Review: Lily, by Playful Promises

Calling all E and F cup ladies! You may have heard that one of my favourite independent lingerie brands, Playful Promises, have expanded one of their new bra ranges into F cups. The cute and frilly black satin Lily range is available in sizes 32A-32F, 34A-34F and 36B-36DD, adding four new sizes on top of their usual range. The press release explained a bit more about how/why, and got me very excited about the new range…

Fans of the brand have continually voiced their desires for larger cup sizes, which is quite a financial undertaking for an independent company. Larger cup sizes require different and more expensive fabric and components in order to provide extra support. The new bra sizes also feature different patterns and garment construction, which is key when moving into a different size range.

Staying true to their cheeky style, the bras in the range will feature one full cup balconette and a naughty quarter cup with matching nipple pasties. The range is comprised of black satin with frills and bows, and the bras can be mixed and matched with a choice of brief, thong or ouvert brief. Playful Promises’ founder and designer, Emma Parker, hopes that the new size range proves popular enough include F cups in future collections and to consider developing a full-bust size range.

So, with my usual size being a 32E, I jumped at the chance to review a set. I went for the cheeky open cup bra and the frilly briefs, but there is also a balconette bra, thong and ouvert briefs (yes, that does mean what you think it does!). The parcel arrived with the set wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a pink Playful Promises ribbon, which made it even more exciting to open. The satin used on both the bra and briefs is beautifully soft yet thick, reminding me of the L’Agent by Agent Provocateur bras that I tried on last year. Glamorous and also comfortable. Oh yes, even though the briefs are a bit skimpier than I’d usually wear, they were super comfy when I put them on trial for a day. The frills and large bows are a super cute feminine addition to what is definitely a classic set, and the ruched satin on the bra straps is a nice touch. Amazingly, even though the straps only have an adjustable section at the back, I still managed to get them just right for me. The back band was a great fit too – nice and firm so that you get maximum support without discomfort. The wires sat perfectly, with the centre gore sitting flat against my chest and nothing pressing on breast tissue.

Of course, choosing the open cup bra meant that I had trouble trying to take a photo for this review because, well, it shows a lot! I pondered rummaging through my old burlesque wardrobe to find some tassels, but decided that I would just share these lovely images that Playful Promises’ photographer Anna shot with gorgeous F-cup model Emma Glover. Actually, looking at these photos again, I may have to get the Lily nipple pasties too, so that I can show the set off properly!

DISCLOSURE: I was sent a Lily open cup bra and briefs free to review by Playful Promises.