Cheap Swimwear Options For Fuller Busts

It’s tentatively that time of year again in the UK – the time when the weather heats up, and we all have to start scrambling for our summer dresses and *gulp* bikinis and swimming costumes. And when it comes to being a D+ woman, your options can seem to become fewer and further in between, and the price can rise. And whilst some women may be tempted to squeeze themselves into tiny string bikinis that don’t fit, I am here to tell you about the sites that sell swimwear that makes use of the rest of the alphabet without breaking the bank!

First up is the site My Curves&Me which sells cheap swimwear by Panache.
I LOVE this Holly balconnet bikini available up to a K cup!

This Veronica swimsuit is a great alternative option for the more tummy conscious woman, and the colour combination is divine!

Brastop is usually my first recommendation for cheap large cup bras and swimwear.

The Freya Calypso set is undeniably gorgeous, and is available up to a HH cup.

This Rome tankini by Fanatsie is great for ladies who are maybe not suited to the proportions of a one piece and yet still want the coverage.

The Leia lingerie outlet is a fabulous place to find bargain pieces from bygone seasons.

I love this South Pacific red plunge bikini by Freya available only in HH, J and JJ cups at present.

This gorgeous Firefly Black Soft Cup Tankini Top>soft cup Freya Firefly tankini is perfect for those of you who prefer a wire free beach experience.

Bras & Honey currently have a lot of cheap Freya swimwear in stock.

If halternecks are more your style, then look no further than this Freya Pier set.

This gorgeous red Fantasie Venice Bikini is another great staple piece that will offer great support and coverage.

I hope that you like the swimwear stores and options that I have shown you today. Please feel free to add other stores and pieces you have seen in the comments, and be sure to let us know where in the world you are to help other international readers!

The Panache Tallulah From Simply Beach

The first bra sized bikini that I ever owned was an ill fitting red Panache number that had me tucking my boobs back into it all holiday. Since learning more about bra sizes and what fits ME and what I feel comfortable in, I’ve been dying to try a Panache bikini in my size to see how the brand’s swimwear line works for me in a more appropriate size than 38F. Luckily, Simply Beach answered my prayers by offering me the chance to review an item from their site – and that’s when I officially met Tallulah.

I first came across the gorgeous fun vibrant patterned bikini around a year ago, just as Panache were about to launch the grey colourways:

And I absolutely adored the print. And so when the blue pieces came out, I was over the moon! I love bright clothing and swimwear, and I only wish that I had been able to rock this bikini on my recent holiday to Vietnam.

I went for this bikini in a size 36H/20, and the very lovely Leanne from Simply Beach swiftly sent it out to me.

I found that the Tallulah bikini fit me like the Panache bras, although I couldn’t specifically name a bra that fits me in a similar way. The clasp band was plenty firm enough, although I wish that it and the straps were a bit wider. I think it would add to the bold aesthetics of the bikini, as well as providing a little more support.

The non padded cups made my boobs quite rounded and uplifted, and the pattern being in the middle helps add to the orb like look.

The beautiful colours in the bikini really do pop and stand out. I love teal and turquoise, and so the hint of greeny blue were perfect.

I wore the set for a few hours at home, and I found it quite comfortable. My only gripe was, as mentioned, the very thin straps and back band. The Tallulah comes in a strapless style, with optional straps, and I think that this balconette style could do with being a bit sturdier.

The pants fit me extremely well! The roll down top meant that I could fold them up higher to accommodate for my overly large bottom.

I would have loved to try the high waisted bottoms, but sadly they were sold out in my size. However, I fear that the print may not have worked for me across my stomach.

Simply Beach stock a huge range of male and female swimwear and underwear. They sell current pieces, and they also have an outlet, where I spied THIS amazing bikini – I may be returning to Simply Beach when the sun finally appears!

What do you think of the Tallulah, or Panache swimwear in general? Have you tried any of their range? How did you find the fit and support?

Vietnam – What I Wore, Saw And Ate!

A few weeks ago I returned from an amazing holiday in Vietnam. I was only there for 2 weeks, and in that time I visited Hanoi, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay. It was a place I had never ever imagined going too but I am so glad I did!
The people of Vietnam did like to laugh and stare at myself and my boyfriend, as well as film and photograph us. Most of the times we waved at them and said “chúc mừng năm mới” (Happy New Year – it was Tet whilst we were there), which really delighted them! But it did get a little much towards the end of the trip. It could have been our height, my pretty dresses, my larger figure, my tattoos… who knows. It did bother me rather a lot and but not enough to change out of my pretty dresses!
And so without further ado, here are a small selection of my 3000 or so holiday images…

Kyoto Bluebell By Biubiu

Kyoto Bluebell by BiuBiu.

Dolores Doll by Collectif

Dolores Doll by Collectif. I took five of these with me, so expect to see a few more of them!

Heidi by Pinup Girl Clothing

Heidi by Pinup Girl Clothing.

I think she needs my help!

They didn’t stock my size…

My running man.

Dolores Doll by Collectif Clothing. My poor sun burnt shoulders rather liked this look.

There is never a time when I won’t wear a dress!

My mismatched Freya and Fantasie bikini.

Bikinis from Brastop.

My Black Cat Bikini bottoms

Black Cat Bikini.

Some trousers I bought in Hanoi…and they fit me!

More undies! Including padded knickers…

My beautiful bag! It cost half a million…Vietnamese Dong.

20p lager!

My only clothing related disappointment came in the form of the Marilyn swimming costume from Pinup Girl Clothing
I bought it in a 2XL in the hope that it would be a tummy sucking option. I guessed that I would have to wear a bikini with it, as pictured, however, the 2XL was not quite firm enough in the stomach for me, and an XL would have meant limited boob room. I tested it out once in the water and felt fab, but I preferred my other swimming pieces.

I hope you enjoyed a peek at my holiday photos and my sunny weather wardrobe. Hopefully you will be inspired to visit Vietnam – it is beautiful and well priced and so worth going too.

State Of Mind Swimwear Review

Recently, I was lucky enough to get given the chance to try out some State Of Mind swimwear. They make beautiful sportswear and swimwear for size 16-26 women and use models who actually fit the brand – a rarity these days!

After telling the lovely Dawn my stats and preferences she sent me over some size 20-22 pieces to try out.

First up was this gorgeous tankini and the matching swim skirt.
As you can see the whole ensemble provides excellent coverage, especially for those who, like me, loathe their legs and stomachs being on show! The swim skirt has a built in pair of briefs that covered my big bum perfectly! The tankini was a little on the small side over my bust, although what it did cover it supported. It would be more suited to a woman less busty than I, but I love the concept. It flowed over my stomach without being uncomfortably tight or huge.

Next up was the Va Va Voom one piece suit worn with a few cover ups.
Sadly I was once again presented with a lack of boob room in the one pieces. However I did find them to be a good length and fit on me elsewhere, just too small across the tatas!
The cover ups were stunning. They are lightweight enough to be squashed into a beach bag and would no doubt dry off in an instant. I loves the fact that they could be slipped on like a waistcoat – no dislodging of sunglasses or getting stuck! Ideally they would also cover the arms but that is a personal preference.

Last but by no means least I tried my favourite piece – the ‘Rock the Kasbah floral silk kaftan’.
I ADORED this piece! The colours were amazing, the amount of cover up it gave me was perfect and once again it was lightweight and non creasable. Roll on my holiday to Australia, I know what I’ll be packing!

State Of Mind are a very promising brand. They design pieces for plus sizes women that are not frumpy, but do accommodate possible body insecurities. Some pieces may not work if you have a very full bust, but there is something to be found for every size 16-26 beach babe.

Leia Lingerie Store And Product Review

So if you have taken the time to extensively read my blog you will see that I am a huge huge HUGE fan of Leia Lingerie. Leia stock the brands Elomi, Fantasie, Fashion First Aid, Fauve, Freya, Freya Active, Huit, Royce, Simone Perele, Spanx, Falke Hosiery and Magic Fashion. Before their Richmond branch closed down I used to spend many happy hours there browsing, chatting and adoring the staff and collections – it was like a no calorie sweet shop for me! When they found out I had a blog they were nothing but supportive and upon seeing my glowing reviews for the store they even gifted me a free set. I cannot say enough good things about Leia and no, this is not because they thank me in underwear. There is of course an assumption that we bloggers get showered with freebies that we wax lyrical about, even if we hate them and they are awful on us. Not true, not for me anyway. I have turned down products before that I know will not suit and that I do not like, and most of my freebies have been things that I have selected or tried on and pretty much knew that it would suit me.

Recently myself and CurvyWordy were invited to Leia’s Bluewater store for a fitting. We arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed and almost immediately the lovely Annie greeted us. She didn’t rush over and make us feel claustrophobic, nor did she make us feel like we had intruded, she just let us know she was there and let us do our own thing for a bit. After a few moments store manager Leigh came to the shop floor, recognised us and said hello and welcome to the store. She urged us to try on anything we liked and she and Annie did a great job at fetching us whatever we desired from the stock room. I think there were only a couple of items that they didn’t have in our desired sizes which is pretty amazing!

As Caroline said in her post we decided to share a changing room initially which mean that we spent far too long chatting! After exhausting our first round of products we went out to fetch more and decided to have a fitting that time. We were brought everything we wanted and more, recommending styles we didn’t think to try, including the glorious Fantasie Claudine. The fitter advised that I try a 34H as opposed to my usually 36H as both the band and cup were generous.

Now as you know I am a padded fan myself. But that does not mean that I won’t try non padded styles. As you can see the Claudine gives me an enviable rounded shape and is a great firm fit. I have a teeny tiny bit of escaped side boob but I know from experience that a larger cup doesn’t solve that, especially as it fits perfectly elsewhere. I have a lot of tissue movement from wearing the wrong size for so many years and it is something that will move back in time, my slow and steady weight loss will also help.

I tried on many many other bras and I have to say I was presented with a common problem – the central gore rarely sat flush against my chest like it did with the Claudine. I know that a lot of women struggle to find bras that fit properly and as proved with the Claudine it is possible to find a bra that suites, you just have to keep looking. Not every bra suits every shape or makes everyone’s boobs look the same, it is important to remember that. We are all different!

I had the same hit and miss luck with the bikinis. My favourite bikini of all time is the Freya Ritual and I was desperate to find something that gave me that similar unrivalled lift and sexy look. I was hoping that the Freya Calypso would be the beautiful answer to my prayers! But sadly it was not for me and it gave me a very East and West shape. Then I chanced across the Freya Limbo and fell in love. I love green, I loved the shape, I love string bottoms, perfect! I went for a 38GG as a firm fitting bikini is not quite as essential as a firm fitting bra, and this 38GG fitted me perfectly. I don’t even care that it is non padded, it is divine!

As silly as it sounds I had a fabulous few hours in Leia, lingerie shopping is something I actually enjoy! The staff were attentive, never pressured us, never fibbed about the fit of something or made us feel like our bodies were wrong, they were friendly, fun and I cannot recommend Leia highly enough. It is such a shame that they have so few stores and that so few people seem to know about them and prefer to visit Marks and Spencers or similar. This is why you should NOT visit Marks and Spencers, they put me in a 40GG…

So next time you are in York, Cardiff or Bluewater why not visit Leia. You can just go for a fitting, or if you do fancy making a purchase you can collect stamps for every £30 you spend and eventually you can collect a free bra! What is not to like?!

Leia Lingerie, I cannot fault you. A well laid out clean spacious store, a fantastic range of products, amazing staff with superb knowledge and a great reward scheme. Thank you for having us x

BIG BLOG GIVEAWAY: BiuBiu and Panache Reviews By Winner Kelly Parks

So as you may recall I hosted a HUMUNGOUS giveaway a few months back and since anouncing the winners I have been posting up reviews and other entries sporadically ever since.

Today I bring you Kelly Parks’ reviews of the items that she received for blowing me away with this fabulous entry.

So click here for her BiuBiu dress review.

And click here for her review of five Panache sets.

Follow Kelly on Twitter here.

Apologies for any extreme body envy that may occur after reading her blog!

The Big Bra Bar

Around a year or so I came across Nikki Hesford in the form of her clothing line, then “MissFit UK”. I had just started to discover clothing for large breasts and I was delighted with my purchase of a black babydoll dress from her, it fitted and flattered perfectly.

I have kept a keen eye on Nikki’s business since my buying success as we large boobied ladies can never have too many options. Recently Nikki rebranded herself as The Big Bra Bar, “A new online store aiming to sell everything the big busted woman could want and need…. in time, as they are still a small company.” She is constantly evolving and growing and recently trialled a few 24 and 26 backed bras, something that the petite ladies have been crying out for. She does not cater beyond a 36 band or size 16 in clothing as yet which has created some controversy, however she is just a small one woman business and who knows what the future may hold. The fact that she sells swimwear and lingerie for smaller backed women is a rarity and one that should not be overshadowed by the fact that her range has not been expanded further as yet.
She is soon to be selling couture wedding dresses to go along side her lingerie lines, some specifically aimed at augmented women, couture party dresses, dresses and shirts designed for larger busts and swimwear.

Recently I was lucky enough to try out her Slinky Dip wire free bikini in a 36H with size 14-16 briefs. The bikini is designed for sunbathing and lounging around the pool. As it has no wires it is not for everyone and some women may find it unflattering. I love that this bikini is affordable and just one price for both pieces.

I really rather like it! It fully encased me and gave me no dreaded side boob, the long neck and back ties made me feel elegant and girly and who can say no to polka dots?! Admittedly halternecks can feel a bit uncomfortable after some time, but as this bikini was created for lazy summer days the halterneck should feel fine. I do not have the world’s perkiest breasts but the support worked well on me, I have other bikinis to call upon for under the chin cleavage, sometimes that is not appropriate or necessary! I love tie side briefs as my very large bottom and hips are rather meaty and I get muffin top very easily! They are also very flattering on larger legs. The back of the briefs gave me good bottom coverage which is essential when you have as much bottom as I do!

I will definitely be keeping a close eye on The Big Bra Bar’s developments and new lines. New companies are willing to listen and change and BBB is proving to be no exception. My experiences with them have been only good and long may it stay that way.

Check out some other bikini reviews:

Sophia Jenner’s.

Brittany’s.

The Invest In Your Chest girls.

Curvy Kate Caribbean Curves Tankini

When I heard that Curvy Kate were bringing out a swimwear range I was very excited!

I adore turquoise and animal print, so it seemed perfect for me! I decided to try the “Caribbean Curves Tankini” as I always struggle to find tankinis that support me as well as bikinis do.

I went for a 36H/20 set as I do find that Curvy Kate bottoms come up a touch small and there is nothing worse than muffin top on the beach! I was not disappointed…

The length is utterly perfect on my long torso and it is so flattering.
The inbuilt bra has a hook and eye fastening and that means it gives me a great support and shape.


Of course the true test of the tankini will be when I get to a beach or pool, but so far so good! It is very flattering and comfortable, not too tight or restrictive. Pop over to Simply Yours to get your hands on one!

Perfect Panache

Last week I was lucky enough to wangle an invite to Panache’s SS12 collection preview.
Panache also make Cleo and Masquerade and I am a fan of all three brands, particularly the luscious Masquerade.
The event was hosted in a gorgeous hotel in Piccadilly and once again I experienced that joyous sensation of being a kid in a sweet shop when I entered that stunning room filled with gorgeous creations and a beautiful 32E model.

I was greeted by the adorable Heather and then showed round the new collections. It was fab to see so many old favourites being brought back in different patterns and colours. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a bra, wearing it to death and not finding anything else like it. Panache never let that happen and styles like the Tango and the Rhea and many more.

The stylish room was filled with sweets and bright posters and as I saw more of the collections I realised how well this fitted in. Panache as ever is the supportive safe range, old favourites and timeless classics. Cleo is the fun young stunning range and Masquerade is the more sophisticated sexy range. Panache are always listening to their customers, bringing out larger cupped padded bras and *fingers crossed* 26 backed bras. As I have said before they are evolving to suit the customers needs and cannot be faulted for that. They have a fabulous Facebook page where they constantly listen and ask the ‘fans’ about what they want and need and they have just joined Twitter. I cannot fault their prices, their designs and their wonderful enthusiasm for the blogging community. A flawless brand.

The Best Bikini EVER!

It’s a bold title, I know, but I have been blown away by Freya’s Ritual. What’s not to like about this divine creation…it is fairly girly but not overly, it has a gorgeous tattoo print, it gives the most AMAZING shape and uplift, despite being non padded and not halterneck, the string bottoms are perfect for those with a little more to love who don’t like that cut in look…and the whole set cost me £35!!! My only gripe is that this is 36GG, the largest cup and I *wish* there was 36H/HH as my side boob is slightly escaping, but I can cope with that! Having raved about my Pour Moi Azure for so long I feel like I am betraying it slightly but I can’t help it, my neck gets a break, my boobs look uplifted and my tattoos are complimented, nice one Freya.