Lingerie is more than simply underwear to me.  It channels my personality and allows me to reflect however I’m feeling, using colour, texture and style to play on my mood.

Pregnancy was a time of my life that changed my relationship with underwear; I no longer wore the exciting fashion designs, and I felt marginalised by functionality.  My bras and knickers changed along with my body and I really missed wearing lingerie for the pleasure of it.  After the birth I didn’t have much of anything that fit anymore and I craved wearing something pretty again.  But even though my post pregnancy body had now changed I still felt good about myself – proud, confident and loving my new cosy mummy role – and I wanted my lingerie to regain that same positive, upbeat spirit within me.

The BRAND

Mimi Holliday is a brand I’ve long associated with playful, luxe connotations – their collections are always ridiculously pretty, occasionally bordering on the crazy.  With cute embellishments and cheeky detailing their unique, achingly cool persona promises to lead me from a mundane world into a kaleidoscope of whimsy.

Mimi Holliday’s latest collection, Tilt a Whirl, is stocked by UK Lingerie who offered to post me out a set to review.  I, of course, was thrilled to hear such news!  So here I’m going to talk about the maxi bra for fuller busts and the brief provided by UK Lingerie, together with the matching suspender belt purchased separately by a wish list gifter.

** UK Lingerie provided me with the Tilt a Whirl Maxi Bra 34GG / £39 and Knicker, Large / £24 **

The LOOK

Tilt a Whirl epitomises Mimi in a nutshell; it’s girly, sensual and playful.  This sugary cute collection comprises a maxi bra (E-GG cups), comfort bra (B-DD cups), super plunge bra (B-D cups), knicker, thong and suspender belt.   Each luxurious piece is designed using the same beautiful materials –  peppermint hued sheer mesh and delicate eyelash lace, trimmed with the softest rose pink silk.

The maxi bra features a three section underwired cup on a balcony style, fashioned for the highest support for fuller busts.  It boasts the same exquisite lace as the two smaller cupped styles but with the benefit of a double layered mesh cup.  Even with the slightly tweaked design – straps a touch wider and a broader triple hook and eye fastener – the maxi bra’s design still assumes the same light and sexy see-through aesthetic.

The FIT

My post pregnancy bra size hasn’t particularly settled on any one size yet, so I’ve been experimenting with various sizes in differing brands.  Occasionally I’m finding a 34 band comfortable so I decided to try the maxi bra in a 34GG.

Proving that sizes really do vary hugely across manufacturers, the 34GG sadly didn’t work out for me.  It looks lovely enough on, but knowing (and anyone knowing) how a bra ought to properly fit, the central gore standing away from my boobs is the tell tale sign telling me I could do with a 32H.  The 34 band is just too generous for me, but considering I measure nearer 32 inches this really means the 34 is likely true to size.  The GG cup is too small though, and I would have expected it to air more on the larger side – had it have done I could have got away with the over large band.  Unfortunately Mimi doesn’t make H cups and this makes me incredibly sad.

For a fuller bust style, the maxi bra is quite soft and not especially firm.  The underwires are on the gentler side and I really want them to feel tougher; the result makes for a lesser supportive hold which in turn doesn’t look uplifted and loses its oomph.  I’m torn between the conflicting hot look of my bra in the mirror and the almost sagging shape I’m feeling.  But this brings me back to the cups not being full enough for me, and if they were bigger then I wouldn’t be pulling the bra in all directions to compensate.

Bras for larger boobs need to show some restraint, literally, and this is an area I feel Mimi need to pay more attention to.  Fuller bust lingerie is a completely different science to regular lingerie and it would be amazing to see some more robust construction in Mimi’s GG cups.

The CO-ORDS

The matching knicker is a daring addition to this sweetly sexy set.  Its ultra low cut plays heavily on the unashamedly sheer mesh that takes centre stage; teasing with a lace panel detailing the bikini line and with no holding back on its overtly sheer reverse.  This is a stunning choice of brief to complete the grown up cheeky collection.

The co-ordinating suspender is a simple design that seamlessly blends the whole set together.  It doesn’t carry any of the eyelash lace that the bras and briefs boast, but its sheer entirety accented by the vibrant rose pink silk trim makes the suspender belt a beautifully essential link in the bra and brief combo.

And SO…

Mimi Holliday will always be my heart’s desire.  It’s one of those brands that get you hook, line and sinker because their styles are so mesmerising and desirable.  The fact my boobs don’t particularly like Mimi is beside the point – I’m hoping that’s a work in progress.  Mimi put their name to many gorgeous pieces from stand out briefs to beautifully detailed bodies, all of which aren’t limited by bra size, allowing me to enjoy the frivolous aesthetic of Mimi while I seek out my perfect bra fit in their exquisite collections.

What do you think of Mimi Holliday’s Tilt a Whirl?  Do you like the sweet but sexy styling?  Are there brands that you worship but don’t particularly get along with?  What would make your favourite but not quite perfect brand cater for you the best?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!