All I want for Christmas…

This is not just lingerie; this is M&S lingerie...

The bra I have up for review this time is the Perfect Fit Underwired Extreme V PlungePush-up by Marks and Spencers.
I chose this bra as one I would like to receive myself as a Christmas present! (Here’s where I hope my boyfriend is reading)

I chose this bra because I’m a bit of a tomboy – I wear a lot of t-shirts, so needed a bra that was pretty enough to look at alone, but smooth enough on the cup to wear underneath a t-shirt without it becoming lumpy.
The cup of this bra is nice and smooth, with a little lace detailing towards the bottom of the cup, which flows seamlessly into the lace on the back band.
It’s also a great colour for wearing under a white top, for example, as the colour is described as ‘fawn’ a pink-beige colour.

The back of the bra is gorgeous, and the lace means that it can be worn as a luxury item, and looks gorgeous underneath a sheer blouse or shirt.  

It’s a genuine all-rounder to be honest, and is comfortable to boot!

With regards to the fit of the bra, there isn’t much negative to say at all.
The cups are well shaped and fit me very well, despite having two different sized boobs! Generally I get a fair bit of gaping on the right cup, but both cups on this bra fit me well, and there was only a tiny bit of gaping on the right hand side (which was barely noticeable and certainly not an issue).

I did expect the lace to be a little irritating, as this can happen with a lot of similar bras, however I was pleasantly surprised that even after wearing it for a while, it was still as comfortable as it was the moment I put it on J
This pleased me no end, because it’s so beautiful that anything less than perfect comfort would be an injustice!

The straps were also sufficiently well-built to withstand holding even the largest pair of twins, and they didn’t dig in at all in the time that I was wearing it (and believe me, I gave it a thorough testing!)

The bra was described as an Extreme V Plunge Push-up and it really did live up to that description.
Trying the bra on with my most revealing of dresses, no an inch of bra could be seen in the V of the dress, and the push-up effect really was amazing.

I always get a little wary of bras that claim to be extreme plunge, as it normally means that the padding is on the outer edge of the cup and I end up looking ridiculous with a gap the size of the Grand Canyon between my breasts.
However.
The Extreme V Plunge Push-up did retain some of the padding on the bottom of the cup (in its rightful place) and so I actually ended up with a decent cleavage for once. A miracle considering the meagre quantity of boob that I actually possess!
The quality of the padding is also pretty good. Sometimes you find the weird bean-filled sacs in the bottom of bras, or really heavy, poor-quality ‘foam’ type padding that does nothing more than weigh you down. Again, 

I was pleasantly surprised, as the padding was lightweight and comfortable, with just enough there to do the job, without there being too much.

As a result, the shape that the bra gave me was also very natural. With it being a plunge bra, a lot of what makes up the shape of your boobs while wearing this bra is, in fact, your own breasts.
On occasion, the padding takes over, and all you see under your clothes is what appears to be half a tennis ball stuck onto your chest; however this was not the case here.

As I said, the shape this bra gives is very natural, and does look as if there is no padding there at all, especially with the plunge feature leaving a lot of breast uncovered.

Testing

I gave this bra all my usual tests…

I wore it for a number of hours, and did a fair bit of jumping around to see how well it would stand up to that (In all honesty, I did a few star-jumps, but it’s a worthy test nonetheless!)
Safe to say nothing fell out or over-spilled, though I did have to pull the back down once or twice.
My argument for this is that I had the bra on the loosest hook (which you should always do when trying on a new bra). While I could have got a smaller back size, after putting on the middle hook, all my troubles ceased and I had a fully functional, supportive bra.

Lifting my boobs into the cups proved no problem. They fit in perfectly, and didn’t over-spill or gape (I’ve already mentioned my issues with differing cup sizes between my boobs) so that was all good!

During my trademark ‘shake test’ the bra also stood up well. Hanging upside down while frantically trying to shake my boobs out of the cups amounted to nothing, as this bra held me in with no trouble at all, despite having a fairly low plunge at the front.

Just take a look at my fitting guide to see what size you need to begin looking at. Of course, this doesn’t give a definitive answer, it’s merely a guide to get you started.
To be honest I always find that once you find your back size, getting the cup size is really a matter of common sense and trial-and-error. Getting the back size isn’t usually too hard either; it’ll be roughly the measurement (in inches) around your ribcage just under your breasts (this is always a good starting point). 

Always try on bras on the loosest hook, and if you feel it’s too tight, go up a size. If it’s too loose and the back is riding up, make sure you go down a back size, or you risk not getting the support you need, which can lead to back problems in the long run, among other things.

With the cup sizes, as I said, there’s a bit of trial-and-error involved, but once you’re started its really very easy. If in doubt, most stores now have trained professionals to help you anyway. For this, I highly recommend Marks and Spencers, Ann Summers and Debenhams – these are the best from my experience.
If you’re experiencing a bit of overspill from the cup or under your arms, go up a cup size. If there’s gaping, go down.

So to summarise…

I’m going to rate this bra in four categories, with stars being awarded out of five for each category:

Comfort: ★★★★★
Fit: ★★★★
Support: ★★★★★
Quality: ★★★★★

In summary, I gave the fit 4 out of 5 stars because of the slight issue with the back size, though that wasn’t a major issue and it was easily sorted by just tightening the band a little.

Every other aspect I was immensely pleased with to be honest, and I think I would be hard-pressed to find a better bra for the same purpose anywhere else J

Anyone that wants a link to this bra, here you go! Just click on the image below. It comes in three colours and is very reasonably priced at £22.50 :) 

Haych xxx 

Drumroll please...

So...it's clearly been a while since my last post. Life has a bad habit of getting in the way sometimes!

But from now on, I have a lot more free time since I finished my degree (hooray) so I'm getting back into the blogosphere well and truly. And I hope to do it in style ;)

So first of all, a review of one bra that I'd love to receive for Christmas, from the M&S range. Why I crave it, how I know it's right for me, and a link in case a certain someone wants to buy it for me (hint) haha

As the Boxing day and January sales hit, I'll be identifying the very best in New Year bargains from every lingerie range you can imagine, with thorough lists of the best deals, and how you can get them :)

That's it for this short post, but in the meantime, Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New year from me!!

Epic Bra Battles - Day Two!

Round One: Looks

The Serengeti Plains is one of those bra’s where you can tell it’s well made from the moment you put it on.
The material was gorgeous; deep blue satin that felt wonderful to touch because its just so soft. Despite this, the design is a little plain, though I suppose any more and it would have been ‘too much’. The bows are a nice touch though, in complementary orange.
The straps are in the same colour and material as the cups, so they're not too fussy either.
On the whole, this bra (while it feels lovely) does lack that little something extra.

The Collette from La Senza is a gorgeous bra by anyone's standards. The cups are silk, with delicate lacing on the cups and scalloped lace along the neckline.
Similarly to the Serengeti Plains, this bra has a delicate bow nestled between the cups, which is gorgeous.
The straps are plain, and the same colour as the cups. This works well with the style of the bra however; any more detailing and its at risk of looking too fussy.

The winner for round one...the Collette!

Round Two: Quality
I found the Serengeti Plains to be very well made, as is typical of Elle MacPherson.
As the cups are molded, they feel durable, and I think the quality of them is good enough for this bra to be worn everyday with no trouble!
The straps seem a little unsubstantial, as I suspect there may be issues when it comes to larger cup sizes, with them causign a little discomfort.
The fastenings all seem great, and I don't feel there is much danger of this bra breaking in any way!

The Collette, while a high street bra, is also fantastically well-made.
 The silk if of course outstanding quality for a high-street bra. Many are made from satin, which is no-where near as luxurious as the silk. The lace detailing is added beautifully, and the quality of the lace is great. It doesn't itch at all, and it does look and feel wonderful.
The straps seem suitably thick which is always a plus, especially for the larger cup sizes.

Both bra's are wonderful, and so well made its ridiculous! Therefore, I award a draw!

Round Three: Comfort
When wearing the Serengeti Plains, I found that it was immensely comfortable. The cups were nicely lined with no seams, and the underwires weren't poking out or digging in. In fact I barely noticed they were there!
I found the level of support that this bra gave to be great too. I tried to shake my boobs out of the cups, and there was a small amount of spillage from the cup. This is not unexpected, as this does happen with a lot of bra’s. To make this point again, however, for such a pricey bra, I did expect better.

The Collette in white

With the Collette, the cups were a slightly different shape to those of the Serengeti Plains. I felt that my boobs were held in much better by the Collette, and when I tested this by trying to shake them out, there was actually no spillage whatsoever from the cup. Needless to say, I was impressed!
Again, the underwires were great, as was the lining of the cup.
In fact the only thing I didn't like about this bra was the fact that I couldn't take it home with me!!

So I feel the winner of this round, and overall is the Collette!


The Collette wasn't a whole lot cheaper than the Serengeti Plains (the Collette being £30 and the Serengeti being £37) but the value-for-money comes from silk being used to make the cheaper Collette, and satin on the Serengeti.

Haych xxx

Epic Bra Battles - Day One!

Janet Reger Floral Balconette vs Elle MacPherson Cupcake

Round 1: Looks

When I first saw the Cupcake, I didn't think much would be able to top it on looks. The baby blue colour is gorgeous, and the lace detailing is equally as lovely. The adorable little blue bows that adorn this bra are so cute, as is the white lace on the straps. It's little details like this that really make a bra for me - it shows effort has gone into making it, and serious thought has gone into the design. 

The Reger balconette, however, outstripped this by miles. The floral printed material is chiffon, and is pleated around the cups. Lace is overlayed on top, around the top of the cup, and an adorable white bow nestles in between the cups. 

While the straps aren't lace (as they are with the Cupcake) this makes them much more comfortable. There is also lace along the band, which is a nice feature. 

So a clear winner for round one; Janet Reger Floral Balconette!

Round Two: Quality

From experience, Elle MacPherson always make high quality lingerie, and the Cupcake is no exception. The patterning on the lace is gorgeous, and it feels so well made. Even though half the cup is delicate lace, it feels substantial enough to last wear after wear.
The straps seem thick enough to hold most women up without discomfort, and all the detailing (such as the bows) are put on beautifully. They're also built into the bra - the cups 'flow' up straight into the strap, which I always find to be a good feature in a bra (they always feel so much sturdier like that). The underwires were firmly in place, and they didn't bulge out of the side of the cup as they do in so many other bras.
The band of the bra isn't especially elastic - it doesn't have too much give in it, and this could be a problem (given, its one of the only problems I can find with the craftmanship of this bra!)

Having never tried a Janet Reger bra before, I didn't know what to expect in terms of quality, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
The stitching on the chiffon on the cup was really strong, and the lace details and bow seemed equally as strong as that on the Cupcake. The underwires too were firmly in place, and (as with the Cupcake) they didn't poke out of the fabric at the ends.
I can only see one problem with this bra, and that is with the straps. While they are substantial enough to hold up larger breasts without difficulty, I don't always like the way that they're attached to the cup itself. The straps are sewn onto the cup (as opposed to being built up from the cup as they are with the Cupcake). This does make me feel a little more dubious about their strength, but to be honest, I can't see it breaking, even for those wearing it in the 38DD it goes up to. 

So for round two, the winner is the Cupcake.
That means it's a draw so far, and round three is the decider!

Round Three: Comfort

The first thing I noticed when wearing the Cupcake, was the lace. While it is simply gorgeous, it was a little irritating, especially on the straps and band. The lace was itchy, and gave me little red patches on my skin #sadface :(

Despite this, the bra fit well, and was comfortable in the cups. The material lining them was soft, and there weren't any seams on the inside of the cup (which I know can be irritating to some people). The underwires didn't poke out of their lining as happens with some bra's, which is a definite sign of quality too.
Another thing I've noticed with some bra's, is how close the cups are together. With some, they can be quite close together (which is a problem for me personally) and your boobs are squished together. This is certainly not the case with this bra; it's really comfortable, and holds your girls in a very natural position. 

Excuse the slight blurryness...I have terribly shaky hands!

The floral balconette was super comfy. The cups are a really good shape, with no seams inside them to irritate. They also cover a fair amount of boob, so there's no spillage from the cup, and you feel particularly secure.
As with the Cupcake, the underwires didn't dig in at all; the lining kept them really secure.
The lace wasn't directly on your skin, so there was no discomfort from that at all, and the straps are made from plain material which is relatively thick, so they were really comfortable on your shoulders.
Again, the cups were in really natural positions, so your boobs aren't getting out in any positions they wouldn't normally be in!

Finally, the winner of round three is the Janet Reger Floral Balconette! 

And I can conclude from this, the first of many Epic Bra Battles that the overall winner is the high street bra, the Janet Reger Floral Balconette.
So. It appears that in this case, a higher price tag doesn't necessarily mean a better bra.
And for those interested, the Janet Reger Floral Balconette cost a mere £20 in comparison to the Cupcake's £41 price tag!

Next time, Elle MacPherson vs La Senza! Stay tuned ;)

Haych xxx

Designer vs High Street - Epic bra battles 101

So in a series of classic head-to-head battles, I am going to pitch designer and high street bra's against each other over the next three days to determine if you really do get what you pay for.
I have three designer bra's; the Cupcake (by Elle MacPherson), the Serengeti Plains (also by Elle MacPherson) and the Seductive Comfort (by Calvin Klein). These are going to be put head-to-head against similar bra's that you can buy for £30 or under on the high street.

I took a trip to Manchester on the 21st August to see which bra's were the most comparable to the designer ones I had chosen.
I chose to go on this day, because the 21st August was a special day in Manchester.
Following the horrific riots of the 9th August, the people of Manchester have rallied together against the violence and have launched the I♥MCR campaign.
Thousands of people were in town, hundreds holding I♥MCR posters, and wearing I♥MCR t-shirts. The Manchester Evening News printed free Metrolink vouchers in the paper to encourage people to get back into the city centre and show support for the local businesses.

Photo: Mark Waugh

Around 2pm, film crews showed up, and in the 'Manchester Moment', hundreds of people held up their posters, and gave interviews about this campaign. Bands played in Piccadilly Gardens, and street dancers performed in St Anns square; everyone completely united against those few who destroyed so much of our great city.
When I finally dragged myself away, I got to work!

The three high street bra's I chose were the floral chiffon balconette (by Janet Reger), the Collette silk bra (by La Senza) and the white spot balcony (by Wonderbra).

There are three rounds to every 'fight':
Round One is looks
Round Two is quality
Round Three is comfort

So those are the rules, and soon it's time to get started!

Haych xxx

Little things that make a big difference! (The sequel)

This is a continuation of my quest to find the best boosting bra on the high street. The first 'instalment' of which you can read a little further down the page. Or you can be lazy and click here ^-^

Continuing the quest for the best boosting bra on the high street, I bring you bra’s from La Senza!

There are only two, at the moment, as there was a bit of a crisis in the Manchester Debenhams that day, and all customers and staff were evacuated. I spent the majority of the journey out of the building still pulling on my top!

Nevertheless, I tried out two kinds of bra; one a boosting strapless, the other a strapless bandeau.

XXX Effect Strapless

 

The boost that this bra gives your cleavage is pretty decent, it's about 2 cup sizes. While the bra was quite weighty because of the sheer amount of padding, the effect this gives is great. The fit was good, and the shape that it gives your boobs is quite natural, which can’t be said for many bra’s with this much padding in them!

Because of the weight, it meant that the bra felt the effect of gravity rather a lot more than normal strapless bras, and I felt like I would constantly be pulling it up throughout the day. Having said that, it kept me in place relatively well, more so than a lot of strapless bra’s I’ve tried in the past, so that counts for something.
After trying the bra out on a couple of nights out in Manchester, I found that all of my assumptions about pulling it up were wrong. The bra stays up fantastically well, and lasted the entire night on two (and many more to come) occasions.

There weren’t many designs on the bra’s, which was a shame; the standard plain black, nude and white, and this leopard print were the only ones available. The black, nude and white bra's cost £22, while the leopard print costs £6 more, at £28.
The boost that this bra gives you is around +2 cup sizes.

Comfort: ***
Fit: ***
Support: ****
Quality: ****

Soft Bandeau - Nude

I hesitated to try this bra on, because bandeau bra’s usually look absolutely terrible on me. This one didn’t look too bad though, so I thought I’d give it a go.

As the sizes were small to extra large, I opted for a medium, though the elastic was a little loose around my ribcage. I could have had small, but I think the cup size would have been to small then. That’s the problem with sizing things with S, M and L...it really doesn’t take into account the variation amongst women with regards to cup size. Just because you have a small band measurement, doesn’t necessarily mean you have a small cup size to match, and the same goes for larger band measurements.

On the whole though, this isn’t bad for a bra to wear for general everyday things. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for a night out though! It does hold you in reasonably well, and it stood up well in the ‘shake test’, as I didn’t fall out at all. It was comfortable though, as there were no wires to dig in, or silicon gripping to stick to your ribs!

There isn’t much in the way of padding, for those that want it, and the shape that it gives your boobs isn’t particularly natural. It gives the impression of two half tennis balls, stuck on your chest...

For women with larger boobs, I don’t think that this bra would hold you up especially well. There isn’t any grip on the elastic, as there are with most strapless bras, so I don’t think it would hold up especially well.

As far as design goes, you’re pretty much limited to white, natural or black, although this isn’t exactly a luxury bra, so this is to be expected.
Costing £16, this is a very reasonably priced bra.

Comfort: ****
Fit: ***
Support: **
Quality: ***

Unfortunately, that's it for the La Senza bra's for now. However! I will be updating this very soon! I feel a shopping trip coming on ^-^

Haych xxx

A look into this seasons lingerie trends :)

As you may know, I ran a questionnaire for a couple of weeks to have a look at the lingerie consumer market this season.
A surprising number of people helped me out; I wasn't expecting such a great response!

So, the first thing is a quick breakdown of my audience. This is actually a reflection on the blog too, so I thought it was kinda interesting...
Anyway, a whole 91% of the people who answered my questionnaire were aged between 20 and 29 years, and the rest were in the 10 to 19 years category!

...I'm a little sad...I like using excel for everything! ;)

I also found that only 54% of the people asked had been professionally fitted into a bra. This really surprised me, because I thought that most people would have been. Those that had, had gone (most commonly) to Marks and Spencers, with the next most popular being Debenhams. M&S did have mixed reviews however - which is exactly what I have heard from people I know who have been fitted there. The fitting is described by some as "rushed" with "no advice or recommendations given", whereas others swear by M&S fitters who "always seem to know what they're doing, and make finding the right bra easier".
Having never been fitted in M&S (only Debenhams) this discrepancy has given me the incentive to go and try out a few stores, to see where is actually the best place to go for a fitting. Cue, the store fitting challenge!

The Freya Deco, up to 38G

The After Eden Multiway, up to 38D

The most popular styles of bra amongst consumers at the moment seem to be multiways and strapless, t-shirt and push-up underwired bra's. With the arrival of summer (or what we foolishly call 'summer' here in the UK) the multiway and strapless bra's are out in full force, with the arrival of strapless and strappy dresses to our wardrobes!
Of course the best multiway bra's don't focus primarily on how many ways they can be worn, but on the quality of the fit to begin with.
Whenever I try a multiway, I always begin by removing the straps and wearing it as a strapless bra. If it doesn't hold you up well enough without the straps, chances are it won't perform brilliantly, for example, as a halterneck.
As multiways offer less support than a classic bra, if it's not holding you up without the straps, chances are it won't be a whole lot better with them either.
It's generally easier to get t-shirt and push-up bra's to fit, as they're the kind of bra most people are used to, even from buying your first bra - I know mine was a plain black, underwired t-shirt bra, so I'm well used to them!

To provide a little more detail, I looked into what designs consumers prefer to see this season on their lingerie.
Since floral prints are very fashionable this season, I expected to see a lot of responses related to floral patterns on our underwear. I was quite surprised to see, however, that the reaction to floral printed undies wasn't quite as positive as I had imagined.
A lot of responses suggested a certain 'tiredness' for floral underwear.
Lace being the timeless classic that it is, was very popular, as were pastel colours and 'frills' (I can't see these EVER going out of fashion!).
Tying together the most popular styles of bra with design, plain block colours are also quite popular, and this is understandable. T-shirt bra's are popular all year round, as are the classic block colours that go hand-in-hand with them!

The fabric of a bra is important too, with many consumers preferring cotton and silky underwear, as opposed to man-made mixes of fabrics.

Of course, these can be quite costly materials, and since 72% of people would be willing to spend only between £0 and £20 on a new bra, it seems we can't always have what we want!

Haych xx

Silk image from aveniabridal.com