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Wednesday 10 July 2013

Basking in beauty: Tutti Rouge 'Betty' bra and knicker review



   Over the last few months, waves of excitement have coursed through the Lingerie blogging community, heralding the arrival of a new fuller bust lingerie brand! Think cup cakes and pillow fights, add a dash of eye-catching colour and adorable prints, then top it off with a sprinkling of flirty satin and lace.. and voila! Say hello to the new brand on the block that is creating a buzz...Tutti Rouge!

Baking cakes, pillow fights.. and that's just the advert! 

   Tutti Rouge is the brain child of Jessica Prebble, a lady who is certainly no stranger to the Lingerie scene! With 17 years of experience in the Intimates sector (including a degree in Contour Fashion from De Montfort University, a Masters in Textiles from Birmingham UCE and work with lingerie giants such as Bravissimo and Debenhams), it seemed apt that Jessica began her own label. Her wealth of knowledge has led her to develop a brand that answers the prayers of many younger, larger busted girls who struggle to find fashion-conscious (and affordable!) lingerie in both padded and unpadded bra styles. 

   Jessica understands that design, fit, quality and affordability go hand in hand: "Tutti rouge will break a few hearts but she won't break the bank" and it is precisely this philosophy that Tutti Rouge delivers. Tutti Rouge injects a new lease of life into the lingerie market with fashionable designs that are guaranteed to turn heads. Tutti Rouge offers fresh, fun and flirty underwear styles in back sizes 28-38 and cup sizes DD-HH/J, meaning that a large range of fuller busted women can enjoy the Tutti effect! 



   If you have been keeping a-breast (see what I did there!?) of the Tutti updates via Facebook, you will have noticed that Tutti Rouge have staggered the release of their debut collection. The fuchsia pink unpadded 'Liliana' set was first to launch, followed by the most recent: 'Betty'. As Undercover Lingerista readers may know, I tend to favour moulded bra styles, so 'Betty' really caught my eye with her scrumptious icing-coloured satin, her feminine poppy print and her flirty ruffle trim.. and who can resist those adorable matching shorties? 



   Thanks to the Tutti Team, I was lucky enough to be able to try this set out for myself. The 'Betty' set arrived in a chic black box with the pink 'Tutti Rouge' logo emblazoned on the front. Inside the box, wrapped in light pink tissue paper (along with a yummy stick of rock!), was my beautiful new set of lingerie...


   As you can see, the 'Betty' set really is a sight to behold and the colour palette is ideal for Spring/Summer! The 'Betty' bra and shortie knickers feature an unusual floral/ poppy print design in pink and mint tones, which sits atop a yellowy-cream base of satin. The poppy print has an almost oriental feel to it - something that makes it stand apart from the plethora of 'traditional' floral patterns that dominate the current lingerie market. The warm yellow/gold undertone of the satin also compliments my pale skin perfectly and its luxurious sheen makes this set look more expensive than it actually is! 

  
   Additionally, the 'Betty' set boasts some really special embellishments that demonstrate Tutti Rouge's desire to be different! A delightful frilled hem line sits along the edge (and on the underside) of the cups, whilst vivid pink bows adorn the centre of the bra cups - a detail that also features on the adorable matching knickers!


   It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into the embellishments and finer details. The poppy print is extended to the satin-wrapped bra straps (a concept that many other brands overlook!) The straps are also purposefully quite thin (1.5cm) and with their pretty pattern, I would definitely have no qualms about showing them off! The only downside to them is that they are not fully adjustable! 


   The bra straps also boast decorative heart-shaped strap adjusters - another gorgeous and very well-thought out design feature of the 'Betty'! 

   As you can see from the picture (below), the 'Betty' fastens with 2 hooks (DD-G cups, 3 hooks for GG-HH cups) and once again, Tutti Rouge adds a playful twist with the Tutti Rouge logo embossed on the closure.


   With regard to construction, the 'Betty' bra is an underwired and lightly padded/ moulded balconette style bra, featuring a two-part cup construction with a soft foam lining that makes this bra very comfortable to wear.. 


   When it comes to fit, however, I was not completely satisfied. I tried both a 28G and 30FF in the 'Betty' and neither band was quite right for me and the centre gore did not quite tack to my chest in either size. I put the 30FF 'Betty' straight on to the tightest hook, so imagine my surprise when I could only just fasten the 28G on the loosest setting! When I measured the two bands, the 30FF measured 63cm and the 28G measured 55cm, which gives around a 3 inch difference between the band lengths. The mesh band is quite stretchy, so I probably could have bought a bra back extender for the 28G bra, but I chose to keep the 30FF for ease. 

   Band size aside, I feel that the cup volume was spot on in the (30)FF and the 'Betty' gives a lovely, uplifted shape to a fuller bust without being OTT. The 'Betty' lifts the bust to give a subtle cleavage, making it ideal for a variety of necklines. In fact, the shape of 'Betty' reminds me slightly of the 'Thrill Me' (one of my favourite Curvy Kate bras to date), but with slightly wider underwires.

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   Let us not forget the gorgeous satin and poppy print 'Betty' retro shorties (Size S-XL). Once again, Tutti Rouge have hit the nail on the head when it comes to attention to detail! The knickers are panelled and edged by Tutti's playful ivory frill, but the real 'wow' feature is found on the back of the knickers..


 
   The sassy triangular key hole detail at the top of the knickers is a really knock-out feature and the little pink bow adds a touch of colour to the plain ivory mesh. The mesh is semi-sheer, giving a cheeky peek of flesh underneath (if you'll forgive the pun!)

   I really enjoyed the fit of the 'Betty' shorties and the size M was generous but well-fitting (no one likes knickers that dig in!) They are extremely comfortable to wear on an everyday basis and the gathered ruching on the back panel contours beautifully to the curves of your derriรจre!


   Overall, 'Betty' really hits the mark when it comes to aesthetics - the design is unique and refreshing, the fabrics are great quality and the attention to detail is impressive! 'Betty' epitomises the carefree spirit of Tutti Rouge and this set brings back the fun and frivolity to lingerie (something that occasionally gets lost in translation with all the bondage-inspired/ Fifty Shades-inspired lingerie on the scene at present). The 'Betty' is a set that will make girls feel truly special, confident, trendy and girly and I wish that Tutti Rouge had been around when I was a teenager! 

   The Tutti Rouge 'Betty' bra is available to buy at £32 for the bra and £16 for the knickers at Bravissimo.

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   I am really excited to try more from Tutti Rouge and I already have my eye on the sassy, purple spotted 'Frankie' bra and suspender skirt set (below):


   With Tutti's bright and colourful styles, fabulous attention to detail, impressive size range, and attractive price points, the brand is certainly putting the fun back into fuller busted lingerie with frillies that make you feel fabulous!

Take a look at Tutti Rouge's A/W13 video to get a glimpse of the lingerie delights that Tutti have in the pipeline...can you spot the new 'Betty' colourway? 


(A sneak peek from Tutti Rouge's 'French Bliss' shoot for S/S14!)

What do you think of the brand? Have you got Tutti fever?


Love, 
Kitty xo