I received these items free of charge to review.
Late last year, I wrote about new-ish brand Phara d’Or, a luxury lingerie and swimwear label based in The Netherlands. A few pieces that they’d sent me were pictured in that article, and now that I’ve had a few months to wear them, it’s time to let you know what I think!
First up, let’s talk about the Valerie robe. Priced at 390€ (approx. £340 / $455), this is a short robe crafted primarily from Italian-made polyester satin and trimmed at the sleeve cuffs with Swiss embroidery. Now, would I have preferred to see silk satin used at this price point? Yes. But this particular satin is such a soft, fine-weight fabric, with such a fluid drape, that it actually had me fooled – I initially mistook it for real silk! It’s a really lovely-quality satin which feels luxurious against the skin. And it’s probably more durable than a silk satin would be, so there’s that.
The robe is really nicely-detailed too. The hem has a gentle curve to it instead of the typical rectangular cut, and those curves are echoed in the shape of the embroidery panel. The belt is also embroidered at both ends with the Phara d’Or logo. Overall, the design feels thoughtful, which is what I would expect from a garment at this premium price point.
The first of two lingerie sets I received is also from the Valerie range, hence it features the same embroidery. I received the balcony bra, thong, suspender and garter set which all together retail for 525€ (approx. £455 / $615).
These pieces are equally beautiful, with 24kt gold-plated hardware, satin-wrapped shoulder straps, satin along the underwire, and my favourite detail, dangling Austrian crystals on all but the garters. I particularly love the way the crystal droplet is framed at the back of the thong! All of these pieces are well-made: the mesh soft, the embroidery non-scratchy, the suspender grips substantial, and the bra with side boning for stability plus invisible mesh side slings for better support.
The bra doesn’t come in 30 band sizes so I asked for a size 32D (EU 70D on the label). The fit is okay – the band fits like a true 32, the underwire fit is correct and comfortable, but the cups are a touch too big. I’ve been able to correct it by sewing small darts which removed around 1cm of length from the top edge. Since the embroidery has no stretch, a thin trim of elastic inside this edge could have improved the fit and prevented the gapping I experienced. The thong fit is adjustable due to the sliders at the sides, the suspender belt fits like a true XS (sitting securely at my waistline) and the garters, which are a size S/M, are also highly adjustable. So all in all, a pretty good fit.
The only thing I don’t like so much about this Valerie set is the placement of the label inside the thong; it pokes out about 1cm above the top edge of the embroidery, so it’s highly visible. Maybe the expectation is that the customer would cut it out (since a design like this doesn’t exactly leave anywhere to hide a label) but I feel like it either needs to be attached to a loose loop around the elastic so it can easily be snipped off without leaving a trace (I have seen other brands do this), or sewn further down so it at least doesn’t stick out.
And now for my favourite Phara d’Or look! The vivid red colour of Juliette instantly caught my eye when I saw the brand’s imagery, and I particularly love the inclusion of little ruffles. Like Valerie, these pieces also feature Austrian crystal droplets, this time sewn onto little ribbon bows, and the more-detailed embroidery here is paired with fully satin trims. Everything about this range just screams “femininity”.
As much as I adore the Juliette bodysuit, I felt I’d get much more use out of the triangle bra and thong, which together retail for 295€ (approx. £255 / $345). Being a bralette, I opted for my typical size of M. I never really know if a size M bralette is going to be too big in the band for me, but this one has around 3.5″ of adjustability via a gold slider at the back, and when shortened as far as it goes, the fit is fairly spot-on.
The cups meanwhile fit perfectly – completely flush along the neckline – and the XS thong feels true to size with a decent amount of stretch and adjustability at the sides. Luckily, this thong’s label is sewn further down and doesn’t show above the waistband. The bralette is unlined and of course, a piece like this isn’t designed for significant support, but it’s a rigid tulle and feels like a secure, lightly supportive fit. It’s very comfortable too – I’ve been wearing it non-stop since I received it!
Last but not least, it has to be said that my Phara d’Or pieces all arrived beautifully gift-packaged, with each set inside its own large satin storage bag and everything packaged up in a sturdy, ribbon-tied box. This gift packaging is complementary on orders from 150€ and it really added to the luxury experience, making this brand a particularly great one to consider for gifting.
Overall thoughts on Phara d’Or? I think it’s an excellent brand. Pricey, but for good reason: it’s beautifully made, super pretty (at the back as well as the front, which is always a sign of a more thoughtfully-designed brand), comfortable to wear, ethically made in Europe, and with a nearly-perfect fit. It’s a fantastic debut collection, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on the brand to see what comes next.
Let me know what you think of these Phara d’Or pieces! And if you haven’t seen it, take a look at my first post about the brand for some outerwear styling inspiration for the robe.