclaimer: Lingerie for the review was provided by Dorina brand. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dorina's website proudly says "Established in Germany in 1968." I'll be honest, usually I prefer modern lingerie brands and find that older ones often keep their designs traditional or even outdated. Styles of Eco Line collection I got to choose from looked quite common on photos, nothing outstanding... but here a bit of Christmas magic happened. Looks like due to language barrier we've got a bit of miscommunication when discussing sizing and fit. As a result, instead of beige Tara set which I chose for its soft bra, I received pieces from the brand-new Forbidden Fruit collection which is much more fun.

Brooklyn set and Eden bodysuit, Dorina

I've got Brooklyn soft bra and hipster and Eden bodysuit which I was pleased with having my thing for colours. Brooklyn feels perky and cozy at the same time while Eden is... let's say risky - this unusually high legline and narrow gusset definitely make you feel sexy if you're brave enough to wear it. I have to say that I was surprised with the pieces' look and touch considering their very affordable pricing. This is actually my first review of lingerie in this price range which is refreshing for a change (especially for a wallet during the Christmas frenzy).

Brooklyn soft bra (non-padded) and hipster, Dorina

I really like Brooklyn's vivid colour, contrast with black, and especially its lace. I'm not a specialist in fabrics so I don't know what exactly this type of lace is, but it's as if fabric had pieces of lace embedded in it, gradually transforming from solid fabric to lace on the edges.

Eden bodysuit, Dorina

With Eden, my eye personally returns to the hip area all the time as this style does take some courage to show it off (in a good way though, I'm surprised with how good it looks.) I somehow managed to fasten it wrong in the back - only one of two hooks is fastened, and it's a lower hook fastened into the upper eye. I noticed it only after I received the ready photos unfortunately - it didn't feel uncomfortable during the photo shoot. Don't repeat my mistake - back fasteners on bodysuits may be tricky as you have to do them blindly.

Overall impression

Both Brooklyn and Eden styles are pretty and have a bit of a fervent vibe, comfy too. This is not luxury lingerie of course but they have quite good quality for their affordable price.

Devil in details: lingerie review.

Brooklyn set is made of synthetic materials (body of nylon, polyester, spandex, and lace of polyamide, elastane, polyester) which is expected in this price range. It looks pretty nice though due to unusual texture and feels good to the touch. The bra is padded with soft mesh, the fastening part is also lined with a softer material from the inside. The brief has a cotton gusset.

I didn't find Forbidden Fruit collection online yet, probably it's only making its way to the stockists's shelves. Based on pricing of currently available products, Dorina's soft bras retail at about $15-20, briefs - $10-15, bodysuits - $20-30.

Fabric and elastic edges from the inside aren't finished (they don't look like unraveling though), end points of the seams sometimes aren't the neatest, and there are some loose threads. Seams are quite even though, and all the imperfections are only on the inside, none outside. Again, for this price, it's only more than I would expect.

Eden features combination of black lace and mesh with straps in the cleavage area and a pop of bright pink in the back. It's also synthetic (nylon and spandex), with gusset doubled with cotton. The gusset is unusually long, so it's not hidden between the thighs, and you can see it in the front which is ok by me. I'm not sure that I like this strappy design in the back as it allows to see the panel with fasteners. And I hate the label sewn into the seam of the transparent piece. Love the patchwork style of mesh and lace pieces though (yep, I have a thing for patchwork too).

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

Dorina sells their designs through online and offline stockists, and I got my pieces from the brand representative, so my experience with customer support and shipping isn't applicable for the review. The brand representative also chose sizes for me based on my measurements but I've got myself some experience with fitting which I can share.

I couldn't find any size guide on the original website, most online stockists (at least the ones in English) don't have it either. Some, like Asos, do but only for standard bra sizing (30A-44M in the size chart but I've see the range of 32A-42E only on Asos). This wouldn't help me with my order though - they have standard clothing sizing marked with letters.

I found a size chart on BubbleRoom but I'm not sure if it's applicable as there is no Dorina name in the list of brands in the header. According to this size chart, I should buy bralettes in XS, briefs in S, and bodysuit size for is on the borderline between XS and S. These were the sizes with I've got (XS for the bodysuit).

My measurements for reference:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 92 cm / 35"

Height - 167 cm / 5'6"

The bra cup works fine for me but the band is too tight even in the loosest position. It's not drastic and I can wear it but I did feel it uncomfortable through the day, sometimes significantly, and it left marks on my skin. May be their soft cup sizes don't work very well for A cup, it's the case with many brands. Brief is a bit loose, I may want to try XS. Pretty comfy though. The bodysuit fits me well but the gusset fastener is in the loosest position - considering my average height, it may be too short for tall women. Sizing in general right now is confusing so don't be shy to talk to the support team of stockists which you purchase from to ensure a good fit.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Lingerie brands catalog. Launch and where it's all going.

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 08:38:17 GMT

Recently I added a whole new page with a lingerie catalog to my blog. You probably have seen it already but unless you're subscribed to email notifications, not a lot of explanation came your way. Here is me making up for it.

Being a terrible sucker for statistics and analysis, I tend to collect all the possible data, structure it and look for correlations everywhere, even when it comes to my passion such as lingerie. I have a pretty long list of lingerie brands, and my lists usually transform into databases with marks and notes pretty quickly. This time I had thought that somebody else may find such a database useful (and if not - I will for sure). This is how the button "Lingerie catalog" appeared on the top of my blog's home page.

Now all the lingerie brands I keep an eye on, info I use to make a decision to buy, stockists to buy through - it all slowly finding its way into this online database. Right now it has 53 brand names from 18 countries, each with its own card with a reference image, a couple words of description, list of products they offer and marks if they have small cup or large cup range. And of course I marked all my favourite ones too.

This is not all though. My list of brands has 377 names on it and I'm adding them in batches so check sometimes to find more. I'm also going to add more features to the database, right now I'm thinking about links to reviews (mine and other bloggers') and info on stockists, tips on special offers, etc. I'm always happy to hear any feedback or advice - please feel free to reach out through email, Twitter or scaredpantie's instagram if you have any thoughts on this.

Kudos for catalog development and layout:

Vlad Sofronov

Notes from the fitting room. Agent Provocateur.

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 18:54:21 GMT

I haven't been to any offline lingerie store for a while so I couldn't resist a temptation when went to Los Angeles for business trip. I popped into a couple of stores in the heart of Californian luxury, Beverly Hills. The first one (no surprise) was Agent Provocateur.

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of the brand. They do beautiful designs quite often but their stores usually seem way too blatant to my taste. I've been to one in Soho, New York, and it was all "in your face" kind of design, with over-sexualized in an over-stereotypical way mannequins in the windows, too much of pink and leopard, velvet and tassels inside. Well, it's probably just not exactly my cup of tea but I feel startled and tiny in front of these stores.

Left to right: Soho store's window and interior in Nov. 2018, Beverly Hills store window in Nov. 2019

"Do you really want to go here?" - asked my husband looking at the mannequin in cowboy hat and boots. I had a goal this time - my "Notes from the fitting room" column, so I went ahead bravely.

I started with a delicate Lindie set of a demi cup plunge underwired bra, brief, and suspender. First of all, it looks beautiful, and I love the embroidery but images on the website are retouched heavily. If you're waiting for this impeccable fit... well, just don't set your hopes too high. I wear 32B and size 2 for the brief and suspender on these photos which is the smallest they have for this design. The brief fits well and doesn't cut into my sides, but suspender supposes a bigger difference between waist and hips - its elastic is a little bit too tight for me while tulle is too loose (it's hard to see on the cellphone photos but I don't actually have these bumps on my sides, it's just a loose fabric, it's seen a bit better on photos from behind). This is a common issue with my proportions though so can't blame the brand.

Me on the left, images from agentprovocateur.com on the right

Bra band and wires are a bit too narrow for me and wires come onto the breast tissue on the sides, while cups are a bit too big (no surprise here, I usually wear 32A) - not drastically but you can see it even on the photos, and it's only more noticeable in reality. It does create a beautiful plunge though - I usually don't have this kind of cleavage. Fabric is a bit more rough than I'd think it to be based on the price ($620 before tax for this set), and seams aren't exactly perfect either but again, nothing critical.

My next choice to try on was stylish Payton set of high neck underwired bra and high waisted thong, again in the smallest sizes 32B and 2. Bra this time is obviously way too big for me, and the thong runs small making huge dents in my sides.

Me on the left, images from agentprovocateur.com on the right

I tried it also with high waisted brief which fits much better thanks to both straps being adjustable. Looks like I didn't adjust the upper one enough here (or is it how it looks on maximum? I wasn't paying it too much attention after I realized how big the bra was for me), and the lower one is on maximum. Anyway, I'd strongly advise to try the set on before purchasing, I'd may try a size bigger too for bottoms in this style. The set with two bottoms retails at $475 before tax.

Me on the left, images from agentprovocateur.com on the right

I tried also a famous Mazzy swimsuit (size 2). Design is very recognizable, and I love the colour scheme of bright apricot, pink, and black. I liked the fit from the front but it seems to me looking a bit peculiar from behind, not complementing my butt to say at least. And just to show you how hard they retouch their images for the website - noticed how even the seams on the cups disappeared for some reason?

Me on the left, images from agentprovocateur.com on the right

What I really didn't like at all though is some strange bumps on the seams in the crotch area. See these ones on the upper edge of the yellow patch? These are not from my panties which sit lower, these are lumps of the swimsuit's seams. I wouldn't want something like this wearing a swimsuit worth $385.

Me on the left, images from agentprovocateur.com on the right

The last piece won my heart. The rich green silk gown decorated with plum lace - Christie long slip - actually looks much better in real life than on the website (that's a pity that the light of the fitting room doesn't give it credit which it deserves). I have a thing for green colour, silk nightgowns, and lace appliques so no wonder that all stars aligned for me in this piece. I wear size 8 on the photos.

Me on the left, images from agentprovocateur.com on the right

Here is a close-up of the fabric and lace, and also the inside of the slip with all the seams neatly hidden in silk.

Unfortunately the price of $1,355 is way out of my budget so I had to leave this beauty behind. And as much as I love it I have to note though that strange lumps of fluff on the lace is something I wouldn't expect from the thing at this price range.

Summarizing my experience, I still have very mixed feelings about Agent Provocateur. They definitely have some beautiful designs looking like nothing else, and they definitely stand out. Nonetheless I can't get rid of the feeling that here and there some pieces of the brand just don't convince me that it's worth the price.

Read reviews by other bloggers and Instagram spots of the brand on the Agent Provocateur page in my catalogue.

My measurements for reference:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 92 cm / 35"

Height - 167 cm / 5'6"

My top list. 3 lingerie brands and 3 designs which I was late to shop for.

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:43:33 GMT

There is a bunch of top lists which I had in mind when decided to start this column: my top list of lingerie stockists, my top list of sales, my top list of lingerie brands for small busted girls, etc. But instead I started it with the most useless in practical point of view article - my top list of lingerie which I was too late to buy. After all, I never meant this blog to be super practical marketing or sales tool, sometimes it can be just an ode to pieces of art and beauty with no practical use at all.

We are off till end of Ramadan, wrote Nada Adel Apparel in their Instagram account in May 2018. No posts were published after this one. I found the account in the beginning of 2019, I still want to cry all over it but especially over these delicate bird themed embroideries.

Photo source: instagram.com/nadaadelapparel

This brand wasn't making lingerie. They were making wearable art. They did only panties but those were the kings and queens of all panties. I'm not sure what would I do if I weren't too late to find Strumpet & Pink as their average piece would cost around $500-$1,000, but I didn't encounter this dilemma - by the moment when I found out about the brand's existence, it didn't exist anymore. Life happened - life of one of two founding designers ended, and these bits of sheer beauty don't come into the world anymore.

Photo source: strumpetandpink.com

Sometimes I get nostalgic, and these days I look for seamed stockings and vintage lingerie. Well, more like vintage style lingerie as I never stop feeling awkward thinking about wearing somebody else's undergarments. I found the perfect brand Made by Niki and perfect style Modern Vintage at Garterblog.ru - that's right, when it was permanently closed. Some rare pieces still can be found sometimes through different stockists or ebay (even new with tags) but guess what... they never have the style I want in the size I need. Hope you'll be more lucky if you like it as I do.

Photo source: pinterest.ca

Sometimes you find a new brand, and it's alive and thriving... but you see some of their previous collections and bite your lips. I whined already about Studio Pia's Clea cage bra being too big for my tiny bust but I didn't tell yet that I first found them when they just launched their second collection. And their first collection Jungle was almost sold out with this lime-green piece of perfection sold out in my size too. Its name was Liana, I'll love it forever.

Photo source: instagram.com/studio.pia

This delicate golden lace and navy blue velvet still may be available for you. They are sold out in most sizes for over a year with only a couple of pieces left in sizes M and L (currently on sale). I wrote to the support team, I watched the website - Gelsomino triangle bra and knickers by Nina and the Wolf aren't coming back.

Photo source: ninaandthewolf.com

One last piece of art - graphic Montaigne Night bra by French lingerie brand Livy. It was quite a fail. It still was available when I found out about Livy's existence. But while I was trying to figure out my size (thanks to my not standard proportions which never fit any charts), it was gone for good. Still can't believe how gorgeous it was and how I wasted the chance to get my hands on it.

Image source: li-vy.com

Unboxing video. Handsy bikini by Covert Behavior.

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 09:39:47 GMT

I watched Covert Behavior closely for several months before to order my first piece from them. It took some time to choose the style as I had four different items by this brand on my wish list, but the choice is finally made, and Handsy bikini was ordered while Dentata lingerie, Far Out swimsuit, and Bones & Exoskeleton set are still on the list.

Here is a short video of unboxing and first try on. I described my first impressions there but here is a short summary if you prefer a text format: quality is good, the look in general is beautiful but it's running a bit small even though it's made by personal measurements so you may want to ask for a bit less tight fit or provide an additional above-the-bust measurement. As for myself... well, I have one more gorgeous reason to lose a couple of kilos by summer.

Read reviews by other bloggers and Instagram spots of the brand on the Covert Behavior page in my catalogue.

Unboxing and try on video of Handsy bikini by Covert Behavior

Unboxing video. Sasha Louise latex bra.

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:31:18 GMT

Me: "Unboxing is such a thrill. May be I should make videos sometimes. Like simple cellphone ones." My husband: putting together a backdrop in size of half of our apartment and a huge camera.

I probably should think twice before to say "video" aloud when my husband is close. Or may be I shouldn't. I've just got my new long-awaited latex bra by UK-based brand Sasha Louise. It's going to take a while to wear it, see how it behaves, do a photo shoot and write a review but I have already a whole video of me unboxing and trying it on so I get to share first impression right away. No, I shouldn't think twice.

Unboxing video of Sasha Louise latex bra.

Ode to consumerism. Review of Mesh bodysuit by TTSWTRS.

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 08:41:11 GMT

This brand I watched for quite a long time. I really love lots of their designs, they are pretty unique and stylish, at least for my taste. This bodysuit of nude mesh with a single decorative panel imitating a store label with a barcode caught my eye instantly. There is some dark irony in this look of a "naked" body labeled as merchandise. And being a sucker for this kind of twists, I got the piece as soon as TTSWTRS announced a flash sale this summer.

I wasn't disappointed with my purchase when I got it. The bodysuit is edgy and bold, with a bit of a daring vibe. And it catches not my eye only - it draws a lot of attention, sometimes people get confused, try to look closer or ask questions so keep it in mind if you find it uncomfortable to get such a specific kind of attention.

When I got my delivery I got surprised to find another decorative panel on the back. I'm not sure how I overlooked it on the website, probably I got too obsessed with the front look to pay attention to other images. Anyway, there was another panel which I didn't exactly like - it was a reference information about the brand, its ideology, history, and a list of stockists, and this was a bit too much of branding for me, I felt a bit like a piece of human advertising board with this on my back. The style itself didn't win my heart either - it looks like you see the text double which I find annoying (well, I thought even that it could be a printing defect).

I had no enough time to get upset about this unexpected second panel though. The sun was out in my backyard, and I put the bodysuit on to do a quick photo shoot. After a couple hours of wearing it I discovered the back panel starting to flake off the mesh. I took the bodysuit off and tried to figure out what's happening - I pulled the edge very lightly, and it completely peeled off by itself leaving no traces on the fabric.

Two corners are starting to peel off on the left, the whole edge is seen to be off on the right.

Well, at first I was even delighted to get rid of the part which I didn't like. But then it struck me that the front panel may just do the same leaving just a simple see-through bodysuit with no stylish decoration. I reached out to the brand team for an advice, and right there a story of 2 months of bad communication started, I'll give all the boring details further.

Overall impression

It's a stylish bodysuit of quite a good quality in overall if it weren't for the defective decorative panel - even though I personally didn't like this part to start with, it's obviously not a good sign when pieces fall off the garment during the first time when you wear it. It could be just a one-time case of a manufacturing defect obviously but unfortunately the support team handled it in such a manner that I'm left deeply disappointed with the whole experience.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The bodysuit is made of a nude see-through mesh with decorative panels looking somewhat like merchandise stickers in the store, made of dense thin material reminiscent of rubber to the touch. Mesh has a bit of a synthetic gloss while I'd prefer it to be matte but it's not too drastic so it's just me being picky.

Gloss is hard to show on the photos but look closer where it's in the sun - at the neckline or on the side.

Seams are pretty neat which is especially important for a see-through garment. The neckline and edges of sleeves aren't finished, it's just a clean cut which is probably supposed to ensure a better blending with skin. I personally would prefer the edges to have finishing seams as due to the mesh structure the edge line is a bit uneven, but again, that's me looking for tiny details, the edges are as neat as mesh cuts can be.

The bodysuit has a cotton gusset and snap fasteners in the middle of it which is quite unusual (the front and back parts are both layered with pieces of a cotton fabric with press studs on their edges, so that when they're fastened they form one whole gusset). So far I didn't feel any inconvenience due to such a design so I guess it works just fine.

TTSWTRS mesh bodysuit details. Video review.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

It all started quite good. I found out about the flash sale in the brand's Instagram stories (they announce different special offers there, now more often than before). The support team answered quickly in Instagram direct messages and was pretty helpful. I chose the bodysuit and a set of matching top and brief (which I'll review separately later). My measurements are between the brand's sizes which is standard for me, I ordered the bodysuit in XS, and it fits me perfectly.

My bust measurement is 80 cm which translates to XXS size, waist of 67 cm translates to S with only 1 cm over XS upper limit, and hip of 88 cm at the moment of purchase was right on the border between XXS and XS.

The only thing of the fit which confuses me is the line of the thigh cutouts. It was quite low and modest on the website photos but cutouts are much higher in real life. Not that it means much, they're not visible anyway from under the clothes, it's just strange considering my quite average height of 167 cm / 5' 6''. Based on this, I'd be very cautious if ordering for a taller girl.

Thigh cutouts. Photo of me on the left and photo from the official website on the right.

I don't remember the original price of the piece but the special offer was $130, and the discount was somewhat about 30%. My purchase was delivered quickly - it was shipped in 4 days after ordering (including a weekend) and delivered 3 days later which is super good for a free shipping.

So far so good, but as soon as I reached out to the support team about the defective panel my struggle began. I wrote them in Instagram direct messages again, thanked for the order and its look and quality, explained the situation with the defect and asked if I can somehow safeguard the front panel to ensure it staying in place. I noted that I didn't wear the bodysuit anymore in fear of the second panel to go off. They answered with an apology, promised to consult with the manufacturing team and return the next day. They didn't.

Four days later I reminded about myself and asked for the update. They answered with "the team made a decision that we need to take the bodysuit back to find out what the issue is, but we'll make a new one for you." I noted that I lived in Canada (TTSWTRS is a Ukrainian brand so it's quite a distance), and they answered with "Tomorrow morning we'll make a final decision considering this fact". At this point it started to feel a bit like I was applying for a visa or some other official document - the language sounded as if somebody was making decisions for me, and I didn't actually had a say in the matter. I didn't want a conflict though so I just waited for "the final decision". I waited for over a month, it didn't came.

I wrote them again. They answered with apologies for the delay but all of a sudden it appeared that they wouldn't be able to make a new bodysuit as they promised in the very beginning. Instead they offered me a gift of any other bodysuit currently available on the website. Which would be very nice if it weren't for a tiny detail - they were expecting to get my bodysuit back and weren't going to refund its price.

So let's make it straight. I choose a piece which I like. I buy it with my money. It's defected so they offer to exchange it for another style. Which is an ok option, but only as an option. If you send a defected piece and can't exchange it for the same one with no defects, you have to offer a refund because you're obviously a party in fault here and I am not obligated to accept another product in exchange - I may not like any of your designs or I may be just too frustrated to want another one. I bought this one, give me this one or my money back. You may offer an additional option to exchange it with another style if the client is ok with it. But such an exchange may never be called a "gift" - it's not a gift when it's paid already.

This time I explained my opinion in detail. They read the same day and returned in three days with two options. Option 1 was to give me a refund if the second panel would peel off in 2 weeks and I return the damaged piece. Well, it's better than the previous answers, though it's quite strange when the brand thinks that they owe to offer the refund only on condition of two essential pieces falling off the garment - shouldn't one be enough? We're not talking buttons here which I'd be able to reattach myself. Option 2 was to provide me with a compensation bonus in case if I decide to keep the bodysuit, it would be a promo code for a discount in amount of 50% of the bodysuit price.

I was too tired of all this story to continue attempts of conversation. I started to wear the bodysuit, the front panel didn't go off in 2 weeks, so I wrote them that I'd keep the piece. They didn't answer. Three days later just out of integrity I asked them if I should wait for the answer. They answered with a promo code and no apologies. It took 2 months and 5 days after my first complaint.

I'm currently not ready to buy something else from the brand so I saved it in case if I change my mind in the future. While writing this review I checked it though - it does work and provides a discount of $65 (well, technically it's not 50% of the product price but 50% of the price after the discount but no surprises here). The funny thing is that it can't be combined with any other codes. TTSWTRS currently arranges almost all sales by promo codes announced in their Instagram account, and they arrange them quite often now, even for the new collection. It means that I can buy a piece from the previous collection with up to 50% discount with a public promo code or a piece from the new collection with 20% discount with another promo code. I can't combine them with my "consolation prize" though so it just loses all the sense - it provides more or less the same discount as everybody who follows their Instagram account already has.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Video review. Haylee top by For Love and Lemons.

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 21:20:01 GMT

I came across a pile in the far end of my drawer. A pile of lingerie pieces which I don't wear. Unlucky experiences are probably even more important to share than lucky ones (at least somebody will know what they are buying exactly or may be save their money for other choices) but I couldn't find any inspiration for photo shoots with them. This is how an idea of short video reviews was born.

My first piece here is Haylee top ordered from For Love and Lemons. I never wore it due to poor quality (first of all, materials are too rough for an underwear garment, at least for my sensitive skin), and they don't allow return of pieces bought at sale. It's quite a pity as their designs are often beautiful, but the quality doesn't match price tags (in my humble opinion, you're free to disagree).

Haylee top, For Love and Lemons

Vintage mood. Review of Covent Garden lingerie by Myla London.

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 22:45:20 GMT

Originally I wanted to buy three different styles from the Myla London website during New Year sales, but while I was trying to figure out my size, all the discounted silk lingerie all of a sudden disappeared, and I ended up ordering only a lace Soho set. I didn't forget about beautiful silk pieces though, so when I found them later on Farfetch, I didn't hesitate. Here is a review of Covent Garden style, and the one for Grosvenor Square will be coming later.

Covent Garden style has a subtle vintage vibe. Not a bold pin-up one but a gentle and elegant, calling for dimmed lights and nude stockings rustling quietly against the skin while being pulled off. I can't even put my finger on what exactly creates this mood, probably it's a little bit of everything - bra fit with just a hint of pointedness, wide band and straps, high waisted brief, rich silk in muted colours.

Well, it has its own pros and cons. Silk is almost not stretchy, and it creates a very specific look with fabric following the body curves less precisely when we used to, with tiny folds and wrinkles so it may be not to everyone's taste. I personally love it, and how it gives me a sense of confidence without being overly sexual, so I always reach out for this pale silk when I need a reminder about love to myself.

Overall impression

This is a rich and elegant lingerie for yourself, with a comfy fit and soft touch. I didn't have a great purchase experience with the brand's official website before, and this time I went for a stockist (skipping ahead, it wasn't better unfortunately).

Devil in details: purchase review.

The bra is made of two layers of silk (91% silk, 9% elastane) sewn together very neatly - the inside doesn't differ much from the outside, elastic straps are mostly covered in silk too. Brief is made of one layer of the same silk with a cotton gusset inside, seams are very neat, all side ones are hidden even from the inside. The label on bra is sewn into the seam unfortunately and it's pretty itchy so it takes some effort to cut it out carefully.

Silk stretches very slightly and only one way so it's better to spend some time on the sizing chart to ensure the best fit. Provided a right sizing, it fits very comfy. Wide straps don't cut into the skin (though once I found one of them fallen from my shoulder). Band is also quite wide (with 3 hooks instead of standard 1 or 2) which usually helps with support, I can't be a judge here though with my A cup. Sometimes, not often, band may go up slightly but it may be an issue of my forms too - it happens sometimes with most of my soft bras.

Once again, silk is not super stretchy so the fit may feel unusual, bra cups aren't tight on the sides, the brief fit is a bit loose at the upper and bottom edges. But it's all about one's preferences.

What took some getting used to is how easily silk wrinkles. I mean, I understand that it's silk and it requires hand wash, I can deal with it. But even with a very gentle hand wash and a super careful dry, it gets some wrinkles. And what I can't deal with is a thought of ironing my panties after each laundry. So I just got used to wrinkles.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

And here it comes. I told already about my unlucky attempts to buy this set from Myla directly. During these attempts I got an advice on sizing for another soft bra in silk which came in handy with my measurements being right on the border between S and XS. They advised me to choose S both for bra and brief which is very lucky as I fasten the band in its loosest position, so XS would be tight for me. Brief fits well too.

My bust measurement of 32'' works both for S and XS sizes, and there are no references for the band measurement, mine is 29'' which appeared to be S after all. My 26" waist translates to S while 35" hips translate to XS. S worked fine for me, and by the moment of photo shoot my hip measurement went up to 36" so now my brief size is clearly S.

Not sure why they don't give underbust measurements in their size guide, these would be very useful. They reference clothing sizes additionally but I never use these as all my US clothes have letter labels (S or XS) instead of numbers, and I don't own lots of European clothes.

Anyway, knowing my size already I went ahead and ordered from Farfetch. Two days later I got quite a strange notice that my order is cancelled as they couldn't verify my payment details. The email promised to refund my payment which they debited already and offered to contact my bank. I did contact my bank, they were pretty surprised, confirmed that payment went through (which I could see myself in my card statement) and they had nothing to do with any cancellations (even more, they convinced me that they could never cancel on their own any transactions which went through already).

After I spent some time on the phone with Farfetch support team, I got a pretty unclear answer that they didn't know what happened but I'm welcome to place the order again which I did. The only option for delivery was Express for $24 which was quite pricey but by that moment after wasting 2 days already I was a bit in a hurry to get the delivery so at least the promised date between 4th and 6th worked for me. I was unpleasantly surprised when in a few days it changed to 11th all of a sudden. It was delivered on 7th after all but it was exactly one day later than I needed and it did ruin my plans.

The answer of the support team to my complaint wasn't pretty. Saving you details, the support assistant simply didn't read it further than the first line. It was the line about the start of this sad saga, so she offered me to place the order again. I asked to read the whole story, and they answered after all with some evasive text about their policies according to which they delivered all in required time set by DHL (no explanation on why their own website and confirmation email promised me another date).

One more surprise I got when I unpacked my purchase. The brief I ordered was named "Covent Garden briefs" on the Farfetch website. The thing is that standard Covent Garden brief has a low-rise fit, and as you can see from my photos I got a high waisted style (of existence of which I didn't even suspect at the moment).

Left to right: Covent Garden brief on Myla.com, Covent Garden briefs on Farfetch.com, my photo of the brief ordered from Farfetch

It appears Myla does have Covent Garden High Waist brief which they have in a fewer number of colours for some reason, right now they have it in black only. Farfetch obviously named it wrongly, and I didn't notice it as they show lingerie in layouts only, not on models. Fortunately for me, I like this high-waisted style, it enhances vintage vibe in whole, but it could be a sad story if it wasn't my cup of tea. Btw looks like right now Farfetch sells this style in black with the same mistake - I can see now by vertical seams in the front that their "briefs" is really "high waist brief".

Left to right: Covent Garden High Waist Brief on myla.com, Covent Garden briefs on Farfetch.com

Well, enough already with whining, let's wrap up on a cheery note. If you're willing to go through some pain with ordering and delivery, you end up with beautiful lingerie bringing you joy for a very long time.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Lingerie photo shoot. Silk on the beach.

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 02:49:50 GMT

I'm a very visual person. Well, visual and kinesthetic. I love beautiful things, and I love them even more if they are nice to the touch (now me being a lingerie addict makes sense, right? what is a better sight for sore eyes and has a larger contact area with one's skin at the same time?). I was super worried to post my right-out-of-the-fitting-room photos - not because I'm worried of how I look but because I'm worried how images look. And what feedback did I get? Girls love seeing "real life" photos. No, it doesn't mean that I'm going to stop doing photo shoots. It means that I have a bigger range now. And what else it means is that I should talk a bit more about my photo shoots.

So here it is. I do not do retouching. Well, I can blur a pimple or two or edit out a person who accidentally got to the background of my photo. I can edit light settings, especially to improve distortions which every photo camera makes when capturing reality. But I do not hide my freckles, wrinkles, and creases. If I look thinner on some of my photos, it means that I kept my diet better, not that I used Photoshop more thoroughly. And sure photo shoots look better than cellphone images - it's because light is better, optics is much better, and the photographer has a way more talent and skill than I do (and than it's even possible to apply when taking a selfie).

At this point you'd probably wait to see more selfies. But no, it's time to boast with my new photo shoot. I'm super happy with how it turned out, and I feel that I kinda deserved it - it was about 10ºC, and the ocean water was freezing (which you see by goose bumps on my legs somewhere... because I don't do retouching!)

Lingerie pieces used (yes, reviews are coming):
Bra&brief: Covent Garden by Myla London
Kimono wrap: Azumi by Kim+Ono
Sleeping eye mask: Kitsune by Hesper Fox
Stockings: Green Glamour by What Katie Did

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Who did better: lingerie trends. Tattoos, piercing, rock-n-roll.

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 07:00:56 GMT

When you're quite a fan of all lingerie-related, at some point you start to see same ideas floating around. I'm not talking about plagiarism now (though I probably should write an angry post about it too before I burst...), right now I mean different artists giving their own versions of one concept, style, idea which is a corner stone of any art anyway. One of fun things which some brands explored recently is imitation of skin decorative alterations on our "second skin" - lingerie fabric.

It all started with my awe of Studio Pia's cage bra Clea. I fell in love instantly with this design, bold and elegant at the same time. See these brilliant fake piercing rings around the nipples? I never managed to get one for myself - I tried it at the offline stockist's store in New York and their smallest XS size (which I believe translates into Pia's smallest size 1) was visibly too big for me. I still gasp when I see it though (they had several reincarnations of it in different colours, right now it's available in black and white, but I'm eternally devoted to this vivid green).

Photo source: www.studiopia.co.uk

I got kind of a consolation prize from The End lingerie brand. Their pieces are even bolder and definitely accommodate my small bust better, easier to style as outerwear and show off, and let's face it, they are much more affordable (Studio Pia's designs are gorgeous and I definitely see where their price tag of £230 ($284) for a bra comes from, it still gives me pause though which speaks about my wallet only, not about their pricing policy). I got Circular Barbell bralette with matching briefs from The End, and Spike bralette which I should review by the way while they are both still available. I can say right now that they are pretty comfy (at least for my small bust) and I love them, though my appetite for luxury wasn't satisfied this time.

Photo source: theendlabel.com

If you want some more examples of luxury underwear with piercing, you can take a look at a new mesh bra by TTSWTRS. I'm quite fond of this brand's designs, but in my humble opinion Studio Pia's cruelty-free silk satin and gold plated hardware kinda beat polyamide-elastane mix and a not specified metal which makes me a bit sceptic of a $410 price tag (in this particular case I find Studio Pia's design more appealing too but it's all about taste, I don't claim to be an objective judge here).

Photo source: www.ttswtrs.com

Tattoo effect lingerie is an even wider topic. In general by this term people consider lingerie made of see-through fabrics (mesh mostly) with a contrasting embroidery or lace which can resemble a look of tattoo. Most often it's floral or abstract designs with a very slight or no resemblance of tattoo at all - there is a great choice of these on the market, my favourites are ones by Fleur of England, I own their Wallflower set (one more review to write). Sometimes these designs may use classic tattoo themes like Bengal by Livy which is on my wish list for over a year.

Left-to-right: Wallflower by Fleur of England, Bengal by Livy. Photo source: www.fleurofengland.com, www.li-vy.com

What I'm more interested in here is underwear mimicking tattoos. This was very pronounced in DSQUARED2 collection of 2018 which I somehow missed completely and discovered only after it was sold out. You can still try and find some pieces from it on ebay though.

Photo source: www.dsquared2.com

If you also missed these ones and don't want to go to ebay for your lingerie pieces which is quite understandable, you may want to check on TTSWTRS once again. I might be a bit harsh on them about their bra with piercing but I can make up for it when it comes to tattooed lingerie - this was their signature concept from the brand inception moment and they continue to launch new collections with bold mesh and modal designs (and more affordable pricing). I own a set and a bodysuit from them too.

Photo source: instagram.com/ttswtrs

This July there was an announcement of VETEMENTSxWOLFORD collaboration featuring tattoo stockings for the Spring-Summer 2020 season. There was only one photo there, and I didn't find any news on this collaboration since. I didn't exactly like this style but I'd take a look if they had any more versions of it, after all stockings should be a perfect next step for tattoo lingerie concept.

Photo source: instagram.com/wolford

Notes from the fitting room. Mary Young loungewear.

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 23:02:41 GMT

I wrote my raw review from the fitting room of Mary Young pop-up store recently with notes and photos of rayon and mesh underwear in comparison with their official website images. The post was going to become a bit too lengthy and I left my comments on loungewear for a separate post. So here it is as promised.

Wallace crop top made of mustard rayon is my personal favourite from this review, I actually bought it and going to write a full review on it. Well, as soon as it arrives and I have a chance to wear it. Mary Young has an interesting concept of a 3-day pop-up when they bring only one piece of each style in each size to the city so you can try it on, pay for the ones you want to get and leave your address for delivery. During these three days they actually collect the orders, send one big shipment into your city and then deliver your order to the door - this they they don't have to bring any spare stock which won't be sold and you don't have to pay for shipping which is pretty awesome. I wear XS on the pictures and it fits great.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

Another top I tried on was Charlie crop in Rose, size XS. For some reason they don't have photos in this color on the website so I took it in Orange for comparison. I like the style, a decorative piece on the back and the colour a lot but its elastic felt a bit too tight on my ribs. I tried a size up but the elastic still was a bit tight.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

Next one is a Flynn dress in XS, it fits me good, I just realized that I have already something similar so I passed on it. They show photos in Black only on the website, I tried Grey.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

I'm not sure how it happened but I didn't take any pictures of Skye crop in Teal though I tried it both in S and XS, it fitted good, and it even took me some time to choose between it and Wallace. I went with Wallace crop as it's better to layer with sweaters and winter is coming. As for sizing, they both are good with my measurements, XS has super tight fit and S is slightly more loose (still pretty tight though).

Photos from maryyoung.ca

I'm definitely interested in Mary Young brand now, especially in their heavenly soft rayon, looking forward to see how durable it is, and may be to expand this brand's presence in my wardrobe in the future. I tried all styles in XS which should be my size according to their guide, and it fits me perfectly. For some styles you may go size up though just to get a bit more loose fit if you want to.

My measurements for reference:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 92 cm / 35"

Height - 167 cm / 5'6"

Notes from the fitting room. Mary Young lingerie.

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 04:11:58 GMT

Living in Vancouver, I don't often have a chance to try lingerie on before the purchase. I can count on one hand offline lingerie stores here, and these ones don't offer styles which I like so I mostly order everything online meditating over sizing guides and terrorizing support teams. In rare cases when I buy something offline, I take full advantage and try half of the assortment on (I'd probably try everything but kinda scared to be kicked out by shop assistants in case if nothing works for me in the end). Long story short, here comes a new column Fitting Room, and the first review of Mary Young who kindly brought a pop-up store to Vancouver this weekend. Sorry for the quality of images in advance, this column is what cellphone camera and in-store light can give you.

I started with a contrast bra and lux high waist brief in Mustard. I'd say color and fit are pretty honest on the website, and their bamboo rayon fabric is a heaven for those who love underwear being soft to the touch. Here I wear size XS and it feels pretty comfy. My waist measurement is 67 cm which is more than XS usually supposes so for high waist I'd may go a size up but it's a question of personal preferences on how it looks, elastics are quite soft in this style so I didn't feel discomfort (well, at least during this one minute while had the brief on, it surely can differ when wearing for the whole day).

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

I also tried Tory brief as a low-rise option to match the bra. XS fits me with no comments, I'd say it fits me even better than I'd expect from the website images.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

In general I liked this style and if it were a year ago, I'd probably go for it. Now, when I have a pretty rich underwear wardrobe, I need to be more picky if I don't want to rent a separate apartment for my clothes, so I rejected this one for a likeness of Moon Intimates mesh garments which I own already.

Next I tried Carter bra and high bikini in speckled white. XS fits me ok and feels comfy but I'd probably prefer bikini in S as elastics cut into the skin a bit. I have a thing for ribbed natural fabrics and I still don't own any underwear in it so it could be a go but I passed on it as I'd like bikini to provide a bit less coverage in the front, it's only a matter of personal taste though.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

Backless thong bodysuit with long sleeves is a dream. I love its mustard colour, fit, touch, combination of covered arms and open back - pretty much everything about it. If I'm super picky, I'd say that its back looked just a tad long for me like it was meant for a taller girl but it's really nitpicking, I wouldn't worry unless you're shorter than me (I'm 167 cm / 5'6''). I passed on it though as it doesn't have buttons in its crotch and I learned a hard way that wearing this kind of clothes isn't fun in the bathroom.

Mary Young doesn't have it on the website for some reason so here is the closest style for comparison - sleeveless Backless thong bodysuit in Rose. I wear XS on the photos.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

Rylee bodysuit in XS was surprisingly small so I tried S instead which fits me great. Straps feel a bit too wide in the back, like they're gonna fall any minute (they don't though). The bodysuit looks more transparent than on the website but they have some mix-up with colours there - the Rylee style is available in black, white and pink, photos for white and pink are the same though (there was only this option and black at the pop-up store). The bodysuit also doesn't have buttons in the crotch, and it says it all for me.

Me on the left, images from maryyoung.ca on the right

At this point I realized that the review is getting too lengthy so I'm going to summarize my impression about Mary Young underwear now and review Mary Young's loungewear separately. I really like their fabrics and colours. Their size chart translates into XS for bras for my measurements and puts me somewhere on the border between XS and S for bottoms which proved to be right in the fitting room. Bodysuits are a bit more tricky though - they probably go as clothes in the size chart, and my size there should be XS which was right for rayon but too small for mesh.

My measurements for reference:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 92 cm / 35"

Height - 167 cm / 5'6"

Ready to conquer. Review of Merino Ninja Suit by Airblaster

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 11:02:33 GMT

Coming back from Burning Man always takes some time to adjust for a default world. Food and drinks aren't free anymore, ads are everywhere, and no more walking around in nothing but your favourite lingerie pieces (or without them either if that's your favourite outfit for today). Burning Man has a strict principle of decommodification which means environment "unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising" and it applies to all the imagery from the event so no reviews illustrated with photos from Burning Man are going to be posted here. This decision took some time to come to as strictly speaking this is not a commercial blog and half of my outfits at the event consisted mostly of underwear... but this is it. I will definitely recreate my costumes for the blog photo shoots though so beware.

Here you would probably wait for some embellished cage bra, BDSM-like leather accessories and ruffled panties... and they will appear but not right now. I'll start this series with my best friend on playa, the underwear garment which I wore the most often - Merino Ninja Suit by Airblaster. Yes, glitter and all that jazz are important but not half as important as having your precious butt warm in the night. This year was pretty warm but you never know how cold it's going to be each year and sometimes it can go as low as 0°C so the first thing I pack is always my base layer.

I learned my lesson and always go with the warmest option I manage to find, and merino wool proved to be the one since the last year. The only point of disappointment here always laid in this stripe between my top and bottoms - I move a lot and it irritates me to remember to always pull my top as low as possible to make sure that no skin gets exposed (because if you do forget, go try amend it under your costume and a massive faux fur coat on top of it). Yes, there is a choice of onesies for this. No, they are usually not an option because... well, just imagine how you go to a porta potty (again, you have a costume AND a fur coat on top of your onesie). So when I found this ninja suit with a zipper all around its hip area, I didn't take a moment to think. Spoiler alert: it worked great.

What I'd wish as improvement for this design is a better choice of fun colours. The only one more or less funny-looking which I found was this Mint Fish style. It's not bad but would be cool to have it brighter and fishes merrier. They have some nice patterns for their Classic Ninja Suits but again, I need the warmest option. Anyway, I like the suit's look and feel in general - I'm such a cute weirdo in this fish ninja style which is totally fine by me.

Overall impression

I didn't have a chance to communicate with the brand representatives as I bought it at the offline stockist's shop but I really love my onesie, it's nice, comfy and has a slight vibe of cute peculiarity which I like sometimes when I'm in a mood for it. And it's warm. And yes, no more those awkward moments being half naked in public toilets which we don't want to talk about.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The suit is made of Merino fabric (according to the official website, it's their exclusive blend of Tencel and ultrafine Merino fibers cutely named Woolverino). Looks like guys are pretty proud of it, if anything, they boast about it being strong and stretchy and drying fast. Well, it makes sense as the suit is made for snowboarders. I do a bit of snowboarding myself so I'll let you know how it behaves if I unpack my board this winter, and for now I can say that it's thin, soft and warm at the same time and not itchy at all which is a super good sign for woollen fabrics. As I said already, I'd be happy to see more fun colours but at the moment my fish style is the only one patterned and all other merino options are solid.

What I really love about the piece is a number of well-thought-out tiny details. It caught my attention with its 350° zipper which may be opened from either side. It's complimented with a waistband drawcord for a better fit.

Long sleeves with thumb loops at cuffs are my favourite. While onesie style prevents the lower back from being exposed to the weather, monkey palms do the same for wrists.

The hood fits very well. I'm not good at sewing but the website says it's because of 7-panel design. What I can value all by myself is a piece of fabric protecting the chin when zipping up (got skin caught a couple of times before, it wasn't fun). Girls with longer hair may also appreciate a special portal for a pony tail. I wonder though why they don't have it for a men's version of the suit.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

My piece is in size XS. I tried both a size up and a size down before the purchase, and S was a bit too bulky while XXS didn't look much different from XS but had a bit shorter legs so I was worried that they might go up too much when moving.

The size chart is quite confusing if you order online. Weight starts with 70 with no indication of units but as the manufacturer is in the USA, I suppose it's pounds. I usually wear XS or 0 as US sizes, my weight according the chart translates to S or M though. Height puts me between M and L (that's new, never considered myself tall), waist and bust - between XS and S, and inseam - between XXS and XS. Currently the website offers merino suits in sizes starting with XS only.

My measurements at the moment of purchase: US size - 0 Weight - 119 lb Height - 5'6'' Waist - 26'' Bust - 32'' Inseam - 28''

With such a range in sizing I'd personally prefer to try the suit offline before the purchase, and they are offered in quite a number of sports stores. My XS fits me well, and even though the height and weight would suggest a bigger size, it's not tight and actually even has some spare space. So I'm glad after all that I bought it offline even though I obviously don't have any comments on support and shipping thanks to that.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Kid at Heart. Review of Fishes Swimsuit by SeaTales

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 09:51:25 GMT

SeaTales swimsuits make the choice pretty difficult with all their colourful patterns. In all the variety of overly sexy beachwear out there it's a feast for one's eyes to suddenly see these one-pieces with their not so revealing designs and childish prints. So after some thinking and tearing between Fishes, Stripey, and Pineapples designs (yep, even their names are funny) I decided to go with the first option.

I love how my Fishes swimsuit looks on me. Design is pretty simple but stylish, especially its almost straight neckline. Hidden cups are more subtle than standard ones, and one-pieces with no cups at all look sporty, while these built-in ones make the silhouette very feminine (I usually don't like padding, but these cups are designed more like a top with no hard parts and feel very comfy). Lower edges cut into butt cheeks a bit but nothing too bad.

At the moment of my order SeaTales was offering only one style for swimsuits with different patterns, it's a pretty modest one-piece with cups hidden inside. Now they also have a new option with a cleavage, low-cut back and no cups. Discounts usually don't go higher than 10-20% but pricing is quite reasonable even as it is with all the styles at $95 or $106 depending on the print (original prices are in Russian roubles).

Overall impression

Bottom line, the swimsuit is so funny looking (in a good way) that it always brings my mood up and makes me think about starting to go to the pool just to justify purchase of a few more printed one-pieces. And it's nice to have a good quality and comfort on top of good looks.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The swimsuit is made of one layer of all ways stretch fabric printed from the front side and white on its back. Fabric is pretty thick and not transparent (at least my dark coloured one isn't). Seams are neat enough. Printing is quite durable and I don't see fading even after significant use in strong sun and salty water (the website also promises it to withstand chlorine, I didn't wear it in the pool though so can't say anything about it).

A structure looking like a front of a crop top with built-in soft cups is sewn into the upper, armhole and side seams on the inside. Lower edge of the structure is finished with a wide elastic and left loose. Gusset is sewn-in from its rear side and not a front one.

The only label is a tiny piece of soft enough fabric with a size indication attached from the inside with a separate thread so it can be removed easily (I didn't do it though as it's so itty-bitty that doesn't bother me at all).

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

My fitting with this swimsuit was quite mysterious. They didn't have a working website at the moment of my purchase so I just asked for help in a direct message to their Instagram account, for my measurements they sent me a piece in size M (44).

At the moment of purchase my measurements were: bust - 85 cm, hips - 95 cm, body length - 64 cm.

I was travelling at the moment so I decided that I might save on international shipping as well and ordered delivery to my friend's address in Russia and got it from her about a month later in New York. By that moment I lost some weight and was worried that the swimsuit might be big for me now.

My new measurements at the moment of receiving the package were: bust - 80 cm, hips - 88 cm, body length - 64 cm.

I was pretty surprised to see that size was good. Fabric is quite stretchy so it probably can accommodate a size up too but I'm not sure about the lower edges which might cut into the butt cheeks more than it's comfortable if I still were in my previous weight. I was surprised even more when I checked their sizing guide later. According to it, my original measurements translate to the size S (42), and my new ones are on the borderline between XS (40) and S (42). So now thinking about a new one-piece I'm a bit confused if I should go with a tested Medium or try to size down (the support team advises on the latter).

One more piece of advise. The website is in Russian so if you don't speak this language, better go to their Instagram page and ask for help in direct messages. Their support team is quite helpful with sizing and stock questions, they can provide a direct link for payment through website or PayPal details, and they ship worldwide.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Summer treat. Review of Mia Bikini by Wanita Swimwear

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 23:05:57 GMT

If you never bought anything with a single purpose to restore your self-image, may be this review is not for you. I felt quite lost in the beginning of this year, just quit my business and wasn't exactly sure who I was at the moment. Running your business (especially when it's not related to fashion, beauty or entertainment) sets some limitations on your public appearance, and I was struggling for some time taming my sexuality (at least its part visible outside). So when I suddenly closed this chapter of my life I found myself in Bali with no limits anymore, and in attempt to remember how it feels not to care who thinks what I went into the beachwear store and bought the sexiest piece I managed to find.

Well, I always loved statement clothes. That said, I never was confident enough to wear read swimwear, let alone bikini. But I needed something truly bold this time so I chose the tiniest flaps of fabric from the rack and went into the fitting room. Wanita Swimwear sells different styles in the same materials so you can choose from a variety of options for top and bottom. I didn't need this opportunity though with Mia top somehow forming an eye drawing cleavage out of my 32A bust and Mia bottom being so scarce, I felt blushing even standing all alone in the dressing room.

I didn't regret my choice even though it still takes some courage to go out in public in this suit. It gives a good kind of excitement. And the top looks so spectacular (I mean, how do they even do it? Where do they take this cleavage from?) that when the store went on sale a couple weeks later I just went ahead and bought two more bikinis with tops in the same style but different colour and just a tad less revealing bottoms.

Overall impression

Not sure if I expressed it enough, but really - I have boobs in it. And it's perfect shade of red. And embarrassingly tiny. Best set of qualities when you need to remind yourself that you're a sexy woman and to hell with what other people think of how this woman should look to be considered a serious business lady.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The bikini is made of unusual (in a good way) ribbed fabric with smooth lining. Two layers are sewn together neatly, no seams are visible from any side. Also no irritating labels, all standard information is printed on the lining.

I'm not 100% happy with the Mia bottom's fit, it seams to me sitting a bit awkwardly in the front but nothing drastic, it's just me being picky. I chose Mila bottoms for my mustard and black bikinis thanks to possibility to mix and match different ribbed styles, and their fit I have no complaints about.

The top has side wires but I don't feel them at all while wearing, also no other hard parts are used (no fasteners or other metal or plastic accessories), edges don't cut into the body, and the swimsuit is overall very comfy.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

Well, I don't have much to say about customer support and shipping here as I bought my pieces in the offline shop in Bali, except of the team being quite nice. However I have to notice that sizing may be a tricky part in case of online shopping. My top is usually either same size as bottom or a size smaller. With Wanita Swimwear though I chose M for top and S for bottom, and it's the first for me. I tried different sizes and these ones were the best fit to my surprise, and it contradicts the website sizing guide completely.

My bust and under bust measurements of 80/73 cm are even a bit smaller than recommended for the size S. S was definitely too small for me though, actually even M sits pretty tight.

For bottoms they have two measurements of hips and lower hips with no explanation of how to get these measurements taken. My standard hip measurement (which is usually the only one for bottoms sizing) is 88 cm which translates to S if it's what they call "lower hips" or to something between M and L if it's just "hips". According to the note under the size table, "... sizes are generally on the smaller side due to the cheeky cuts so we would suggest to go up a size if you are unsure." "Cheeky cuts" usually refer to bottoms so I'd probably would go for bottoms in M if I'd shop online which would be a certain mistake, I tried it, and it was visibly too large.

And to add some bright colours in the conclusion, I'd like to note that I I've been wearing these swimsuits in a very strong sun and salty water and I don't see colours fading or fabric stretching even though the top is designed to be put on and off by pulling over head.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Lacy elegance. Review of Soho by Myla London

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 09:43:47 GMT

Myla London from time to time does pretty generous sales. This January they went up to 70% in discounts and left me torn between three different styles: two silk ones and one gorgeous lacy. While I was trying to make a painful choice, all the discounted silk suddenly disappeared from the website altogether which gave me an efficient push to hurry up with my purchase.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to lace and don't like traditional floral patterns at all. This is why I didn't wear lace for most of my twenties when I couldn't find anything more interesting between lacy pieces (well, my budget then was much more modest, and I suspect that more intricate lace may be just more expensive than common patterned ones). Lace of Soho while being floral, doesn't look common at all. It's a very elegant large-scale design which instantly caught my attention and didn't disappoint in real life.

I have a thing for semi-transparent crop tops covering cleavage, they are easy to style and add a tint of sophistication to the outfit, drawing the eye to the neck and breast without looking frivolous. This one looks even more exquisite thanks to its graphic lace, and I feel myself an embodiment of a true British elegance wearing it. Well, to be precise, of British elegance how I imagine it from books and films. My two short trips to London were too chaotic, filled with talks with mostly male colleagues, and the only thing which I managed to notice about women's outfits is how short skirts and how revealing cleavages are in comparison to Canada... I kinda felt myself a scandalized debutante just arrived from a remote county to the lavish capital. Anyway, I don't feel like it in Soho lingerie.

Comparing to Vegas Gold by E.L.F Zhou London this set looks probably less subtle (and less expensive if you know what I mean), calling for more attention but at the same time it proved to be much more comfy. For starters, I can put it on with no anybody's help. Fabric is much softer than Vegas' lining, it's stretchy and doesn't restrict my moves. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up Vegas for Soho, they just give me totally different self-image.

Overall impression

Bottomline is that it's beautiful stylish lingerie which works just fine even for everyday wearing. But skipping ahead, I wasn't happy at all with the purchasing experience.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The set is made of Sophie Hallette heavy stretch lace finished with wide elastics. The top has two hook & eye closures on the back, both have three positions for adjustment. Stretchy material and adjustable closures make a very comfy fit. The lower elastic of the top sometimes can go a bit too much up making the fit less comfortable but it's rather rare (happened two or three times so far after being worn four times) and gets fixed by pulling it down easily.

I ordered both brief and brazilian options for panties. Labels are sewn into the seams unfortunately. I left them first as I was worried that cut edges may rub the skin but during the photo shoot they bothered me terribly, especially the one on the crop top so right after the last shot I picked up my scissors and chopped them off as close to the fabric as I could. Trims are unraveling now pretty actively but at least they don't irritate my skin any more (and I figured that at some point they just unravel down to the root and stop).

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

Sizes at the Myla's website are shown individually for each style (hit the Size Guide button on the right from the fields of size and quantity choice) but I didn't find any differences between them except of headers. Guides start from XS but most of the styles available only in S and up.

My measurements suggested that I may need XS so I contacted the support team through the form on the website and here the long story of bells and whistles comes.

My measurements at the moment of purchase:

Bust - 80 cm / 32"

Band - 73 cm / 29"

Waist - 67 cm / 26"

Hips - 88 cm / 35"

Height - 167 cm / 5'6"

About 12 hours later I've got an answer by email with a phone number of their London store and an advice to call there. I'm honestly not a big fan of talking by phone - I'm generally not super talkative, also not being native English speaker phone calls take extra effort, especially when you're in a different time zone (and the store obviously doesn't work nights). On top of it all I just didn't know what else I can tell them as I provided my measurements in the initial inquiry. So I asked them to provide me with an advice by email due to the time difference.

I got my answer 3 days later. It was a good detailed answer explaining that some styles might be better for me in S and some in XS. Unfortunately while I was waiting, two of the styles which I wanted were taken down from the website altogether.

I placed the order for the Soho set but my payment didn't come through and my bank confirmed that they had nothing to do with it. This time being worried to miss the last style left I called the support team, they promised to check what's going on. Quite soon I got a email answer that the issue was with their payment provider who marked my payment as high risk due to the country where it was initiated from (I was in Bali, Indonesia on my vacation at that moment). They promised to solve it ASAP.

On the second day of waiting and constant checking on Soho availability I came up with a workaround and paid through VPN to hide my location from the payment provider. I wrote to the support team, this email was never answered. I also left a note to hold on shipping until my return from vacation but instead of the answer I got a notice of the parcel being shipped. I called again, got a confirmation that shipment can't be stopped, and wrote them a very disappointed email about my overall experience which also was never answered.

Anyway, the parcel was delivered the next day, and after some song and dance to make sure that it waits for my return I did get it, S fits me perfectly and I was so contented with my new lingerie that I even bought more Myla styles, this time through their stockist. But it's a story for another time.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Opinion column. Censorship in social networks.

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 08:48:14 GMT

All this censorship tide in social networks is really starting to be scary. I was born in USSR, and the most famous saying we all remember from childhood, the one which went through all the media and became kind of a symbol, both hilarious and horrific at the same time, is «There is no sex in USSR».

It’s hard to explain that mentality of hypocrisy which we all ran from for years and a chill which goes down my spine when I see all these signs again. There is sex. It’s just stupid to pretend that it doesn’t exist, and I will never believe that tabooing any natural part of our lives will do any good for anybody including kids.

I do not understand how we are going to teach our girls that their bodies are beautiful and they should love them if we treat these bodies as something shameful and try to hide them. Or how we are going to explain them that all people are equal if ads show male nipples freely but retouch any shadow of female one.

This photo was declined by Instagram as an ad "because it is sexually provocative or overly suggestive (ex: text, images, or videos depicting excessive skin, provocative dancing, nudity, certain medical diagrams, or sexual acts)." It was approved after my appeal.

It’s impossible to teach anything when you behave opposite to what you say. Sorry if this post is too heavy for a lingerie blog which, I suppose, should be light and cheerful... but whatever, I love my body, I spent years learning to love it, and when I see official reports about «depicting excessive skin» to be «overly suggestive», I have only one thing to say. I do suggest these people to go to hell.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Lingerie as outerwear. Styling see-through top or bodysuit.

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 04:14:59 GMT

I'm pretty sure that each lingerie lover sooner or later comes to the point when it's impossible not to show off their precious collectibles. Here comes the question how to do it without going out half naked or in skimpy outfits. One of such dilemmas is usually presented by see-through tops or bodysuits decorated with appliqués, embroidery or lace - too beautiful to be hidden, too revealing to wear as they are.

I got my top and brief set by Arina Boganova at the liquidation sale of the closing lingerie store. This style isn't available anymore but it didn't become outdated, and pieces of the same concept of decorated sheerness may be bought from other brands - Cristina Aielli, Edge o'Beyond, I.D.Sarrieri, Sonata London, etc.

Originally I was going simply to put a cardigan on top and button it just enough to look decent leaving as many buttons unfastened as possible to show off the lace appliqué. Scooping this wide belt out of my wardrobe allowed me to leave the cardigan unbuttoned - the belt and high-waisted skirt covered the belly area.

Lace is dense enough to cover nipples so I could leave it like this even if the belt didn't have "suspenders", though I could fasten the upper cardigan button additionally. Belt with suspenders is a pretty unusual garment, I got this one in Japan, but any high-waisted skirt or pants with wide suspenders would work just the same.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Loving myself. Review of Mystique by Tisja Damen

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 08:21:01 GMT

Tisja Damen's designs are truly beautiful and look like nothing else. Being handmade in their Amsterdam atelier, they are priced accordingly and for a long time I was admiring them from a distance watching the brand's Instagram account as inspiration. Black Friday with 25% discount offer shaked my determination to stay strong, and I decided to pamper myself with one of their designs priced not that badly for my wallet. With this in mind I chose ''Mystique'' a-symmetrical bra.

Choice of panties in this style didn't tempt me so I went just for the bra. Usually I'd take one brief to complete the set even if I'm not exactly in love with its style, but prices for panties in Tisja Damen are quite high so I decided to settle for combination of embroidered bra and simple panties of black mesh from my rich collection.

I didn't regret this decision. Mystique bra while being gorgeous, isn't the one which I reach for when in need of feeling myself a seductress. This is a garment perfect for moments of love to myself, when I'm not worried of my bra matching my panties perfectly and how I look in general (which is ironic as, let's put aside false modesty, it definitely looks great on me).

Precious delicate embroidery in combination with wide comfy elastics looking almost sporty and ensuring weightless fit remind me of necessity to love myself with no regards to the outside world and to treat myself with care and attention. And yes, to spoil myself with pricey things from time to time.

Overall impression

The bra's overall score is unbelievably high. It offers unconventional design and materials, great quality, comfort, and the brand's customer support is surprisingly good (yeah, most of lingerie brands lack this last piece particularly).

Devil in details: purchase review.

The bra is made of one layer of sheer black mesh with a delicate green embroidery from Switzerland. Wide elastics look almost contrasting to this subtlety, the contrast is softened with small loops decorating their edges and golden-coloured trims. Based on photos from the website, I believe the bra may look more or less open depending on the size, but my small sized bust is modestly covered with the embroidery.

The fit is achieved with thin shaping straps providing a natural push. Edges of straps and elastics aren't finished but they don't seem to unravel significantly so I hope it's not going to be an issue. I don't think that it's an oversight either as the garment looks thought through very carefully. My favourite detail is the label sewn by two edges into the elastic from the inner side and sized exactly that way to make sure that it never shows from outside (yes, I had my share of disappointments with labels).

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

And at last some technical details. Tisja Damen size guide offers simple S-M-L-XL options, and my 75A bra size simply transfers to Small in this table.

Website has an online support chat, they answer questions quickly and provide all the necessary info (they even reminded me additionally about their promo offer which was definitely nice of them).

Mystique bra before the discount was priced at €123.14 (€149 with VAT if ordering inside EU, for customers outside of EU they offer tax free shopping which is very convenient when ordering to North America). Shipping costs to the US and Canada confused me though as they start at €20 for the next day delivery and oddly go higher for slower options with economy shipping priced as €31.48.

Their support team confirmed me that the cheapest option was also the quickest. They were interested to try a new transport company though so they offered me to become a part of the test with a shipping fee of €15, and I agreed.

Tisja Damen sews their pieces by order so it takes some time from the moment of purchase till the lingerie is shipped. Black Fridays promo and Christmas obviously increased their load and turnaround time, I got notice of my bra being shipped only in 24 days.

Being slammed with all this workload, they probably forgot about our transport company test and sent it by FedEx Priority. Unfortunately it didn't make me lucky, FedEx somehow didn't process properly my package and all the packages picked up together with mine, and all these orders were lost. The support team contacted me with apologies and offered either return my money or to make a new bra for me with additional 10% off. I opted for the second option but warned them that in this case I won't be able to receive it soon as I was leaving for a prolonged trip. They withheld my bra for me until my return so I don't know how long it took them this time to make it, new shipping took 2 business days and this time was successful.

Somehow in all these communications both sides forgot about additional 10% discount offer. But I'll probably revisit this topic when I bring myself to a new purchase from Tisja Damen which will obviously happen sooner or later, I have been ogling Gaia set in red for some time now, just have to make peace with its price somehow.

The bra in Small fits me perfectly and is very comfy. I only have to warn you to adjust the shoulder strap tightly enough otherwise you can find your right breast popped out of the bra completely by the end of the day.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Everyday elegance. Review of Seamed Stockings by Maison Close

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 05:33:49 GMT

I was watching classic stockings (the ones meant to be worn with a garter belt) for some time not daring to buy a pair. Even familiar hold up stockings seemed an extravagance for special occasions rather than everyday garment, and garter suspenders looked macabre complicated devices. This pair changed my opinion completely.

Well, most of my fear was caused by quite an unsuccessful first experience. Being a student, I once decided to surprise my boyfriend with a romantic night. My newly bought lace lingerie set had garter panty so I got a pair of stockings and retreated to the bathroom meaning to appear all dressed up. I didn't suspect at the moment that modern hold ups aren't supposed to be worn with suspender belts, and attempts to attach loop-and-button clips to the silicon lined welt (surprisingly successful after all) took me almost an hour, some tears, one bitten lower lip and a couple of emotional outbursts. By the moment when I left the bathroom, my boyfriend was sleeping. I didn't manage to wake him up and spent my evening watching Dirty Dancing with champagne (what Patrick Swayze can't cure, nothing can cure).

Many years later, exactly this story got me a one-time discount code at Mayfair Stockings. I went rogue and ended up ordering 4 different tights and 5 pairs of stockings one of which was a pair of Maison Close Seamed ones. And yes, it means that more hosiery reviews are coming.

Looking ahead, I didn't have any more issues when putting on a garter belt. What is more, I now see stockings as an everyday garment, comfortable and making me feel elegant. I pay a great deal of attention to how clothes feel to the touch, and suspender slings against the thigh skin always give me a feeling of having kind of a secret under my clothes adding a shade of enigma to my self-image.

Overall impression

My overall impression from the purchase is all sunshine and rainbows but I have to note that the purchasing process is assessed based on my experience with Mayfair Stockings online store, not the manufacturing brand itself.

Devil in details: purchase review.

Stockings are made of 20 denier nude nylon with elastan. (Yes, I heard all these recent discussions around the "nude" term not being applicable to most of skin tones, but being very fair-skinned myself and having most of nudes darker than my skin tone I've been perceiving nude colour as a homonym to the nude in the sense of nakedness for years.)

Contrasting black seams go on the upper edge and along the back. Stockings don't have a welt which makes them perfect for shorter skirts according to the seller. To my taste, the seam looks much more elegant with long dresses when there is only a glimpse of the black line rather than showing all the length under the miniskirt which to me seems a bit too sexual. But again, it's only a question of personal preferences. What absence of welts does for me is simplifies attaching a classic loop-and-button clip which is like salve after my close to traumatic experience.

I was worried about keeping the back seam straight but this fear appeared to be empty. The seam gets straight more or less by itself when putting the stockings on, and it stays that way all the day long.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

Technical details of the purchase are saved for last. My measurements according to the size guide fall under size 2, closer even to 3 rather than to 1. I ordered size 2 but was a bit worried if I did everything right as I'm used to the smallest sizes in lingerie (I even have issues with the smallest sizes being too big for me in some brands). I did the right choice, and it looks like the size 1 would be definitely small for me in length, I adjust my suspender slings to the longest to wear with these stockings.

My height is 167 cm / 5'6", weight is 54-55 kg / 119-121 lb which transfers to size 2 on the border with size 3 for Maison Close stockings.

After my order was completed, I contacted the support team asking them to withhold shipping as I was departing for a trip and couldn't receive it. I contacted them again when my trip was prolonged and then again when I was back. Each time the team answered quickly, politely and helped me seamlessly. As soon as I gave them the green light, they shipped it the same day and provided me with a tracking number. 5 days later I got my hands on my order.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Mixed feelings. Review of Diva by Sonata London

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 07:49:38 GMT

I was torn between two options when choosing my bodysuit from Sonata London(link to it's page in my catalog). Diva and Elektra both were tempting but after all I opted for gold rather than for a combo of navy and magenta. Spoiler alert: for me it was a mistake.

The bodysuit is definitely beautiful and of a top-notch quality, and my only unfortunate issue is inaccurate colours on the website. It's all gorgeous gold with only trims and buttons in black there... and mostly black with golden pattern in real life (still gorgeous, but I was already in love with the gold all over). Looks like the photographer used a very strong strobe light which altered colour of the lace base significantly.

Photo from the website on the left, a real life photo on the right.

I'll be honest, this unexpected surprise spoiled the purchase for me which is only sadder as the quality is impeccable. I mean, it's a beautiful thing, made of premium quality materials with a great craft and attention to detail. They also made it by my measurements at no additional cost even though I bought it on sale with 50% discount, and it fits me with no a single tiny hiccup. All the experience of communicating with the brand team was absolutely perfect... right until I got my purchase. From what I see, I think that if I'd only go for the Elektra one, I'd be over the moon with my bodysuit (and I got a peek of it from Garterblog so now I know for sure that I wouldn't be disappointed with its colours). And if you like lace in combination of black and gold, definitely go for it.

I didn't try to return it as it was tailored by my measurements, I also ordered shipping to the storage facility while I was travelling and I got it literally in a month after it was delivered, so no complaints here. After all, it's beautiful as it is, it's just not exactly my cup of tea. Actually my first thought was to order the Elektra bodysuit on the next sale (Sonata arranges 50% sales several times per year). I contacted the company team with feedback though to explain the situation and ask them to update the product images for the sake of future customers. I also let them know that I wasn't looking to return my purchase and that I was happy with its quality. They never answered which was unexpected as they were very nice in communication before, and I won't lie, it's a bit disheartening.

I ended up with mixed feelings right where I began when I was trying to choose between two styles... now I'm trying to figure out if I should order the second style which I still like a lot (especially now when I know for sure about their great quality and fit) even though I feel disappointed and confused with their silence in answer to my feedback (did I offend the team of artists? was it better to keep my feedback for myself? wasn't it right to let them know about opportunity to improve?).

Meanwhile, I have to note reluctantly that images of the Diva bodysuit are still with no updates, and there are no any warning in the description texts.

Overall impression

Here is my overall assessment of the style, you can find more details further. Short summary - beautiful thing of perfect quality with unfortunate presentation on the website.

Devil in details: purchase review.

The bodysuit is made of elegant Solstiss lace which looks like black mesh with golden embroidery. It's padded with a finer black mesh and complemented with pure silk on its trims and buttons. Silk isn't stretchy but trims don't cut into the skin. The closure in the crotch area is fastened by three simple clasps and has a silk gore.

The neckline is decorated with tiny Swarovski rhinestones. They were a surprise for me as you can't see them on the website photos, but they are mentioned in the description so it was my fault to miss it. I'm not sure about their colour choice which is cognac and looks a bit too orange against gold lace to my taste but I'm probably too picky here as I'm not a fan of rhinestones in general. They are very subtle too so they mostly just create some sparkle in addition to the shining of the gold lace.

On the bright side, the bodysuit isn't transparent as it seems on the website so it solves my concerns on how to wear it. The fit, again, is superb (sure it is, they were kind enough to tailor it for me).

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

And some technical details in the end. Size guide of Sonata London didn't work for me but it's quite common with my measurements.

My bra measurement of 80 cm is slightly smaller than their XS (81 cm) and my waist of 67 cm is slightly more than their S (66 cm). So I was unsure between S and XS sizes.

I filled in the form on the website with a call for help but didn't get answer, same with my email to info@sonatalondon.com. I was in hurry as the sale was coming to its end so a couple days later I contacted them through direct message in Instagram. There were no any communication issues since, they were very nice to tailor the bodysuit for me, explained in detail how to take additional measurements (some of them are not so common), were super patient while I was travelling and didn't have time or a simple measure tape to provide them with information to start their work (yes, I was absolutely a terrible customer, it took me 3 months to take my measurements after they sent me all the instructions).

Standard shipping went with no tracking number, and due to my travels, I lost a track of when it was finally delivered so I can't advise on delivery time unfortunately. Anyway, there weren't any issues with shipping, and it came in reasonable time and in perfect condition.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov

Dangerous beauty. Review of Vegas Gold by E.L.F ZHOU London

Sun, 23 Jun 2019 09:13:08 GMT

E.L.F Zhou London(link to it's page in my catalog) was one of the first luxury brands I was tempted with enough to open up my wallet and close my eyes while pushing the "Buy" button. Elegant Vegas Gold pieces of sheer tulle, fine silk, and delicate gold lace looked gorgeous but a bit out of place between bondage body wear and a variety of floggers and paddles (yeah, my English got enriched with a couple of new terms while scrolling down the website). I was ogling it for several months as it was way of my standard price range until Black Friday came... and 30% discount was a deal breaker.

It looks truly gorgeous. Uncommon pattern of the lace gives it elegance which you don't want to hide. I layer it with blouses and sweaters with open cleavage - it doesn't look like a bra so nobody will consider the outfit indiscreet, instead I feel sophisticated, feminine and powerful, figuratively and literally standing tall. The finest silk is buttery to the touch and completes the luxury impression.

What it's not is comfortable. The fit, fabric, elastic bands make feel constrained, the edges press into the skin - just enough not to be painful but to feel their presence all the time. I can't say that it's exactly a bad experience, I would compare it to corset wearing - it's not comfortable, you feel it all the time but it makes you keep your posture and feel special. The silk is padded with mesh and by some reason it's not a fine gentle mesh which is used for side panels of the high waisted brief. It's a rougher one, you feel it touching your skin (and especially nipples - let's just say that I wouldn't wear it for a business meeting where I must be focused, a date would be much more appropriate... if you don't mind going sometimes on a span of the moment). I wonder if that was a reason for the mesh choice... Anyway, I got to understand after all how this graceful style fits into its BDSM neighbourhood.

Overall impression

I'll give more details on technicalities below but here is my overall assessment of the style. Long story short - it's not an every day comfy set but it's totally worth it.

Devil in details: purchase review.

As a whole it's a high quality set made of 4 fabrics: silk, sheer tulle, lace, and mesh used for padding silk panels. The inside looks almost same as outside - very neat, most seams are hidden.

What disappointed a lot is labels sewn into the seams so that they can't be cut off with no trace. What is even worse is that they are attached to the transparent parts of the lingerie, so you can see them through fabric all the time, and even if they're cut off, their "roots" will stay in the transparent seams anyway.

Another hiccup is that tanga brief is made of the padding mesh, not of the sheer tulle as the top and high waisted brief. This means that it's rougher to the touch and its colour slightly differs. Not that it's a glaring difference but considering the price even tiny flaws baffle.

Photo on the right: bra mesh on the top, brief mesh on the bottom

I'm also confused about their sizing. My measurements made me worry that their smallest size may be big for me, and the support team warned about this possibility for the high waisted brief (more details in the next section). Instead all the pieces sit quite tight, I adjusted the bra side straps to the widest position, and the briefs' elastic bands are tighter than I'd prefer them to be, especially the upper one of the high waisted brief. I'm even considering a purchase of additional high waisted brief in size M. I'd say the whole set runs about a size smaller than the sizing guide says, and most of my measurements being below the recommended ones actually saved the day.

And one last thing - funny enough, the bra style doesn't allow to put it on or off without help (here BDSM theme comes once again) so make sure that you have somebody ready to help with it.

Order notes: fitting, customer support, shipping

And at last some technical details. First of all, size guides of the brand didn't work for me at all (which I got used to).

Bra sizes start at Small equivalent to 34B (US size) or 75B (Europe). My standard size is 32A / 70-75A. Small for briefs fits 63-67 cm in waist and 92-96 cm in hips. My waist is 67 cm (upper limit of the size) and hips are 88 cm (4 cm less than a lower limit).

Their customer service email bounced so I reached through info@elfzhou.com listed at the website for press enquiries. The answer came in an hour with detailed advice. Vegas bra is more like a top style and it comes with side adjustable straps so it can fir smaller sizes than their usual styles. They also advised me to go with tanga briefs as more stretchy and flexible rather than with high waisted briefs which can be big for me in hips.

Well, I fell in love with a combination of the top and high waisted brief originally, and I prefer to have a couple of panties for one bra as they are washed more often and get worn out quicker, so, as you already know, I decided to risk and buy both styles (no pain, no gain).

10 days later I started to wonder what's happening with my order as no info on shipping came after the email with receipt. The support team answered again super promptly (in 2 hours) with an apology and a tracking number. 10 more days later the package was delivered, the rest you know.

Photo: Vlad Sofronov