You can imagine my delight when Ewa very kindly agreed to send me some new bras to review. I was thrilled to be able to try one of the bras I have lusted after for some time now: the PL Carmen.
Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak
I decided to opt for the 65/30KK as the 70/32 backs I had tried recently were all a little on the larger side for me. I love those matching shorts in the pic above! Must try them out sometime. But I went with the size 44/16 thong on this occasion as this looked to be a saucily sexy set...
...And it was! At first, it looked so different in real life that when I took it out of the box I did not recognise it and thought it was some fabulous new design I had been sent. Then I suddenly realised that it was the PL Carmen and I was in love!
As with all Ewa Michalak PL bras, the cups are lightly padded with foam. The Carmen has removable pads which work well to correct asymmetry if required, or add a bit of extra uplift in the cups if not. Please note that the photos above show the bra with the pads in place, which is why the cups look a touch small. If I remove the pads the cups fit really well.
The cups are overlaid with gorgeous red and black lace in a subtle floral design - very sexy! There is black frilly lace edging along the tops of the cups which gives a real 'showgirl' feel, although it's worth nothing that this definitely shows under clothing that is thin and close-fitting. I love it though!
On the central gore, there is a large black ribbon which adds to the opulent feel of this set.
The Carmen's straps are fully adjustable, have minimal stretch and are a few millimetres wider than the majority of my other Ewa Michalak bras. This definitely makes them extra comfortable. I was told by a bra fitter recently that I have 'short shoulders' and I tend to wear my straps shorter than the average person (although not all that short, in my opinion). This means that the straps can sometimes dig in, especially as they are holding up some pretty heavy boobage. I also have fairly soft skin so it can sometimes look like the straps are digging in more than they really are. Wider straps are therefore a blessing for people like me and the Carmen scores highly on this front.
The 65/30 band is a great fit on me. It feels firm but comfortable and supportive. I can definitely feel that my old PLs are now way too loose for me! As the band is short, there is only limited stretch but it is not of firm construction like the PL Czerwona Panterka, for example. The lace featured on the cups is continued all the way around the back, which is a really nice touch. It's incredibly soft and is not scratchy or irritating at all.
The Carmen's band fastens with four rows of three hooks. I comfortably wore the bra on the loosest hooks, which is great as it means I have room to tighten it if needs be.
The Carmen thong was equally as lovely. It's made from the same soft, stretchy overlay lace used on the bra, which means that it gives a great fit without being tight. I am so glad I went for the 44/16 as anything above this would have been too large on me. I have previously ordered my bottoms in 48/20 as I thought that they were the best fit but sizing down has definitely proved to be a good choice.
The thong is not lined so when worn it is cheekily sheer, but the red colour and the lace detailing helps to at least partially preserve one's modesty (I hope!!).
The back of the Carmen thong is also lovely, with a large black ribbon bow which matches the one on the central gore of the bra. The frilly edges along the bottom edges of the thong also make it more saucy and appealing. These frills kick out a little over one's backside so they really add to the set's slightly naughty feel.
I adore this set. The richness of the red coupled with the ever-elegant black works so well together to create a look that is definitely sexual but also practical and very wearable. I love opening my lingerie drawer and seeing a red bra and thong looking up at me - there's something about red and black lingerie that appeals to me very strongly!
