Retro bra and panty with ruffle set - bra and panty set discontinued by Coquette - review by Coralbell

Design:
Despite the name, this set doesn't look very retro to me. When I think retro lingerie, I think high waisted panties or a garterbelt. Whether it matches the name or not, I do like this set. The pink and black lace, ruffles, and big bows create a nice balance between fun and girly, and elegant and sexy.

Although it is very cute, I don't find this to be the most flattering lingerie set. The bra doesn't do as much for my breasts as my everyday molded bras do. The set didn't make me feel very good about my body when I gained some weight; more so than most of my other lingerie. The ruffles seemed to add extra visual bulk to my body, and almost made me feel a bit silly when I was already feeling self-conscious. However, when I am feeling confident about my body, this set makes me feel very sexy and flirty.

My favourite part is the panties. I love the big, satin bow on the back. My boyfriend is an ass man, so anything that draws attention to that area is great for us. I like how the wide, ruffled waistband is comfortable, and doesn't dig into my hips unflatteringly, like g-strings can do. It's quite stretchy, which works well for me since I'm bigger on the bottom half. The crotch portion is quite narrow - about 3 inches at the widest part. It's hard to tell on the model since her legs are crossed, but it exposes a fair bit of the area. I don't mind that, but I'm sure some people will. You're going to have to do some landscaping if you don't want pubic hair showing at the sides. There is no crotch liner.

The scoop neck design of the bra is a nice change from the standard shapes, but I think it makes my breasts look a little smaller than they are. It's a demi-cup, so it doesn't have much coverage, and ends just above my nipples. Those with larger breasts might be worried about popping out, but I would suggest erring on the side of the bra being too small. If the cups aren't fully filled they look very awkward and unflattering. The cups aren't molded or padded, so they don't provide much shaping. It does have underwire for a bit of lift. The bra has standard adjustable straps, and a hook and eye closure with 3 settings. The straps and top of the neckline are edged in ruffles, and there's a big bow between the breasts. I cut this bow off right away. There was just too much going on, and I found it overwhelmed and took attention away from my breasts.

Material:
The material is 82% nylon and 18% spandex. The fabric is pale pink, covered with a layer of black lace. It's soft and slightly stretchy. The ruffles are fine, black mesh that is very stretchy, and edged with pink stitching. The bows are pink satin. All of the materials look and feel high quality, and the set is comfortable to wear.

Fit:
I ended up buying this set in 2 different sizes, and my weight has fluctuated over the last year. The silver lining is that I can give you a better idea of who the sizes will fit.

When I first ordered this set in August 2010, I wore a 34 B bra and measured 36-28-38; right in the middle of the small and medium size charts. I ended up getting a Medium since I had experienced problems with Coquette's Small panties being too small for me. When I got the set, it was too big. The panties were loose, but still wearable. The bra cups were loose which was unflattering, and the band was too loose, which made it ride up. I ended up pairing the thong with a plain black bra instead.

This winter, I lost some weight and went down to 35-28-37. I was still a B cup. At that point, the medium set was definitely too big.

In March, I ordered a Small. The thong was slightly on the loose side. It definitely had more room than Coquette's g-strings do. The bra fit me nicely.

This spring I gained weight, and went up to a 34 C, with 37-29-40 measurements. The small set still worked for me. The panties fit more snugly but weren't tight at all, and I just filled out the bra cups more. Any larger breasts would probably pop out of the cups.

Right now, I'm back to the size I was last August, and the small still fits me nicely. Too bad I didn't just order it originally!

My Size Charts:

Small
Cup: B- small C
Band: 34-36
Hips: 38-40

Medium
Cup: C-D
Band:36-38
Hips: 40-42

Packaging and Care
The set came simply packaged in a plastic bag. There was a cardboard tag attached, with a picture of the model, and care instructions. The set should be hand washed and air dried to keep it in good condition. I washed my medium set in the washing machine, and one of the underwires poked through the fabric. Luckily, I took better care of my small set, and 6 months later it's still just like new.

It's not really that I don't like this anymore, but after a year of wear and being put through the washer a few times (I should have learned better from the first set I had!) the small bra has broken too. The panties are still in good shape, and I liked them better than the bra anyways, so I'll continue to wear them with black bras I own that are better made and better fitting.