Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak
This is Ewa Michalak's first shapewear offering, and I have to say I was impressed with the photos! It looked really pretty and as if it would provide a decent amount of support and smoothing. I was offered the chance to review the Modelująca Halka Koronkowa, so I asked for it in a size 18/46.
The slip is made from fabric with limited stretch so that it provides a decent fit but also compresses one's bumps and curves where necessary. It's a 'wear your own bra' kind of slip, which suits me down to the ground as the built-in ones are never anywhere near large enough in the cup for me. This way, I can wear whichever bra I want and also adjust it however I desire.
Please note that in the photos below I am wearing my Ewa Michalak PL Laguna bra 36K/80K, my amazing Prague Lady Microfiber Opaque Hold-ups from The Big Tights Company, and some huge stiletto heels from Primark.
I am intentionally wearing no knickers (yikes!) as I wanted to show the full smoothing/shaping effect that the slip provides. As you can see from the photo collage above, there is a built-in gusset to the slip, and at first I felt like it wasn't really in the right place and didn't have enough depth to it. It felt rather uncomfortable to begin with and I kept fiddling with the slip to try to make the gusset sit in the right place. My persistence paid off, though, as after a little while it became less bothersome.
First of all I must share with you how difficult it was to get the slip on. It was quite the struggle! I decided to step into it and pull it up over my hips and tummy until it was in the correct position, and this took an awful lot of pulling and tugging and perseverance. However, once it was on and I saw how it looked on me I knew it had definitely been worth the effort, no matter how exhausting it was.
I really love the vintage underwear look that this shaping slip provides. It's not quite a girdle, but there's a very strong girdle style to the design and cut of the Modelująca Halka Koronkowa. The slip really is tight and thanks to its double layers of shaping fabrics it does a great job of smoothing out the majority of one's lumps and bumps.
The stretch lace is very pretty, and combined with a single - and in some places double - layer of thick black stretchy fabric it is very much a piece of firm control shapewear. With me I think the fact it's probably a bit too tight on my hips also contributes to the smoothing/supporting effects of this shapewear slip.
I donned my bra before putting on the slip, but of course 'wear your own bra' shapewear like this can be worn in any way you choose. I found the side boob and underarm areas of the slip helped to add a bit of extra va-va-voom to my boobs as my bra and boobs were being pushed inwards a bit from the sides. Hello extra cleavage!
The Modelująca Halka Koronkowa has fully adjustable straps that are quite a bit thinner than those I am accustomed to on EM bras, but despite that they do not dig in or cause me discomfort.
I wanted to show the lacy front sides of the shapewear slip in their full glory, so I pushed my hold-ups down a little and took a few more snaps.
Perfect! By pushing them down I was worried my hold-ups would look like Nora Batty's tights but thankfully despite the fact they got a touch wrinkled they didn't look too bad at all. I think showing just a touch of flesh between my stocking tops and the bottom of the shapewear slip is pretty darned sexy! I shall have to hunt down some hold-ups that come up lower than these ones.
For me, the Modelująca Halka Koronkowa didn't work well enough overall. My main problem is that although the slip is offered in dress sizes from 8/36 to 20/48, as you can see from my photos I am a different dress size on my waist compared to what I'd need for my hips. I requested the size 18/46 and hoped the waist wouldn't be too big, but unfortunately I have found this to be the case and at certain angles the slip hides how much I go in at the waist. I suppose this wouldn't matter if I was wearing the slip under a tight dress with a belt, but it's still rather frustrating. I have this problem with all shapewear that sits on the waist - either I go down a size or two for my waist and find the item is too tight on my hips, or I size up for my hips and find my waist is swamped. Oh, the problems of being an ultra curvy woman!
Since first publishing this post, I've been asked a few questions about recommended sizing for this shapewear slip. If you'd like to give this item a try but are unsure about sizing, hop over the the item page here and have a read, as Ewa has tried to cover off as many FAQs as possible. For sizing, she says: I suggest going for the same size you buy Effuniak briefs or size down. Do not try down to size down by two or more sizes, as instead of hiding skin folds you will highlight them even more. The elastic fabric of the slip will cut into every fold when it is too tight and the effect will be the exact opposite of what the slip was made for.
In conclusion I think the Modelująca Halka Koronkowa is a good first shapewear offering and despite my never-ending quandary of whether to size for my hips or my waist I think it generally does a pretty decent job of smoothing and supporting the lower half of my body. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Ewa Michalak comes up with next - I have seen pictures of a corset on social media so I'll be itching to give that a try if it's ever made available to the general public.
What new lingerie/shapewear items would you like to see next from Ewa Michalak? Let me know by commenting below. Personally I'd like them to design a decent sports bra, a bra-sized body, and also a vest with a built-in bra in both wired and non-wired options. I'm not looking for too much, am I?!
