I've had my eye on the Ludique Lustful since it appeared online. It was everything i'd ever dreamt of, white, bondage inspired and with little smatterings of delicate lace. When i first stumbled upon this design, promptly texted it to Amelié, and full on swooned, i just didn't have the cash to spend. Unfortunately Lustful doesn't come cheap, with her combined constituents: bra, knickers, suspender belt, totalling £184 (or $277). So i waited and saved up (hahaha who am i kidding, i'm terrible at saving, i just got lucky with a bursary). But when i came to actually seriously consider getting Lustful for myself, i realised that no where on the Ludique site was there any kind of size chart and all their pieces came in the generic Small, Medium, Large. So i wussed out, knowing that, with my small bust and small waist, at least two of the pieces were probably going to be way too large. I was half hoping someone else would take up the challenge and do a review of the fit but by January 2015, there was no Ludique on the horizon of any of the lingerie blogs. So i started 2015 whining religiously, every damn day, about how terrible both the Agent Provocateur and Mimi Holliday sales were. And when my student loan went in, well i had all this disposable income but nothing to spend it on (just to clarify, my student loan covers my rent, bills and a small portion of my food. However with that covered, i can use my work wages on ALL THE LINGERIE). D of Anteocularis (a new and great lingerie blog you should all follow) was particularly supportive during this difficult period and kept me going by directing me towards Brigade Mondaine, a french lingerie boutique having a rather heart racing sale. And of course, this would be a pointless anecdote if said sale hadn't included all three constituents of Lustful, available in in the smallest size. So without much hesitation, i snapped her up for somewhere around £120 including a ridiculous shipping fee and prayed with all my little Lamb's heart that it would fit.
At the time of writing this review, there is a basic size guide on the website (although this has been added prior to the garments going live back in early Autumn (?)) and so i'll refer all my fit comments to the sizes provided there.
I picked up all three pieces in the "small" option. For the bra, "small" means suitable for A/B cups according to Ludique, which is a bit misleading for those who aren't familiar with how cup sizes scale with band sizes (Here is a pretty easy to follow article if you haven't already been introduced to this concept). This bra uses lacing up the back as a fastening and when fully laced together (how i, and the model on Ludique, wear our bra) the band measures 30" (inches) and stretches to approx 33-34. The front lacing and open cup style means that a varying range of cup sizes are accommodated but i imagine anything above a 34B would require a size up. Now onto the information that is actually relative to small busts in the small cup/small band category. I measure to be about a 28C although have only ever worn 30Bs. I have to keep the front and back laced up fully (and tie the excess string around my neck like a choker) for this to fit. However, as you can see, the elastic with the eyelets isn't always ready to play ball and lay flat, preferring to buckle a little. I also find that the band and thus the cup structure rides up and moves around. This is a problem that commonly occurs when a band is too large (I measure approx 27" around my underbust for reference) but could also possibly be an issue with my lack of breast mass. I'm sure someone with slightly more breast would employ the force of gravity to keep things relatively in place (although i'm no expert on having breasts larger than my own so it's just an assumption).
The suspender belt in a "small" is supposed to be suitable for those who measure approximately 26" around their waist and approximately 36" around their hips. It measures 26" inches around the waistband, stretches up to 32" and the fit is completely unadjustable. In short, this suspender belt is legions too big for me. I'm 23" around my waist, which is where i prefer to wear my suspender belts (i know many like to wear theirs lower on their hips but i'm all about the high-waist look). This piece doesn't sit flat, sits close to my hips and buckles so the lacing detail is lost. Luckily, through some sheer wizardry, the design of the piece means that it does stay in place. I mean i can never wear this under clothes because of the amount it bulges outwards but it does stay on and look pretty cute. So as someone who isn't afraid to have lingerie that is completely impractical and only suitable for a boudoir occasion, i'm disappointed, maybe even borderline heartbroken but not regretting my purchase.
The thong also claims to fit the same measurements 26" waist, 36" hips. This piece is adjustable, it has what i can only call bra strap sliders on both of the sides. But in actual fact this measures 30" and stretches up to 38" when the knickers have been adjusted to their largest size. And at its smallest, measures 22" and stretches to 26". As someone who has 32" hips, i'm screaming at you to size up if you want to purchase one for yourself. If i'd have seen the measurements given by Ludique for this piece i might have reconsidered my purchase on the grounds that the suspender belt would be way too large (correct!) and the thong equally way too large (Incorrect!). I have to wear this thong at it's largest and even when i do, unfortunately it digs into my hips and gives me that trussed meat kind of look. Less than flattering. I wish so much that i could magic it larger so that it didn't fill me with self loathing every time i wore it. Everything else about this set makes me feel amazing and want to stalk around like the ice queen i am, but that skin bulge is rather excessive (and yes i am soft around the hips, i carry some mass there, but i have other elastic/strappy styles that don't highlight the issue quite as obviously).
As for the design/quality/construction: can you saw f.l.a.w.l.e.s.s. Because that's what it is. I am in love. The elastic is firm and sturdy but not abrasive. It doesn't rub or cause discomfort (even on the places where it massively digs in, ahem, my hips) and let's be real, it looks incredible. The entire aesthetic points to delicacy and in some ways it's easy to be fearful of putting your fingers through the lace or pulling too hard on the laces. But i actually find the whole set to be really rather sturdy, definitely not something that you could easily break.
Even with some of the obvious fit issues, i still look pretty amazing and i do not regret my purchase.
At all.
However, i might have felt differently if i'd paid full price. Unfortunately the standard sizing, vague fit recommendations and ultimately the fit issues all three pieces have will make me think twice about buying another Ludique set. Not because i don't love Lustful but because i work hard for my disposable income and i'm not sure if i can personally justify the price with the fit issues. There have been rumblings that Ludique will custom make pieces to your measurements (this has been done for a well known independent lingerie designer) but i can find no trace of this on their website (aside from the very lovely gesture of making the Lustful bra sturdier for larger busts that need more support) and so i cannot verify whether this is correct information and whether this custom service would come with an extra charge.
I'm sorry this a completely mixed review, i am very much the kind of person who does not equate fit issues with a poor product. I am aware that certain parts of my body are either not recognised to be normal at all (i promise, puberty and i did make ourself acquainted) or just not within the modal range of sizes that sell the best. So i can be both blown away and slightly disappointed at the same time. I have been slightly extra thorough and maybe a little harsh in mentioning all the fit issues this time, purely because, at the time of writing this review, it will only be the second of its kind, and the first for the Lustful set. So i wanted to be as informative as possible. For now i'm happy to own one of my dream sets and i might be able to haphazardly alter at least the suspender belt to fit my waist, although i'll have to consult with my mother first on how reducing the diameter of the waist band will affect the whole shape of the garment...
I would advise that if you are looking to purchase a Lustful set for yourself then to consider the measurements and the fit issues i've raised today before you make your purchase. Ludique create such beautiful lingerie and maybe one day they will be able to expand their size range or offer a more upfront bespoke service to ensure a custom fit. But for now i really hope this helps some of you who are on the fence.
EDIT: Ludique do indeed offer a free custom service on all of the pieces sold through their website if you want to ensure a perfect fit! So now there is no excuse to not buy yourself Lustful or all of their other lingerie...