Posts with tag "review"

Does This Pearl Front Thong Shock You? My Encounter with Bracli Pearl Thongs

Fantasy Pearl Thong $74.99

Disclosure: I received this item free of charge for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

“Those pearls go WHERE?!” I thought.  I had come face to face with an eight foot poster of a panty-clad woman’s torso.  At first glance, the panty seemed like a pretty standard stretch lace affair, but at the same time I was struck with one of those vague what’s-wrong-with-this-picture senses that something was not exactly what it seemed.  Second glance.  Aaah, it is a pearl thong, a pearl FRONT thong.

I immediately dissolved in an inward shocked schoolgirlish giggle.  It was like seeing a car driving backward down the freeway or an executive wearing her bra outside her blouse.  Thongs, which not too long ago were considered scandalous, have become commonplace–even desexualized to the point of being classified as an outfit “solution” to prevent VPL.  But this image of a string dividing a lady’s front?  It seemed TOO sexy, and so unexpected I couldn’t look away.

It takes a lot to shock and intrigue a lingerie trade show regular.  But Bracli did it.

After some time sidling up to the poster and then examining the actual garment pictured, my surprise turned to awe.  I became enamored of this lacy, pearly panty.  I spent a long time considering it and asking myself how something so overtly sexual, with foreign, rigid components in THAT area could still seem elegant.  As a lingerie designer, I think a lot about what good taste is; how do you define something that is context-based, inchoate, emotional, and personal?  And how come classic looking components can sometimes coalesce into something tacky when misconstructed or misused (think red lipstick and decolletage at a funeral), while on the other hand a pearl front thong like this one from Bracli can flirt with scandal but ultimately land on the side of elegant good taste?

In this case it has to do with the fine quality of the materials as well as the whole brand concept, which together elevate each product to a higher realm of sensuality, mystery and luxury.  According to its US representative, Bracli exclusively uses pearls from Mallorca, Spain and Spanish-made lace (launching in 2014, lace from Calais, France, and limited edition fresh water pearls–ooh, bumpy!)

And what about the name?  It’s a creative word compounded of two Spanish ones: BRAga and CLItoris (underwear and clitoris).  According to its website, “Bracli is the result of combining intimate clothing with the subtle stimulation of the most sensitive parts of a woman’s body.”  Luis Alvarez, Bracli’s inventor who patented the design in 1996, writes, “However, there is a stimulus that is more important than just the physical, more intense than the soft rubbing of the pearls, which is that Bracli stimulates the imagination and invites you to imagine. It is an invitation that is extended not only to the woman who wears Bracli, but also to whoever wants to share this experience as an accomplice, as a confidant… The excitement is contagious to all who participate in this pleasureful experience.”

My own participation in this pleasureful experience began when a Bracli Body Pearl Thong ($84) arrived in the mail.  The glossy scented black box hinted at sensual delights contained inside, and beckoned irresistibly for me to open it and try it on immediately.  I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to try on lingerie.  I felt like I was entering mini-outer space, thrilled to be experimenting in a new realm and maybe a little nervous about the physical sensation that might accompany it.  Even in my fugly home glasses and linty socks, I felt totally transformed.

I think the most important job of lingerie is to make its wearer FEEL sexy, followed secondarily by helping her look sexy.  Bracli is incredible because not only does the novelty of it delight its wearer into imagining herself differently in it, but also, physically, Bracli thongs do not let her forget she’s wearing it.  Some thongs are sexy; Bracli is sex.

Bracli Body Pearl Thong $84.99

Okay, so we know I’m a fan, but I would be remiss in this review if I didn’t mention a few things about Bracli that I think have great potential for improvement.  My bodysuit fit perfectly from the hips down, but the placement of the stretch lace straps caused gapping at the waist on me as it does on the model in the photo.  It might be a more flattering garment if the points of connection between the straps and panty portion were adjusted–though I’ll also add that “flattery” is not the main concern of this garment, and any eyes on a woman wearing it would probably not be bothered by this fit issue.

If one were wearing a thong instead of the Bodysuit, this fit problem would be a nonissue.  Bracli’s strength, I think, is in its mastery of the pearl thong, which can be bought individually in several styles and colors or with a matching bra.  I did not try any bras on, but the cuts and fits of these appear in photos not necessarily the strength of the collection.   In the future, I would love to see a broader range of silhouettes from this brand, since it has so much power and appeal.

Classic Bra and Thong Set $134.99

There’s also a menswear section!  I would love to hear your thoughts on Bracli’s pearl thong — are you as excited as I am about this innovation?  Would you wear it?  What do you think of it on a man?  For more information, visit www.bracli.us

Perlseo Pearl Thong for Men $69.99

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

I’ve loved lingerie since before that was reasonable. I taught myself drawing, designing, and sewing, and after graduating from Harvard with an English degree, immediately went to work disregarding it and following my passion for fashion. After a few years designing for a big company, I went off on my own and started Lola Haze TM, (named after the title character in “Lolita,” my favorite book). Lola Haze is playwear for the bold woman who loves fun and dresses for herself! I feel happy and lucky that I get to love my job so much, and am thrilled to share my lingerie enthusiasm with The Lingerie Addict!

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Reviews: Freya Deco and Poison lingerie

Disclaimer: The lingerie in this review was provided by Freya and Poison. All opinions are my own.

This month I’m reviewing bras with a big focus on their fit, from Freya and Poison lingerie.

Freya

Freya is a UK brand that produces fun and fashionable lingerie with a focus on exceptional fit.  Their size range is extremely diverse, ranging from a B to a K cup.  The ‘Deco’ range is a relatively new addition and focuses on seamless molded cup bras, currently available on the Freya website in ‘nude’ and black. 

The Deco half cup bra and brief

I was sent the black ‘Deco’ molded half cup bra in a 30D and the ‘Deco’ short.  The bra has seam free cups and also features subtle internal contouring for a slight push-up effect.  Both garments use the same soft stretch fabric. The bra comes in sizes 28-30 D-F and 32-38 B-F. The short comes in sizes XS-XL.

I’ve never been the best of friends with molded cup bras – I’ve always found their shape unflattering and badly fitting, often finding the cups ‘gaping’ at the neck edge because my breasts weren’t full enough to fit them. So when Freya offered me the chance to review the new Deco bra I was intrigued – I’d had several good experiences with Freya bras in the past (with them being one of the few commercially available brands that manufactured my size) and wondered whether their take on the molded cup bra could be any different.

I’m pleased to report that the fit of the Deco bra is excellent – the band is comfortable tight, the wires sit flat against my chest and the cups fully encase my breasts.  The push-up effect is pleasantly subtle, giving an extra bit of ‘oomph’ without being too obvious and an attractively rounded shape. My only problem is that at certain times of the month my breasts don’t fill out the cups fully, leaving a small gap at the neck edge.  However, this is barely noticeable under most clothes and still keeps a relatively seamless appearance.

The shorts are also incredibly comfortable, with very soft fabric and good coverage.  Both the bra and shorts held up very well to multiple hand washes and still look as new.  I’m happy to say that they’ve both found their way into my everyday lingerie rotation, a rare occurrence indeed!

The black molded half cup bra is available here for £30 and the shorts here for £10. You can visit the Freya Deco365 website here for more information about fit and to find out more about the collection.

Poison

‘Reveler les secrets’ set

Poison are a San Francisco based lingerie brand whose ‘Poise’ bras are incredibly different to anything else I’ve seen on the market; the unusual construction techniques claim to give posture-enhancement, give a push-up effect without the padding and to contour and smooth away back fat.

‘Profond’ set

Poison sent me the ‘Révéler les secrets’ bra in a 32C (featuring a black and gold stretch lace) and the ‘Profond’ bra in a 32D (featuring a navy floral embroidery) as well as a set of black bra inserts and a bra extender.  As a reference, I normally wear a 30D in bras but was informed that as the ‘Poise’ bras have a snug fit the 32 band should still fit. ‘Reveler les secrets’ is available in sizes 30B-38E and retails at $139 and ‘Profond’ is available in sizes 30B-40F and retails at $135.

Front views of the ‘Profond’ and ‘Reveler les secrets’ bras

My first impressions of the bras was that they are actually very well made – the construction is impressively strong and durable.  Each of the bras features a very wide underband elastic, double boning on the side seams and double layers of powernet in the wings.  The cups feature a ‘sling’ where additional bra inserts and padding can be worn.  Whilst the cups are not padded in the traditional sense, the cups are cotton lined with a fairly substantial weight of fabric.  Both bras held up fairly well to hand washing, though I found that the lace on the ‘Reveler les secrets’ bra began losing elastic threads after a couple of washes.  The bra inserts are also very intriguing – they smell very strongly of rose (though pleasantly so!) and contain peculiar ‘massaging’ beads. They seem a little harsh when you feel the inserts by themselves but when worn in the bra itself they are unnoticeable.

Back views of the ‘Profond’ and ‘Reveler les secrets’ bras

Initially, the fit of the ‘Poise’ bras confused me. The wide underband is actually very comfortable and supportive, as well as being flattering on the back.  It is, however, quite tight – which was especially surprising as I usually wear a 30 underband anyway. Although I could wear it comfortably it did make me wonder how a 32 underband would cope with their size.  Additionally I found that the removable straps provided with the bras are surprisingly short – at 5’7” in height, I found myself wearing them at nearly their full extension.

Side view of the ‘Reveler les secrets’ bra where fit problems are most visible

The cups are incredibly shallow in volume, which I am assuming is responsible for the ‘push-up’ effect without padding – by keeping the cup volume small, the bra forces your breast tissue up into cleavage.   However, I feel this is best suited for people with a shallower breast shape as I found myself getting ‘double boob’ in both cup sizes – in the 32C this was actually inside the cup, which made me suspect that there was some fault in construction.  You can see the extent of this in the photo above – I felt it was too extreme to actually wear the bra during the day as the silhouette was so strange and unflattering. The 32D was a better fit but the neck edge was still slightly tight – I found myself having to readjust my bra throughout the day as my breasts kept essentially falling out of the cups.

Side view of Profond; whilst the fit was slightly better there were still issues

Nevertheless, I don’t feel that this bra style worked particularly well for me – I can see how on different breast shapes the bra can provide a push up effect, though this is at the expense of sacrificing breast shape as it gives the effect of ‘flattening’ the breast from a side view.

Overall I was disappointed by the ‘Poise’ bras – whilst they do achieve what they claim, I feel like their sizing is not consistent and comes up very small, nor do I feel the push up effect is particularly flattering (though this could well be due to my more ‘European’ views towards bra fit and shape!). It’s a shame really – the embroidery on the ‘Profond’ bra is very cute indeed and I’d like to be able to wear it on a regular basis!

The ‘Reveler les secrets’ bra can be purchased here and  ‘Profond’ here.

Readers: Have you tried either of these brands? What were your fit experiences?

Karolina

Karolina

Student at De Montfort University's world-renowned Contour Fashion course. Makes many knickers in her spare time.

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Luxury Lingerie Reviews: FYI by Dani Read, Lascivious & Jenny Packham

Who can resist the January sales? I most certainly can’t.  Here’s just a few of the bargains I snapped up from last season and my thoughts on them!

All images by Karolina Laskowska unless otherwise credited

FYI by Dani Read ‘Despote’ bra and briefs

The ‘Despote’ set, image by FYI by Dani Read

FYI by Dani Read is one of the brands that I’ve been admiring from afar for a while now – after all, leather and spikes are right up my street when it comes to design aesthetics! Unfortunately, I faced the usual issue of student budgeting and could only dream of owning a set.

Imagine my glee then when I spied the ‘Despote’ set at the Coco de Mer sale for a fraction of its original price… Filk chiffon paired with patent leather caging and black spikes? Yes please! I snapped it up and waited impatiently for my order to arrive. I ordered a 32C bra and Medium brief, the closest sizes to what I usually wear.  The bra retailed at $156 and the brief at $108. Whilst the bra is sold out, the brief is available here.

Unfortunately, I was left feeling a little deflated by the garments that arrived. Whilst the set still looks a damn sight cooler than most of the lingerie out on the market, I just didn’t feel the quality or fit were quite up to scratch.  The leather cage structure doesn’t offer much adjustment and seems to follow a very straight shape, leave an unattractive bulge in the back of the garment. Considering the set as boudoir pieces, I’m able to forgive the less than perfect fit on the bust – after all, with those spiked shoulder straps I don’t think I’ll be fitting any t-shirts over this bra any time soon!

The leather strapping on the briefs has a an elasticated panel and adjustable gold sliders, whilst the strap placement is particularly flattering for those of us with larger hips, sitting on top of them instead of cutting into them. The cut of the briefs at the back is a little off though – I couldn’t get the material to sit flat and so had to make do with it bunching together!

Overall I was a little disappointed by the set, though I suppose my issues are always a danger when ordering over the internet without actually seeing the product in person.  Nevertheless, it’s still a very striking lingerie set, and most certainly incredibly different to most of other luxury brands on the market – for all its faults I’m sure it will still be making many an appearance in the bedroom!

Lascivious Lila bra and Isla briefs

The ‘Isla’ set, image by Lascivious

Lascivious‘ classic Lila bra has been a part of my collection for quite some time now – and I’ve been looking out for matching briefs ever since! The Isla briefs were another lucky steal at the Coco De Mer sale and go almost perfectly with the Lila bra. I purchased a 32C Lila bra and M Isla briefs.

The Lila bra is an open cup with sheer gathered mesh detail above the bust. The Isla briefs are made of powernet, with similar gathered mesh details on the hip panels, with patent eyelet tape and elastic details. There’s silver hooks and eyes going down the centre back of the briefs and removable suspender straps. The bra retails for £86 here and the briefs for £112 here.

For a cupless bra, the fit is very good – the wire encases the breast well whilst the underband is comfortably tight and the mesh detailing is flattering.  Obviously for a bra of this style support isn’t an issue!

Overall the briefs are a good fit, with the mesh detail on the hip sitting flatteringly high. The high-waist also means that the suspenders actually keep your stockings up, making this the very first pair of suspender knickers that do what they’re supposed to!

My only issue with these briefs is the hook and eye fastening at the back. There’s no delicate way to put this, but itreally hurts. The hooks are surprisingly sharp and there isn’t any layer between them and your skin, so wearing these for more than a few minutes because incredibly uncomfortable. I’m a little heartbroken about this – these are truly gorgeous knickers and I’d been hoping to wear them on an everyday basis but it’s just not feasible!  Luckily the set’s gorgeous enough to qualify as boudoir-only – where, let’s be honest, comfort isn’t completely necessary.

Edit (06/03/13) – I’ve since been informed that the Isla knickers that I purchased had a manufacturing fault – the hooks that had been causing the discomfort had been sewn in the wrong way round – they should have been facing away from the body.

Jenny Packham silk & lace robe

Lace trim robe by Jenny Packham, image by Harrods

Jenny Packham is one of those designers whose lingerie I’ve often admired from a distance – whilst many of her designs are beautiful, the price tags can make the eyes water somewhat.  I was very lucky in acquiring this robe – as a current season piece it still hasn’t reached the sale, so it was a chance ebay find that led it into my posession. It’s a simple enough piece, made of silk satin with a lace trim along the neckline and sleeves.

The robe that I managed to get is a size Large (I would ordinarily opt for a Medium), however as a piece of loose-fitting loungewear I don’t feel it causes any major issues. The bra retails for £739 and can be purchased here.

Funnily enough, I don’t feel that there’s much I can really say about this robe. Overall, it’s very pretty – there’s a lovely lace trim along the sleeves and neckline. The kimono style sleeves and full skirt are fun to swoosh around in and the tie waist is flattering But that’s about all I can say about the garment. It’s pretty, but it’s not special. It’s not made by artisans and finished imbeccably – the lace appliqué is machined on and it is made in China (this isn’t a knock at China – I’d just expect a garment at this price point to have more expensive labour costs).

As with most premium and luxury lingerie, you are paying for the name rather than the lingerie itself. There’s nothing wrong with the robe, but I just can’t see how it justfies the £739 price tag.  For that sort of money I would personally want something unusual and impeccably crafted – though that’s just not the way that the industry works.

Readers – did you manage to catch any bargains in the sales? Have you tried any of the designers above?

Karolina

Karolina

Student at De Montfort University's world-renowned Contour Fashion course. Makes many knickers in her spare time.

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Lingerie Reviews: Autumn Acquirements From Maison Close, Lascivious, & Lacing Lilith

Disclaimer: The Soie Cherie set was kindly provided MemeShop.  All other garments in this post were purchased by myself.  Lascivious and Lacing Lilith are not affiliated with these reviews in any way.  All opinions are my own.

I’m constantly shopping for new lingerie – I have a terrible habit of justifying it as ‘research’ for my lingerie studies!  I’m forever trawling the internet, sample sales and ebay in case I manage to uncover a bargain.  Here’s my lucky finds from the last month and what I thought of them.

Maison Close’s Soie Cherie bra. Image from MemeShop.com

I’ve encountered the brand Maison Close only briefly in the past – they’d always appeared to me as being highly erotic and boudoir wear focused, with lots of garments featuring naughty cut outs and straps.  The Soie Cherie set was therefore quite a pleasant surprise – it’s much more girly and not quite as obvious as the brand’s other offerings.  Featuring a soft bra (£60)  and detachable-suspender brief (£55), the set is made in a stretch fuchsia silk with delicate black stretch lace inserts.  Sizing comes up very small in Maison Close’s designs, so I would fully advise going up a size in any order.  I ended up ordering a Medium bra and Large briefs when I usually wear a 30D bra and UK 10/12 briefs.

My first impression of the set was that Maison Close use utterly gorgeous packaging – each garment comes in its own purple and gold branded box and is wrapped in tissue paper.  The actual set is very flirty and feminine – the combination of delicate lace and soft silk gives it a very luxurious feel.

Unfortunately it does appear to be a bedroom-only set. As with most soft styles, the bra doesn’t provide any major amount of support, though it does give a flattering shape to a smaller bust.  I also had some issues with the knickers – on their own, they are utterly fabulous, being both comfortable and flattering.  However, the problems start with the garters straps: the fact that they are silk makes adjusting them quite tricky, whilst the small clips can get quite fiddly and make it rather difficult to actually attach them to stockings. My real problem with them though was the fact that they don’t actually hold your stockings up – take a single step, and you’ll find your stockings actually start pulling your knickers down!  This is unfortunately unavoidable for any suspender straps that come from the hips and not the waist.  If you are considering buying them, I’d simply advise ditching the suspender straps and pairing the briefs with some lace hold ups.

I can’t deny that I’ve been eyeing up the Midori bodysuit (£198) for a while now – I adore Lascivious’ aesthetics, and as part of their ‘Classics’ range, this garment has simply been taunting me every season. I was lucky enough to find this bodysuit in a sample sale a couple of weeks ago and so avoided breaking the bank!  Featuring sheer net that drapes across the body, elastic strap detailing, satin ties around the bust and neck and suspender straps, it’s a hugely flattering piece for all sorts of body shapes.  The satin ties can be worn according to your preferences, whether you prefer them crisscrossing across the body or wrapped tightly under the bust.

Unfortunately I have once again encountered some trouble with Lascivious’ sizing – I’d previously purchased knickers and another bodysuit from them in a Medium, only to find that they were too short for me in the torso.  With this playsuit, I took a bit of a risk in buying it in a size Large.  Whilst it fits perfectly on my bottom, this time it’s a little too long in the torso, with the draped mesh falling a lot lower on my body than in any of Lascivious’ product shots!  Nevertheless, I think it still looks absolutely gorgeous when worn so I don’t have any real complaints!

Latex can seem like a pretty scary material for most people – with its obvious fetish connotations , the average lingerie lover is going to deem it as just a little too S&M to incorporate into their lingerie drawers.  Nevertheless, latex has been rather prevalent in the high fashion world recently, perhaps making it a little more socially acceptable!  I’ve previously only dipped my toes in the water by buying latex stockings and fingerless gloves (the perfect accessory to toughen up any lingerie outfit – trust me!), but decided to take a jump when I saw this Lacing Lilith corset sample (in my size would you believe it!) on ebay.  It’s a lot more extreme than my usual lingerie tastes but I still have no regrets – latex is a fabulously forgiving material and it’s bound to make an impact wherever you wear it.  I bought this with the intention of wearing it for Hallowe’en but I haven’t quite decided how I’ll be styling it! Either way, I have plans of making this corset at home with the rest of my lingerie collection – I wonder how softening the look with some lovely lacey pieces would look?

1940s and 1950s bras

Finally, my occasional perusing of Vintage shops resulted in my finding these two vintage lingerie treasures: a 1940s and a 1950s bra, both in amazing condition. Most surprising of all though is the fact that they both fit!  They both feature delicate lace inserts, pale satins and intricate stitching and boning.  Both bras use liberal amounts of boning for their support (instead of the underwire that we are all so familiar with now), with the 1950s bras’ being so effective it is in fact strapless.  They both have the rather pointy bust shape that was so popular at the time – unfortunately this renders them a little inappropriate for daily-wear, though the collector in me says this is irrelevant!

Readers: What do you think of my most recent lingerie wardrobe additions? What have your most recent purchases been?

Karolina

Karolina

Student at De Montfort University's world-renowned Contour Fashion course. Makes many knickers in her spare time.

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Lingerie School: What I’ve Learned About Luxury Lingerie

By: Karolina

Jean Paul Gaultier for La Perla, $605 at Net a Porter

The topic of whether or not luxury lingerie is worth the price tag is not exactly original.  Yet, as my first year of teaching at lingerie school draws to an end, it’s made me reconsider the relationships of value and quality.  More and more have I been disappointed with recent lingerie purchases – high-end lingerie where you’d expect a little something extra in exchange for the hefty price tag.

However, this is not to suggest that quality control in the luxury sector has magically disappeared. It’s simply that, having been introduced to the finer details of lingerie construction, I’ve begun to view my lingerie with a much more critical eye.

Images by La Perla

Recently, I considered myself one of the luckiest girls on the world when I got my hands on a piece from the stunning Gaultier for La Perla collection.  Having been a huge fan since the collaboration’s inception, there was a time where I would have offered to trade a limb for one of those bras. Imagine my excitement when ‘Createur’ balconette bra arrived.  Unfortunately, this excitement was not going to last.

Upon first trying it on, I was pleasantly surprised.  Although I’d bought the wrong size (I rarely come across my first choice of 30D), the fit was surprisingly good.  This surprise was dampened when I inspected the bra closer.

With my critical lingerie student’s eyes, I noticed some faults – the first being that the bra wire had been sewn onto the cup and not the cradle.  In our lessons, we have been routinely told that the purpose of the cradle is for a place to sew the bra wire onto.  The only exception to this is cradle-less bras, for obvious reasons.  I suppose you could argue that this is a design feature, though it’s one that’s left me quite confused!

Nevertheless, that’s not enough of a reason to get upset over the bra.  What did get me upset was the bra wire that they’d used.  Just by feeling it, you can tell that it is entirely too big for its case, with a lot of strain at either end.

When a bra is constructed, approximately 1cm of ‘wireplay’ (extra space) has to be left in each wire case.  This is due to the fact that the wire moves around when being worn.  By leaving extra space, the wire is less likely to wear a hole through the bra.  Designers must also take the washing of bras into consideration – when fabric comes into contact with water, it shrinks.  This puts extra pressure onto the wire, as its container becomes far more constricted.  Add to this the extra movement that washing a garment creates, and a too-big wire faces a greater risk of ripping through its case.

This sole detail is what left me so upset about this bra – with a retail price of £270, I am genuinely shocked about this lapse in good construction. Additionally, I am fully aware that most people would be unaware of this – and would be left thoroughly disappointed should they wear it more than a few times.

I haven’t been left entirely pessimistic and cynical though.  I still come across lingerie that routinely wows and impresses me.  I was recently lucky enough to snap up a Sian Hoffman panty-girdle in a sample sale.

This panty-girdle has immediately become one of the most prized pieces within my collection – even if it is a sample piece! Not only is the design absolutely stunning and original, but the fit and comfort are also wonderful.  It gives the cinch of a corset but with far less constriction (thank goodness for powernet!).

No doubt it’s an expensive lesson to learn for yourself, but price tags are not always reflective of a good piece of lingerie.  Regardless of how much you like the design, it’s important to consider whether you’re really willing to spend that much on a piece you’ll only be able to wear a couple of times. I have expensive bras that I’ve been wearing for near-on 4 years now that are still in good condition, whilst others that I’ve had to throw out after a couple of weeks.

Readers: what have your experiences been with price vs. quality when it comes to lingerie? Have you ever been particularly impressed or disappointed?

Karolina

Karolina

Student at De Montfort University's world-renowned Contour Fashion course. Makes many knickers in her spare time.

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