Reviewed: Mimi Holliday by Damaris 'Bisou Bisou' non-padded bra for larger cup sizes

Avant-garde lingerie should be full of surprises. It must push design boundaries. Through lingerie a woman shows her true style. It is integral that my designs are luxurious, fun, interesting, intricate and essentially, functional." - Damaris Evans

   If you are in search of luxurious lingerie with high fashion impact, Damaris is certain to have any lingerista weak at the knees! With a background in Fashion Print design and a strong creative flair, Damaris Evans created Damaris lingerie in September 2001 after noticing a gap in the commercial lingerie market for a high end lingerie brand. 

   The Damaris brand was an instant hit and soon Press and celebrity clientele were clammering to snap up the gorgeous designs. Evans went on to win several awards (including the Elle Style Award for 'Young Enterprise of the Year' and the 'Inspire and Mentor' Marie Claire campaign award). Her stunning avant-garde designs continue to be received with great acclaim from both fashion and lingerie fields alike.

   As you can see, the attention to detail, luxury fabrics, high quality finish, swarovski embellishments and edgy designs are quite simply put..stunning! I am particularly enamoured with the Damaris 'Tutti Frutti' 'bum cleavage' knickers (below)..

   Of course, such craftmanship comes at a high price and Damaris lingerie retails at around £100+ for a pair of knickers and lingerie can go up to and exceed £3000 per piece! The good news for couture-lovers is that Damaris' diffusion line, Mimi Holliday (launched in early 2003), offers similar lingerie luxuries, but at more affordable price points! Mimi Holliday knickers come in at around £35-£40 and bras at around £50-£60, meaning that you can pick up some gorgeous luxury pieces for less! 

   Mimi Holliday differentiates itself from mainline, Damaris, in that the lingerie tends to be very playful, colourful and fun, whilst remaining sexy and boudoir in feel. I personally fell in love with Mimi Holliday lingerie due to the unique and edgy designs coupled with the fearless colour/print clashes and zingy colour cocktails of neon yellows and pinks. 

   I also applaud the design variations; customers can choose from padded plunge bras, shoulder bras, balcony bras, unpadded 'comfort' bras and matching coordinates including classic knickers, thongs, hipster briefs, boyshorts and high waisted knickers..plus there are some gorgeous slips, suspender belts, camisoles, bodies and babydolls for those in search of some boudoir sex appeal!

   Better still, Mimi Holliday's sizing range goes from 28-40 AA-GG, meaning that many women can enjoy the beautiful lingerie collections! It is fantastic to see such decadent and good quality lingerie that starts at an often-missed-off 28 back and which goes up to a GG cup! 

   A few months back, I went along to a lingerie sample sale that included Damaris and Mimi Holliday and I was thrilled to come across the Mimi Holliday 'Bisou Bisou' blush non padded bra for larger cup sizes in a 28G (which I snapped up for about £25!).

   I was particularly excited to try a 28G in this bra as I had previously been into Selfridges and had tried on several Mimi Holliday bras in a 30FF, which were all too large in the back for me, whilst correct in cup volume. The 'Bisou Bisou' also boasts other bra style options (including a padded plunge, shoulder bra, triangle bra etc.) but the particular bra that I bought is a non-padded plunge style, which is ideal for women with larger busts who prefer a more natural/unboosted shape...

   The 'Bisou Bisou' bra in blush is nothing short of beautiful and it oozes old Hollywood glamour! Its stunning pearly-champagne silk satin is offset by a glorious black cabaret eyelash lace overlay and the bow adornments and soft satin straps are further testimony to this bra's timeless appeal.

   The 'Bisou Bisou' boasts mesh back wings and two hook and eye fastenings. It also features a three piece cup construction, with a sheer top layer of scalloped eyelash lace over a very thin layer of mesh, allowing a subtle but seductive hint of skin to peek through.

   The 28G 'Bisou Bisou' fits nicely in the band and cup and I would say that if you are between sizes like me (I tend to vary between a 28FF and 28G nowadays), it may be worth sizing up in the cup. The shape that it gives is very natural and possibly a bit minimising. Although I tend to favour slightly padded bras over unpadded, I do appreciate a non padded bra if it is as chic and decadent as this lacey delight!

    The bra feels comfortable against the skin thanks to the soft materials used, which is always a bonus. I am really pleased that the top lace panels on the cups are slightly stretchy due to a thin mesh underlay, which allows for the cups to mould nicely to the breast shape. Similarly, care has been taken to make the top edging on the cups elasticated, which is a great design feature as it is comfortable and less likely to cut into the breast tissue.

(Even the shape of this bra on my mannequin is quite 'natural', following the contours of the 'breasts'!)

   I am a little wary of the straps, however, as although they are soft and satin-y, they are also quite thin. They feel very delicate and less reinforced than the straps on other bras that I own and after a whole day of wearing this bra, they do dig in a bit under the strain of a larger cup size. I also wish that the straps were fully adjustable rather than just partially, as it would give a longer lifespan to the straps as they loosen with wear.

   The 'Bisou Bisou' is such a stunning bra (demure and sexy in equal measure) and it is certainly perfect as a special occasion bra, but I'd hesitate to wear it as an everyday bra as it just feels too delicate - I'd probably worry about bouncing or that I'd snag the ornate eyelash lace on my clothing! 

   I love the attention to detail and the 'hand tailored' quality of Mimi Holliday bras, but I feel that the 'Bisou Bisou' bra could perhaps benefit from a little more reinforcement in its construction as it doesn't give a huge amount of support to a larger bust. That said, Mimi Holliday's decadent lingerie is definitely the sort of underwear that you can just slip on and feel a million dollars in and I'd really love to try more from this brand in future!

   The Autumn/ Winter collection looks set to melt hearts and for those of you that are interested in trying the 'Bisou Bisou', fear not, because it returns for the coming season in delectable 'Brulée' and 'Berry':

(The Mimi Holliday 'Elferine' lace comfort bra, £54 also looks to be a similar design to the 'Bisou Bisou'..and how pretty and unique is the green and pink colour combination?)

What do you think of Mimi Holliday? Have you tried their lingerie before?

Love,
Kitty xo