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

It's time to make a splash! Leia Lingerie and the Freya "Pier" bikini..

   With the weather hotting up and the flip-flops coming out more regularly, it's hard not to think about planning a relaxing summer holiday in the sun. On a recent shopping expedition, I couldn't help but admire the colourful swimwear collections on the highstreet, but as a 28FF, I sadly resigned myself to the fact that finding the perfect fitting swimwear was going to be a challenge. For years, I've had problems finding swimwear in my size - buying bikini separates in a size 14 for my top half and size 10 for my bottom half just doesn't cut it and gives little support. I decided that the only option was to buy swimwear that fits like underwear and comes in cup sizes. The only problem with this, is that most highstreet brands start at a 32 back, so I still couldn't find the perfect bikini..that was until I discovered the gorgeous Freya swimwear stocked at Leia Lingerie.

As a loyal customer to Leia Lingerie, they kindly offered me the opportunity to wear-test the Freya "Pier" halterneck bikini and ruffle bikini briefs in red - a set that I have been lusting after for some time!

                (Bikini top: £33 & Briefs: £19.50)

As always, I am impressed with Leia Lingerie's quick postage and well-packaged products:

As you can see from the picture, the "Pier" bikini is a striking bright red with little white polka dots - a colour and design guaranteed to turn heads on the beach. The style of the bikini top is extremely flattering for bigger busts, showing off your cleavage without revealing too much flesh. I chose the ruffle briefs, as a higher cut at the sides gives the impression of lengthened legs. The ruffle detailing and polka dots on this bikini give a real pin-up/ retro feel, making it a classic style that will suit every curvy girl, regardless of shape or size. 

In terms of support, I have never tried a bikini that I have felt comfortable running around the beach in, until the "Pier" came along! After giving it an extensive "jump test", I can confirm that the back remains firm and supportive and there is no worry at all about slippage or falling out! This has always been a worry for me, but in this bikini, I'd feel totally happy going on the most exhilirating of water rides, playing games on the beach and swimming in the sea! The bikini is also made from 'XtraLife' lycra, so you can rely on this bikini to deliver in both quality and comfort, whilst getting the support you'd otherwise only find in a bra.

The best thing about this range, is that Freya build on a classic polka dot pattern, producing alternative styles to suit different shapes and sizes. In addition to the halterneck bikini, the "Pier" range also boasts a bandeau top and tankini, for those who want to cover up a little more on the beach. You can choose from a variety of bikini bottoms, from the standard bikini brief to ruffle brief, skirt and skirt-brief, depending on your desired level of coverage! (Click here to see available styles)

All in all, I am very impressed with this bikini from Freya. It is stocked in a wide range of sizes (briefs from XS-XL) in cup sizes C-GG and back sizes 28-40. I would definitely recommend it to any curvy girl looking for great support on the beach! The "Pier" bikini is currently available in red and green on leialingerie.com, but don't fret if you can't find your size, because Leia are launching a variety of "Pier" styles in pink and classic black in June and July of this year respectively!

What style will you choose? One thing that's for certain, is that the "Pier" swimwear by Freya is guaranteed to melt a few ice-creams on the beach, so prepare yourself for showing off those sizzling curves in style...

Let the 2011 summer holiday count-down begin!

Love,

Kitty xo

Curvy Kate - 'Tease me' bra review!

With such an array of sexy lingerie available nowadays, from Ann Summers to Agent Provocateur to Coco de Mer, women have a lot of choice when it comes to injecting a bit of seductive glamour into their underwear drawers. The only problem with these brands, is that they often don't cater for a wide enough range of  back sizes or larger cup sizes. Since finding out my correct bra size (28FF), I was worried that finding 'sexy' bras for a small back size and bigger bust would be a next to impossible task...until I stumbled across 'Curvy Kate'.

'Curvy Kate' is a fairly new brand, created in 2009, providing lingerie for cup sizes D to K. Their philosophy is to give "curvy women a wide choice of beautiful lingerie that fits and flatters their fabulous figure". 'Curvy Kate' is well known for using 'real', curvy women, who more accurately reflect the shapes of their customers. Aside from striving to promote a healthy and realistic body image for women, they "target the young fashion conscious customer", whilst still appealing to older ages.

A company that boasts good fit and are on the cutting edge of fashionable and sexy underwear? Count me in!

I was particularly taken by the 'Curvy Kate' "Showgirl" collection, which features stunning, stylish designs, such as the 'Tease me' and 'Thrill me' bras. The collection is available in a wide range of sumptuous jewel colours and are complimented by lace, bows, ribbon and frill detailing. Very boudoir and just what I was looking for!

('Thrill me')

('Tease me')

The 'Tease me' bra in a gorgeous emerald green really caught my eye. The green is beautifully set off by black piping and lace netting over the main body of the bra and cups. With sexy, balcony cups and such attention to detailing, this bra would make any girl feel like a modern day pin-up!

I purchased the 'Tease me' in both a 28F and 28FF, as sometimes fit can vary a lot between brands. I actually found there to be a lot of difference between the F and FF - the 28F was a bit small in the cups for me, but the 28FF was a bit too big and didn't give the desired shape. Cheryl from 'Invest in your Chest' has also spoken of this exact same sizing incongruency between the 28F and 28FF of this bra. I am not sure if this is an issue across the sizes, but if anyone has any comments on this, I'd love to hear from you. Another point to mention, is that the band was a little looser than some of my other 28 backed bras, so if you are a small 28, you may find the band to be a little bit loose on you.

All in all, I'd say that the 'Tease me' bra scores very highly in aesthetics, but a few improvements could be made to the fit. Despite not achieving a 'perfect fit' from this bra, I was so enamoured by the beauty of the 'Tease me', that I decided to keep the 28F. I'm now on the look out for the 'Thrill me' bra from this same collection, as I'm interested to see how the sizing compares to the 'Tease me'...and who wouldn't be tempted by such a 'thrill'-ing collection?

Love,

Kitty xo


(Update: I have recently been informed by Becky Mount that a few changes have been made to the 'Tease Me' model for more recent Curvy Kate collections. I would definitely like to try a newer model of the 'Tease Me', to see if they have corrected the sizing/fit incongruency found between the 28F and 28FF of this bra.)

Freya 'Arabella' bra - reviewed!

  After hearing several rave reviews about the Freya 'Arabella' bra, I was very keen to try it out for myself. As a new convert to the world of small bra back sizes and big cup sizes, the 'Arabella' seemed a perfect option to go for. As a 28 back size, I was pleased that Freya stocked my size and offered band sizes up to a 38 and cup sizes from C to J. The choice of colours for the 'Arabella' bra is particularly impressive; black, pink, navy, red, noir, cassis - to name a few! I went for the navy 'midnight' colour as it was on sale down from the usual RRP of £30 at Leia Lingerie.

  The 'Arabella' bra is a full cup plunge bra and features sheer mesh cups with finely embroidered scallop edging, fairly thick straps for support and bow details on the straps and in the centre of the bra. Freya have been particularly clever to think about the way that the bra should be manufactured for GG-J cups, who may need a little extra support in the cups. For these cup sizes, an extra layer of mesh has been added to the cups at the bottom for reinforcement, but the cups still remain semi-sheer.

I purchased the 'Arabella' bra in both a 28F and 28FF. Due to sometimes varying between brands and different styles, buying both the F and FF enabled me to assess the fit. I ended up going for the FF, as it didn't cut into any breast tissue and gave a more rounded shape.

A picture of the 28FF:

  I had never tried a full cup bra before, but I found the 'Arabella' to be surprisingly comfy and gave a good, rounded shape - something I initially thought impossible due to the mesh material of the cups. The mesh is actually quite thick and is more of a 'power mesh' that supports the breast in the cup, rather than stretching (N.B. Most of the support should come from the band anyway!) My only criticism of the 28 band size, was that it felt a little looser than some other Freya bras I own, but the overall fit and comfort of the bra is so good that this can be overlooked. The straps are also very comfortable and I feel very supported!

Detail of the mesh and embroidery: 

  I love the fact that this bra is both a 'bedroom' and everyday bra! It is the perfect synthesis between aesthetics and support - sexy and supportive is a winning combination for any fuller busted lady! The colour combination of the dark navy mesh set off with light blue embroidery and bright green bows at first had me undecided, but when I tried it on, it looked really chic and classy!

  All in all, I am very impressed with the Freya 'Arabella' bra and would highly recommend it to any C+ cupped lady. I now have my eye on the 'Cassis' version, which I may well have to purchase in the near future..

Love,

Kitty xo

My story: A bra fit journey

Although I'm a self-professed lingerie-a-holic, I haven't always been ecstatic at the thought of buying new underwear...

 My story starts as a young girl being fitted into my first bra (a 34A). Throughout my teenage years, I'd never been particularly busty and the trip to buy new bras at M&S never really excited me. I'd never really thought much about my size and the way bras were fitted until I was feeling a bit uncomfortable in my 34C one day and I decided to go for a fitting - So off I trundled to M&S...

 In the fitting, the lady said that I was a 34C. On explaining that I was currently wearing a 34C, which felt loose in the back and too small in the cup, I suggested that perhaps I needed a smaller back size, to which she replied "Try the 32D" and walked off! I bought a couple of 32D's which still weren't quite right for me, but I didn't think much of it until I heard about Bravissimo.

 The next time I needed a fitting, I went to Bravissimo in London, wearing a 34D (which I assumed was my size). The lady who fitted me was absolutely lovely and made me feel very at ease, and surprise, surprise, I was wearing the wrong size! She refitted me as a 28F/FF (depending on the brand) and she recommended lots of different styles to suit my shape. I ended up buying the Freya 'Deco' bra in black, which to this day is my absolute favourite staple bra:

(Freya 'Deco' bra in black - £30, Bravissimo)

 Ever since my revolutionary bra fitting at Bravissimo, I've found that buying 28 backed bras have made so much difference to the way bras fit and support me. I really can't recommend Bravissimo enough to the larger busted lady!

 I think the problem is that most highstreet stores aren't aware of the need to stock smaller back sizes, making it even harder to fit women into the correct bra. There certainly needs to be a fitting revolution, because if the figures are anything to go by, too many women are wearing the wrong bra size. If around 80% of women are wearing the wrong size, there needs to be more done to ensure women are fitted corrected. From what I can see, the reason for this figure is due to the way fittings are conducted on the highstreet - 'add on' (+1,  +2, +3) inches to under and over bust measurements ultimately lead to inaccuracies. There should be more emphasis placed on retraining fitters and expanding the stock of smaller back sizes.

So what can you and I do? To help ensure you're not one of those fitted in the wrong size, be aware of how a bra SHOULD fit you. Take Bravissimo's bra fit guide, for a few preliminary tips:

http://www.bravissimo.com/perfectfit/

The important thing is to find a bra that fits you comfortably - with the underband of the bra giving the most support through a snug and firm fit and the bra cups fully encasing the breast tissue. Don't be part of the 80% who are wearing the wrong size, be part of the bra fitting revolution!

Love,
Kitty xo

Welcome to Undercover Lingerista!

Hello and welcome to Undercover Lingerista, a blog dedicated to all things pretty and lingerie-related. Previously I have owned a few fashion blogs and after reading some great lingerie blogs, I decided to venture into the realm of lingerie blogging! There's nothing like new lingerie to make any girl feel a million dollars, so this slice of the net is dedicated to just that..all things lingerie - new underwear trends, bargain buys, dressing for your shape, bra reviews, bra buying tips and lots more!

I want to focus above all on bras and lingerie buying for bigger busts, due to recently discovering that I am a 28FF. Finding out my new size has meant that I have been investigating bras to suit more 'unusual' bra sizes that aren't easily found on the highstreet!

Any comments and suggestions about what you'd like to see me cover in this blog are very welcome.

As I always say, feeling beautiful starts with the basics...and for me, that means gorgeous lingerie!

Love,
Undercover Lingerista - Kitty xo