Cleo By Panache Maya Balconnet Bra 36J and Briefs 18

I recently reviewed the very pretty Cleo By Panache Minnie Red Spot Balconnet Bra and Briefs on my blog; today I'm lucky enough to be able to review another set sent to me by the very generous Panache team.

Step forward the Cleo Maya (bra available in sizes 28-38 D-J, briefs and thong available in sizes 8-18 (UK)).

Image courtesy of Panache

Cleo By Panache Minne Red Spot Balconnet Bra 36J and Briefs 18

It's been quite some time since I wrote a lingerie review on my blog so when the lovely people at Panache contacted me to ask if I'd like to review something from their Cleo range I jumped at the chance.

Panache's Cleo range is described as being 'crafted for fit; styled for fun' and I'd completely agree with this. The vibrant prints and colours are varied and exciting, and perhaps typically appeal to a younger customer, but as the fit is so superb I know these sets are worn by women of all ages.

The Cleo Minnie Red Spot (bra available in sizes 28-38 D-J, briefs and thong available in sizes 8-18 (UK)) is a pretty red and white set featuring my beloved polka dots:

Image courtesy of Panache

Freya Active Sports Bra in White and in Black

Ok, I'll admit it.  I've never really been one for sports.  I guess my lack of co-ordination and skill, as well as having dizzy spells and regular giddiness, mean that I'll never be much good at sports and I'm someone who doesn't much like doing things they're not very good at.  I daresay that's true of most of us but I definitely need to feel like I can do well at something in order to stick with it.

Panache Cleo Marcie Bra in Red 34J and 36J

I have long been a fan of the Cleo lingerie range by Panache.  Their designs are young, fun and a bit different.

I've previously reviewed the Cleo Zia in 32J and found the cups too small so when I saw the Cleo Marcie at a bargainous price on Amazon I knew I had to give it a whirl.

Image courtesy of Panache Cleo

Panache Cleo Zia Bra 32J

It's been a little while since I did a lingerie post (and I know some readers have been missing them!) so when the lovely people at Panache got in touch to ask me to review something from their latest collection I was absolutely over the moon!

In the past, when I have tried Panache bras I have ended up feeling disappointed.  The wide wires and shallow cups just didn't suit me, no matter how much I loved the gorgeous designs.

However, a few months back I tried the Cleo Chloe and Alexa bras in 32J and I fell in love!  Seriously - the Chloe in particular was threatening to rival my beloved Ewa Michalaks!!  I'd heard that Cleo wires were significantly narrower and the cups deeper than regular Panache bras and I found this was absolutely true.  The bras were wonderful and gave such amazing shape, uplift and support, especially for unpadded bras.

Ewa Michalak CH Bikini and Shorts in Black

I recently posted a review of the Ewa Michalak PL Bikini in Black and now it's time for me to tell you about the CH version.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I discovered earlier this year that Ewa Michalak's swimwear would not be available on the website but instead could be ordered by email (via sklep@ewa-michalak.pl).

Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak

Ewa Michalak PL Bikini and Briefs in Black

Ever since I first discovered Ewa Michalak lingerie, I have been longing to try their swimwear.  I got all excited earlier this year when I saw pictures on their Facebook page of the new designs and couldn't wait to try them for myself.

Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak

Rixie Clip Bra Band Tightener

Since I received my Ewa Michalak 32/70 band bras a couple of months ago I have disappointingly found them to be definitely too big in the band.  I have got on much better with my 30/65 bands.  This is good news, as I seem to be getting closer and closer to establishing my true bra size, but it is also frustrating as it means I have a fair few bras which are too loose in the band for me.

Of course, the most obvious solution to this issue would be to get the bras in a smaller band size.  That's fine...but very few of us have money to burn so this isn't always an option, not in the short term at least.  So how else can we address the problem of owning a bra with too loose a band?

The most common thing to do is to alter the bra band to make it smaller.  There are various tutorials available on the internet (such as Helena's fantastic post here) which show how to do this but I am too scared to try them - hacking up my beautiful Ewas seems like sacrilege!  Surely there must be another, less permanent way?

Ewa Michalak PL Bratki

As a child, my mum dressed me in blue whenever she could.  WIth my blue eyes, blonde hair and fair complexion I guess it was the natural choice but once I was older and made my own clothing choices it lead me to avoid wearing blue for a while as I'd had such an overdose.

These days, I wear clothes - and lingerie - in as many colours of the rainbow as I can.  Diversity is all good in my book.  That's one of the many reasons I love Ewa Michalak lingerie as they have such a wide range of styles and designs on offer.

I was recently offered the chance to try some of the newer PL (plunge) range and, having overcome my earlier aversion to blue, I wanted to give the PL Bratki (Pansies) a try.

Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak

Ewa Michalak PL Malwa

I hadn't owned a plain white bra for many a year until a few months ago when I got to try the Freya Lauren in white.  It's a very nice bra but it's a bit too high cut on me and my short shoulders to wear under most of my tops and dresses so when Ewa Michalak recently agreed to send me some bras for review I knew the PL Malwa had to be one of them.

Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak

Kris Line Jasmine Bra

When ordering the Kris Line Queen Body from Brastop recently, I decided to see what other offerings they had from the brand on their site.

As Kris Line is a Polish brand, I was hoping that they would manufacture to the same quality and standard of fit as my favourite Ewa Michalak.  My reason for looking elsewhere is that Ewa Michalak do not do unpadded bras in my size range and it would be great to have a lacy number or two on hand for appropriate occasions.

I happened upon the Kris Line Jasmine bra and was bewitched by its beautiful colour and design.

Image courtesy of Brastop

Ewa Michalak PL Czerwona Panterka

ORIGINAL POST PUBLISHED 6/11/2011:

When I placed one of my orders with Ewa Michalak, there were several styles that I picked for everyday wear.  These were of neutral colours and would be great lingerie drawer staples.  However, there were also some styles I ordered just because I loved them, and the PL Czerwona Panterka definitely fell into this category.

For so many years, my lingerie choices had been limited to the pretty but sometimes uninspiring patterns and fabrics of Freya bras.  I have said before that for some time I wore nothing but Millies and Eleanors, and sadly the matching briefs and thongs did not fit me so it had been an absolute age since I'd owned a matching set.  When the world of Ewa Michalak opened up before me, I was like a child in a sweet shop and could not believe the range of beautiful undies suddenly available to me.

The PL Czerwona Panterka is a stunning set.

Image courtesy of Ewa Michalak