Discovering Rougette, partI: the Madison set -

One of the complaints I read the most on the internet about bras is that a lot of full busted ladies think they have to spend 60£+ on good fitting bras while core size ladies can get away with 20£ bras. And while you can really find a great fitting bra in any size for no more than 35£ nowadays (if you have access to internet and a mail box), I know bras are an investment for the majority of women.
Full-bust bralettes, on the other hand, are becoming more and more popular but are usually either very efficient, with a simple design, or kind of useless with a super pretty design. To get the best of both worlds you can always go indie, but then the price may remain an issue.

[Tutti Rouge lingerie gifted me this set for the purpose of a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
Last August, though, Tutti Rouge lingerie launched their new sister brand Rougette. If you haven’t heard about it yet, it is all about comfy, fun and affordable lingerie in a size range going from 32 to 42 band with cups from FF to G. This size range is narrower than Tutti Rouge main brand’s but in my opinion, it is more like a complement to the brand than an individual entity. Rougette offers bralettes as well as bras in different shapes. Every style looks different from the others but you can definitely feel Tutti Rouge touch in all of them. The price are also way lower than Tutti Rouge usual prices with 15£ bralettes and 20£ bras.

I was actually quite surprise last month when I opened a package from Tutti Rouge containing two Rougette sets. I thought I would be out of this range since I wear a 30GG in Tutti Rouge, but everything they sent to me fitted actually ok.

Today I will introduce to you Madison, a triangle bralette that I got in size Small/FF-G and it’s coordinate in size Medium.While I am not into animal prints, I think Madison compliments my skin tone, and after seeing it on a lot of Instragram ladies, I think tons of people enjoy this print. I like the idea of the lace to add some contrast to this set. The cups cross each other at the middle which helps the breasts getting close together to avoid an East-West look. You can also recognize Tutti Rouge signature heart shaped sliders on the straps.

But most importantly, this bralette features a real band with a 3 sets of 2 hooks and eyes. I believe that a full-bust bralette needs a band to keep providing some support/shape through the time, and this one is actually really wide from the front, which makes it more secure. This is definitely a plus for me since I hate feeling a thin elastic rolling under my breasts.

That said, if you have ever read my other bralettes reviews, you know that I have a lot of prejudices about triangle bralettes, especially when they features a unique seam at the middle of each cup. They usually look really ugly on me, since they tend to cut my breasts in two parts which looks quite awful under shirts. Plus they are often too narrow to cover the side of my chest, creating a very un-elegant effect. This time, I am positively surprised.

As you can see, the seam, doesn’t cut in, and the cups seems actually “deep” enough to contain my breasts. I think the construction is interesting for such an affordable product. Each cup is made of a stretchy leopard print fabric and stretchy black lace, lined with a thick black mesh. As a result this bralette is quite flexible and comfy but less likely to get shapeless through the time. Although, I wouldn’t wear this to go too far from my home during the week this bralette is really pleasant to wear and gives a natural but not weird shape to my breasts.

The coordinate is a cute brief that offers a nice coverage and is really comfy too. I especially like the stretchy lace at the back which you can find in most of Rougette coordinates. It is invisible under pants and looks quite pretty over the skin. The size Medium can look a little bit big from the front, but it is perfect from the back, so I wouldn’t size down (note that I am a UK10/US6). It would also fit a UK12 in my opinion.
I usually don’t mix and match my coordinates but I like how easy it is to mix Madison with the second set I received: Jasmin (review coming soon!).

Now I have to admit, that along with the price, Rougette quality is lower than Tutti Rouge usual quality, the attention to detail and the finishes are not the same (see for example, the pendant of the bralette is slightly off-center), but if you are looking for affordable, cute and comfy lingerie, then this brand is for you. I have no complaint that wouldn’t be justified by the price point. This set does exactly what it means to do: make me feel cute and comfortable during my less active days and save my chest from the pressure of underwires when they aren’t needed. (Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE underwires, but sometimes my skin really doesn’t.)
Since I discovered that some bralettes could actually fit me and be relatively secure, my collection has been ever growing. It is always nice to see brands creating more and more wireless designs for full-busted ladies. I think it helps us to accept our natural breasts shape which is really liberating. I can’t wait to see what the future will bring to our drawers!