Le Fabuleux Soutien d'Amelie: Miss Mandalay 'Amelie' bra review

'Le Fabuleux Soutien d'Amelie'

(The fabulous support of 'Amelie'*) 

   Whilst I coo about fuller bust lingerie brands such as Freya and Panache on a regular basis, one of the larger cup brands that I have been more silently enamoured with for a while is Miss Mandalay. Miss Mandalay has catered to the fuller bust market since 2005 and although I have reviewed some of their swimwear back in 2011, the lingerie has not had as much recognition as it deserves on my blog.. 

   Miss Mandalay states one of its points of difference as being its focus on "fashionably different lingerie and swimwear in C-HH cup sizes", catering to busty women who desire "something 'more'..with a great technical fit." Miss Mandalay is very much about the fusion of substance and style - something that is evidenced by the play on fabric textures, prints, colours and detailing from season to season, in both lingerie and swimwear collections.

   Miss Mandalay is slightly more pricey in comparison to some of its fuller bust brand rivals, but thanks to the high quality fabrics that are used and the careful construction of the garments, you can be assured that you are paying for comfort, support and great fit with Miss Mandalay.

   If you remember back to my pre-Christmas fuller bust lingerie wishlist, you may know that the Miss Mandalay 'Amelie' bra featured as one of my top must-haves! What particularly caught my fancy about the 'Amelie' bra is that it represents a slight departure from the fun, flirty and colour/print orientated designs that I tend to associate with Miss Mandalay. 

  Miss Mandalay has stripped back the vivid colours, leopard print and ruffles to create something sumptuous, sophisticated, elegant and utterly classy..say "bonjour" to 'Amelie' (Available in sizes 28-38 C-GG):

   To my delight, the lovely Red Box Lingerie gave me the opportunity to try this beautiful bra just before Xmas (it arrived quickly and beautifully packaged like a gift, complete with a little card too!) 

   In line with some of my earlier findings about Miss Mandalay's swimwear sizing and having tried the 'Paige' and 'Paris' bras (which I seem to remember come up tighter than the average 28 back), I opted for a 30FF in the 'Amelie'..

   As you can see, the Miss Mandalay 'Amelie' looks even more beautiful in the flesh, with its glamorous mink satin set against ornate black floral stretch lace. The bra fastens with two hooks and eyes and has fully adjustable straps (which is always a bonus!) 

   'Amelie' is described as being a 'balconette shape' with three-panel support cups. Although this bra appears to resemble more of a fuller cup plunge in the picture (below), the actual shape when worn is a delightful cross-between of balconette and plunge, which is very flattering and supportive..

   The design of the 'Amelie' is visually very alluring and there is great attention to detail - who can resist those exquisite little ribbon bows at the centre gore and straps? I love the way that satin, lace and mesh have been employed in an unusual way too; the back band is mesh, whereas the rest of the bra is a mixture of satin (along the gore and sling) and black stretch lace (over the cups). 

   The support sling is also unconventional as it does not form part of the internal structure of the bra. Instead, the sling has been externalised and decorated with mink satin, which transforms a design and support feature into one that is highly aesthetic! 

   The sling is, of course, a great design feature for ladies with a fuller bust, helping to lift the breasts up and gently push them forwards. The shape that I get whilst wearing the 'Amelie' is very natural and uplifted and the sling seems to hold everything in place nicely too. 

   Another great construction element of the 'Amelie' is the design of the lace cups - the cups feature a reinforced lace bottom section and stretch lace along the top of the cups. It is helpful to have the extra mesh lining underneath the lace in the bottom of the cups as the reinforced fabric helps to keep the breasts in place more securely. 

   On the other hand, the stretch lace at the top of the cups moulds to the individual's breast shape, stopping any cutting in to the breast tissue. The stretch lace is also clever as it allows for any slight fluctuations in breast fullness during the month..

   I also got on very well with the shape of the wires of the 'Amelie', which are narrower than those of brands such as Curvy Kate (for example). Additionally, the wires are positioned close together at the centre gore, making this bra very well suited to those with closer set breasts.

   I am all in all pleased with the fit of the 'Amelie' although a 28G would have been the ideal fit for me. I need to wear the 30FF on its tightest hooks and the thin straps dig in to my shoulders a little as I need the extra support from a tighter back band. This also suggests to me that the 'Amelie' comes up truer to size than Miss Mandalay's more tight-fitting bras (e.g. 'Paige' and 'Paris). This may be due in part to the materials that have been used in this bra (the back band is made from quite a stretchy mesh material and therefore has more 'give'). 

   I would definitely recommend the Miss Mandalay 'Amelie' bra and it comes as no surprise that it is one of Miss Mandalay's most popular bras! 'Amelie' is delightfully decadent, exquisitely elegant, beautifully boudoir and to top it off, brilliantly constructed to suit DD+ bra sizes! 

   I often brand myself a moulded bra fanatic but this unpadded bra is enough to make me fall in love over and over again..

(Pair the 'Amelie' bra with the matching thong or knickers..or match the bra with any pair of black lacey briefs - these tie-back knickers are by Collette Dinnigan!)

 
   For those wanting to try the lovely Miss Mandalay 'Amelie' bra, rejoice because it is now on sale for £35 (reduced from £46) at www.redboxlingerie.com!

(Click here to see a sneak peek of what Miss Mandalay S/S13 has to offer too...)

Love,
Kitty xo

*(The title of this blog post is a play on words of the well-known French film 'Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain'!)

Miss Mandalay: Bringing the boudoir to the beach!

  Launched in 2005 by Lorraine Morton, Miss Mandalay is a brand geared towards providing fashionable and directional lingerie and swimwear for fuller busted ladies:

"I've always been told how lucky I am to have been naturally blessed with a larger than average bosom (to be precise I'm a 30F). But as every woman with big boobs knows, it's virtually impossible to find a stylish, glamorous bra in your size. The lack of choice means we're left to buy another 'everyday bra' or an ill-fitting bra in a larger cup size; the kind of thing that the big brands offer as 'token' sizes in their usual B-D cup size range. 

Miss Mandalay offers a lingerie solution to every big boobed woman who is fed up with walking out of a lingerie boutique after been told that every luxury bra they stock doesn't come any bigger than a D cup"

-Lorraine Morton (www.missmandalay.com)

  With a focus on great fit and high quality, as well as on-trend designs, it is no surprise that Miss Mandalay has garnered a lot of media attention. This year, Miss Mandalay made the finalists of 'Full Bust Brand of the Year' in the prestigious UK Lingerie Awards and X Factor Judge, Tulisa Contostavlos, caused waves of excitement about the brand, after being papped on her Spanish vacation in the 'Harbour' bikini (below)!

(Picture credit: www.celebspress.info)

  Miss Mandalay have a great range of sizes, from 28 D-G and 30-38 B-GG. As a 28FF, I was particularly excited, as they are one of the few lingerie and swimwear brands that cater for smaller back sizes and bigger cup sizes! 

  When I was last in Bravissimo, I tried on two Miss Mandalay bikinis: the 'Electric Zebra bikini' and the 'Mariposa bikini' (below):

  I really loved the eye-catching 'Electric Zebra' bikini, but sadly only a 28F was available, which was much too small in the cups for me. I tried the 'Mariposa' bikini on in a 28G, which fit ok, but the wide-set shape of the cups did nothing at all for me and the bikini flattened my bust, giving zero cleavage! 

  Although my first experience of Miss Mandalay left me a little luke-warm, I did not lose heart. I decided that the best option would be to have a look online for a Miss Mandalay bikini in a 28FF. It was during this search that I came across the gorgeous 'Boudoir Beach' underwired halterneck bikini on Large Cup Lingerie:

(Miss Mandalay 'Boudoir Beach' Underwired Halter Bikini Top, £45)

  The 'Boudoir Beach' bikini is one of Miss Mandalay's best-sellers and has been brought out in a variety of shades; from red to 'python' brown to 'moss' green to 'ice' white. The white version particularly grabbed me, with its 'Bond girl'-esque gold buckle detailing! The bikini top comes with the option of tie-side bikini briefs (£24) or bikini shorts (£26), available in sizes XS-L. I am a big fan of bikini briefs and especially love the sexiness of tie-side styles, which help to elongate your legs!

  Large Cup Lingerie very kindly sent me the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini top in a 28FF and the briefs in a size S (UK: 10) to try...

  Much to my excitement, I received the Miss Mandalay bikini very quickly and it arrived beautifully wrapped in pretty pink tissue paper. 

    As you can see from the photograph, the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini is a simple, but classic design that will look good on just about anyone! The plunge style bikini top really draws emphasis to your best assets and it is exciting to see a fuller cup brand tackle pool-side glamour, whilst still offering great support! 

  The 28FF fit me well and gave a much better shape than the 'Mariposa' bikini that I tried a while back. It is worth mentioning that the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini gives quite a subtle shape from side-on. Compared to my Freya bikinis, such as the 'Cabaret', the 'Boudoir Beach' gives a slightly less rounded and uplifted shape, perhaps due to the seam running down the centre of the cups, which may slightly flatten the breasts. The Miss Mandalay 'Aruba' halterneck bikini  is also comparable in shape, as you can see in the pictures below:

  The 'Boudoir Beach' features a clasp back fastening, to ensure that you feel secure and supported and the halterneck can be tied as tight or loose as you wish. The gold buckles are also heat resistant, for maximum comfort under the sun! If I were to change anything about the style, I would perhaps have preferred the 'Boudoir Beach' to be a regular strap bikini, as sometimes halternecks can get a bit sore on the neck after prolonged wear. All in all, however, it felt very comfortable and soft against the skin.  

  The matching tie-side briefs were also very flattering, with its gold buckles and tie sides. The tie sides make these bikini briefs quite versatile, as they can either be knotted and left to drape down the legs or be tied in bows! The cut of the 'Boudoir Beach' briefs is slightly more skimpy (e.g. compared to the Freya 'Cabaret' tie-side briefs), so it may not be the preferred option for those who want a little more coverage. I, personally, think that they are very sexy, but Miss Mandalay also offer the great alternative of matching bikini shorts.

(Back view of the Miss Mandalay, 'Boudoir Beach' tie-side briefs)

  I have heard quite a few people say that Miss Mandalay bikinis run smaller in the back band in comparison to other brands and this definitely rings true for the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini. The 'Boudoir Beach' is noticeably tighter than my Freya bikinis in 28 backs - ideal for curvy girls that are towards the smaller end of a 28 back! I really loved the firmer back of the 'Boudoir Beach' and this is a real benefit to its longevity, as the fabric will not lose its firmness as quickly.

  To round off, I think that the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini is a chic and quality offering from Miss Mandalay, which showcases the brand's passion for great support, coupled with fashion-conscious, but classic designs. As one of Miss Mandalay's best-sellers, the 'Boudoir Beach' will continue to be brought out in different colour variations - the brand has already hinted on their facebook page that some new colours are in the pipeline! 

  In the meantime, I have got my eye on some of Miss Mandalay's gorgeous lingerie collection, which I would love to  review in the near future. The 'Paris' underwired balcony bra in pink is one of the beauties on my wish list:

Love,

Kitty xo