Playful Promises Juliet Review

***Disclaimer: This lingerie set was sent to me free of charge. This in no way affects my opinions and/or views expressed in this blogpost.

A moment of silent reverence please, to the lingerie goddesses for bestowing this beauty among us. Or at least, to the team over at Playful Promises. Yes, it's here: from the second I heard whispers about their 28-36" DD-G collection I was on the edge of my seat. So I was jumping up and down shouting excited when Anna emailed and offered me a set to review. A quick perusal over what was on offer left me with only one real choice. I mean, they're all gorgeous but Juliet is just on another level in my opinion. This bra is the kind of design I would never have believed I could find in a fuller bust range. It is pure architectural, minimalist, sexy goodness.

That's right I said sexy. An important message I will happily argue with others over is that lingerie is not implicitly sexual. Society has needlessly fetishised it leading some to see it as having no function other than to turn men on *cough* patriarchy *cough*. But whatever, f*ck men! This makes me feel sexy. I feel powerful and confident while I'm wearing this set, and those are not emotions easy to come by for me nowadays.

I'm currently hovering between bra sizes but decided to risk it and go down to a 28G for this bra, while sticking to a size small (which is a UK 10) for the pants and girdle rather than my usual 8 because of their high waist. I'm really happy with the fit of the bra, although I could most likely comfortably have gone up a cup size (which would have involved going for a 30G because of the size range). Instead I get a nice level of compression and support. I would compare the shape it gives me to the Pour Moi 'Addicted' bra, if anyone happens to own that as well. My low density, bottom heavy breasts experience a little bit of cutting in which I suspect is unavoidable for my particular breast type in such shallow cups, but it's minimal and doesn't bother me.

In terms of the brief, it's made from such a soft, pliant mesh which means that I could probably have gone for it in an XS. I went up a size to avoid them being overly tight around my midsection but they're stretchy enough to be quite generous with the sizing. The roll on girdle, on the other hand, is made from a sturdier mesh like the bra. I assume this is to provide adequate support and a little bit of shaping in the case of the girdle. Because of its stronger material I'm definitely happy with my choice of a size S.

I actually wasn't expecting to be sent the girdle as well as the bra (with included harness) and the briefs, so I feel very grateful and spoilt by the lovely Playful Promises team. I really love how the girdle and briefs have been elevated from just basic black mesh pieces by that cut out design on the back. At the same time, I adore how easy it is to mix and match this set with other black pieces. I feel like this bra was made to be matched with Hopeless Lingerie pieces and I've really been enjoying experimenting with different combinations so far.

Although I feel the set can look a bit busy on me with the harness included (because of my short stature), I think it's so brilliant that Playful have included the harness with the bra while not attaching it. This allows it to be used with other sets or even as outerwear. The harness is fully adjustable around the waist and neck and has an almost plush underside so it is comfortable against the skin.

While the girdle suspender straps are not adjustable, they're not overly long so I didn't have much issue with them. The sturdy clips keep my stockings in place all day long, and the high waist ensures it doesn't slip down at all. I'm going to take this moment to comment on the fact that I have never owned a roll on girdle before and therefore hadn't discovered how much easier they are to go to the bathroom while wearing than regular girdles. It's so nice to just be able to yank it down without thinking twice! Then it's just a quick stocking readjust before heading back out into the big bad world.

This set is definitely worth the money for it's versatility and gorgeous design but if you're a bit more budget conscious then I think the bra is an excellent investment piece in itself. It'll match with any black lingerie while bringing an extra edge to any outfit. It may not be the most practical piece of lingerie in the world, but it sure is gorgeous. So if you're looking to treat yourself along with your friends and family this festive season, Juliet gets my vote.

Thanks for reading. x