Pages

Sunday 3 November 2013

Cleo Lucille bikini


It’s coming up to summer now in Sydney, with some lovely hot days interspersed with ugly winter weather, and then bush-fires in the mountains, and then the heat, and then storms and rain. Typical. I have an aversion to clothing that I would not be able to run away from a murderer in, and my wireless bikini and one-piece, however pretty, fall into the I-wouldn’t-be-able-to-flee-in-this-without-clutching-my-heaving-bosom category.

I needed a wired bikini, and so I ordered the Cleo by Panache Lucille from the UK (http://www.panache-lingerie.com/us/cleo-swimwear/collection/21541953/Bandeau-bikini-top/), because buying a 28FF in a store locally (and trying it on first) would have been waaaay to expensive, and it is impossible to fit into a commercial wired bikini top.

Aesthetic wise, the bikini is young and kitsch. I would have preferred something a little more sophisticated, or boho, or pretty, but the Lucille was within my price range (actually, it was on sale), cute and inoffensive. The colours are clear and bright, and the nautical theme works, given that its swimwear. I am not a fan of the heart in the middle of the bikini, and may snap it off.

Gratuitous beach selfie

The bottoms are flattering, coming up high-ish, without being high waisted. They give no camel-toe, do not bunch in my butt-crack, gape, expose my butt-cheeks, or do anything undesirable, and I would say they run pretty true to size (I got a size 8).




Now for the bikini top. I ordered a 28FF, given that my size seems to have settled on the FF rather than the F side of the fence. When I took it out of the packet, it struck me that there was a lot of cup. Like, a LOT. The cups begin almost at the band. Also contributing to this impression is the smallness of the band. It was only 22 inches unstretched, 28 inches stretched, making it quite true to size, which is good.







Surprisingly, when on, the cups almost seemed too small. They were quite shallow, and though the wire sat fine on me, my high-set and full on top breasts spilled out a little, or at least, I got cleavage that looked a little funny from the side, sort of flattened and pushed up. I would not be able to go up a cup size, as the wires would have been too wide, and also have way too much coverage. When I lay down however, my boobs fall out the top, leaving the bottom of the cup a little empty. I would say that the Lucille might work for lower set/fuller on bottom boobs.

Sorry about the side-ways-ness


Under a t-shirt 

 That pushed up, flattened shape

From my bigger side.  

And my smaller

Support-wise, the Lucille is much better than any of my non-wired bikinis, I can walk and swim and cavort about without anxiously hoicking it up and worrying about nip-slips. I can’t run in without the top, exposed parts of my breasts jiggling, but whatever, it’s a bikini, not a sports bra.

Overall, I am happy with the bikini, and can’t wait to see what Cleo Swim comes out with next!

Xoxo

Gossip Girl Princess