Disclaimer: I purchased this lingerie myself.
I’m excited to announce my first lingerie review for the blog – and ever, actually! Back in February I wrote a list of 10 lingerie resolutions for 2013 and first on the list was swapping quantity for quality, which is something I’m trying to do this year. Partly because it’s sensible and partly because I get to justify luxury splurges to myself!
However when you’re spending more than just an average amount on a lingerie set, especially online where you can’t see and feel the quality for yourself, you want to have some sort of assurance that it’s not going to be an expensive mistake. So I wanted to offer up a series of honest reviews on whether I’d recommend my purchases to others, and first up is this gorgeous Burlesque bra, thong and suspender belt set by Lilly Wiggler Couture…
Appearance
This set is absolutely beautiful! The emerald green satin (which has the texture of raw silk) is one of my favourite colours but so hard to find in lingerie, and it’s trimmed with high-quality black lace that’s dotted with black Swarovski crystals – these aren’t visible unless you look closely, but I don’t really like ‘bling’ anyway. I also love the three-pronged picot trim which is a nice finishing touch.
Verdict: 9 / 10
Construction
All three items are beautifully put together – they’re handmade but there’s not a stitch out of place. The Swarovski crystals are stuck firmly in place and everything that’s supposed to be elasticated is.
Verdict: 10 / 10
Fit
My sister bought a Lilly Wiggler Couture set a while back so I knew from her experience that the band size came up pretty small. I’m a 30 or 32 depending on the brand, so I went for the 32 and my regular cup size, and the bra was a perfect, comfortable fit. The thong fit perfectly too. The only problem I had was with the suspender belt which just wouldn’t lie flat – after a minute of walking around it kind of ‘bunched up’ at the front. It could have done with some light plastic boning to keep it smoothed out.
Verdict: 7 / 10
Washability
I couldn’t do a review without washing the set first – unfortunately some lingerie only looks good when it’s straight off the hanger – but luckily this set held up perfectly. No loose elastic, no crystals falling off… I did hand-wash it though of course, I doubt these pieces would survive a round in the washing machine!
Verdict: 10 / 10
Value for Money
When it first went on sale the set was £145 (£50 for the bra, £40 for the thong and £55 for the suspender belt) but I picked this set up in the brand’s clearance sale for a ridiculously tiny £23! At full price, it definitely wasn’t cheap but I’d say it’s special enough to be worth it. At £23, you would be absolutely crazy not to buy it! In the interest of fairness, I’m basing my verdict on the price I actually paid.
Verdict: 10 / 10
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely, definitely yes.
Unfortunately though, Lilly Wiggler Couture (a brand I sold right here on Esty Lingerie until very recently) has closed down. If you’re quick though, and you happen to be a 32C bra size and UK size 8 or 10, you can still get hold of the last Burlesque set in purple in the clearance sale. [Edit 22/06/18: Link removed as unfortunately the brand and its website is now completely gone]
And if that’s not your size, don’t worry – Lesley hasn’t disappeared from the lingerie world! She’s just busy working on her exciting new brand Vaslav and Lilly, the lingerie part of which launches very soon!
Have you bought from Lilly Wiggler Couture before? What did you think?
