Sonata Rapalyte have been the queens of bodysuits for years now. Founded in 2008 and cropping up on an Of Lambs and Lace wishlist in the very early days of this blog, Sonata have always been my ultimate for bodysuits and i refuse to hear otherwise. I've seen countless copies of their designs crop up in the years i've been stalking them and the similarities present in bodysuits from high street to designer totally cement how crowd pleasing these designs are.
I've had my eyes on them for so long but i don't tend to buy bodysuits as often as other pieces since to me they're more of a frivolous purchase (i know, i know, personal perception of what makes lingerie even more frivolous is a magical thing that doesn't translate to everyone). Also that and they're kind of my adult Pokemon cards, you can't really just own one colour. You do have to have them all, right?
Anyway, i digress. Remember Secret Sales? That outlet site that has endless lingerie sales from Mimi Holliday, to La Perla, to Kiss Me Deadly, to Huit, to Playful Promises, to Lascivious and beyond. Well the deities heard my prayers and Sonata announced that they were having an up to 70% off sale there. I immediately set myself a budget (two bodysuits max, which was hard because there were at least five in my shopping cart at any given time) and spread the word to my close sweethearts because this was a big deal to me. Unfortunately these sales last like 48 hours and so at the time of writing this review, the sale is long gone. However there is still the odd piece hanging about in their outlet but no bodysuits unfortunately. With the advent of January sales i'm sure if your budget doesn't stretch to the £151 full price then you'll be able to find something more palatable (or just watch Secret Sales because they often repeat brand sales!).
I don't often indulge in Secret Sales mostly because it's rare they have my size in stock but also because of the extra wait times added and their subpar packaging but sometimes i can't resist. And although my bodysuits arrived a week later than estimated (making my wait time around 3 weeks) and not wrapped nicely, with a couple of pulled threads on the Ivory bodysuit, it was worth it for allowing me to own a couple of my dream pieces at a time when i definitely could not afford full price. But if you are a luxury lingerie connoisseur then expect a slightly different service than you are used to.
I indulged in the Aida Ribbon Bodysuit in Ivory and the Sonatine Ribbon Bodysuit in Black because the struggle is real when you're deciding between white and black. Both bodysuits were purchased in an XS and are identical in style, shape and fit so i've only photographed the white one for this review, you can see my personal photographs of the black one here. Both bodysuits will be discussed as one, because the colour doesn't make any difference.
Okay firstly, let me preface this by saying the lace and the buttons and the scalloped edges, i die a little. They're perfect, i can't fault the aesthetics of this piece. Maybe not for everyone but definitely for me!
The lace itself is polyester and so has more of a starchy mesh base with delicate looking floral detailing and no elasticity, so what you see in the shape is what you get. All the trimmings; the seams, the large bow, the buttons, are silk satin. This lace pulls quite easily so watch any piercings or jewellry on it. The gusset is lined with an opaque fabric for a little modesty and most importantly to catch any fluids before they make their way onto the lace (grim but daily bodily fluids happen and are much harder to handwash out of delicate lace than a fabric gusset). There's a set of three sturdy poppers at the bottom so going for a wee or putting this on over your head if you have too big an arse and hips like me, is possible.
The construction is really great (the pre-existing pulls on the side of the bodysuit could have been caused by Sonata or Secret Sales so it's hard to say if it's a quality control flaw or a packaging failure) all the seams are very neat which is important with such sheer pieces where hiding them is impossible and the buttons are firmly sewn on. You cant see in this photo, as it's on the left side of the bodysuit, but a spare button is sewn into one of the inside seams just in case one needs replacing. If you choose to put this bodysuit on by undoing the buttons then i'd imagine with regular wear this may be necessary since pulling on any buttons is guaranteed to make one loose.
And now the fit, the big question when dealing with standard sizing and small busts. I find that the cups on this bodysuit are sewn in such a way that there is extra space for a larger bust however the excess fabric and room falls lower and to the side. Visually and physically it feels like a snug fit around my bust. I would say that anything larger than a 30D might have a problem fitting into the XS and would have to size up although Sonata actually offer custom sizes so if in doubt, get one made specially for you. The length of this bodysuit is slightly too small for me (i'm still not sure what constitutes a long torso and a short one, or what i actually have so i can't say for sure whether this is going to be a common problem for people). It's not enough for it to be uncomfortable in any way but it does take a feat of acrobatics for me to fasten the poppers at the bottom. From looking at the size chart on the Sonata website, these pieces do run true to that guide. I think on the whole though, any fit issues are a moot point when a brand offers custom fit as if you are really keen then you don't have to go for standard sizing. Although if you can't quite stretch to full price like me right now, you have to settle for a non perfect fit. It's only fair.
Owning two of these bodysuits has not quelled my need to own all the colours (Diva and Opaline are my next victims) and knowing that all these pieces are ethically made makes me feel even more justified in dreaming about them for such a long time. I'm just sorry that it's taken me so long to add them to my collection.
*All my Secret Sales links contain an invite code that means if you make a purchase we both gain £10 vouchers. I don't make any money off you signing up but i do get a little reward if you purchase (and so do you!) so just so you know.
Psst, Sonata are back up on secret sales, take a look here and happy buying!