Agent Provocateur Classics on a Budget: Annoushka

Whilst i was in Paris i picked up one of my dream Agent Provocateur sets from their flagship store just off Rue St Honoré (I totally recommend popping in if you're in the area. The sales assistants are a total pleasure to be around, a big difference from the snotty UK staff). The Annoushka bra set me back £160 but it was way worth it.

Naturally i posted it onto my main social media (instagram) and it became a firm favourite with my fellow lingerie lovers. However i was reminded multiple times that Agent Provocateur isn't a viable option for many. It's an unusual person who can justify such a large spend on something as frivolous as lingerie and AP have such a limited size range that many (including me a lot of the time) are sized out. 

So i kind of got the idea to maybe do a series where i pick out some of my favourite AP classics and scout out/link to some slightly more affordable bras in similar styles. Starting with my newest acquisition (thats a lie, i've bought more AP since but shhhh), Annoushka:

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The Anastasiya Bralette by Julie K lingerie is similar in shape and also made out of sheer lace but has the added bonus of being handmade in the UK and looks a little more durable than the Annoushka. This retails for £32 and can be shipped internationally.

This ASOS Fishnet Croptop mimics the shape of the Annoushka but offers more coverage with a non sheer fabric and has some interesting strap details. This bra comes in some pretty small sizes so is definitely suitable for small busts (yay!) and retails at £18.

The Venus Cage Bra from Agashi by Christina O actually shares an identical silhouette to the Annoushka with the halterneck and the shoulder straps, but is significantly more daring and definitely not just to be worn under clothes. This bra comes in at £92.13 but is entirely handmade and a potential wardrobe staple (if you're anything like me!)

This handmade mesh halter comes with a matching fluffy bra (i die, i have such a thing for faux fur lingerie) looks perfect under or over bras and is just as sheer as the Annoushka.  It's made in the UK and retails at £20.

This Vintage Black Lace crop top with built in bra is a more wearable version of the Annoushka, definitely more outerwear than lingerie. It's available in a 34D but looks like it'd be easy to adjust to smaller sizes with a few cleverly placed darts and costs £19.06.

This Asymmetric Bandeau Bra from Topshop isn't a halter neck but has the exposed underwire that takes the Annoushka to the next level. It's delicate, sheer and retails for £20.

The Transit Bralette by POUTFITS has a halterneck design with an open back and sheer panelling. It bridges the gap between lingerie and outerwear, being suitable for both and costs £26.69.

This heart cutout bra top shares its shape with the Annoushka but is ultimately much more fun. Made out of velvet with a giant heart cutout in the centre and the option of ruffle trim, it's kind of a no brainer boudoir piece. I desperately want the black and white one pictured in the final photo. Starting at £22.87, this is fully customisable and made to order. 

The Vixen and Femme Fatale bra from For Love and Lemons are very similar to the Annoushka (which is no surprise since FLaL actually make a living from very closely copying designs) but come in at a much more affordable £63.84 and £51.45.

And finally, if you're lucky enough to live near a Victoria Secret, keep an eye out for the limited edition almost perfect dupe of the Annoushka, but with the addition of a plunging slit, as reviewed on Write Me Bad Checks.

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As always, i fully appreciate and desperately want your opinions and comments regarding this kind of post. Would you guys like to see more in this series? 

Chantal Thomass and a few little updates

Wow, has it really been almost three months since i've blogged? Time flies and sometimes running a blog takes more than it gives back. I adore this blog and being in touch with other like minded people, i also adore knowing that i might be offering a different perspective to people on certain issues or possibly inspiring them. But naturally i do this all myself and it takes an input of an awful amount of time and an awful amount of money. So i really really do want to be more regular with my posting but most of the time, i just don't have anything to post whatsoever. There are very few options out there for small busts and even fewer that are affordable to purchase just for the sake of having something to post (and i'm loathe to start buying every beige t-shirt bra that crops up in "our" sizes either). So whilst i've always wanted to focus this blog around the small busted and the lingerie available to us, i'm failing miserably and it might just be time to go back to "regular lingerie blog" status. 

But i digress, i still don't have anything to post. I've pretty much exclusively been buying Agent Provocateur recently just because i consistently find their designs inspiring and invigorating. 

BUT on a recent trip to Paris i had the pleasure of seeing Chantal Thomass lingerie in the flesh and my love for a particular style of bra offered in a few styles is probably post worthy. And if it isn't, at least it might motivate me to try harder to find things to post?

Also massive apologies for the low quality/boring vibe of these photos. I'm equally as despondent with my photography skills and with myself as a model so i tried my best and fell a little short.

If you've been around for a while, you'll know that balcony and balconette styles just do not work with my shape. Even if i size down i often can't fill out the cups. It's something i've come to accept but i still like to pretend and waste money occasionally. Even six months or so i clear out my everyday lingerie draws and throw out countless balcony bras that have charmed me into submission. So when i picked out this Encens' Moi set and the incredibly stunning (but not pictured) Rendez Vous set to try on in a 32A, i remarked to my mother (who begrudgingly followed me around the Bon Marché lingerie department for a good hour) that there was very little chance my shallow, 30B bust would actually fill out the cups and so there was borderline no chance i'd be spending lots of money that day. Boy was i wrong. Seemingly known as the "bandeau padded bra" style, this fits incredibly. The interesting padding design and the slope of the cups means i get a dreamy shape with no gape, the ultimate success. Inside the cups, rather than having just a layer of padding at the bottom, or to one side that small busts are oft to slip under throughout the day, there's what looks to be like a little shelf of padding that holds the breast up and in place. I get that nice rounded lift that comes with balcony bras and it stays all day. The actual design of the bra is so simple and chic. The folds of fabric adorning the cup add to the minimalist feel but take this bra from plain to rather beautiful. 

The matching thong is also something to admire, the layers of fine tulle/almost chiffon are really flattering on the hips and super comfortable. I picked it up in an XS for comfort but i could happily wear the XXS too. There doesn't seem to be a vast difference between these sizes but i prefer to size up to minimise my muffin tops (i have 32" hip and a 35" bum measurement for reference). 

It's such a rarity to come across a well established luxury lingerie label that works for my sub 32A bust, and whilst Chantal Thomass doesn't cater to the sub 32A sizes, i do find that the band runs a little small and thus i can size up to my sister size so comfortably that i do intend to be a return customer. 

Chantal Thomass has a handful of online stockists although many don't offer the full range of sizes or even her full range available but you can browse through the entire collection at her website here and then it's just worth a google search to scout out the best place to buy (London and it's surrounding counties seem to have a decent amount of physical stockists but as usual, the rest of the UK is pretty devoid).

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions as to what kinds of posts or certain brands they'd really like to see featured on oflambsandlace, then please drop me a comment below because i'd really love to hear them!