Designer Intimates Lingerie Review

December 16th, 2014

Jezebel, Felina and Paramour Lingerie

Let me start this with a huge “Thank you” to the folks from Designer Intimates, who offered me a ton of stuff to review and an opportunity to host this giveaway. And they were super patient while I caught up with my other reviews.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen the photo of my haul, which includes bras, panties and a sexy chemise. Designer Intimates sells lingerie from a few designer brands, including Jezebel and Felina, among others. They have an impressive collection but not one so large that you’ll get lost in it.

Charming Chemise and Thong

Let’s start with the Charming Chemise, which I am currently wearing. I love love love this piece and the matching thong. I’m so excited that my favorite piece was the one I wanted the most. It’s available from sizes small to XL, and I asked for the XL in Crushed Berries. This is a medium pink color.

Super comfy Charming Chemise

Super comfy Charming Chemise

There isn’t anything I don’t love about this. It stretches perfectly over all my curves.I recently moved to a 40 bra band, and this is comfortable, but there’s a little room for stretch. On my 5’2″ frame, the hem hits about mid-thigh. It’ll obviously be shorter on you taller ladies, but I don’t think that would be a problem!

It’s comfortable enough to sleep in or lounge around in all day like I am. The lace on the cups is feminine and flirty — and reminds me quite a bit of the Lace Appeal Chemise with smaller lace — but there’s a layer of fine mesh beneath this which is both comfortable and provides some modesty.

The lace straps are wide, and it feels like they offer more support, and there’s some adjustability to the elastic bra-style straps in back. They fit well on my C/D cups, but I think you could go up a cup size comfortably. The material is silky soft but doesn’t snag on nails and other items.  Quality of this chemise is impressive. I’ve worn it to sleep and it’s fared amazingly.  If I had any complaint about this item, is that the material can get a bit cool so I wouldn’t wear it below freezing. But I also don’t like to turn on my heat. LOL!

There is both a matching thong and hipster to go with this chemise, so you can choose either or both. I received the thong in size large, which is made of the same pretty pink material that’s comfortable as hell. In the photos, the stretchy lace sides of the thong look pretty narrow. They’re not exactly thick, but the thinner they are is about an inch, so I don’t think they cut into my hips, about 40 inches, in a terrible way. The lace on the back of the thong is cute, and the way it sits with the lace “pointing” downward is lovely. You can easily, and I have, wear it all day long. The way these pieces go together is perfect for a single night, however.

Madison and Camille Panties

I received a couple of pieces not in a collection. For example, the Madison Bikini in a medium blue. It’s a similar soft material to the Daphne panty. It slides over my hips well, but because it’s a high-cut bikini, it’s cut a little more modestly/long on my frame even though I got the medium, so it’s not good with lower cut bottoms. It’s still hella comfortable and the lace and ribbon detail are great. Again, this one seems to be awesome quality. The blue is no longer available from Designer Intimates, but you can check out the five other colors.

The Camille Cheeky Panty offers a more modern cut; although, it’s not a thong. With shade stripes in front and silky mesh in back, it shows off everything. The size large is actually cut a bit narrower than the medium Madison bikini, so it fits me better. It’s comfortable enough for every day wear, and my black panty goes well with any black bra. There is a vertical seam running down the back, but I love it beside that thanks to it’s durability and comfort.

Daphne Bra and Hipster

Daphne Bra and Hipster

Daphne Bra and Hipster

Felina’s Daphne Collection Contour Bra and hipster was the second set I received. I loved the feel of the stretchy material out of the box, and the black lace laid over the white looks fantastic. There’s a black lace version, but it’s kinda “meh.” I think the hipster would be especially good under form-fitting clothing as it wouldn’t show many lines. There’s the obvious issues of keeping the white pristine, but with some care you could do it.

However, the bra seemed to run a little small to me in a 38C (this was part of the reason I decided to , or perhaps I am gaining more curves. Either way, I didn’t want to add the panties to my collection since they’re so nice together, so I’m passing them online to my bestie.

Both the bra and hipster are a more modest cut. The bra is contoured with underwire but only lightly lined, so it’ll have minimal lift and shaping. There is a layer of fine mesh that sits inside the band, so I bet this would be comfortable for all-day wear. If you’re into full coverage with less padding and you take the snugness into consideration, this would be a real winner.

Jezebel Intrigue Bra

Designer Intimates no longer sells this bra , but you can find it from other retailers if you’re interested. The design reminds me of a VS bra I had some years ago. I liked that it was padded and had lace, and it fit (also 38C)  the best of all the bras I was sent to review. However, I do not love it. The “double pushup” bra has a lot of dense padding that’s more bulky and constricting than supporting and shaping. The type of foam really matters, as I’m sure you know.

The pink lace overlay is nice, as is the connected loops between the cups, which has come back into style with some VS bras. The overall construction seems nice, with thick adjustable straps that are soft on the underside. However, the elastic in the band sits directly against my skin without no lining, and causes discomfort after a while. Man, do I love a satin lining, and any company that’s “designer” should use this!

Adore Bra and Vanessa Thong

Adore Bra and Vanessa Thong

Jezebel Adore Bra

Sadly, this bra has also been discontinued in the black and pink, which I think looks awesome. Designer Intimates still sells the demi bra in the white and blue, but the details don’t stand out as much. The pink cups on mine are overlaid with black mesh that has scalloped vertical seems and heart-shaped flecks. There’s light padding, but the cups are pretty soft. Between the breasts is a larger pink bow and a small keyhole below it.

For a demi bra, the cups seem like they’re cut a little high.  The straps are thick and have that ruched-like ribbon detail on the top, which is amazing. The bands are mesh wit elastic borders, which I suspect wouldn’t be ideal for all day wear and aren’t as supportive as dual-layer bands.

I ordered the Vanessa thong because it’s pink with black lace overlay with flocking. What can I say, I like the look! I thought it would match, and it does well enough. The details on this are fantastic, bit scalloped lace along the legs in front and a center bow. The back is a soft black mesh, which might be more comfortable if you’re not a fan of lace. I also think it’s ideal for smoothing over curves. I opted for the large with is pretty much a perfect fit but you might want to opt down a size if you don’t like your thongs rising too high in back.

Overall, I had better experience with sleepwear and panties from Designer Intimates. The bras seemed a little cheap in construction and feel; although, that might be good enough if you’re wearing them with the plan to take them off soon. There is quite a variation between sizes of panties. I tend to opt for smaller cut if I’m going for a bikini or hipster and a larger cut for a thong, which worked out for me pretty well here.

Because this post has gotten so long, expect the giveaway in its own post!

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Kissable Chemise

April 14th, 2012

Kissable Chemise

Kissable Chemise

In a recent review, I talked about how I am in between Coquette’s OS and queen size. It’s frustrating. The leopard babydoll was too big, but this chemise just runs too small on me. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be available in plus size, so I was really hoping to make this one work. I should have known better as it’s form fitting, but I really like the design.

The Kissable chemise actually doesn’t look quite as bad as I’d expect, and that’s due to the material around the midsection and behind. It’s a slightly sheer nylon material that’s thicker than it looks in the pictures. On me, it’s not nearly as sheer. The material has some stretch, but it’s also thick enough to hug my curves like a dress and is slimming. Even though my curves still show in a somewhat less-than-flattering way, I was far less self conscious than I expected.

Then there’s the boobs.The lace that covers the boobs is cut flat along the waistline and it looks SO much bigger on the model than it actually is. At the tallest, the cups measure just 6″. I need far more material to cover my C-cups. The result is that they’re squished to my chest, making me look much smaller than I actually am. This is a shame, because it’s really the top portion of this that attracted me. There’s three vertical stripes of ribbon that add a bit of visual flair over the floral lace. This is arranged to cover the model’s nipples, but in real life, it’s less practical than that. I feel like my boobs would have looked better if they were perfectly round implants.

Let me give you an example of sizing. Flat, this measures 13″ at the bust and 18″ at the bottom hem, which is the widest part. To say it fits a 40″ hip is a stretch, literally. From the waist band to the hem, it’s 18″ long, give or take half an inch. This is pretty common, but it definitely seems to sit higher on me than on the model. It’s a barely-covering-my-ass kinda deal. This might not be the case with less curvy women, of course, but the material is probably stretched pretty far on the model. Although this piece stretches a bit past that, but not as much to truly make this one size. A 26″ bust is actually smaller than Coquette’s XS. If I had to resize this, I’d call it a S/M. It’ll work on very proportionate larges but it’s definitely cut far smaller than the OS label suggests.

So the quality on this is better than I expected, considering how much I had to struggle to get in and out of it. I wouldn’t bother hand washing it if you have a lingerie bag. However, it seems like the entire kissable line used thin ribbons instead of elastic shoulder bands, and I hate this! The adjusters on the straps slip because there’s no friction on the straps, and the straps don’t offer the stretchiness that I like.

This piece comes in a box, FYI. Hate that. So wasteful.

This is one piece that I’ll probably keep around a while, in hopes that I drop some weight and can pull it off. I might even consider wearing it as a slip, beneath a dress. I would absolutely buy it in queen size, though. For now, I hope someone who is considering buying this will be steered in the right direction because of my frustrations.

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Material Girl Fetish Fantasy Lingerie

January 24th, 2012

oor Every Mistake A Lingerie Manufacturer Could Make.

I can’t even pretend that this was a success. I mean, I knew its form-fitting nature would be a risk with my shape but I didn’t also realize that it was a design disaster.

Let’s start with what I don’t hate. The fingerless fishnet gloves. Now, you might be thinking “fingerless gloves are the show-stealer?” and, I kid you not, it’s the truth. They’re simple: a tube with one reinforced end for around the wrist and a small hole on one side for your thumb. The end that slips around your arm/wrist is reinforced, I guess, to keep it from moving. However, these are comfortably snug on me so I don’t see them going anywhere. On the other hand, if you have large wrists or hands, they might be too snug. However, there’s stretch. In fact, these gloves can stretch to around 8″ in length or wear them a little shorter. I tend to pull mine up about 1.5″ from my wrist or about 5″ long.

Both the thumb-hole and edge around the hand are slightly reinforced so they won’t rip.. but one glove is actually ripping at the hem or perhaps was never sewn on correctly. So don’t expect those reinforced edges to do too much. For some strange reason, Pipedream felt the need to sew a (black) tag into one of the glove. Hand wash cold, you guys. I mean that information is sort of useful but tags on see-through stuff.. I’m so over it.

Anyway, I could see myself stealing these for a costume or different outfit.

So while I don’t love the actual, thigh-high fishnets, they’re not as awful as the chemise itself. It’s a basic pair of fishnets with about a 1″ elastic band at the top. They’re definitely meant for someone taller than 5″2, as I could pull them damned near up to my crotch. Still, with a little adjusting they are passable. The fishnets do not come ripped. Thank-whoever-you-want-to-thank. Because then I’d have thrown them out. Like the gloves, I could also see myself wearing them with someone else or pairing them with a garter belt.

For a queen size, though, the fishnets seem a little small. They measure 6″ in diameter, flat. They stretch to about twice that, which just doesn’t seem that large to me. The stretching causes them to cut into your skin. A thicker band at the top would definitely be more flattering. Even the “one size” model is overflowing from the fishnets.

I suspect they’re also lower quality than fishnets I’ve worn in the past. In fact, the box tells you to rip them as you desire so they would have to be. As the netting itself stretches out, you can see the fibers that make it starting to pull away from one another, like a strand of Christmas lights that’s seen one decade too many (-cough-don’t look on my patio-cough-).

But they’re usable.

I wish I could say as much about the chemise. Actually, I don’t. Writing this review is fun!

So, it was a risk. I knew that but I even though the way those straps on the chemise looked on the plus-sized model was sort of flattering to your tummy and I’d hoped the same. I was also encouraged by the fact that this is available in three sizes: one size, queen and diva. I was hoping this would provide more realistic sizing options even though it’s still in a range.

I was wrong. Dead wrong. So so wrong. Wrong baby wrong. Yea, we hear you Martina McBride, Depeche Mode. I usually wind up on the just-shy-of-plus-side end of things but if this is their queen, if this is what they think will fit ladies in sizes 16 through 20 they’re on fucking crack. Maybe that’s why they’re so keen of ripping fishnets. I don’t know.

So the chemise itself is pretty snug on me. It smooshes my C-cups in ways that are completely not flattering with the sheer mesh (also hand wash, cold). There isn’t any support, per se, but surely larger women could benefit from this chemise binding pushing their breasts into their backs? (Ha!). And, if you have some extra tummy; look away. I do not know how it flattered the model so well but it does not on me.

There’s also this really weird thing. I cannot get this thing down over my ass. It’s super fucking short. Like, dude, I’m 5’2″ and who knew Pipedream was making Hobbit lingerie, right? I can only imagine how much worse it would be for taller ladies.

Okay, but the big issue — and I mean really big — is the straps, while visually interesting are just full of what-the-fuckery. They’re all stretchy (more-so than the chemise) and adjustable and while this sounds good.. it’s actually a ridiculous hassle. When I pulled this over my head, they all bunched above my boobs and then I had to try to find the chemise to pull it down and then I had to pull down every strap and try to situate it. Yours may not bunch up over your boobs; I can imagine it bunching up right under the boobs, depending on how far you pull it down but it’s not easy to put on. That’s where I’m going with this.

After I spent a bunch of time adjusting the front straps — and it still looked mediocre at best — I realized I had to do the same in the back. Except my short arms were no good at it so I said “Fuck it” and let them fall where they hideously may. I really think it would be better to have sewn the straps into place to avoid all this mess. Would it have hindered the stretchiness of the chemise? Yes. Then again, it’s not sized correctly anyway.

Now, there’s those little buckles in the pictures and the different models wear them at different locations so I thought I’d try my hand at adjusting them. I figured this would slightly change the position of the straps and allow me to hide trouble areas but, once they’re stretched out, they become nearly impossible to move. They slide easily when you’re not wearing the piece but it’s a different story when you’re not. Of course, how do I know where I want the buckle to sit on stretchy straps when I’m not wearing it?

Last complaint, I promise. These pieces come in a sturdy cardboard box. Each is then in its own bag and the fishnets are each wrapped around a pair of paperboard. It’s wasteful and who needs a an actual box for their lingerie? Shit’s not precious is all I’m saying.

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Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise Plus Size

January 31st, 2011

Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise Plus Size

Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise Plus Size

Ah, another Seven Til Midnight piece, you might ask? Yes, indeed. I just love the style of their babydolls and chemises (if you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I pimped out their new items, too!) But all was not love with the Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise as this is simply a case of what-you-see-is-not-exactly-what-you get. You see, in real life, without double-sided tape and strategically placed lighting and picture-perfect proportionate curves, this chemise simply does not make the cut. Here’s a break down of my complaints.

In photographs, the chemise seems a dark, red-hued purple and the print almost appears textured or velvety. In real life, the colour is blue-hued and much lighter. This is not altogether bad but the black floral pattern contrasts more than it does in pictures and the color just isn’t that which I love. Furthermore, the black floral print is not simply against a solid purple background. There is a tinier print going on in the background that is honeycomb-like and absolutely hideous. You cannot see it at all in the picture and, I think, that if this alone were changed, I would like the chemise much more. It just seems so busy and the design is far less sophisticated than pictures would have you believe. I wouldn’t have purchased the Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise if I had had the chance to see it, in person, first.

Chemise Pattern

In photographs, the three ribbons that stretch over the cleavage look hot. In real life, the halter styled top really offers no support and as my breasts tend to fall outward, the piece just kept stretching. I looked much flatter than I actually am. A bra remedies this but who wants to wear a bra with her chemise? Additionally, even my C cups felt ridiculously heavy as the halter pulled down against my neck and it was nearly impossible to find a good length at which to tie it and to duplicate that tying length when wearing it on different occasions. So, to make this work, I’d imagine you’d need Ds or DDs but I wouldn’t want to deal with the strain on your neck. Some supportive stitching wouldn’t hurt because this piece really has no shape.

In photographs, the corset-y ribbon that laces across the back is sophisticated and naughty but, in my experience, this isn’t the case. I guess my ribcage is simply too small for the queen size (odd…) but I wound up pulling the ribbon so that the back of the chemise nearly touched in the center of my back. Otherwise, it was too loose but this caused it to bunch up where the ribbon crisscrossed. In addition to this, I had quite the long length of ribbon left over and it looked sloppy, instead of falling daintily. I may try tying the ribbon at the bottom, to better fit my shape, however. Again, it was difficult to tie–without help–so that it was attractive.

In photographs, the model doesn’t have a spare tire. She’s super proportionate. In reality, this chemise doesn’t pull you in and the length makes it obvious if you have extra weight in the middle or, if like me, your ribs like to stick the fuck out. It’s much better suited for someone who is straight throughout the midsection than I am.

But let’s take a look at some of the positive of this piece. The polyester/spandex blend is silky and cool against the skin. The stitching between the elastic and the fabric (around the back edges) or the lace around the neck and hemline and the fabric is superb. This will definitely hold up if you hand wash in cold water as the tag suggests but would probably even be safe in the washer on the gentle cycle. All the elastic is well sewn and there’s no fraying to be seen. The same is true for the ribbon, which is pretty run of the mill but the extra length makes it easy to customize the fit–if you have the patience.

The included thong fits well and is well made. Like the other chemise and thong set I reviewed from this manufacturer, the front panel matches the chemise while the straps are a stretchy black material that is comfortable and secure without cutting into my skin. It’s something I would wear–and have worn–under street clothes and has held up fine with washing.

I enjoy that Seven Til Midnight uses silky tags on their products instead of the scratchy, white ones that most clothes contain. The tags are bright pink, so can probable be seen through Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise and matching thong but they’re kind of stylish and allude to the fact that this is a good brand.

Madelein Chemise This is technically a set as it included a blindfold, featuring the same patterned material, detailed with lace and secured by straps. This is completely dysfunctional and only looks good in the pictures because the model is holding it so that it stretches vertically and actually looks like a blindfold. If you just saw it lying around, you would have no idea what this piece of fabric is intended to do. In reality, it bunches up and pulls horizontally so that it becomes really thin and it’s not functional at all. The ribbons do not facilitate a secure fit and the sheerness of the material does not block out much. The best use it for a photo shoot, really.

The Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise is really not just intended for my body size and shape. It would be best for someone who has largest breasts and/or wider ribs, a straight midsection and is taller (I believe). Still, I have to warn you that the pattern is not nearly as attractive in person as it in in photographs.

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Midnight Confidential Chemise and Thong Set

October 26th, 2010

Midnight Confidential Chemise and Thong Set

Midnight Confidential Chemise and Thong Set

The second piece of lingerie I receive from Seven Til Midnight is the Midnight Confidential Chemise and Thong Set. It’s much more daring than any other piece I own or have reviewed. In fact, it’s the first underbust anything I’ve owned but I deserve to feel sexy, right? Right!

I noticed differences from the Sheer Pleasure set immediately. First, this set has different packaging. The Sheer Pleasure set comes in a cardboard box while this set comes in a plastic bag and has a tag attached. The old setup of the manufacturer’s site used to separate the packaged and unpackaged items. I’m not sure what the difference is, if any.

Fit-wise, this set is also different. It’s form fitting and shorter than the Sheer Pleasure chemise. The attached tag does not describe the type of fabric but it’s a nylon/spandex mix that has a slight shine to it. Because of the texture, the black actually appears a bit lighter than in the images. In addition to this, I found that the pinstripes were also more noticeable in person. But that is also due to the fact that pinstripes, like fishnet, do not always photograph well. The couple inches of lace at the bottom are looser than the rest of the piece.

Of course, the cupless design is very interesting. It’s not entirely cupless, actually. The underwires are sewn into the fabric to frame the bottom of the breasts and there is a slightly bit of material (cups) above this. Depending on your cup size, you can pull these up for more coverage but not total coverage. Larger breasts will have the tendency to push these down, anyway. The underwires extend up, between the breasts. It seems to me that they extend further up than an actual bra.

I found this slightly more difficult to get into because of the design and snugness. I wound up pulling it up, over my hips. Doing this, I immediately discovered that it’s just not sewn that well. A seam ripped slightly toward the top. Not the type of rip that ruins it, thankfully, but a rip nonetheless. I was more careful after this, of course, but because this has a gap in the back (toward the lower back) and the function bra band style, I had difficulty. You see, I’m the put-my-bra-on-backward-and-spin-it-around type. It’s so much harder with this piece but not impossible.

So once I got it around and situated my breasts above the wires and the wires between them and pulled it smoother over my hips, I kinda liked the look. The stretchy material pulls me in a bit and the lace falls right around my hips/below my extra tummy weight in a way that actually camouflages it. Because I’m not so thin, this falls a little higher than on the model. The fabric is cool and smooth against the skin. The lace wasn’t super scratchy.

Your breasts will not look at awesome as the model. She’s pushing hers up and in to achieve that perfectly round look. I mean, if you do that, yours will look just that awesome but the cupless design just does not offer as much support as a full or even half cup. The pink bow is cute, too.

The thong on this one is on the same quality as the thong with the Sheer Pleasure chemise. The front panel is the nylon/spandex fabric with stripes. It’s a really amazing fit and comfortable enough for every day use. The place where it sits on my hips is comfortable and the front panel is actually wide enough for my fleshy self. The straps stayed in place without cutting into my hips. Totally a great piece. I’d buy just thongs from Seven Til Midnight if they were all this quality.

I have yet to clean this but I know I won’t be going the washer method (unless I toss it in a pillow case or something) because of how fragile it is. However, I have washed the thong with the rest of my clothes and is survived just fine. As the elastic straps are so thin, they will wear over time. Just how that goes.

So the bottom line? This is cute. It fits nicely. The quality could see some improvements but, overall, I recommend the Midnight Confidential Chemise and Thong Set.

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Sheer Pleasure Chemise

October 6th, 2010

First, I have to say thank you for 7 Til Midnight. I sent them an email, asking if they might want to send me something for review. They responded quickly and positively and soon two pieces were sitting in my own home.

The Sheer Pleasure Chemise is, as the name suggests, a sheer chemise. It’s available in red or black and I like the design so much that I’d love to own both. For now, I have the red. It’s a mesh and lace chemise with spaghetti straps in a vibrant red.

The body of the chemise is made of a fine mesh that is comfortable to wear all day long–and I did! The cups have a lace detail that shows some skin but isn’t as sheer as the rest of the piece. Both fabrics offer a lot of stretch. While the XL isn’t as loose on me around the midsection as it is on the model, it could certainly stretch some more.

During use, I found that the backside of the chemise had a tendency to ride up my ass. Not a huge deal, especially if you don’t wear it for that long. I’m a shortie–5’2″–so it hits between my mid to lower thigh. If it didn’t ride up, I’d consider hemming up up a few inches. It will be shorter on taller gals, of course.

The spaghetti straps are adjustable, like a bra, and the triangular cups are quite stretchy. I could make them look decent but not perfect on my C cups. A D or double D cup might be more suited for this size. Of course, I’m sure I notice the less-than-perfect fit more than anyone else would. There are seams around the cups, but not wires. This will offer some support and shaping but you can’t expect too much from it.

The Sheer Pleasure Chemise comes with a thong as well. They’re both pretty well made and it seems like you actually get a thong in a size comparable to the chemise and the thong is super stretchy but the sizing varies between pieces. The one I got with my other set was fairly accurate size-wise but the red thong with the Sheer Pleasure Chemise is much larger than a size XL. I can pull it halfway up my back and the front panel nearly reaches my belly button. It’s kinda hilarious but not something that is a huge deal breaker. Those who are so inclined could sew it or use a different thong.

I wore one of 7 Til Midnight’s thongs all day and found it to be comfortable and stretchy without cutting into my flesh. The straps are super thin, however; they will eventually wear out through use and washing. The front panel consists of the same mesh material as the chemise.

I did wash both in the normal cycle, with the rest of my clothes. I experienced no bleeding from the piece and it came out without any damage. I actually wore the chemise to bed for a couple nights to test its durability. It was comfortable and passed the test with shining colours.

I really feel something, maybe sexy, in the Sheer Pleasure Chemise. It’s sheer, of course, so it doesn’t hide or shape the problem areas but the comfort it provides was unexpected. It’s something that people of all body sizes can wear.

I considered taking some pictures of this but, I have to say, the pictures on Yandy’s shop really show it well. I really don’t think there’s anything that I could add to this review with an image of me. Sorry, y’all. d=

You can get the Sheer Pleasure Chemise for under $20 right now as it’s on sale. It’s a great price for a piece that is made so well and so comfortable.

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