Lingerie Review: Mimi Holliday Hide & Seek Shoulder Bra & Knickers

Disclosure: I purchased this set myself. Links with a * are affiliate links.

It’s no secret that I adore bows. I’m also a sucker for anything with fancy metal hardware on it. So when I saw Mimi Holliday’s Hide and Seek set, with its gold metal bow detailing, I knew it had to be mine.

There were originally a number of pieces in this collection, and I ended up going for the Shoulder Bra style because it’s a Mimi classic and I’ve heard great things about the fit. The briefs with the metal bow were sold out in my size so I just got plain ones, but I picked up the suspender belt that had the bow to match. Or at least, I thought I did.

When my suspender arrived, it looked nothing how I expected. Not only was it a different shape, the bow – the whole reason I’d bought it – wasn’t there. Thinking it was a mistake, I went to exchange it, only to notice they’d by then Photoshopped the bow out of the product image. The images had also been rearranged so that the main one, the one you see first, shows the actual design. More or less anyway – they didn’t Photoshop in the grosgrain ribbon bow that is there.

There is some text at the end of the product description that says “*Please note, this suspender was altered post-production to ensure the best fit and quality. Please see product shot for correct design. Model shot is incorrect” and I don’t recall if this was there at the time I purchased or not. But even if it was, if you’ve significantly altered the design since the photo shoot, maybe just don’t use those images to avoid misleading people?

In the end I returned the suspender for a refund. I wish my problems with it had ended there, but it took well over a month and a couple of unanswered emails requesting an update before I finally got the money back. I know lots of customers were being kept waiting for orders, refunds and email replies around this time (the busy Christmas sale period) and the brand was trying to recruit a new customer service person, so hopefully it was just a blip. I’ve shopped at Mimi Holliday in the past with far fewer issues. Still, I think they could have handled both the product design change and making customers aware of the delays better.

Anyway, enough of the bad stuff! Let’s talk about the good. Like the absolutely gorgeous packaging they now ship all orders in as standard:

And here’s what I thought of the two pieces I decided to keep…

Appearance

Hide & Seek is made from a combination of mesh and sheer floral lace, with the eyelash trim visible along the front of the knicker waistband and on the cups, stretching up from the gore to the shoulder. This cup-and-strap-in-one shape is one that Mimi Holliday is particularly known for, and a bra style I only occasionally see elsewhere. I love that it really makes a feature of the eyelashed scallops, not to mention it shows off the rest of the lace to full effect too.

Like I said though, what I really love is that gold metal bow (I think it’s metal anyway). A bow at the gore is such a lingerie cliché, but done as hardware rather than soft ribbon it looks modern and expensive. I wish the knickers had matching charms at the front but alas, none of the 4 or 5 available brief designs did. Maybe the designers thought they’d get in the way and show through clothing there which is fair enough (it’s not a flat bow). The briefs as they are are cute, they just don’t have that same luxury touch that the bra does.

Verdict: 6 / 10

Construction

The Shoulder Bra is an underwired, unlined design with a single dart at the bottom of the cup for shaping. The straps are made from matte, adjustable elastic at the back, and the band is relatively narrow with a single-row hook-and-eye fastening.

The lace has next to no stretch, but there’s a thin strip of elastic along the cup’s edge and the front panel of the knicker to keep them flush against the body. The mesh is super-soft, and of a thicker powermesh variety on the bra band for support. I like that the knickers subtly combine three trims – the eyelash, a fancy picot, and a floral galloon along the back half of the leg openings. The gusset is lined with soft cotton.

Both pieces are made in China and are expertly sewn, with zero skipped stitches or loose threads. The label has been misprinted – it has the correct style number, but says the powermesh is 96% silk which it’s not – but hey, I can live with that.

Verdict: 9 / 10

Fit

I bought this set in my usual sizes of 30DD and XS. And I am so impressed with the fit of the bra especially. The band is firm without being overly tight, and despite the very little stretch to the lace cups, that elastic strip pulls the edges completely flat and the dart creates exactly the right amount of depth. They fit like a dream! This is one of my very best-fitting bras I own right now, and I couldn’t be happier with it.

The knickers fit great too. It’s a low-rise, hipster-style bikini brief, with plenty of stretch. The wrinkle a tad at the back on me, since Mimi Holliday’s size XS corresponds to a UK 8 and I wear a UK 6, but not enough to put me off wearing them.

Verdict: 8 / 10

Durability

The bra and knickers are both hand-wash only. I bought the set in December and everything so far is holding up perfectly except for the galloon lace trim on the knickers, which is starting to show lots of little elastic threads and fluffy edges. It’s not overly visible though, only when you examine the garment up-close.

Verdict: 8 / 10

Value for Money

The few remaining pieces of Hide & Seek stock are now significantly reduced on sale. However the original cost was £46 (~$63 / ~52€) for the bra and £26 (~$36 / ~29€) for the knickers. I find that to be a very fair price for such lovely lace fabric, perfect construction, and an exceptionally great fit on the bra.

Verdict: 9 / 10

Although this collection is almost sold out at Mimi Holliday, Figleaves* also has some Hide & Seek stock left and in a much wider range of sizes. Though do note that they are also picturing the incorrect suspender style! Journelle also has some stock, ASOS has the plunge bra* and strappy-back brief*, and Very Exclusive has the shoulder bra* in a few sizes that are now sold out at Mimi Holliday.

More shoulder bras by Mimi Holliday*

Are you a fan of Mimi Holliday? Ever tried one of their shoulder bras? Let me know what you think of this Hide & Seek set in the comments below.