Holiday velveteen bustier - bustier discontinued by Coquette - review by lilly555

Overview
To be completely honest, the Holiday Velveteen Bustier by Coquette was not my first choice pick for an assignment as far as the Holiday Collection goes. Alas, the Holiday Corset was snatched up at lightning speed and the Velveteen was quite similar so my spoiled self went for it. Plus I love velvet…and I have a dress, bra and panty that would all match this wonderfully. At end of the day I have to thank Eden for allowing me such a wonderful bustier for review, because while this item may be made for the bedroom I would be 100% comfortable wearing this to a holiday party.
Material and Texture
The tag located inside of the Holiday Velveteen Bustier states that the garment is 100% Polyester. From my estimation it would be more like 40% making up the comfortable inner shell. The majority of the outer shell is made up of a velvet material that does not attract too much lint and has matte feeling to it. Over the velvet is a lace overlay at the bodice and on the sides. On top of the lace lays an ample amount of rhinestones to give a little ‘pop’ to the design. Lastly, the back panels where the hook and eye closure meets is made up of a stretchy lycra material.



Design and Craftsmanship
Let’s start with the bosom and work our way down. The Holiday Velveteen Bustier, which contains removable straps, has padding but no underwire. On the outer portion of the bosom lays a sweetheart bust with a ruched middle. Right under the bust is a floral lace overlay that is set on the bodice to make small points then curve back in. At each point is a rhinestone which, I should warn you, can become loose. The lace allows for the velvet to show for about an inch at the hips only to start up again as the bustier wraps around the hips. This time the overlay becomes a triangular shape. As the velvet nears the back the material becomes lycra which makes up 3 1/4 inches at each panel. Here the hook and eye closure allows for two adjustable settings at the ‘eye’ for you to choose from. At the bottom there are 4 openings for the removable garters. The garters themselves are adjustable in length with plastic closures that are easy to use; just slide them in and out of place.
As far as craftsmanship is concerned this is not the most consistent piece to evaluate. You might be able to tell from the pictures that the bra straps and garters had some loose threads either falling off or attempting to hang on. If my review was based on this alone I would say this was bad craftsmanship. But it’s not, and the rest of the bustier holds up just fine. No loose hooks, not a thread out of place on the main garment and for me at least, the plastic boning isn’t bending. The only oddity in the bustiers craftsmanship I could find was an odd flap at the top of the bust where the velvet dips into the inner lining. But this is well stitched together and expertly folded so I suppose has a purpose I’m not privy to.





Packaging and Cleaning
I have to admit I was afraid when I pulled the Holiday Velveteen Bustier out of Eden’s usual non-descript mail package it wasn’t going to have the Coquette black, padded hanger I had become accustomed to. I assumed Coquette was cutting back when my wetlook items did not come with it. But I was wrong! There, in the clear, cellophane packaging lay my bustier on one of Coquette’s elegant hangers. I admit I did a little jig of happiness. Now, to clean this bustier Coquette recommends hand washing this bustier and then hanging it to dry. I would agree with this recommendation. If you place the Holiday Velveteen Bustier in a machine you run the risk of ruining the garment. I would also recommend that you not try to iron this bustier as the rhinestones, lace and velvet may not be able to take the heat.

Sizing
My Measurements
110lbs, 5’3 height, 28 inch waist, 38 inch hips, 34C bra, dress 4/6
Coquette Size Chart



The Holiday Velveteen Bustier is available on Eden in small-large, for the purpose of this review I chose the small. One thing about the sizing of this bustier that bothered me was how the length doesn’t rightly accommodate into the sizing. To clarify; I’m short, my torso is not long, this bustier hits my hips at a certain point and closing the bottom portion becomes a problem. By problem I mean I cannot close this on my own without help from a partner once it hits my hips, as one can see there is a bit of a difference in measurements in my body from waist to hips so you can imagine. This plus the lack of bust support makes me a firm believer that the best type of individual to wear this bustier needs to be tall or have a long torso and have breasts no larger than a C cup.
Likes and Dislikes
What I wasn’t so fond of
Yes, I am disappointed with the length to sizing ratio and I had better not enjoy the holiday food too much if I want to fit into this at all. Yes, I was a bit miffed when I saw the loose threads that accompanied the bra straps and garters. But mostly I’m just bummed about the bust. This is probably one of Eden’s pricier lingerie pieces so I would expect all the bells and whistles to be attached, that includes bust support. Now, for a smaller bosomed gal like myself this works just fine; my perky boobies won’t have any problems. But for those ladies who have enviously ample bosoms chances are this will not provide you with the support and comfort you require to enjoy this garment.

What I liked
Usually when a lingerie item I am reviewing is likely to only be flattering on one body type without hassle, especially when I am not included in that body type, I give the item a low number of stars. In the case of the Holiday Velveteen Bustier however, I am inclined to give it 4 stars. Why? Well no matter how much I think this will dissatisfy many Eden ladies I think it’s a dream for those that can make it work. The detail is simply luxurious and the craftsmanship on the bustier itself is fairly sturdy and, with the proper care, should last. Plus, the velvet does not attract as much lint as I would have suspected. Given that this lay around in various parts of my room for two weeks I was surprised. On a purely ‘me’ note it made me look like I have actual boobs, not the kind that get lost in some bustiers and corsets. Also, I can wear this out with jeans or a skirt and it doesn’t look like lingerie but a nice top.



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