I do love a good longline bra. Or, at least, I did before a good one became really hard to come by. All I want is one that reaches to my waist so that it can be pretty much worn as a top, and ideally with detachable straps so it will give more uplift than standard strapless bras as the length will make it less likely to slip down. Not that hard to do, you’d think. Especially seeing as the distance between my shoulders and waist is pretty short.
Sadly, many brands view ‘longline’ as something that extends just a tiny bit more below the underbust, leaving me (and I’m sure many others) with a bra band that sort of rolls/folds up at the centre front. So frustrating. I don’t have many requirements for a longline bra, but actually being long is one of them. So, imagine my joy when I saw the Kiss Me Deadly Dietrich Longline Bra is a proper longline bra, and it also comes in DD-G cups!
I loved the whole Dietrich collection when I first saw the images, and pre-ordered the bra in a 32F from KMD stockist Hepburn and Leigh at the end of last year. When it arrived, I snapped a quick selfie in my bedroom mirror (see right) as I was so impressed with the fit but, to my shame, it has taken me almost four months to get around to writing a review.
The cups and centre front panel are made from black satin, covered in soft black lace, the side and back panels are black powernet and the whole of the front of the bra is lined to give a more opaque look. The side seams are boned, which stops the bra riding up, and the detachable straps are a reasonable width (rather than those super skinny ones which dig in to your shoulders). The cups are foam lined so give a nice round shape and provide a good amount of support when the straps are removed. The centre front is finished with three black satin covered buttons instead of a bow, which is a nice touch. The centre back fastens with eight hook and eye fastenings (three rows, for adjustability) which are backed with a nice fuzzy fabric that feels soft on your skin.
For me, the fit of this bra is spot on. I’m short in the body so it reaches all the way down to my natural waist, the underwires sit perfectly, the straps are comfy and the 32F fit me as well as that size does in Panache, Triumph and Playful Promises bras. The only difficulty I have is doing up all 8 of the hooks and eyes without help. If, like me, you like a firm fit on the band of your bras and so are unable to fasten it at the front and swivel the bra around (the silicone strips on the edges of the bra make this spin manoeuvre impossible when it’s snug!), you definitely need to make sure you’re not trying to fasten this bra when you’re in a rush!
So that you can see how the bra looks on someone who’s not as flawless as Morgana, I snapped a shot of me wearing it with a vintage slip and a Karolina Laskowska choker which was part of The Underpinnings Museum‘s Kickstarter rewards. Click on the image on the left to see a larger version where the details in the lace are clearer. This will look great under a sheer blouse on a night out, and should mean that my boobs don’t hang low when wearing strapless tops in the summer. (I’ll update this post when I’ve fully tested it in strapless mode.)
The Dietrich longline bra (including the DD-G cup version) is limited edition and costs £84. If you like a matching set, the coordinating sheer back high waist briefs are £44. This might sound like a lot if you’re used to high street prices, but I recommend that you read Rose’s excellent piece for The Lingerie Addict on the price of lingerie before you make a judgement. For me, I was so sick of seeing full bust ‘longline’ bras which were anything but longline, that I was prepared to pay for this one as it’s exactly what I’d been looking for. If you prefer your bras to be a colour other than black, there are a few sizes left in the burgundy Pankhurst bra (in DD-G sizes too) which the Dietrich is based on, and it’s also in the sale.
UPDATE: I have now also tried the bra without straps and, sadly, don’t think I’ll ever be wearing it strapless. The bra isn’t quite structured enough and so the cups completely change shape without the straps to provide some of the support. It looked really odd under every off the shoulder top I tried it with, so I think I’ll be sticking to my Panache Evie for now.
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