Bling for your bra - Esty Lingerie choker strap review

   An accessory can be the perfect finishing touch to any outfit, so where does the lingerie market stand when it comes to underwear accessories? 

   You may be aware of the existence of functional bra-cessories such as your commonplace bra-extenders, comfort strap pads and chicken fillets but what about accessories that take your bra to the next level of aesthetic impact? 

   With the widespread furor caused by 'Fifty Shades of Grey', bondage accessories have taken to the stage in a big way and it seems that now, the sky is the limit when it comes to sprucing up your underwear with edgy (and sometimes risqué) accessories...  

(Picture via: Bloodglitterlust @ Tumblr)

   Although the 'Fifty Shades' book has bypassed me somewhat, bondage-inspired lingerie certainly hasn't! Anything strappy/cut-out/mesh/harness-like gets me weak at the knees, so I was delighted to stumble across Esty Lingerie's new and improved Accessories section. 

   I have been a fan of Esty Lingerie for a while; the company boasts an extensive range of amazing independent designer names on its website that I regularly lust after. Even more exciting, however, is the fact that company director, Estelle Puleston, is also a lingerie designer and her new range of lingerie accessories is certainly something to get dreamy-eyed over!

   Esty Lingerie's Accessories range is an ideal way to personalise and rejuvenate the lingerie that you already own and the collection includes everything from customised bra straps, suspender straps and garters to cuffs, harnesses and handcuffs! The accessories that really caught my eye were the gorgeous, bondage-inspired choker straps, which come in a variety of styles and colours..

   What particularly excites me about the choker strap accessory is that it fuses the idea of a necklace, harness and bra strap to create something that bridges the gap between under and outer-wear. Bondage-inspired bras also do not tend to be readily available to small-backed and fuller busted girls such as myself, so a choker strap seemed to be an ideal way of customising the lingerie that I already owned! 

   I was over the moon when Esty Lingerie offered me the chance to channel the trend with an Esty choker strap of my choice! As a fan of Alexander McQueen and his trademark skull motifs, the black satin elastic choker bra strap with crystal skull seemed to be a great nod to the late designer!

   The Esty Lingerie black satin choker strap is one size and is incredibly adaptable thanks to its stretch elastic and metal adjusters, which can be modified to fit the individual. To attach the choker strap, the bottom slider can be adjusted to form a loop and then all you have to do is slip it over the bra wing and slide it to the centre. Put on your bra as normal and then use the clip at the top to fasten the choker at the neck. Tighten or loosen the top and bottom sliders as necessary and voilà! Your very own custom bra harness!

   Whilst I have tried my choker strap with plunge and balcony bras, I really love wearing my skull choker strap with a plain strapless bra like the black Freya Deco. The choker strap works so well with a strapless as the choker almost becomes part of the bra, creating a new bra design in itself. The eye is also drawn upwards to the neck, honing in on the glint of the diamanté skull charm and cute satin ribbon bow detail.

   The Esty choker strap is well made and comfortable to wear, meaning that it is not limited to the boudoir; it can be incorporated into day and evening outfits alike. As the Esty skull choker is such a 'wow' piece and I am such a big fan of the lingerie as outerwear trend, I have enjoyed wearing my choker strap with slinky evening dresses, under blouses and even peeking out of casual vest tops. 

   I have put a few outfits together so that you can get a feel for some of the ways that the choker strap can be worn in harmony with clothing without looking OTT...

Day: Casual vests and acid wash jeans

Neon vest top: Undiz (France) 

Bra: Freya Deco strapless

Acid wash jeggings: Topshop

Stud boots: Primark

Neon is a huge trend at the moment and yellow/lime is one of this season's hottest shades - it looks great against a tan and it even works with my 'moon tan'! I love the contrast of the neon with my Topshop acid wash jeggings and my Primark studded boots tie in well with the skull choker strap - ideal for adding a rock-chic edge!

Burgundy vest: New Look

Bra: Freya Deco strapless

Acid wash jeggings: Topshop

Stud boots: Primark

If you're not feeling daring enough to wear out-there neons this Summer, burgundy/rust is a great transitional shade that will take you into Autumn. Burgundy feels a little more sophisticated and understated and I love the relaxed simplicity of this outfit, whilst the choker strap turns up the heat.

Evening: Mesh and velvet bodycon

Dress: H&M Conscious collection

Bra: Freya Deco strapless

     Let's just say that I was feeling unusually Gothic when I put this outfit together! I really like the textural contrast of the velvet with the mesh of this bodycon dress and the waterfall/batwing sleeves give this outfit plenty of dramatic impact. My Deco strapless works brilliantly under this dress, meaning that the only strap on show is my fabulous Esty skull choker strap!

   As you can see, the Esty skull choker strap is a perfect way to spice up any outfit and it really gives the 'wow factor' to a variety of bra styles. It is quite brilliant to me that you can totally transform your under and outerwear simply by slipping on choker strap! Aside from being easy to wear, the Esty choker is great quality, comfortable and the pièce de résistance? It only costs £10.99! An absolute steal considering its versatility, luxury appeal and suitability for ALL cup sizes!

   I am such a fan of this skull choker strap, that I can't wait to add more Esty accessories to my collection. I might buy the matching skull bra straps or skull suspenders, but more likely I will get one of these beauties:

See the rest of Esty Lingerie's Accessories collection here.

   What do you think of Esty Lingerie's choker straps? Is bondage-inspired lingerie a trend that you would rock and how do you feel about lingerie accessories?

Love,

Kitty x

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.

***

   

   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 derrière!

   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.

***

   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