Hi folks! Sorry for not posting in a little bit, I'm at the tail end of summer school and I've been swamped with work. But now I'm done all my projects and I have a bit of a break so now I can have some fun writing about pretty underthings!
I've been coveting this gorgeous set since Playful Promises first gave a preview of the overwires for their Bettie Page collection late last year. I'm obsessed with overwire bras and vintage ones can be hard to come by. I have two overwire bras and that's after quite a bit of time looking for them in a size that wouldn't look ridiculous on me. Overwires were developed so women could wear strapless gowns and still have some proper support. However as technology developed and the more supportive strapless underwire bras were introduced, the overwire bra disappeared from lingerie. They're pretty much only made nowadays as a throwback to vintage style and Dita Von Teese had them in her collection a few years ago. This was the "Her Sexcellency" style and it was absolutely gorgeous, but it only went up to a C-cup as overwires aren't the most supportive. As an F-cup, it was pretty heartbreaking that I couldn't even sister size and wear it.
That's why I (like many other pinup and vintage loving gals) was thrilled when Playful Promises announced they were doing overwires for their retro Bettie Page line. Not only is the bra stunning, but it looks almost identical to true-vintage overwire bras. I took a look at one of mine and compared the two and they're nearly identical when it comes to construction. I also love how the cups are stitched so that they give that true 1950s conical shape. It's not too extreme but it adds a nice retro touch. As a vintage devotee and a bit of a purist, I was very, very impressed with the work Playful Promises put into this bra!
Not only is it authentic, it comes in full-bust sizes. The black longline style goes up to a 38F, something that is very uncommon for this type of style. However, it only goes to a DD in the teal and red, likely because these are fashion colours and black is the most likely to sell making the investment of developing larger sizes more worthwhile. I'm wearing a 36DD as that's technically my sister-size but I've been having issues with that size lately, maybe my band size went down? I find that the bands on the 36DD bras I wear are a bit loose now and this one is too. However, I can still wear it on the tightest hooks and I can easily get the band altered when the time comes. It also comes down to personal preference, I like snug bands but some people like loose bands. Whatever floats your boat.
I also just love the details on the set as a whole, those bows are to die for! I can't get over how cute they look on the bra and suspender, it's such an adorable touch that makes the set even more special. The suspender and knicker are a bit loose but fit nicely, I'm wearing my usual size in suspenders and knickers, a US 6 or UK 10. Overall, it seems like a very easy set to wear day-to-day, for special occasions, and photo shoots which I've been seeing a lot of on Instagram. This is a very popular set amongst pinups and I can definitely see why!
I can't wait to see more of what Playful Promises does with their Bettie Page line (they teased a reproduction of this incredible Schiaparelli piece that I've searched the internet high and low for) because so far, I'm very impressed!
What do you think of Playful Promises and their Bettie Page line? Let me know in the comments!