Hey guys! You might remember my 2018 lingerie wishlist ? Well, I am slowly but steadily getting there. In fact, during my last trip to New-York I got to meet (again) the lovely designer behind Uye Surana, and couldn’t resist getting something from her shop.
So today I’ll do my best to introduce this independent brand and to tell you my thoughts about the Layla set, that I partly got during that trip.

[This is not a sponsored post. I bought this set with my own money and Uye Surana did not require a review.] [Left: Me! With clothes!! , Right: Monica, Uye Surana owner and designer]

Uye Surana is a brand that I have discovered thanks to The Petite Collegiate ( I am sure you remember her blog) about two years ago. I was intrigued by the brand aesthetic but really didn’t think their bras shapes would work for me. I can’t remember clearly if they made my size yet, but I think it was only available through custom order and I was a little bit scared to be disappointed if the sizing was off. I got to meet Monica, the designer as well as her main model of that time, during my first trip to New-York in July 2016. At the moment, the brand imagery didn’t feature full-bust models and I couldn’t try any sample close to my size when I visited the workshop, so I admit that I wasn’t so sure about ordering from them, although I was dying over some of their laces and silk. I patiently waited to see where this was going and a few months after our encounter, I got to see some full-busted, plus size women on their Instagram feed. This was quite a great change and from that point I only saw the diversity of body types and ethnicities of their models increase.

Monica is based in New-York and everything she sells is carefully crafted by her team, composed of her and second seamstress. I really love the atmosphere in her studio. It definitely fits with the image I have of the brand. A very soft, dreamy aesthetic. Pastel colors, stones, and cute jars of scented oil that give you nice witchery vibes…
It was also interesting to see her designs in real life as you usually can’t understand all the work behind a piece when you only see a front picture. This time, I got to try several bralettes and was totally impressed by their level of comfort and especially by the fit!

I got to try 32G, 30G and 30H bralettes. Since the brand doesn’t use double letters, a 30H would be more like a UK 30GG. I found the fit to be pretty accurate. I really loved the 32G and 30H bralettes, and I had an immediate crush on the Victoria after putting it on. This bralette IS comfort. The fabric and shape of the cup, in addition to this wide, comfortable band were such a perfect match to my breasts and body shape. I would have bought it but I felt like you guys would enjoy something less plain for a blog post, and, I mean, this is far from a limited edition, I could get it later. But this style was surprisingly my favorite. It gave me a natural but rounded shape and I am sure it would work well under clothes and as daily lingerie. The 32 band was very comfy and even if I think a 30 would be better, I could have gone for it. I especially love that it didn’t make my breasts look super East-West.

[Victoria bralette in 32G]

I was originally going for something more like the Lauren bralette (that you can see in the picture below (left)) and I tried it in 30H, but the shape really didn’t work for me. It could be because of the sewing or because my breasts are not firm enough to rock the construction, but I didn’t like the shape on me and felt more comfortable in the other bras I got to try. Overall, I was so pleasantly surprised by the construction of all these styles. I even discovered stitches that I had never seen in my lingerie before. These bralettes construction is absolutely not simple and they really provide (for those with a wide underbust elastic) a high level of support. It’s simply impressive. I would really love to try one of their strappy styles, like this Celest bralette (picture below, now sold out). I am sure the fit and support would be different, but I think I could be surprised. There is so much thoughts put into these pieces, that I am now preparing myself for the best.

At the end, I ended up buying one of Monica’s samples, the Layla bralette in 30G. I think a 30H would have been perfect for my bigger breast, but I judged the 30G to be good enough as I think my smaller breast would be too small for the H cup in this fabric. I think I am in between sizes in this style and I felt like the water drop shape of the cup would not work so well with me in a full size bigger (also I just didn’t want to wait 2-3 weeks to receive my order). I bought the coordinate online, in a size Small, when I came back to Canada and it arrived quickly, about 10 days or 2 weeks later.

This set, in my opinion, looks even better in real life than it does on the brand pictures. I know how hard it can be to show the beauty of such colours on pictures so it totally makes sens for me but I was surprised to like it so much when I saw it in Uye Surana workshop. Layla features colours that can easily pass as neutral but the combination of all of them enhances their potential and creates a unique impression. In fact, this bra is lined with a soft caramel microfibre-like fabric. The white embroidery and dusty rose accents look so delicate and romantic and for some reasons, the pattern of this bra and brief makes me feel like a character of heroic fantasy. I actually love it more than the Lauren bra now that I have seen them both in real life. I feel like its shape also makes it easier to wear under clothes.

The construction of this bralette is so different from what I have seen in the past! As you can see, the shoulder straps and back straps are very thin, but the front features a wide underbreasts elastic. Well, this elastic is what I have always wanted to see in a bralette. It replace wires very well for me. I dont feel like my breasts are resting on my rib cage (I really don’t like this sensation especially outside the house). The cups are deep enough to handle my breasts projection. I definitely think that a 30H would be better if I wanted my breasts to be perfectly encased inside the cups on the sides but for once, the shape of this bra allows a bit of side boob in a relatively pretty and secure way. Actually, my favorite thing about this bralette is that I don’t need to re-adjust it through the day.

This 30G feels a little big in the band compared to the Victoria bralette. This must be due to the elastics which are made to be adjustable. According to the designer they should fit from a 28 to a 32 band but I felt like it fits more like a 32 band actually. However, the wide elastic that goes from the front to the side of the ribs helps this band to feel more secure and supportive. The strappy part is not an issue but obviously modify the feel of band, partly because the straps are very thin. What I mean is that, if you like your band slightly tight, you might want to order a custom size or to go with a simpler band. Here I feel like the underbust elastic does 70% of the job which is very impressive, and Layla still works amazingly even when I am running around during a busy day.

[The straps are placed very close to the neck and are fully adjustable. They are very long but don’t slip at all.]

If there is one thing I would change about this bra, it is the shape of the cups under clothes. When I tried the Victoria, the cups gave me such a nice rounded natural shape, but Layla is a bit different, as it features different fabrics. While it can look uplifting from the front, I found it to make my breasts look like they are pointing down if I wear it under tight clothes. It is hard to explain and I realize that my pictures do not show it well, but maybe you can see it a little on the 3rd picture of this set. I think it is due to the vertical seam that is creating the depth in the cup. It doesn’t make it unwearable outside the house, but I always have to choose the right clothes to wear over it. If you are looking for a minimizing bralette, this one might work for you. I usually wear it under clothes that don’t have much room for the bust.

[Look at the side of this bralette. There is a piece of mesh on each side of the band which is sewn in such a way that there is a real separation between each part of this bra, making it more flexible and comfortable.]

It might sound funny but the brief is the part of the set that looks the more luxurious to me. I bought a size Small and it fits perfectly. Just like the bra, this garment shows a true attention to detail. I really love the repartition of the embroidered mesh as well as the ruffled back and the discret triangle cutout.This embroidery is so gorgeous and I really enjoy seeing it all by its own on the front of the brief. This piece is low rise but the waist elastic can be worn the way you prefer as it is adjustable. However, in a size Small I have to wear it at the loosest setting if I don’t want it to cut into my hips so take this in consideration if you are in between size.

Overall, I am really happy that I finally got to try Uye Surana lingerie, and I am impressed by the sewing skills of the designer. This set will be cherished for a long time.

Sending love!

Yours truly,
Wen