Debenhams ‘Gorgeous’ Range Revisited

I’m always quick to recommend that my British readers visit Bravissimo for an excellent fitting service and a great range of bras, but they are not the only place on the highstreet that offers a service to large cupped women. Enter: Debenhams.

I first tried Debenhams lingerie last year and so I was very pleased to be given the change to try out two more out their bras.

First up was the orange spotted non padded DD-J balcony bra in a 36H, with matching briefs in a 20.

I probably don’t need to tell you again that non padded bras don’t really do it for me, but I am starting to wear them more often. Some of my dresses require my bust to take up a little less room, and when that happens I do like to don something sheer.
This bra really and truly blew me away. Even before I put it on I was in love! The fiery chilli pepper colour was amazing and unlike anything else I own.

I loved the greeny yellow details that can be seen on the edge of the cups and on the bows at the gore and on the straps. They really pop, and offset the fiery orange.

The gorgeous polka dot details add another cute dimension to the bra, and really appeal to me – I’m a sucker for a spotty pattern!

The bra is made of a three part cup construction, and the top third is sheer, and the lower two are made with a double layer of fabric. This helps offer support and projection whilst still being undeniably sexy. The bra didn’t feel rough or itchy, but it wasn’t silky smooth either. It didn’t rub me uncomfortably at all and it will be a great every day bra.

I found that the cups gave me an amazing projected rounded shape. I would have liked the sides to be a teeny tiny bit higher to contain my rampant side boob, but other than that I could not fault the bra.

As always, the three hooks and eyes and fully adjustable straps were a welcome feature, and the fit was pretty much perfect. I sometimes have trouble filling bra cups all the way to the bottom, and with this bra that was the case with my right tit. However, it didn’t show through my clothes and I didn’t spill over the top of the cups.
The size 20 briefs were dreamy! The frilly part over the thighs was a cute touch and they fit my ample bottom extremely well. I could probably have gone for an 18 as they were very true to size.

The next bra that I tried was the natural moulded multiway bra.
Strapless bras are not something I can wear unless the dress I have on gives me a huge helping hand, and so I was dubious about trying another one.

This bra reminded me a little of the Freya Deco. It fit true to size, unlike some strapless bras that come up very tight.

I was thrilled when I first put the bra on as I felt instantly boosted and aloft. However the bra didn’t keep my chest up for long, and it was only a matter of moments before I felt the weight of my bangers almost crushing the cups!

The inside of the band is lined with an almost rubber type of substance that helped stick to me without causing discomfort. However, even they could not support the weight of my chest.

I did love the smooth moulded cups and just how rounded my boobs looked, despite that only being fleeting!

The bra has additional boning around the band to help keep it aloft, and three hooks and eyes – two great features.

I feel that if the cups had more structure than being simply ‘moulded’ they would have maybe stayed up a little more. And if worn with a halterneck dress or a strapless dress with some inbuilt scaffolding it would no doubt work rather well!

I decided to try the bra as a halterneck as well.

The support was marginally better and I loved the shape it gave my chest.

The strap felt surprisingly comfortable on my neck – although any tighter and my neck paid the price of an even better cleavage!

Due to the fact that the bra still wouldn’t stay up, I did have some overspill. I think that the 36H is the best fit for me, however my boobs need a bit more help!

This bra has some very high ratings on the Debenhams site, and I think that ladies with a lighter firmer chest will get on very well with it.

So far this is the best strapless bra that I have tried, and I will be using it with any future dresses I find that work with it. I’ve pretty much given up hope of ever finding one that truly works in my current size on it’s own but who knows – maybe one day.

Introducing: Tutti Rouge

Recently, there has been a stirring amongst my fellow lingerie bloggers. Images from trade shows and press releases have been shared of a brand that is due to start hitting stores next month. I have seen images of laughing smiling models, wearing brightly coloured gorgeous sexy lingerie that appears to be available in larger cup sizes. Models that are slim and slender with curves, with smaller and larger back, augmented and natural breasts. Who is this magical brand? The answer…

“We would like to introduce you to a cute, curvaceous, fun, flirty and frilly lady ‐ Tutti Rouge.

Tutti Rouge will get the party started with one of the most exciting brand launches of the year, offering a stunning, fuller bust collection of coordinating lingerie available in DD – HH cups with 28” ­‐ 38” backs. The range has been lovingly created by lingerie designer Jessica Prebble. Previously Jessica has consistently delivered best styles for selected European brands and High Street retailers.

Tutti Rouge has already successfully trialled in several independent and online stores in the UK for AW12. The SS13 collection will debut with lingerie leader Bravissimo.

The emphasis for the brand is on fashion, fit and affordability. As Jessica says ‘Tutti Rouge will break a few hearts, but she won’t break the bank’.

Tutti Rouge calls to curvaceous, vivacious, fashion-­forward girls with attractive price points of £26 -­ £32 for bras and £9.50 – £17.50 for co-ordinates. Complemented by a vibrant marketing campaign, the word on every girls lips will soon be Tutti Rouge.”

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some Tutti Rouge lingerie!
Luckily, my wish was granted by the arrival of a gorgeous looking box some weeks later. The ‘Tutti Rouge’ label on the packaging made me instantly rip the parcel open, and inside was the most gorgeously presented box of lingerie and goodies.

I had been sent the ‘Liliana’ set in a size 36H/XL and she was gorgeous! And who can resist a stick of rock and some lip balm!?

I hurriedly tried Liliana straight on, marvelling at the fact that it was a gorgeous pretty pink PADDED bra in my size – yippee!

The set fit me almost perfectly! The cups were spot on with no bulging, the 3 hooked band was nice and snug, the fully adjustable straps with the cute heart adjusted didn’t dig in painfully. My only qualm was that the knickers were a bit too small. An XL roughly translates to a size 16, and these hips aint no 16! However, the soft stretchy material didn’t create too much of an unflattering silhouette, and they are certainly wearable. Fingers crossed that once the company launches and becomes popular they will consider introducing larger sizes.

The bra does give me a gentle cleavage. It’s not an overly projected shape, making it perfect as a more casual bra, or as a prettier bra to wear out under a fancy dress. I wore it to work underneath my white shirt, and I was very comfortable in it as I moved about during my 6 hour shift. I didn’t experience any digging in under the arms, any movement or any other discomfort.

Pink is not a colour I tend to favour, however, this softer bubblegum pink is undeniably gorgeous and very suited to my colouring. I love the white lace details seen on the cups and briefs, as well as the beautiful bows.

As I mentioned, the shape the cups give me is gorgeous. The bra is made out of a three part construction, and I find that even with padded bras that can sometimes give way to a pointy shape. However, Liliana keeps my boobs looking perky, rounded and gorgeous.  The top part of the cups is unpadded, which helps it lie against the bust rather than cut in.

The bra band is not overly rigid, meaning it was easy to fasten and nice and snug. I found that the sizing of the Tutti Rouge Liliana reflected that of Panache.

Tutti Rouge will start to hit stores from May onwards, so keep an eye on their Facebook page for more information, and more product photos. They will also be launching their website at around the same time.

I am excited to see what the future hold for Tutti Rouge. They may not stock as many sizes as full busted women would like, but give them time and I am sure things will change. To start off with 28 bands and padded bras up to an HH across all the band sizes is amazing, and I feel sure that they will soon become a favourite for many large breasted women who are crying out for flirty fun bra styles.

What do you think of Tutti Rouge and the Liliana bra? Will you be trying them out for yourself? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Smoothie Operator

My love for the Deco bra by Freya is one that is so strong and all consuming, it makes me break bra rules! I squeeze my 36H chest into their 36GG bras because of the unrivalled cleavage and oomph they give me, and I’ve yet to find a bra that fits properly and does the same.

Some time ago, Curvy Kate released a moulded plunge called the ‘Smoothie’, a bra that was actually named by Curvywordy! It followed the Showgirl sizing, meaning that it only went up to a 38G/36GG/34H and so on with the sister sizes.

Of course, I just had to try the Smoothie out. I decided to go for a 36GG and crossed my fingers that it would be a little more generous than the Deco.

The Smoothie has three hooks and eyes, which gives it one over on the Deco in my book. It has fully adjustable straps that were easy to self adjust and didn’t appear to slip. The bra is subtly leopard printed, and both it and the thong have a small leopard print pendant at the front centre. It’s been a while since I felt a brand new Deco, but I did think that the Smoothie was a tad stiffer than the Deco.

I took my Smoothie on holiday with me so that I could try it out underneath my pretty summer dresses. Here is how it fared…

I was impressed by the shape and lift the bra gave me – it was extremely similar to the Deco in terms of fit and comfort.

I did feel like it contained me a little more that my Deco both at the side, and the top. And so I decided to compare it to my 36GG Honey Deco – and lo and behold:

The back band fit well, although I may try a 34H with my next Smoothie as I felt there was a little give in the band.

The matching thong was an optimistic size 18 and sadly it didn’t quite cut it on me – or should I say, it DID cut it – my love handles that is!

I’m pretty excited at the way this bra fits, and even my anti pink rule can’t resist the lure of this little number:

I’m hoping that Smoothie may answer a few ladies prayers. I know that those who are sized out by the sister sizing system will be disappointed, but fingers crossed that this exciting development in the Deco rivaling stakes means that other companies will follow suit – or that Freya/Curvy Kate will expand their size range.

Why not check out Cheryl’s review here and Kelly’s review here.

What do you think of the Smoothie? Have you tried it or would you like too?

Review Of The Contour Strapless Bra by Bravissimo

Click here to view the bra.

A Learning Curve

I have always been a bigger girl.  At the age of 10 I remember getting fitted for some fantastic lycra shorts and a leotard to wear to my dance lessons and the man in the shop declared I had a rather large bust.  Being naive and paranoid I assumed he meant bottom, as I was conscious that my pedal pushers didn’t make me look quite as svelte as the other girls due to my unfortunately over developed booty.  However, a quick dictionary check shocked me – bust?!  I was as flat as a pancake! At the age of 12 my mother dismissed my chubby body it as ‘puppy fat’.  At the age of 14 my friend’s younger sister was sat on my lap and suddenly peered down my top!  She then yelled in delight at how she had seen my boobies, and proceeded to draw pictures of them and hang them in the dressing room at the theatre where I was performing in a pantomime.  I was mystified – I longed to have breasts but they stubbornly refused to be more than gnat bites.  At 15 my wish came true in a BIG way and two enormous melons suddenly appeared on my chest.   It was around this time that I had my first proper boyfriend, who declared that he was sick of big boobs as his last girlfriend had been a D cup.  I found myself a weekend job in a cafe and used to despair at the way the XL polo neck made me look.  At 16 I started at sixth form college – my least favourite years of education.  I would see the beautiful slim girls trotting around in their Topshop boyfriend fit shirts and River Island blazers with quirky badges sewn on, and I would try desperately to recreate this with my Dad’s old shirts, a charity shop suit jacket and some Brownie badges.  I would spend hours trying to create the perfect smokey eyes, blushered cheeks, pouty lips to be like the popular crew.  They would look effortlessly chic in leggings, ra-ra skirts and Uggs.  I would chop the bottoms off my tights, squeeze into an old skirt and wear my overly fluffy boots.  I never quite managed to be cool and I regret trying to be something that I wasn’t.  I went onto Uni and found myself to be, as ever, one of the bustier bigger girls.

The three donts - never cut your own hair, take a photo in which you can see your arm and pout like a fool!

Again I tried to fit in, then I went through my ‘rebelling stage’ by dying my hair black and getting a lip piercing and eventually dropped out due to a lack of interest in the course.

It's lucky I learnt how to smile

My parents suggested I go travelling to my Motherland – Australia.  And so off I went on my own to ‘discover myself’.  It was the best decision ever.  I made lifelong friends, had some amazing experiences, went out with no make up on and had fabulous nights out, found bikinis that cost an arm and a leg but fit my bosoms, started to wear dresses,discovered padded bras in my size and learnt how to smile in photographs.  I stopped trying to be like the popular girls and started to understand my shape.

Learning how to dress my curves and be a diva in Oz

I returned to the UK a very different person.  I still change my look with varying degrees of success, but I have been much more aware of my shape and the dos and don’ts of having a fuller figure and fuller bust ❤