Reviews: Agent Provocateur, Parfait, Gossard, with special guest star Julia Lambert

Julia Lambert would like it known that my blog is a bad influence.  That being said, she’s gotten some wildly pretty lingerie since I started writing it, so without further ado, I give you the lovely Miss Julia Lambert!

HELLO, darlings.

Sweets’ blog IS a terrible influence!  However, she escapes all of the blame for this, as I admit at long last that I need new bras.  I didn’t actually want to BUY new stuff.  I have beautiful things that I bought relatively recently, certainly within the last year, and they’re in fine shape.  But…well, I first noticed it in dance class: I was falling out of them.  “Weird,” I thought, “I must be…dancing differently?”  I’m sad to say that it took until I was reaching down to pick up my purse and falling out that I admitted I had a new size on my hands.  And I’m a devoted reader of this blog.  File this under “do as I say and not as I do.”

Julia Lambert’s new collection: Agent Provocateur, Gossard, and Parfait

So I bought really pretty things that also fit.  I’m thrilled.

Close-up on the pretty lace and suspenders on the “Ooh-La-La” Corselette.

First up: the Gossard corselette from Bravissimo.  I dunno, y’all.  It was pretty and on sale?  I had paid my bills and wanted something fancy for fancy times?  This little number is bra-sized, has a black band with a pink satin bow at the waist, and garter hooks with pink ribbons for stockings (Remember when Sweets explained stockings?  Yes?)  Well, my goodness.  When it arrived I squealed in delight: Black lace over a rosy peachy pink lining, with bows and things!  I love vintage dresses, and I have a velvet winter party dress that I will absolutely wear this under.  The color combination is gorgeous.  If you’re an underwear-as-outwear type, wear it with a pencil skirt and a fitted jacket.  You know, for when you need to stop the proverbial traffic with your bad self.  As Sweets explained in the lingerie dictionary, a “corselette” seems to be a bra/basque hybrid that extends down over this hips with garter straps.  It’s very elegant.  I feel smokin’ in it.  For interested parties, I wouldn’t call this particular corselette a shaper or support garment.  It does indeed cover the torso, but this one seems more for looks that shaping.  For looks, though, WELL, my dears.  “But Miss Lambert,” you say, “I thought you needed practical things?”  “But but but!” say I!  “It’s convertible, with wide straps and easy-to-alter hooks to change the straps. It also holds stockings up!  What, are you supposed to hold them up with your hands all day?  Ha!”

Close-up of the evil hook-and-eye.

“Charlotte” by Parfait, with matching bikini and high-waisted brief.

I purchased this set from HerRoom, and received excellent customer service, shipping times, selection, and prices.  However, I’m afraid I won’t be making any further purchases from that site.  They have a very strange sizing system they’re trying to implement in which the cup size is indicated by one million Ds following the band measurement, and I’d rather just have one or two letters to keep track of, thank you.  But worse, the language they use on their site reinforces the idea that breasts of various sizes and shapes are “problems” that can be “corrected” by purchasing their lingerie.  This language hits women with chests both large and small with judgmental ideas about our bodies and ourselves.  For these reasons, I won’t purchase from them anymore.

Details of the bra. Just fabulous.

The gorgeous delivery box. A+, AP.

Apparently Agent Provocateur, maker of terribly hot but obscenely expensive lingerie, has flash sales once or twice a year that are ridiculous, but make such things accessible to your average lady.  They sell $250-$300 bras (dear lord, no thank you) for around $30-$40 during these sales.  And, again, I paid all my bills!  And needed new things!  So…I bought something I didn’t need because it was fancy and attainable.

I mean, don’t we all want to live in a world where we have sumptuous lingerie delivered to us in elegant pink boxes with black bows? I do. The guys in the mail room at the office would have a field day.

Sweets will be relieved but disappointed to hear that this pink box was delivered nestled inside a regular box.  I, too, receive packages at my office and would not like to be exposed to comment.  That said, I DECLARE that’s gorgeous packaging!

Ugh. Pretty. Like, Marie Antoinette levels of pretty.

Sweets helped talk me into keeping this lovely Francoise bra and suspender belt.  Again, we have pink with black lace, which looks gorgeous on me, a beautiful shape on the black lace line around the top, delicate lace, and immaculate construction.  You can kind of see at the side of the cup that the side band has boning stitched in for support.  Love.

Yep.

Brava Miss Lambert!

I hope you enjoyed seeing these pieces, hearing about the fit and design, and hearing about my shopping experiences.  If possible, I prefer to shop locally, but availability in my size, except for Nordstrom, is a little limited, so these purchases were all made online.  I’ll let you know the next time I find something lovely in-store!  If you have questions about the pieces I purchased, please email Sweets and she’ll pass it along to me!  Finally, have a beer and think of me, Miss Lambert, and don’t ever let contemptible people cheapen your gifts.  (P.S. if you haven’t seen Being Julia, please do so immediately).

*I (Sweets) am neck-deep in a major work project this week.  This post has been pre-scheduled, and my response times may be slow.