Bows bustier - bustier discontinued by Coquette - review by Jul!a

It's not exactly a secret that I love pink. It's also not exactly a secret that I love these bustiers, so I had to have this when I first saw it.

I got this in a size small. To Coquette, that means I should be a size 4-6, with a B cup, a 34-36" bust, 26-28" waist, and 36-38" hips. Personally I'm about 5'2, I weigh about 105, around my bust measures 31" and underneath measures about 28 1/2". I've got about a 25" waist with 33" hips and wear a B cup. It was actually pretty tight on me.

For the other sizes available, Coquette has the following measurements listed:
Medium: size 8 - 10, B cup, 36-38" bust, 26 - 30" waist, 38 - 40" hips
Large: size 12 - 14, C cup, 38 - 40" bust, 30 - 32" waist, 40 - 42" hips
X Large: size 14 - 16, D cup, 42 - 44" bust, 34 - 36" waist, 44 - 46" hips
1X/2X: size 18 - 22, D cup, 46 - 50" bust, 38 - 42" waist, 46 - 52" hips

If you're right on the border of the measurements, I'd definitely order the size up. If you do order a size down and it's too small but just barely, you can also get a whole bunch of band extenders that would normally go on a bra, but should hook in here just fine.

The inside is a very lovely shade of baby pink, and is pretty soft to the touch. There's a 1 1/4" thick band of elastic that runs across all 12 little panels that helps hold everything in. The inside of the cups are padded lightly, not enough to feel like a padded bra, but enough that you don't need one to hide your nipples. There is underwire here, so wearing a padded bra underneath isn't a great option.

Looking at the front, one is reminded of Coquette's Bow Mesh Corset, only with pink instead of red. There are of course a few other differences as well. This one is a little less ruffly for starters. All 9 visible pieces of boning are flocked, as well as the black bows that look like they're printed all over, and the cups. Flocking is basically where you have a raised design with a velvet feel to it. There are 3 removable bows on the front as well, one where the cups meet, and one over each "hip." They leave no trace of ever being there when removed.

All along the top is a close cut band of lace with a pastel pink ribbon weaving its way across. There are a few layers of ruffles along the cups, as well as all the way along the bottom. The 18 sets of double row hooks that secure it down the 13" tall back are sturdy and come undone easily enough that you can do it yourself, but not so easily that you lose all your hard work with one awkward breath that shifts things. I find that the best way to get this on is to put in on with the hooks in the front so you can do them up, and then twist it very carefully around so everything lays where it's supposed to. The ruffles at the bottom can get in the way during sex if you have a shorter torso, but shouldn't be a problem for most. The garter straps work well enough for things like fishnet and other thigh-highs that aren't designed to stay up on their own. The garter straps and the bra straps are both removable, and I recommend putting the bra straps on "backwards" to make it easier to adjust them yourself. Another neat thing about them is that they "match" the velvet feel of the rest of the accents.

It came in a plastic bag, which can also function for storage if you don't want to hang it or keep it in a drawer. If you opt for a drawer, make sure to only ever fold it lengthwise, as folding it where the top and bottom meet will likely cause permanent damage to the boning. There's one tag on the inside that tells you that this item is made of 82% Nylon and 18% Spandex, exclusive of the trim. You should also hand wash and let drip dry, since all the boning is plastic and may melt in the dryer.

This one is one I really can't wear for all that long. It's comfortable for about an hour, and then I'm ready to take it off. I've noticed a few sizing differences between all of the "corsets" I've gotten from Coquette over time, and I think I've decided for the most part that anything with "stretch" in the name I can wear in a small, and everything else I should order in a medium. I did try wearing this with a bra on, and made it about 15 minutes before the bra had to come off right this second. Interestingly enough, I didn't have a problem with underwire clashing between my bra and the corset, it was just too tight to wear comfortably.

I especially loved the velvety feeling bits. I did notice myself constantly feeling the little bows, and the boning, and rubbing the cups. My husband kept asking me why I kept feeling my boobs, then he tried, and then he couldn't stop feeling them either.

Here's a few pictures for you:



I do like it, but it's not my favorite. With the sizing issues I'd give it a solid 3 1/2 stars, but I think that if you have the right size, there's no other real problems with it. So I'll bump it up to 4.

I never could get over the sizing issue, especially with how tight it was and then I gained some weight. I passed this on to my sister and so far, she's been liking it. If I could get it again for free? I'd probably take it, but I have other bustiers that I much prefer to this one.