365 days of Freya 'Deco' - A tribute to a best seller!

   It is coming up to two years since I had my bra fitting epiphany and bought my first correctly fitting bra (a bra which remains one of my all time favourites to this day!) The bra in question is a staple in my underwear collection and I own it in several different colours and designs. I reach for it time and time again because I know that I can rely on it to be comfortable, supportive and flattering whatever I am wearing. 

   The bra that I am talking about is the fabulous Freya 'Deco'...

   The 'Deco' occupies a very special place in my heart not solely because of the superior support, comfort and shape that it offers, but also because it gives an uplifted and rounded cleavage that is just knock-out!

  The joy of the 'Deco' resides in its supreme versatility; the plunging neck line and seamless design works perfectly with pretty much everything in my wardrobe and it is one of my bras of choice to wear under my 'going out' outfits (both the moulded plunge and strapless versions)! 

   To top it off, Freya continuously updates its 'Deco' collections with new colours, designs and bra styles (e.g. soft cup, multiway, longline, padded half cup bras, shaping slip dresses!) The 'Deco' currently comes in a large range of shades and prints; from your basic 'nude' and black colours to eye-catching shades of red, blue and pink to flirty prints that include everything from sleek stripes to flamboyant flamingos!

  There is certainly something for a variety of tastes! Freya's 'Deco' range includes back sizes 28-38 and cup sizes up to a GG, meaning that the 'Deco' is a particularly good option for fuller busted ladies who want a moulded and seamless bra that delivers on support, gives a smooth silhouette and offers a cracking cleavage to boot!

   Whilst I often wax lyrical about the 'Deco', I am not alone in my love for this bra.. since its launch in 2009, Freya has sold over a whopping 300,000 'Deco' bras and its popularity doesn't seem to be wavering! To celebrate this iconic and versatile bra, Freya have launched an exciting, new global marketing campaign over on their dedicated microsite: 

www.freyadeco365.com

   Not only can you view the current 'Deco' collections, but even more exciting is the fact that there are some amazing prizes up for grabs! Upload a photo of one of your favourite outfits to Freya's 'Style Wall' and select a 'Deco' style that you can wear under it! (You can also enter through Instagram by tagging your photos with #FreyaDeco365)

PRIZES INCLUDE...

-10 sets of Deco lingerie to give away EVERY month!

-Get your style wall photo featured in one of Freya's magazine adverts!

-Win the WHOLE 'Deco' range!

-The grand prize is a £1000 shopping spree with your very own stylist!

   Don't forget to get all of your friends and family to comment on your photo when the style wall launches on 31st January 2013!

   Also, check out Freya's campaign video which shows just how many ways that you can incorporate the 'Deco' into your own wardrobe:

   I am also happy to report that Freya have some really fabulous new designs for 2013, some of which I saw at the Freya SS13 press day:

(L-R: Freya 'Honey' in purple 'Iris', Freya 'Ashlee' in 'Candy', Freya Deco 'Flamingo)

 New for this year is the introduction of shapewear to the 'Deco' range, including a multiway bra, longline bra and longline slip dress!

Have you spotted any other new 'Deco' designs in the Freya 365 video? Here is a peek at some of the styles that may well be coming this AW13..

I think I have gone into 'Deco' lust overload..!

What do you think of the new 2013 Deco styles and previews? Will you be entering the Deco 365 competition?

Love,
Kitty xo

My first Ewa Michalak (Effuniak) review - PL Violet

   Ewa Michalak (Effuniak) is a brand that I have wanted to review ever since I discovered it about a year ago. Ewa Michalak is a Polish lingerie company that offers bras in an extensive range of sizes; from a 30 (European: 65) band to a 46 (European: 105) band, with AA-O cups (back size dependent)! It is possible to order custom size bras, including back sizes 24 (50), 26 (55) and 28 (60), which is fantastic news as sub 28 bands are next to non-existent in most other lingerie brands. 

   The eponymous designer, Ewa 'Effuniak' Michalak, is a lingerie industry expert, having worked as a lingerie designer for 15 years. Ewa prides herself on her company mission to provide affordable and attractive lingerie, dressing "every woman's [bust] beautifully, regardless of [her] size or shape". Ewa Michalak's bras cater to a wide spectrum of tastes and her collections boast plunge, half cup, maternity, strapless, soft cup and padded bras, as well as matching coordinates. (Additionally, the site has a small selection of swimwear.)

   One of the things that really excited me about EM bras was the fact that they offer something unique to the lingerie market - Ewa is not afraid to experiment with unusual colours, patterns or motifs and the level of detail on some of her bras is astonishing for the price. As you can see from the pictures below, Ewa also uses models of different sizes in the promotional pictures - something that is extremely refreshing to see:

   I will admit that the main reason for holding off on ordering directly from Ewa Michalak was because I was nervous of postage costs and losing money if I needed to return my order to Poland. Fortunately for me, I was able to purchase my first Ewa Michalak bra from an American friend in a 30FF (European: 65FF).

  Given that I had never tried an EM bra before and I had heard that the bands can sometimes run small, I thought that a 30FF would be a great place to start. (At present, I tend to fluctuate between a 28FF and 28G in other lingerie brands.)

   The bra in question is the 'PL Violet', a lightly padded plunge bra which I had previously admired on the Ewa Michalak site. The bra cups are white and feature a beautiful lavender lace overlay with pretty floral embroidery. The straps and middle of the cups are adorned with contrasting white bows and the white straps are accented by pinky/purple ruched ribbon detailing. As a fan of lace and plunge style bras, the 'PL Violet' seemed to be a combination that was too good to miss!

   It is quite difficult to capture the true colour of this bra in my photographs, but the most accurate colour representation would probably be that of the promotional picture (below):

      Aesthetically, this bra looks just as good in person. I was slightly worried that the violet shade might not suit my pale skin tone, but it actually looked very pretty indeed. I am also really impressed with the level of detail on this bra - the lace overlay is stunning and I love the slightly scalloped lace effect along the cups:

Whilst some manufacturers do not continue bra patterns along the bra wings, Ewa has made sure to keep the lace overlay running right along the back wings too, which is a nice touch:

   Having read many rave reviews in the lingerie blogosphere that praise the superior construction and fit of EM bras, I had high hopes for the 'PL Violet'. I must admit that when I first tried on this bra, I was astonished at just how tight the band was! 

   Although the label states that it is a 65FF (30FF), it felt much more like a very tight 28 back or even a 26 band. The band did not feel as if it had much stretch to it, so I decided that my best option would be to buy my first ever bra back extender, which I could wear until the band loosened enough for me to wear it comfortably. 

(This is a picture of the 'PL Violet' with a 30mm white bra back extender that I bought on Ebay for a few pounds!)

   Another issue that I had with this bra was that the straps were only partially adjustable (due to the ruched ribbon detail) and I needed to tighten them as tight as they would go straight away. I really needed more strap space, so I set about doing my first ever bra alteration. 

   I am by no means an adept seamstress, but I managed to shorten the straps quite easily by cutting out approximately half an inch of the ribbon strap section and then resewed the elasticated section to it. 

(The red box is where I cut out some of the strap fabric and resewed)

   After my strap alteration and after wearing this bra with an extender for several weeks to allow for the band to loosen, I was able to wear the 'PL Violet' comfortably and the fit was so much better on me. The band now feels firm but not suffocatingly tight and my only criticism is that the straps sometimes dig in to my shoulders after prolonged wear. 

   What I really love about this bra is the deep plunge, which is perfect for clothes with low necklines. The cups are very lightly padded with foam and the shape that it gives is rounded and uplifted, but still very natural. This style would be perfect for ladies with larger busts who want lovely cleavage and uplift, without the extra boost that moulded plunges sometimes give.

(The cups lend to a natural, rounded look even on my mannequin!)

   I am quite pleased with my first foray into Ewa Michalak bras and the 30FF 'PL Violet' was a great place to start. After doing further research online, I have found out that other people agree that the 'PL Violet' comes up tighter in the band than other EM styles, so I will probably stick to ordering a 30 band in future (28 backs are unfortunately classed as 'special requests' and have to be made up from scratch, so cannot be returned).

  Whilst I am still in the early stages of finding out what my Ewa sizes are (which can reportedly vary depending on the style of bra), I am very excited to buy more from this brand and aim to order directly from Poland next time around!

   The 'PL Violet' is currently on sale on the EM website (79 zloty = about £15) and is still available to buy in limited sizes. Click here.

   To find out more about Ewa Michalak, visit the official website here: http://www.ewa-michalak.pl/ (click the English language version for a translated webpage!)

Love,

Kitty xo

Halloween Style File: Corsets, lace and vampire fangs!

   Halloween is nearly upon us; a night synonymous with ghoulish goings on, trick or treating and scary movies! If, like me, you enjoy Halloween as a good excuse to 'paint the town red', then you will undoubtedly be excited to get costume planning!

   People tend to go to varying lengths for a Halloween fancy dress party.. witches, zombies, skeletons, cat women, devils, vampires and ghosts are quite common, but you also come across some very original outfits that are more kooky than blood-curdling..

('Barbie and Ken', 'Shark Attack', 'Sexy Corn' (what!?) and 'Rubix Cube')

(Couples costume via Tumblr)

   Whilst the above costumes are a great laugh, I decided to take a more 'traditional' Halloween approach to my outfit this year, choosing to be a vampire for the 'Lost Souls II' Halloween party at the London Aquarium! Whilst there's the temptation to buy a 'pre-made' Halloween costume from a shop or online, I decided that I was going to fashion a spooky costume from my existing wardrobe, incorporating my love of lingerie.

   One of the difficulties with Halloween outfits is striking a balance between looking scary and sexy at the same time.. particularly when lingerie is involved! I wanted to channel 'underwear as outerwear', rather than 'gone out in my underwear', so keeping things classy was a 'must' for my outfit choice.

   I started with my 'base' piece which was the black 'Vintage Stitch Corset' (size medium) that I bought from Playful Promises. This overbust corset is plastic boned with metal front fastenings and it boasts glamorous Art Deco style stitching at the hip. It features a traditional lace up back, which can be tightened as much as desired to draw in your waist, accentuating your curves.

   This Playful Promises corset gives a great hourglass shape and it is surprisingly comfortable to wear on a night out (I didn't need to adjust it at all)! As you can also see from the picture, there is a pop of red and black lace peeking out from underneath the corset and Curvy Kate aficionados may recognise this bra as the 'Tempt Me' (Scarlet and Black) from the 'Showgirl Range':

   Although it's not 100% necessary to wear a bra underneath a corset, I felt like I would feel slightly more secure and supported in a bra as well..especially for a night out that involved running through a 'scare maze' and busting some vamp-tacular moves on the dance floor! 

   I chose to wear the Curvy Kate 'Tempt Me' for a few reasons, namely that it is a great plunge style that lends itself to a lovely cleavage, but also because the seductive red colour and black lace detailing just screamed to be worn by a vampire on Halloween! The flash of red underneath the corset also gave a bit of contrast to the predominantly black outfit that I chose and also complimented my red 'Dorothy's friend' court shoes from Office, red lipstick and fake blood!

   I also wore a figure-hugging black 'fishtail' skirt from ASOS which has a slightly gothic looking lace overlay. I  accessorised with black earrings, a statement necklace from Topshop, some black satin gloves from Claire's Accessories and, of course, some Vampire-esque makeup and fangs!

(Black, blue, bronze and white smokey eye makeup with black liquid eyeliner and purple under eye liner)

(Scarlet red lips, vampire fangs and a little trickle of fake blood!)

I finished off the outfit with a long floaty cardigan/shawl to keep the chills at bay:

   I certainly had fun with this lingerie-inspired Halloween look, but what do you think of incorporating lingerie into your Halloween costume? 

Whatever you're planning, have a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN, LINGERISTAS!

Love,

Kitty xo

Parfait by Affinitas 'Jeanie' bra review - a contender for the 'Deco'?

   As regular Undercover Lingerista readers may know, I am a huge fan of moulded bras and I often find myself reaching for a moulded plunge/ t-shirt bra on a daily basis. One bra that I particularly sing the praises of is the Freya Deco bra, which I continue to buy again and again in as many colours and prints as my bank balance will allow! Thanks to the 'Deco's simple but well-constructed design and the great support and cleavage that it gives, it has been hard for me to find a moulded bra that holds a candle to it. For quite some time, I have longed to find another bra that gives me a cleavage to rival the 'Deco' (without being very padded) and it seems that the day has finally come..

   When 'Parfait' by Affinitas came on to my radar, I unsurprisingly fell in love with the gorgeous designs (who can resist the array of pretty colours and beautiful lace, ruffle, bow and charm details?) As a result, I almost bypassed their lingerie 'basics' . Fortunately, one day I spotted 'Jeanie' in her simple but effortlessly wearable glory and found myself longing for just one more t-shirt bra.. 

   As Affinitas Intimates is still a relatively new brand in the UK and it is not yet stocked in major department stores, I decided to search for a UK stockist of the 'Jeanie' online..to no avail! Just when I thought that it was a futile search, the delightful Cha from Large Cup Lingerie said that she could source it for me and send it on! Given that in my review of the Parfait 'Fiona' camisole, the 30F was a tad too small in the cups, I wasn't sure whether I would need a 30F or 30FF in the 'Jeanie', so Cha kindly ordered both sizes for me to try.

   Firstly, I cannot recommend Large Cup Lingerie enough - it is a brilliant site for busty ladies, offering some amazing bargains, great customer service and FREE international delivery! What's not to love? True to form, the 'Jeanie' was ordered and posted out quickly to me.

   The Parfait 'Jeanie' is a moulded bra made from smooth microfibre with powernet back wings for support. Given that Affinitas do not stock 28 backs in their ranges, it was good that the 30 back 'Jeanie' fitted me fine. Interestingly enough, when I compared the widths of my (albeit worn) Freya 'Deco' bra in a 28FF with the Parfait 'Jeanie', the 'Jeanie' was quite a bit smaller in the band. This seems to reinforce that Parfait 30 backs do come up more snug than many 30 backs in other brands.

   With regard to sizing, I am surprised to say that I got on slightly better with the 30F 'Jeanie' than the 30FF. There was not a huge amount of difference between the sizes, but I did notice a bit of gaping at the top of the cups in the 30FF, so sizing down to the 30F eliminated this problem. 

   It is interesting to note that the construction of the 'Jeanie' does alter slightly between F and FF cups. The 30F fastens with two hook and eye closures, whereas the 30FF has 3 hook and eye closures for added support and anchorage. I also noticed that the straps on the 30FF are the same width as those on my 'Deco' bra, being 0.5cm wider than the straps of the 30F 'Jeanie':

   The actual fit of the 'Jeanie' is rather 'jeanie'-ous, if you'll forgive the pun! The fabric is incredibly soft against the skin and very comfortable to wear. It is completely seamless, making it ideal for giving a streamlined shape even when worn under the tightest of clothing. I love that the straps on the 30F 'Jeanie' are that bit thinner than the straps on most of my other bras. It is so hard to come across fuller bust bras that have thin straps that will work under strappy tops, but this bra delivers (up to an F cup at least!) - no more bra straps stealing the show! 

   The 'Jeanie' does bear quite a striking resemblance to the Freya 'Deco', but that said, there are a few subtle differences between the two bras..

1. The 'Jeanie' boasts a dainty black bow and silver heart charm at the centre of the cups, adding elegance to an otherwise basic bra: 

2. There are thinner straps on the 'Jeanie' up to an F cup

3. The 'Jeanie' has mesh back wings rather than the same material all the way around on the 'Deco'

4. Softer elastic straps on the 'Jeanie'

5. Marginally wider/thicker back band on the 'Jeanie'

6. The cups of the 'Jeanie' also appear to be a bit wider and more shallow than those on the 'Deco'

7. Centre gore wires are slightly further apart on the 'Jeanie' (See below):

   There is not a vast amount of difference in the fit of the 'Jeanie' and 'Deco' and both bras give a lovely rounded and uplifted shape with a cracking cleavage to boot! One thing that does frustrate me a little about the 'Jeanie', however, is that the central wires do not sit completely flush against my chest (this was not rectified when I sized up to a 30FF, so I think that this issue could be eliminated if the 'Jeanie' came in a 28 back!)

  In my opinion, the 'Jeanie' is a 'must-have' for any underwear drawer. It is perfect for low-cut tops, V neck shirts and tight fitting dresses and it would also make for a comfy t-shirt bra. If you're looking for a plunge bra that will give you fabulous cleavage, whilst feeling so soft that you won't want to take it off, then this bra is for you! 

   Although I still love my 'Deco' bras, the 'Jeanie' is a great alternative and it costs a purse-friendly £26! (The 'Deco' is £30) 'Jeanie' will also be available in Nude and 'European Nude'. Keep your eyes peeled on Large Cup Lingerie as 'Jeanie' will be coming soon to the site. 

   I can't wait to review more from Parfait by Affinitas and will be looking forward to the new collection launches. It's easy to get lost in the beauty of the satin and lace Parfait sets, but there's also something to be said for always having the bra 'basics' - 'Jeanie' looks set to be a well-loved addition to my bra-dobe!

Love,

Kitty xo