2012 in review & a sneak peek at what 2013 has in store..!

   First and foremost, let me start by wishing you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and thank you, readers, for your continued support in my lingerie pursuits! 

   2012 has been such an exciting year for me personally (I got married!) and as a blogger there have been so many great events and launches that it is hard to pick my highlights! Never-the-less, here is a little overview of my blog over the past year...

   2012 kicked off with my first guest blog "What I look for from a lingerie boutique" for Lingerie Buyer trade magazine, followed by meeting the fabulous Gok Wan at the Simply Yours/Simply Be S/S12 press event, the Swimwear 365 launch with TOWIE's Sam Faiers, the London Fashion Week 'indie' lingerie designers catwalk show, various lingerie press days (including the hugely popular Eveden A/W12 and Panache A/W12 press events)..and much more! 

   I was also thrilled to win Jonathan Aston's 2012 blogger 'style off' competition and this has given me the confidence to introduce more clothing, nightwear and shapewear posts on my blog. (Take a look at my lingerie-inspired Halloween look, 'Work fashion' style file, luxury highstreet nightwear review and Charnos corselette shapewear review) I have also started to use a few pictures of myself wearing garments that I review to hopefully give an even better idea of how things look in the flesh! 

   2012 has been a great year for lingerie reviews - both of brands that many of us know and love, as well as of some emerging and independent designers that cater particularly to the fuller bust market. Some of my favourite lingerie discoveries over the past year include the 'Parfait' by Affinitas fuller bust line, tattoo-inspired creations of Tatu Couture, new C-J cup lingerie brand, Alegro, Mimi Holliday's luxurious bras and highly acclaimed polish lingerie brand, Ewa Michalak!    

   2012 has indeed been a busy year and 2013 undoubtedly has some great surprises in store for you, lingerie fans! I am particularly looking forward to...

*Freya bringing out their longline bras in a 28 back for S/S13 - it looks like my continual badgering at press events has paid off! ;) 

(Pictured below L-R 'Just Flew In' and 'Patsy' - sizes 32-38C and 28-38 D-G.) 

* Freya's first ever shapewear styles and a Deco multiway bra..I can't wait! (Sizes 32-38 B,C & 28-38 D-G)

* Cleo by Panache's swimwear debut this Spring/Summer (cue a colour explosion of eye-catching summery brights, bold patterns and oh-so-cute details..starting from a 28 back (D-J cups):

* Curvy Kate's first ever babydoll ('Lola') which goes up to a K cup - it really fills a gap in the fuller bust market for sexy 'boudoir lingerie' and A/W13 cannot come around quick enough!

* Claudette's introduction of 28 backs to their 'Dessous' range - after months of lusting, I can't wait to get my mitts on these bright neon bras in my size!

* Miss Mandalay's high fashion, high impact swimwear for 2013 - fuller busted ladies are in for a treat with the new collections (all up to a GG and one range up to an H, with 28 backs in many styles). The 'Los Angeles' bikini (below, right) is bang on trend with its sexy cut-out details - it has my heart doing somersaults already!

* Even more Parfait by Affinitas longline bras for me to hanker after! Here is the ineffably stylish 'Danielle' bra in 'imperial purple' for A/W13..it must be love!

   This 2013, I hope to bring you all even more exciting lingerie, swimwear and fashion related pictures, previews, news and reviews. Blogging is in many ways about self-exploration and I am always striving to bring even more excitement and new ideas to the table when it comes to what I write about. I am pleased to say that I have a few new things in the pipeline for you all..one of my big aims is to bring in some thought-provoking content about the lingerie industry, bra fitting and body image, so keep your eyes peeled! 

   As always, if you have any suggestions regarding what you are interested in seeing on my blog, I'd love to hear from you - this blog exists to help people in their quest for well-fitting, gorgeous lingerie, so do get in touch here..and don't forget to join me on Facebook and Twitter for daily lingerie updates or just a general natter!

Love,

Kitty xo

Loungewear for the fuller bust: Freya 'Marina' Pyjamas Review

   As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, it really feels as though we have hit the cold Winter months...which also means that the Christmas season is drawing ever nearer! Before I get prematurely carried away with festive images of mince pies, mulled wine and Xmas turkey, Winter is also a great time to snuggle up in the warmth and recharge your batteries in good company. 

   One of my Winter weather (and lazy weekend) luxuries is relaxing at home in my PJ's, but it is not always easy to find pyjamas that are comfy, stylish AND support a larger bust. A little while ago I discovered Freya's loungewear collections thanks to Lazeme. Freya's lounge collections feature dual sized garments that come in clothing sizes (XS-XL) as well as bust sizes (B-DD or E-G). The support takes the form of an integral chest panel which provides support to a range of bust sizes.

   I first set eye on the Freya 'Marina' lounge sets (the pyjamas and chemise) at the Eveden A/W 2012 press day and the print and colours really stood out to me. Whilst I loved the 'Marina' chemise (which is the same in style as the 'Gracie' chemise that I reviewed), I feel that nighties are best suited to the warmer months of the year. Thanks to Lazeme, I was excited to be able to try out the 'Marina' pyjama set, which is sure to keep me feeling warm, comfy and stylish this Winter:

   True to form, my Lazeme loungewear arrived beautifully packaged and presented like a gift. It is always fantastic when companies pay attention to detail like this and it makes the customer feel very special!

   The Freya Lounge 'Marina' pyjamas consist of a long sleeve top and ribbon tie pyjama trousers, both of which boast a unique brushstroke print in a vibrant colour palette of purple, teal, blue, grey and black. As you can see from the picture below, the pattern resembles a leafy floral print, giving this set an Autumnal vibe!

   What is lovely about this set is that the trouser bottoms have an all-over brushstroke pattern, whereas the long sleeve top is predominantly black but features a printed hem, neckline and cuffs. The black top adds great contrast to the set and breaks up what could otherwise be quite a 'busy' pattern. I also love the rich purple satin bow on the adjustable gathered trouser band, which adds a stylish finish to the set!

   One of the key features of the 'Marina' lounge set is the top, which has a built-in secret cotton support panel. I got this top in a size XS E-G, which roughly equates to a size 8 with an E-G bust. I often wear a size 10 in tops, so I feel that the sizing is towards the generous side in Freya's lounge tops.

   The bottom edging of the support panel is elastic and whilst the panel detail is not as 'heavy duty' as a built-in bra, it does give light support to the wearer. As around a 28FF-G cup (28FF in most Freya lingerie), I really enjoyed having that bit of extra support from my nightwear and it is certainly nice to lounge around in pyjamas and feel comfortable without a bra on.

   My one criticism of the support panel is that it is verging on being too small for me in the bust. It provides good support when I lounge around the house in it, but after wearing it to bed for the night, I do find that the band rides up and sits slightly on the bottom of my breast tissue by morning. I feel that this is something to bear in mind if you are on the upper end of the E-G bust range.

   Never-the-less, the 'Marina' lounge set looks lovely on and is incredibly soft against the skin and comfortable to wear. The cut of the scoop neck top is flattering and the top is additionally a decent length to ensure that it does not ride up with movement. The arms and bust are more fitted and the fabric falls nicely over the stomach.

   I was also really impressed with the trousers as I often have problems with the length, being 5ft10! I got a size Small (roughly a UK10) which I wear on my hips and they drape beautifully to my ankles. The trousers are extremely soft and comfortable and I would quite happily live in them if I could! The gathered adjustable waist-band and ribbon tie is also an elegant and practical touch.

   I really like the 'Marina' loungewear set - the pattern is unusual and effortlessly chic, whilst the fabric is very soft with a good amount of stretch. What is also great about this pyjama set is that you could mix and match the top or bottoms with a different lounge set, like the Freya 'Gracie' in black:

   As I mentioned earlier, the only thing that this set could benefit from is slightly more room in the bust -perhaps Freya could experiment with a GG+ support panel option for the future too?

   There is nothing better than cosying up this Winter in comfy loungewear that packs a fashion punch. At £30 for the 'Marina' top and £30 for the 'Marina' trousers, this is a great quality set from Freya that will see you through the cold Winter months. Nightwear makes for a great Christmas present too and coupled with Lazeme's gift wrapping presentation, the recipient will certainly be in for a luxurious treat!

To see Lazeme's full range of sleep and loungewear products, click here.

Love,

Kitty xo

Poolside glamour in the By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' bikini

   By Caprice is a brand that I have written about before in my reviews of the 'Audrey' and 'Kitty' lingerie sets, but never before have I tried the swimwear. Since the brand's launch in 2006, By Caprice lingerie and swimwear has picked up fans in the form of Imogen Thomas and TOWIE's Maria Fowler and Amy Childs to name a few.

   As a former glamour model, it may come as no surprise that Caprice's Swimwear is equally as sexy as her Lingerie collections. The Spring/ Summer 2012 Swimwear collection is no exception, with an abundance of  glam padded triangle bikinis, moulded push-ups, cut-out swimsuits and skimpy tie-side bottoms in black, metallic tones and vibrant blue, along with ruching, polka dot, stud, floral and ruffle details. 

   By Caprice's padded triangle bikinis have proved to be a particularly popular design for many years now and have been brought out in a range of patterns. I recently spotted a very cute pink and black heart print bikini from By Caprice on lingerie and swimwear e-tailer, Lingerie Please. Lingerie Please offer some very cute bra sized bikinis, so I was delighted when they sent me the By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' bikini to try.. 

  By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' moulded bikini 
(Top: £23 and briefs: £15)

   As I have mentioned before, buying non-cup sized swimwear tends to be a 'no-goer' as I have to mix and match tops and bottoms to account for my bust, meaning that good support is pretty well out of the equation! Although the 'Colby Hearts' bikini does not come in bra sizes, the sizing works using a UK dress size and dual cup size e.g. Size 8-18, with cup sizes B/C, D/DD and E/F. 

   Although I generally wear 28 back bras, I decided to go for the 10 E/F in this bikini as I thought that the 8 E/F may come out rather like a By Caprice size 30 E/F, which would have been too small. (I wear a 30FF in By Caprice lingerie) I also went for a size 12 in the low rise bikini briefs as I have noticed that By Caprice briefs tend to run small due to their skimpier cut.

   It could probably be argued that this sizing system is a little confusing as dress size and band size do not necessarily (and often don't!) correlate. Before you get worried, luckily back size is not too much of an issue with this bikini because it has tie backs, which is great as you can tie the straps as tight or loose as you wish!

   The 'Colby Hearts' bikini top is a black moulded triangle style covered in ultra girlie hearts in bubble gum and lipstick pink. The bright dual tone hearts really stand out against the black base colour, giving this bikini a bit of a colour 'pop'. The low rise bikini briefs have an identical heart pattern and also feature an elasticated black waistband for comfort.

   I was glad that I went for the 10 E/F in the bikini top, as I definitely wouldn't have fit into the cups of the 8 E/F! The cut of the 'Colby Hearts' is much more revealing than most of the bikinis that I own, but boy oh boy does this bikini give you an impressive cleavage! Like the By Caprice bras that I have tried, the 'Colby Hearts' bikini also boasts hidden graduated padding on the inside of the cups.. 

   As you can see from the picture, the padding is quite significant and I definitely got a cleavage to rival a glamour model's in this number! This look may not be everyone's cup of tea (especially if you have a large bust already), but I'd recommend it to those who want to boost their bust on the beach, whilst melting a few ice creams (and hearts) whilst they're at it! 

   I was also glad that I went for a size 12 in the matching briefs as they do come up smaller and skimpier than some of the other bikini bottoms that I own. It is worth sizing up in these low rise briefs if you don't want to show too much derrière.. 

   

   The By Caprice 'Colby Hearts' bikini is a very flirty and glamorous bikini that will boost your assets and your confidence in equal measure. It's worth mentioning that this bikini is more of a 'lounging' and 'posing' bikini and wouldn't be ideally suited to high levels of activity (unless you want to give onlookers an eyeful!)

   It does look great on, however, and I can imagine this bikini drawing many an admiring look on the beach or by the pool! If you're looking for a sexy bikini with 'wow factor', the 'Colby Hearts' has definitely got it. 

   You can see more of Lingerie Please's range of bikinis on their site. There is currently FREE postage for a limited time, with quick dispatches and speedy postage!

Roll on Summer holidays!

Love,

Kitty xo