Parfait by Affinitas

Affinitas are a brand I was not previously familar with, so when I heard about them from some fellow big busted girls, I had to see what all the fuss was about. It’s safe to say their beautiful selection of lingerie is nothing short of stunning. The set that caught my eye in particular (and Becky’s too, who reviewed it on Invest in Your Chest)  was the Parfait Charlotte set. It comes in red/black as well, but it was the peach/black that really stood out for me. The Parfait range is probably my favourite from their selections, but there are so many beautiful items it’s hard to choose! 

Parfait by Affinitas – Charlotte – Peach/Black

It’s taken quite some time to get hold of this little gem in my size – I contacted numerous companies asking for assistance, including Affinitas themselves, but they just brushed me off suggesting different styles or colours instead. They were at least friendly and polite which is great, but didn’t solve my problem especially as I had my heart set on this particular version of the Charlotte.
The one wonderful company that went above and beyond to help me on my quest for the Charlotte bra, was Large Cup Lingerie. I have heard of them before of course, but never realised quite how brilliant they really are. They are the reason I have this gorgeous set in my possession, and they have very quickly become one of my go-to online shops to buy from.  I cannot fault their customer service, and their online site reminds me a lot of Leia Lingerie, with an outlet section with lots of discounts, yay!

The Charlotte set has a beautiful vintage feel to it; the modest peach colouring combined with the burlesque-style black and satin panelling makes you feel a million dollars as soon as you put it on.
When it arrived in the post, I raced to put it on and headed off to work. I think it must have done incredible things for my confidence, because I received three lovely compliments throughout the day, and the only difference was the bra set!

Parfait by Affinitas – Charlotte – Peach/Black

It is lightly padded with 3 hooks at the back, and fully adjustable straps. I chose to get a 32G; I had heard that the band ran tight, and found that indeed true. It was perfect in the 32, and in fact it’s very comfortable. In the first 5 minutes I thought the label would become really scratchy, but I completely forgot  it was there from that point on, which is very good news (I hate to cut out labels). The cups do run small, so the centre gore was very slightly lifted in the middle. I suspect perhaps a GG would’ve been a better fit, but crucially, it wasn’t uncomfortable, nor did it bother me, and there didn’t seem to be any four-boob syndrome going on.

You will notice in the pictures of the bra, that by the end of the day, my breasts had shifted about, so there is a bit of space at the bottom – once rearranged however, the space goes away again, which is a similar issue I have with the Deco bras. It doesn’t cause any problems, it just means you need to check every so often that everything is sitting where it’s meant to be!

Parfait by Affinitas – Charlotte – Peach/Black

I had a choice between regular or high waisted briefs; I opted for high waisted – given the beautiful retro style of the set, I think they go wonderfully with the bra. I got them in a Large, and they were a perfect fit, very comfortable too. 

I’m amazed actually that such a ‘bedroom’ set is so pleasing to wear. I wore it for the whole day, and didn’t have any real fit or comfort issues at all. 

You can buy this set here from Large Cup Lingerie, and they offer free shipping worldwide!
If you’re in the US, you may also have some retailers near you that stock Affinitas (lucky you). 

I’m still lusting after some of the other Parfait by Affinitas bras, and the next one I have my eye on is the Blue Casey bra…it looks like a light blue Deco, wow!

Parfait by Affinitas – Casey – Pale Blue

Love

Sophia xxx

The Bettie Mae Bra

Lovely girlies, I’m back after the delay in posting – I have now finally moved house, and can return to having regular internet and consequentially regular blogging!

A bra I bought just at the end of last year was the Bettie Mae bra by Bravissimo; the first padded plunge bra made by Bravissimo themselves. It comes in a much wider range than the deco which has been very well recived by bigger busted women. The band sizes run from a 28-38, and come in cup sizes ranging from DD-J which will definitely suit the smaller backed bigger busted of us out there, as well as many other difficult sizes.

The Bettie Mae Set

It has a very unusual colour, one which I wouldn’t normally go for, and something I might call a ‘burnt orange’. In real life, it is a very pretty bra, and has a slight sheen to it. It’s perfect for this cold winter with its warm glow, reminiscent of a warm cosy fire.

Bettie Mae - Bravissimo

It looks very shiny when using a camera flash, so I’ve taken a photo without flash so you can get a better feel for what it really looks like.
It’s lightly padded, so has a softer more squishy feel to it than a deco would, and the band has a bit of stretch to it. I would recommend perhaps sizing up one size in the cup, and choosing your smaller band size. I am wearing this in a 30GG, but I really feel a 30H would be more comfortable, as the GG gives me a little sideboob.
The plunge is quite nice because it gives a subtle cleavage, often the kind you might want for work. Not only that, but it’s a sexy bra too, and let’s face it, it’s not often you find a comfortable everyday bra that’s a gorgeous evening bra as well – a great mix.

The Bettie Mae also comes with the choice of briefs or a thong (I personally love the cute bow on the back of the briefs!)

The straps are fully adjustable, and the fit and comfort of it reminds me of Bravissimo’s Poppy bra (unpadded), and I would suggest that if you’ve tried the Poppy bra, that you will most likely be the same size in the Bettie Mae.

At the time the Poppy bra came out, I didn’t have the chance to review it – it’s actually a lovely everyday bra for me, and I wear it quite often. It’s an unpadded plunge bra, which is very soft, and very comfortable too. I also have this in a 30GG, but again, as with the Bettie Mae, I could really do with a 30H. The design is beautiful, and the black lace really works well against the beautiful poppy pattern.

Poppy Bra - Bravissimo

For comfort, Bravissimo bras are definitely 10/10.

Love

Sophia xxx

Twelve Gossard Bras of Christmas

A few months ago, Simply Yours and Simply Be launched a ‘Get Your Straps Out’ competition – you were asked to send in a photo subtly exposing your bra strap in the most imaginative place. After entering the competition, I was really surprised and over the moon to hear I was picked as one of the lucky winners; the prize being 12 sets of Gossard Lingerie (the equivalent of a years supply!)

I was so excited to be chosen, and thought what better way to test out this lovely underwear, than review it on here. It’s no secret that I’ve often struggled with Gossard, and have previously had trouble finding the perfect fit. This is largely because they don’t make my regular size of 30GG. It is important to note that their bras go no higher than a G cup, and no lower than a 30 band although I do hope this changes one day.

Having tried only 32Gs in their styles in the past, and knowing that they were too loose all over, I felt confident enough to decide on 30G. It was a risk, but a risk I’m glad I took. All the styles I was sent are 30G, and all the pants are a Large.

When the very large box arrived, I was slightly overwhelmed by what a great gift it was. I opened it feeling like it was Christmas morning, to find an array of beautiful and striking garments. I have since been (not so patiently) waiting for my day off to test them out.

There are a total of 12 sets, and what seem to be 5 different styles.

Three Gossard Superboost Laces
Two Gossard Wild Prints
Two Gossard Superboosts
Two Gossard Fleurs
Two Ooh La La’s
And One Gossard Allure

Unfortunately the only full length mirror I have is permanently scuffed, so I’ve taken some more photos of each set on the hanger to give a better reflection of the colour and material. Please do excuse the shoddy full length photos.

Numbers 1, 2 and 3; the Superboost Lace bras.

Gossard Superboost Lace Sets

Superboost Lace - Jade

Superboost Lace - Rouge

Superboost Lace - Black

I found the Superboost Lace bra very sexy, especially with all that lace, but the cup felt a little more like a 30G than some of the others, which meant it was on the small side. Fortunately it’s not so small that I can’t wear it, but I definitely could do with wearing a cup size bigger. The back was nice and tight, definitely a firm 30. I preferred the comfort of the briefs compared to the thong, but I did think the thong looked great alongside the lacey suspender belt!

Numbers 4 and 5; the Wild Print Bras:

Gossard Wild Print Sets

Wild Print - Jade/Brown

Wild Print - Purple/Black

I very much love the Wild Print bras – I think every woman should own at least one animal print undergarment. I’ve tried this style of Gossard bra before, but in a 32G, and the fit was just way off. I’ve discovered it’s actually big in the cup, so to downsize to a 30G was actually spot on (phew!). The colours are bold and exciting, and the 30 back was just perfect, not too loose and not too tight, the briefs were comfy too!

Numbers 6 and 7; the Satin Superboost bras:

Gossard Superboost Sets

Superboost Celebration - Champagne

Superboost Satin - Purple

The Satin superboost bras actually fit surprisingly well. The back was very firm, and the cups were actually quite comfortable. I don’t often wear thongs, but these ones were very soft to the touch. The Celebration set has a little champagne bottle detail on the front instead of the classic ‘G’ detail – a nice added touch!

Numbers 8 and 9; the Fleur bras:

Gossard Fleur Plunge Sets

Fleur - Blueberry

Fleur - Rouge

Possibly my favourite sets out of them all. I am a sucker for blues and purples, so the Blueberry really caught my attention. The red with the black lace edges just looks divine – lingerie heaven!
I found again that the cups and the back fit very well – I definitely wouldn’t want this one in a GG, the G was actually perfect, the back felt very similar to that of the Wild Prints. This time I actually liked the briefs and thong equally. The thong was cut in such a way as to flatter curves rather than cut into them. A great set all round.

Numbers 10 and 11; the Ooh La La bras:

Gossard Ooh La La Sets

Ooh La La Longline Strapless - Ivory

Ooh La La Plunge - Ivory

I got on very well with The Ooh La La plunge bra, the back was tight but not too tight, and the cups just about fit, although I could do with a bigger cup. The strapless, which has some useful removable straps, is a full cup bra – because of this, it meant there was no way I could really fit in to it. It is a lovely garment, but the back was also much tighter compared to the plunge – I think this may be an instance where I could fit into one of their 32G’s, possibly! The suspender belt was lovely, but as I was wearing size large pants, the belt was also a large, but my waist isn’t. Now I know this, next time I order with them I will pick a different suspender belt size for sure!

And last but not least, number 12; the Allure Plunge bra:

Gossard Allure Plunge Set

Allure - Noir

A smouldering and beautiful set, the Allure certainly lives up to its name. There is a sort of nude underlay, which makes it more exciting than being just a simple black bra. I found the cups very small. They were quite stiff which made it less easy to squish myself in, I think even a 30GG would’ve been just about manageable, and probably even in that size I may have wanted to size up. For those who can fit into it, I would recommend it, it feels great on.

With all of these sets, I felt they were supportive enough for an evening, but perhaps not all day long. They wouldn’t be the bras I wear to work, but they would definitely be bras I would wear on a night out…or a night in.

So, after my twelve day rendezvous with Gossard, I am now convinced. They have really won me over…well almost. My few criticisms are purely about size. Why is it that they use a model who is at most a 28 band, or possibly something as small as 26 or 24, yet the smallest band available is a 30? If you compare my underbust to that of their models, it is clear we would not need the same band size. I would love for Gossard to factor in smaller bands and bigger cups, hopefully one day, my wish will come true!

Dear Gossard, thank you for the fabulous lingerie, and dear Simply Yours, thank you for choosing me!

Merry Christmas!

Love

Sophia xxx