Time for another lingerie review.
The last one I did for Gossard was popular, so I thought I’d be brave and do another for Marks & Spencer.
I was sent the Perky Profile bra and Shaping slip to review.
I was particularly interested to try by the Perky Profile bra as part of it’s marketing is in it’s more “vintage” profile. It’s a padded T shirt bra, but it promises to lift and separate rather than the usual more upwards thrust which leaves your boobs round your ears.
For comparisons sake I tried to take some profile photos wearing one of my regular bras, which is a Triumph Amourette W, I think it gives a more natural vintagey profile, but it isn’t padded so it can be a little, erm, too perky on chilly days. Just for comparison I also did a profile in my What Katie Did Bullet bra, I couldn’t find the pads, so it’s not the smoothest line under a t shirt, but you can see the difference.
To review with it I also had the Firm Tummy Control Waist Sculpt Wear Your Own Bra Slip (hereafter known as “the slip” because that’s a bit of a mouthful!) Bascically this is a corselette, with no suspender straps and no bra. I was intrigued by it, because sometimes it’s nice to have some shapewear that doesn’t need stockings with it. In the summer, perhaps, or just because it doesn’t work with a slinky satin evening gown to have suspender straps. I also thought it would work well under my increasing collection of body con midi dresses!
It’s a bit of a wiggle to get into, as with most shapewear I guess, but once you’re in it feels secure with good firm support. The “skirt” did ride up slightly as I walked, you can’t take big strides, so probably not one to wear if you need to run for a bus or it’ll end up round your waist and you’ll look really weird under your body con frock. Its main downside over a traditional corselette is that with stockings attached a corselette can be shorter, and therefore using the toilet is much easier! I’m a little worried that at some point I’ll end up sticking my thumbs through the fabric of this as I try and wiggle it down in a cubicle, it’s happened before, it’ll happen again!
Overall I’m pretty impressed. When M&S sent me the underwear, they asked me to create a 50s look. I’ll be honest, if you want an authentic 50s look, you might as well wear a corselette as you can wear stockings with it. As shapewear the slip works well for a look that requires bare legs, maybe under a slinky 1930s gown, or for a more modern interpretation of the 50s under a body con midi dress that would show stocking clips. The bra, I think, would be excellent if you wear wearing a girdle or suspender belt, and just wanted not quite such a modern push up look, without going as far as a bullet bra. I tried it under my Kitty Copeland dress, that I normally wear with a bullet bra, and the silhouette was still good.
