La vie en rose bustier - bustier discontinued by Seven 'til Midnight - review by Femme Mystique

The La Vie En Rose Bustier by Seven 'Til Midnight is seriously one of the prettiest and most comfortable sets I've owned to date. The bustier and thong are made of microfiber, and this particular blend is 92% polyester and 8% spandex, meaning it has a decent amount of stretch. The texture of the material is silky, and it feels really nice and light against the skin. It's constructed of two layers--the outer layer, which is the rose print body and the red satin ruched stomach panel, and an inner layer of black microfiber under the front panel, which makes it so you cannot see through the bustier.





This bustier does not contain boning, but it does have plastic underwire for breast support. The overall unstretched length from the top of the cups to the bottom of the ruffle is 17". The bustier is fastened by hooks and eyes in the back, and there are a whopping 16 of them (with three different sizing settings, so 48 total eyes and 16 hooks). I found that the easiest way to put this on is to put it on sideways or backwards and very carefully shift the garment until it's on correctly. Here are the back closures:



This bustier is also adorned with three satin bows--one between the cups and two in the front where the garters attach. These bows are not detachable, but you could carefully remove them with a seam ripper if they bother you. There is a ruffled hem which is constructed of red mesh, which is the same color as the red satin panel in the front, as well as matching red adjustable bra straps.





I selected a medium in this bustier, and the sizing for the medium is below, with my measurements in parentheses:

Medium:
Size: 6-10 (0-2)
Cup: B-C (32D/34D)
Bust: 34-36 (35)
Waist: 26-28 (26)
Hips: 36-38 (35)

Based on the way this bustier fits me, I'd say the sizing runs a little small, except in the cups. Though there is stretch to this, the bottom hem doesn't stretch much at all. It sits higher than my true hips (the widest part of your lower body), so the exact hip size this will fit will vary based on the length of your torso and the shape of your lower body, but to be safe I would say that if you have hips greater than 36", you should probably order a size up. The bustier was kind of snug on my 35" hips.

The cups run a little larger than expected, and I would not recommend this for someone who's a B cup, no matter what the size chart says. The best fit for this would probably be a C cup, though the top accommodated my D's as well with ample cleavage. I've overlaid the top on a 34D bra for comparison. It's definitely smaller than the bra cup, but not substantially. The cups are 7" across at the widest point and 5" tall and are lightly padded.



The bustier comes with a matching G-string, which is also stretchy microfiber. It's 24" around unstretched and 34" stretched. It has a cotton liner and a seriously long hot pink tag in the front that you're probably want to cut out. I'm not a G-string kind of girl, but it seems like it would be reasonable comfortable.




One of the things I love about this set is that it is convertible. You can wear the straps in several different configurations, including standard, criss-cross, halter, and strapless. I like to wear it halter-style the best because I feel like it gives me the best cleavage. Though it can be worn strapless, this way provides very little support. Here are photos of the different configurations.

Standard:


Criss-cross:

Halter:


Strapless:


The bustier has four detachable garters--two for the front and two for the back. They are adjustable front 6" to 9-1/2" unstretched and have red satin ribbons that cover the clips, which I thought was an attractive feature.

I was also impressed by the quality of the construction of this garment. I was a little wary because of the packaging it came in, which was a plastic bag with a snap and a plastic hanger attached. Inside the bustier was a little crumpled and had sort of a haphazard pile of white tissue paper included. Microfiber is pretty resistant to wrinkling though, and the set was no worse for the wear. I only found one little loose thread, and the seams appeared to be neatly serged, reassuring me that the piece should be pretty durable.

... Continued

Because this set already has so much detail, I'd suggest minimal accessorizing. Simple black jewelry, sheer black thigh highs (regular nylons would probably be best, I've left some suggestions in the Similar Products), and black pumps.

To care for this, hand wash only with mild soap or lingerie wash and hang up to dry. Do not iron or bleach.

I love this bustier! It's the most comfortable bustier I've owned to date, and I love the unique pattern. The microfiber has held up well to washing and it has retained its vibrant colors.