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The Lipstick Page Forums Beauty & Fashion Blog
Fashion Notes: Who Would Buy a $290 Bra?

Posted by Dain, Monday, May 19, 2008 4:14 PM (Eastern)

Turns out, I would.

I had originally ordered the chemise in georgette, and though it was an exquisite piece, it seemed so fragile I feared I might destroy it before long, and it is not as if I am hard on my clothes (I use white purses and satin shoes without much worry). The sheer delicacy is part of its beauty, of course, but utterly impractical.

I traded it in for the white lace triangle bra, which came today:

If you are not familiar with Carine Gilson, it is the Hermès of lingerie, each piece is meticulously handcrafted by skilled artisans. Looking at this bra, it is impossible not to marvel how human hands could have made such a thing. There is a scene in Gosford Park when one of the maids complains about "machine-made lace" on poor middle-class Mabel's lonely green frock, explaining that "it's twice the work and never looks as good", and I rather understand what she means now. The handmade lace is not so regular, and the pattern follows a willful design (the curves of the lace actually echo the curves of the breast) instead of the same stamp repeated over an over again.

I am obsessed with lace. I went to Brussels once, and even though I had absolutely no use for it, I blew €50 on various doilies in tacky tourist shops in the markt (the chocolates from Elisabeth, on the other hand, were far better spent). Chocolate, beer, and lace. God's country, is Belgium. Though... I did mail one of the doilies to a lover once (it made sense, he was an artist who used lace patterns for texture), so perhaps they were some use.

I digress.

Now, I admit that $290 is rather extravagant for a bra—I'm not so unhinged not to realize that. So now that I've established that it hits that ahhh, gorgeous! ahhh, perfect! button like, say, Guerlain Mitsouko or my purple Manolos, let's consider the practica:

Fit? The straps are fully adjustable, with stretchy bands that move as you move, and windmill my arms as I might, the straps, though made of smooth silk, refuse to slip off my shoulder. The band also refuses to ride up. This is actually the first time a bra has ever done this; it requires no furtive readjustments. I'm a wee bit small for the cups, but as it's soft cup, it's not a huge deal.
Comfort? Awesome. I forget about it entirely. It's not exactly as free and easy as nothing, but it's definitely not going to provoke that adjust-bra-in-public nervous tic that I always have with underwire. (Sort of like picking your nose.)
Support? Not much, but it's a soft cup bra in sheer lace, after all. It's better than going braless, which I tend to do too often. I'm satisfied with the minimal support for this bra, but now I know I'll definitely be looking at underwire for my next set. You can't always go without coverage.

It's not as expensive as a pair of Manolos or a Balenciaga handbag, in any case. Now, I've got to decide on the bottoms. Hrrrm. Do I get the corresponding thong (no brainer, but I don't like thongs, but decent price point), or the custom-order Hunting Through the Ruffles from Strumpet & Pink ($390! but so erotically witty)?:

A good compromise may be the Colette Side Tie Hipster from Myla ($125)? The side-tie is also very erotic, though not near so wittily. I wish the ribbon came in a lavender or summat, not that I'm complaining about petal pink.

It's ok if it's impractical; I am unlikely to wear a bottom as casually as the bra. So the more frivolous, the better. Choice, choices, choices... *begins mumbling to self* Yes, I am really this exacting and OCD about every single purchase, even a humble tee shirt, though it becomes exponentially anal with increase of price. (I feel, strangely naked.) I usually share the end results and only the more interesting reasons why the piece was chosen. Possibly, I am not exactly sane.

Oh, and as an afterthought, what about the mens? Err... yes. I think if this set were really about the mens, red satin and leopard print would probably be the better, the more obvious choice. I'm not saying that there are straight mens who lack sophistication, only a discussion of Chantilly versus. Leavers is probably not a welcome topic to most of the mens.

So this is definitely for me.

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Labels: carine gilson, fashion notes, myla, strumpet and pink

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