Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Bra fitting frustrations – A Success At M&S?

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

Bra fitting

My Marks & Sparks saga finally ended on a Sunday morning.  I called through to Marks & Spencer on Oxford Street in London a few days before, managed to get through and make an appointment!  It was the first appointment of the day, 12 noon.  Hooray!  I was very excited!

And what was the big deal about?  I was shuffled into a fitting room, and measured up.  It took about 2 minutes.  I can’t believe that Marks & Spencer would have made me wait 4 hours for such a punitive amount of time on the measurement of my breasts!  I am still seething about 3 attempts and a final 4th all for 2 MINUTES!  What a joke.

Still, fittings are done very discretely and in all manner of taste.  If you do not wish to be skin bare you don’t have to be.  Using a tape measure, they came to the conclusion I was a 34C.

I specifically asked for non-padded bras and was brought a range of very boring looking numbers.  Although white and floral embroidered, I wasn’t well impressed with the range available at all, and I’m not a fan of the crossover design, which is all they seemed to bring me.  Non – padded bras do not mean frumpy, white florals to me.  I was hoping for maybe red and racy with some embroidery and lace.  I browsed the isles for some time after the fitting, hoping I could find something a little more attractive.  All I found was the reason why the attendant only brought me white frumpy bras … there wasn’t anything else to offer.  Well, none in my new ‘size’ anyway.  I found a beautiful lavender lace bra and another in satin gray that were non-padded.  But I guess it was just too much to ask for the same in a 34C!  They were the only two non-padded bras that I fancied.  Not to mention the fact that non-padded bras were completely dominated by padded bras.  I found a couple of bras that were semi padded on the bottom of the cup.  Not what I was looking for.

I serious lack of range did not discount the fact that the attendants did their best to be helpful.  There was no pressure to buy, and I felt very happy to walk around at my leisure seeing what I could find.

So, would I go there again? To be honest with you, after my measurements at John Lewis, Debenhams and Rigby & Peller it was all a big waste of my time as you will soon read on.

Have you ever been fitted at Marks & Spencer?  Did you have a similar experience?  Let us know in the comments.

 

By Philippa Morton

photo credit: _Pixelmaniac_ via photopin cc

Review of Skin Kiss Fake Tan Tights

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

Skin Kiss Fake Tan Tights

 

I hardly had time to apply fake tan before my parcel arrived. And neither did I need to, since it was Skin Kiss Fake Tan Tights that I had ordered online and that had arrived a day and a half later! Just as well, since my plans of tanning in the park over the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend were annulled with the loyalty of English weather. Needless to say, I gave up messy fake tan years ago! I found that no matter what the product claimed it always turned out to be patchy, orange and messy. I’m also a sceptic. I have trouble believing a pair of 8 denier tights is going to leave me with lusciously brown shanks. Nevertheless, I wanted to give it ago, and here’s what happened.

8.00
The minute I opened the packet I got a pertinent question in my head. Knickers or no? Well, NORMALLY I wouldn’t wear knickers so I’ll wear the tights just like I normally would – without knickers. Besides, I wouldn’t have minded getting a tanned bum; it could be handy for shapely swimwear when you’re just not sure exactly where the seam will meet the skin.

Okay, so the instructions said to put them on, massage into the legs and leave for 10 minutes. So that’s exactly what I did (except for areas of the unmentionables). The pack came with a pair of gloves to avoid staining on hands. The stockings were wet too – I guess they must have had some kind of magic potion in them.

Before

Before testing Fake Tan Tights

Before - Au Naturel

10.00
Well it had been 2 hours and the pack says ‘Gives legs a tanned look in under 2 hours’. The only look I was getting was the annoyed look on my face. I’d arranged to go for a bike ride around the city for the Queen’s Jubilee and was hoping to wear some shorts that would show off my tanned legs. I wore my jeans instead, as there was definitely not even a hint of tan.

18.00
As soon as I got home from my day out I ripped off my jeans to my boyfriend’s momentary surprised delight, then disappointment. It was in anticipation of my tan that I so eagerly peeled off: a tan which should have definitely developed by now. After close inspection, I noticed a tan on my feet and a few streaks on my shins and legs. But most obvious were the brown streaks around my waist where the seam of the tights met the skin.

After

After - Golden and bronzed?

After - Golden and bronzed?

Tan Lines on Tummy

Tummy Tan Lines

Tummy Tan Lines

So would I buy Skin Kiss Fake Tan Tights for £9.99 again? No. I think they have potential though, because obviously I got streaks in some places. I was right to be a sceptic; I should have brought out the old traditional fake tan, as I needed it after all.

Philippa Morton is a journalist, restaurant critic and entertainment writer living in London. Her portfolio expands to dating and relationships, Breaking Up With Brilliance, and education. Follow her on twitter @philippamorton

Desperately Seeking Stockings

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

 

Fredericks of hollywood stockings Searching for a pair of stockings turned into a major mission for me last week.  I was stateside in LA and decided that I was going to bedeck myself in some pretty phenomenal lingerie from Lise Charmel and all I needed to complete it was a pair of nude stockings.  Despite having a drawer full at the boutique I managed to leave home with out any.

First port of call was Harrods in Heathrow’s Terminal 5, no great surprise that they didn’t have any, after all it’s only a tiny Falke concessio,n so I helped myself to a couple of pairs of tights in case of emergency.  And yes, not having appropriate hosiery can legitimately be called an emergency.

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Lingerie For Darker Skintones – BeingU

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

image

 

beingU is a new brand of lingerie designed to fill a gap in the market.  Nude lingerie for pale skin tones dominates leaving little to no choice for many women. beingU seeks to address this and they have brought a range of lingerie with 5 colours to suit different skin tones.  But like many new designers they face a challenge to get a foot hold so how successful will they be?

There is definitely a gap with what is already available and with the size range from a D to H cup they have targeted a significant market. With the sizes they have chosen fit is key, some designers can take a few seasons to work out any kinks with the fit.  I think their best chance of success is to be taken up by stores that receive a large amount of people traffic such as Debenhams and Bravissimo.

A bra and brief set start from £58, which is an attractive price point. I like that the collection is very inclusive with designs and colours that would appeal to all skin tones including a lovely bright turquoise and patterns on the nude tones what can be worn by anyone.

 

Review of the Latest Simone Perele Collection

Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Simone Perele Rosa Bella Plunge Bra in Ivory

Rosa Bella

Love is in the air this spring, well romance at the very least.  The new Simone Perele lingerie collection is filled with pastel hues, delicate floral motives evocative of an English country garden or maybe more accurately a French country garden.  The Bagatelle is the first to arrive available in a vibrant coral colour and muted and sophisticated ivory.  A bold graphic floral embroidery works well holding it’s own against the strength of the coral while adding interest to the ivory.

As with all spring summer collections ivory makes numerous appearances but in the Rosa Bella it is combined with a pretty rose embroidery in lilac.  Although the ivory is my personal favourite the azure blue makes a striking contrast to the pastels.  In addition there is bubblegum pink but the colour over powers the details and the overall effect is bordering on gaudy.

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Prima Donna, Review Of The New Spring Summer Collection 2011

Friday, January 14th, 2011

PD_Kolyma_Coral_01 It may be cold and gloomy outside but here at Plums Lingerie it’s time to start looking forward to spring and summer. Prima Donna are filling this season with a beautiful pastels, highlighted with a strong turquoise and coral from the first story to be delivered this season, Kolyma. After the deep dark colours of the winter Kolyma bursts through in vivid coral, bright turquoise and the obligatory seasonal white. This range will be a staple of the season due to the three bra shapes that it is available in. The traditional underwire full cup, the balcony bra and increasingly popular padded T-shirt bra. The padded T-shirt bra is available up to a G cup and combines practicality and design by incorporating lace up the side of the cups so it doesn’t show through when wearing close-fitting tops. The briefs in this story include italian briefs that originally started making an appearance with Marie Jo and have now crossed over to Prima Donna. The sheer embroidered back of these briefs gives it a flirty seductive look.

PD_Tamise_CaffeLatte_02 Prima Donna always include a timeless classic, this season is the Tamise. Available in both the natural ivory and the ever practical caffe latte. This range has included a new style of bra, a smooth cup that is not lacy nor padded. This is great for all the larger cup sizes because there is nothing else similar to this, however the fabric used is a shiny satin which I think many people will find old-fashioned. The padded spacer bra also makes an appearance and is available up to the G cup, it always proves popular in the cafe latte as it will be perfect for wearing under T-shirts. Along with the standard briefs available the Tamise also includes a corrective brief to give you a little bit of support around the tummy. The Tamise will appeal to those who have previously bought the Odeon or Constantinople in previous seasons.

PD_Amazone_PandoraBlue

The most decorative new fashion range for the season is the Amazone a luxury story with ornate floral motifs and a gorgeous firework embroidery. This range is available in a stunning electric flower which interplay’s lilacs and greens against the rich ivory background and pandora blue, a purply blue with crocus inspired lilac used in the embroidery. A striking as the underwire bra is it is the deep plunge that really shows off the design to full effect. A definite favourite the season and the perfect way to indulge yourself.

In every season Prima Donna takes some of its most popular designs and re-colours them. In line with a delicate summer feel the Stockholm from last autumn winter has been brought out in a soft delicate peach. The Stockholm sold-out exceptionally quickly in the autumn and due to the three different styles of bra are something for everyone. In addition, this season Prima Donna have introduced a little negligee to be worn with the bra. Perfect if you like your nightwear but still feel more comfortable with a bit of support. The Kensington also makes a reappearance, it comes in a rich cream with a beige, gold and natural coloured embroidery which gives all of the pieces a sparkle. This is also the only fashion range that includes a basque. Finally this brings us to the eternally popular Deauville, still available in white natural, cafe latte and black, the pretty crocus colour is being introduced for the summer.

PD_Stockholm_Geisha PD_Deauville_Crocus PD_Kensington_Spumante

The other two continuity stories are the Madison and the Perle. The Prima Donna Perle is the epitome of a lingerie basic with smooth cup bras in a multitude of styles and seamless corrective briefs. However the fit of the Perle bras are not consistent with the other Prima Donna bras so would always recommend trying a few different sizes on. The Madison however does not have this problem. And also being available in the new non-transparent underwire bra it is a great alternative for the larger cup ladies to wear under their T-shirts. If you like to add the colour to your summer Madison is available in scarlet as well as the other continuity colours white, natural, cafe latte and black.

There is a strong feeling of romance in the latest seasons collection soft pastels evoke thoughts of meadows and spring flowers. My tip for the must have this season is the Amazone, both colourings a flattering to a different skin tones and it manages to be bright and colourful without being garish.

Prima Donna Autumn Winter Review 2010

Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Prima Donna Atlantis Bra in Ice Grey

Prima Donna Atlantis in Ice Grey

After a spring summer filled with gorgeous blues, whites and peaches the new autumnal Prima Donna will soon be on its way.  The collection is filled with rich warm colours that have developed from the strong presence of reds and purples in 2009 to more muted soft tones.

The collection combines some re-colourings as well as new designs.  The hugely popular Alexandrie from the spring summer collection has been brought out in a chocolate with subtle orange accents.  It works well with the delicate floral embroidery and this is really shown off in the unique double spaghetti strap which proved so popular in the summer.   The Atlantis is the other range that has benefited from a re-colouring.  The paisley kasmir motif looks particularly eye-catching in the ice grey and I think it is more appealing than any of the previous colours from last winter.  The embroidery looks striking against the sheer tulle.

Prima Donna Copenhagen in Frost Grey

Prima Donna Copenhagen in Frost Grey

As beautiful as the re-colourings are they just don’t elicit the same anticipation as the new ranges.  There are three new ranges with something for every Prima Donna fan.  The Copenhagen is a timeless classic in a transparent tulle with subtle colour accented embroidery. It is available in the traditional full cup, balcony and even a smooth cup shaper.  More and more of the ranges are featuring the popular spacer bra and with this range coming in black, white and grey it is a great alternative to the Prima Donna Satin spacer bra.

If you prefer a little more colour in your winter wardrobe the Stockholm is a good place to start.  With the choice of red, black with cerise embroidery or the ocean blue it’s difficult to choose between them.  Red will undoubtedly do well over the Christmas period but I think the black is my favourite because of the contrast in the embroidery.  The pretty cerise flowers really pop against the sheer black tulle.  The range features the stunning tulip cut balcony bra.  This is a contemporary cut and has proven to be very popular with the Plums Lingerie customers, it was first seen last winter in the Prima Donna Oz and is now making an appearance in more and more ranges.

Prima Donna Stockholm Ocean

Prima Donna Stockholm Ocean

Every season there is a collection that is their seasonal special, it’s the series that takes your breath away, combining beautiful design with themost gorgeous colours.  This winter that title is held by the Helsinki.  It so amazingly glamorous and uses a new technique giving the embroidery a semblance of a shadow effect. It’s the range that has the luxury balcony bra with vertical seaming to give a lower cut while still giving the perfect amount of support.   I already have my eye on the basque however this season it only goes up to the F cup.  This is a tad disappointing but the bra does go all the way to the 44H.  The Helsinki epitomises the muted tones that define this autumn winter.  The strong purples from last year have been replaced with a softer midnight violet and the ocean blue as seen in the Stockholm is echoed in the empire green.

The ranges from Prima Donna this season are as strong as ever but it is disappointing that none of the ranges have a suspender belt included.  I expect that the Stockholm will do exceptionally well with the black proving to be the most popular but that will probably have something to do with it being my favourite.  The Helsinki will surely feature on quite a few lists to Santa so ladies it’s time to make sure you’ve been a good girl.

Check out the rest of the Prima Donna collection on the Plums Lingerie website.

Prima Donna Helsinki in Empire Green

Prima Donna Helsinki in Empire Green

Prima Donna Copenhagen in White

Prima Donna Copenhagen in White

Implicite Autumn/Winter 2010 Review

Friday, July 30th, 2010

I’d like to introduce our GuestBlogger for this review of the Implicite Autumn Winter collection.  Emily Hamilton is the senior Saturday girl at Plums Lingerie and we have had the pleasure     of her working with us for nearly 2 years.  She is currently enjoying her summer hols after finishing her G.C.S.Es.  Enjoy her first post with us and any encouraging comments will be much appreciated.

Implicite is a diffusion line created by the popular company Simone Perele which creates fabulous bras with a younger look and feel. This season, the company has dared to alter the typical strap ensemble and has created something a little different and brave. Their new autumn/winter range has the typical autumn colours, including lots of purple, red, brown and the all important ivory. The designs embrace lots of flirty lace, even on the smooth cup t-shirt bra.

The Neon doubles up as both a seamless bra and a strapless, combined with a light silky satin edge; perfect for skin tight strapless dresses. If you want something a little more interesting, the Crystal is also a very pretty strapless bra with various delicate lace detail and dotted tulle. For something a little more practical the Ambre is sophisticated with its grid detailing and fan inspired embroidery.

A different practical, yet pretty bra is the Opale. In warm raspberry or lavender, the stretch satin material makes it seamless and very comfortable against the skin. With black lace embroidery inspired by the skeletal structure of a leaf it is perfect to blend in with the seasonal theme. For the most quirky and unusual piece of the collection, Onyx is the right bra if you want to be a little more daring and unleash your provocative side this winter. In hot pink or black, it makes this bra very sexy, containing lots of beautiful lace detail. It reminds me of a subtle version of the Dutch designer Marlies Dekkers with its interesting strap arrangements on each style of bra and brief.

This autumn/winter range is brilliant as it contains a wide range of different bra styles including day-to-day basics as well as something a little sexier.

Implicite Opale Kir Nuisette Lingerie

Implicite Opale in Hot Pink and Black

Implicite Ambre Bleu Royal Lingerie

Implicite Ambre in Blue

>PlumsLingerie.com Prima Donna Lingerie SS2010

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

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