Needless to say that I struggle each year to find a suitable bikini on the internet but always get something in the end that does the job ok. This year however I have a new search as my body and opinion on how a bra/bikini should fit have changed somewhat and I now need a smaller back size and larger cups.
I have blogged before about my previous bikini successes and failures so I won't go into it all again in this post. Instead I would like to tell you about a bikini set I tried recently.
Last year, one of my great successes was the Freya Pier red halter neck bikini. This year it's available in black which is incredibly practical but, as in previous seasons, it only goes up to a GG cup which is no good for me in a smaller band size. I tried on my red 36GG Pier bikini top from last year and it was way too big for me in the band, although I must say the cups were a reasonable fit. If I was handier with a needle and thread I might have tried altering it to fit but I don't trust myself to make a good job of it!
I was therefore really thrilled when the team at Eveden offered me the chance to try their new halter neck bikini for 2012 - the Freya Charleston Red Banded Halter Neck Bikini Top and Rio Brief.
I love the design of this bikini with its red background and pretty off-white bow pattern. There are frills along the cups and on the briefs - these comprise a top layer of patterned material and a layer of plain red beneath, which makes a great contrast.
The bikini top is available up to an H cup in some back sizes so it gives us more boobily-blessed girls the chance to have a halter option, which is always appreciated. From the pictures online, it looked to be a slightly more revealing cut than the Pier so I was very excited when my parcel arrived in the post a few days ago.
I went for the top in a 32H (biggest cup available in a 32 back) and the briefs in an XL.
On my first try-on of this set I must admit I was a little disappointed. The cups definitely provide less coverage than the Pier so they seemed way too small for me (my usual issue with bras/bikini tops!) and I thought that there was no way of making the top work. I took it off and put it aside for a couple of days.
For some reason, I felt compelled to try it on again the other day. After some jiggling, tucking and adjusting I found that in fact the cups were a better fit than I'd first thought and although they are definitely a bit too small for me, the bikini works pretty well overall.
The 32 band is really good for me. I did wonder if a 30H would have been even better but that would have meant the equivalent of a 32GG cup-wise so it would have been completely disastrous!
The halter ties have thick elastic inside them so they are very comfortable on the neck. Obviously for girls with bigger breasts like me there will always be a bit of strain to hold up our boulders in a halter neck but you can of course adjust the straps as required. I am thinking of sewing mine together to make a permanent length over-the-head style strap as the knot of the tie hits my neck just at the wrong place but this could be alleviated somewhat if I tied a bow instead of a knot.
The Rio briefs are really cute but for my ample bottom they are definitely too brief! As I have said before, the XL is really not big enough for me in any case and I would be so thrilled if Freya made their briefs (bikinis and knickers) in an XXL and even an XXXL so that I could have some matching sets. As it is, I think I will wear the plain red bikini briefs I wore last year when wearing the Pier top and see how I get on.
I really love this set and am looking forward to taking it on holiday with me. If this style/design is not for you then do make sure you check out Freya's website anyway as they have such a wide range available that there's bound to be something to make you smile. I am particularly impressed with the plunge bikinis which are made up to a JJ cup - I must try one of these out asap!
