Friday 26 July 2013

Figure Hugging? Of Corset is!

It's no surprise that I love my curves, and anything to enhance them is a thumbs up in my book. The most extreme curve enhancer out there has to be the corset. Corsets have been around for several centuries, eventually spawning the bras that we know and love today, but still, they remain a staple in extreme shapewear.

It was back in 2005 when I first tried a corset, albeit a plastic boned one, offering little support but even so I was impressed with the way it flattered my curves. My collection grew and I found myself with 8-9 plastic boned corsets, dreaming of the day I could afford a 'proper' steel boned corset. As you can see from the photo, I still had to wear a bra to support the 'girls' or the corset would have collapsed.




Then one day I stumbled upon an online shop called corsets-uk, selling actually, proper steel boned corsets for a lot less than the £150+ was expecting to pay! I'm like a kid in a candy store when I find something new that I want, so I didn't stop at just one corset, I ended up with at least 10, all from Corsets-UK, but most of which don't fit nowadays sadly. With their fantastic Corset Of The Day (COTD) offers via their Facebook page you can often grab some real bargains. Most of mine I picked up for around the £30-£40 mark, like this awesome cherry patterned longline corset below.



My corset buying hit a lull until last year when I spotted this AMAZING Union Jack corset (£72 at the time of writing) just in time for the Queen's Jubilee and Olympic celebrations. I'm a sucker for Union Jacks since 1997 when Geri Halliwell stormed the Brits with that famous Union Jack dress. Despite measuring up as a 26" waist at the time, meaning I should have ordered a 22" corset, I chose a 24" for that bit of extra boob room. As much as I adore this corset, it just doesn't fit my curves as well as I'd like, particularly not now I've lost another inch from my waistline. I could cry! Still, look, it's not completely unwearable but it won't be cinching in my waist.



Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I tweeted a photo of me in said Union Jack corset to Corsets-UK. I was then contacted by one their lovely 'people' to ask if I'd like to review a corset of my choosing. As you can imagine, being a customer of theirs I was honoured and positively jumped at the chance! I'd recently drooled over FullerFigureFullerBust's review of Corsets-UK's Highly Curvaceous overbust corset, made for ladies such as Georgina and myself with more 'extreme' hourglass figures, meaning a difference of around 10" or more between waist and bust measurements.


Ideally I wanted a classic black overbust corset but unfortunately it was out of stock so I channelled my inner Jessica Rabbit and chose this red with black pleat trim overbust corset priced at £60 instead in a 20". I was so excited when it arrived that I tore open the packaging, laced myself into it and got snapping....at work! So for continuity and amusement I thought it would only be fair of me to use those very photos.


As you can see, the corset cinches me in perfectly and compared to the Union Jack you'll see there's extra room in the bust and hips, fitting me much better and in turn creating a cleaner silhouette. I just love the way it skims over my hips and actually FITS them, rather than creating a muffin...bottom (?) underneath like corsets without this amount of flaring normally would. Great stuff!



It's not THE perfect fit and I do have a few minor gripes with this corset. It doesn't quite push my boobs forward as much as I'd like, but I think that's more to do with my soft boobs rather than the corset. I'm almost certain this could be remedied by wearing either a strapless bra or maybe even some strategically placed 'chicken fillets'. The other issue is again probably down to my body rather than the corset, in that it feels slightly uncomfortable on my bottom ribs. As I said though, this is probably down to my body, since I'm only 5'2" and something that could only be fixed by having a bespoke corset made to my exact measurements. My last little gripe is that I'd have preferred it to have cord lacing rather than ribbon, but I can change that very easily of course.

I say with with a sinking heart and a sigh deep in my chest, but Corsets-UK have decided not to replenish stocks of their Highly Curvaceous range, so if they have your size in stock (4-5" smaller than your actual waist measurement) then BUY before they sell out! A little tip when shopping, you'll get more results by typing "GE" in the search box, but not all are the curvaceous type. You should be able to tell the difference very easily though.



Overall I'm delighted to have found a relatively problem free corset for my awkwardly short and curvy body!  Since I've never shopped elsewhere for my corsets, I can't compare to any other companies, but I'm more than happy with Corsets-UK so I've never felt the need to shop around. The corset has inspired me to finally buy that iconic red sequined floor length dress a la Jessica Rabbit as I promised myself I would two years ago! Here's a sneak peek until my dress gets here...

Are any of you corset wearers? If not, would you consider wearing one?







Wednesday 10 July 2013

Crop tops for busty gals? Can you, would you, dare you?

A few weeks ago Georgina of fullerfigurefullerbust tweeted that she'd tried on a crop top and since then I was curious about how they would look on me. As I was browsing in Primark one lunch hour, I saw a few I quite fancied and decided to give them a try just to see how they'd look.

I chose to team the crop tops up with a green jersey midi skirt, costing just £5. The skirt is available in red, blue, green and black. Primark didn't any have any in my usual skirt size 8 so the one in the photos is a size 10. I'm not overly keen with the midi length on me, but apparently it's THE length to wear so I guess I can live with it.

Unfortunately Primark don't have an online shop, although ASOS ave a small selection available. 

First up, a colourful Aztec print top in a size 6. Costing £6 (I think it was?) it's a cheap and easy way to work this seasons daring trend. The problem I had with this top is that besides making me look ALL boob, you could clearly see my bra straps.

                                         

You should all know by now that I'm a complete sucker for anything polka dot, so this black and white crop top immediately caught my eye. Costing £4, it's so tempting! Again, it makes me look very busty, but I kind of like how I look in this outfit and may well end up buying it. At just £9 fr both the top and skirt, I think I can justify it. My only issue is that the outfit might be a bit too young for me with me turning 32 in a month's time.

                                         


So, my curvy readers, what do you think? Would you dare to bare your midriff this summer for this latest fashion trend or is it all a bit too much for you? Would you avoid wearing fashions you know look good on you because you feel you're too old for them?

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Primark's pretties for a more average bust

I wouldn't normally write about a shop or brand that doesn't fit me as I can't give an accurate review in terms of fit and comfort, but this week I was blown away by what my favourite high street store, Primark has to offer in their lingerie department. Here are my top picks;

This seasons loud and proud trend for neons isn't just limited to clothes, as Primark prove with this eye catching longline. This could be also worn as a crop top, again bang on trend. In sizes 32AA, 32-34A, 34-36B, C and D, and 34DD. The set costs just £8 so why not treat yourself to something fun?
                                         

Sticking with the neon trend, how about this moulded leopard trim longline bra in bright orange? Again, it comes with matching pants/thong/shorts and costs £5 in sizes 32AA, 32-34A, 32-36B, 34-36C-D.

                                         

If cute prints are more your thing, how about this geek print set in sizes 32AA, 32-32A, 32-36B, 34-36C-DD for only £4! I absolutely love this print, it's so fun! This pink plunge bra also features a racer back option, useful for summer. My only criticism about this bra is that it's made from a jersey fabric which tends to stick to clothes and flattens my breasts. Of course, this might not happen to everyone.

       


Aside from the fun prints and colours Primark also have a huge offering of stunning luxury styles made from faux silks and lace. Their stock appears to be of a decent enough quality, but without testing them, I can't confirm that they will last as well as more expensive specialist lingerie brands. 
        

There are LOADS of designs to choose from, and prices at around £7 for the bra and £3 for the briefs of shorts, here are a few of my favourites; 

                                               
                                      

Most of the above styles start at a 34A and go up to (but not inclusive) a 38DD, so as I said at the start, nothing will fit me, but if you're lucky enough to be of a high street bra size, then give them a try!

What do you think of Primark's lingerie range? Have you tried it for yourself?