When it comes to printed lingerie I am quite picky – florals are usually pretty safe but anything that is too kitchy (in a bad way) is just, shall we say, too British for me. I mean, lets be honest here: the Brits are absolutely gaga over anything from shabby chic roses to Russian dolls (I’m looking at you, Freya!) and aztec prints. Cool for you but us Finns, we are a bit more boring on that front. However, when a unique cutesy print is done well I am truly and utterly impressed and of course, I have to have it in my collection of non-tacky print bras. This one was one of those occasions and I feel like I am not the only one drooling over this particular bra set – the Tallulah Tattoo was instantly a hit when the pics of it went live half a year ago. This beauty is made by one of my favourite brands of all time and definitely a strong newcomer in the market – Tutti Rouge. TR was so kind to sent me Tallulah Tattoo for review so here are my thoughts on the set…

The Design: The Tallulah Tattoo is a Tutti-exclusive print which means it’s designed for Tutti Rouge and won’t be seen in any other collection than their own. The print is very detailed and features tiny little butterflies, birdies, pinup girls and roses which I love. Also the colours are really cute and make the whole set more approachable to people with different tastes; the cream undertone makes the print pop and doesn’t come up too distracting. The lipstick red bows are the icing on the cake and accentuate the pinup vibe of the set.

The TT style is based on the former style of Evelyn and Rosa, of which I have the latter one in 32G. The semi-padded bra style is still quite new to the British full-bust market and Tutti Rouge has been pretty brave as a rather new D+ brand to take on the challenge to make a well-fitting bra in this style. The style has been revised a few times to make the fit right and I must say it’s already a good one for certain kind of breast shapes. The cups are however, still quite shallow and wide and the look a bit “east-west” so if you prefer very forward-projected cups, this might not be your type of bra. The shape is quite natural yet fairly uplifted which makes the bra very wearable for everyday.



The Fit: Even though I love the look of most semi-padded bras, I have come to the conclusion that most of them just don’t fit me right. There is always something a bit wrong; either the whole style is too shallow or too deep, or the cup shape is just kind of wrong on my body. Sadly, this was one of those occasions when my boobs and the semi-padded style did not go well together – padded part of the bra was indeed deep enough but the upper lace panel was too rigid and closed at top to fit my upper fullness well enough. This does not keep me from wearing the bra anyway as it’s so pretty and the size seems to be somewhat right for me. If I could change something though, it would definitely be the lace as a stretch lace would have probably fixed a lot of fit issues for me with this bra.

When it comes to sizing, the Tallulah Tattoo seems to be running fairly regular and in line with other British full-bust brands. I opted for my regular 30H and the band seems to be a more regular 30 than it was with my SS14 Betty. However, I would say the band stretches only up to 30,5 max so be sure to size up if you are between band sizes! I measure 30″ underbust at the moment and the band was very snug on me. Also the cups were on the smaller side so size up in them as well if you are between sizes! I am still hanging on between GG and H and the H was definitely the right choice for me.

When it comes to wire width, the Tutti Rouge bras always feature a bit too wide wires for me. However, this does not bother me too much so I don’t see it as a proper fit flaw in the end. The main problem with the bra for me is that the top lace panel is so rigid and shallow at the centre that my breast tissue gets pushed a bit in the armpits which is not a pretty sight. All in all, the bra would be a great fit on someone with a bit shallower breasts with a wide breast root as mine don’t quite fit into that category.



Comfort: I am really glad Tutti Rouge has revised their fit a bit recently as this bra is much more comfy compared to the Rosa from SS14 season. This might be due to a better size too but I feel like the bands are now more in line with other British brands meaning I can comfortably wear my regular band size 30 instead of 32. Even though some brands have stated to favour the “old” system of +4 method and tight bands, I feel like it’s better to go with the crowd with this matter as it makes the purchase way easier for consumers. The band still feels very snug and supportive though and I am loving the three hooks and eyes which give us GG+ ladies a bit of extra support.

Even though I would prefer a nice stretch lace on the top half of the bra, the materials of Tallulah Tattoo are comfy yet again. I love how TR lines their bras with cotton as it makes the inside of the bra feel so much comfier on my easily irritated skin (which is very badly ruined by my claws right now, thanks to Finnish climate). Also the strap placement is much better than with Rosa which I’m very grateful about – this way my armpit area stays untouched and less irritated by the edge of the cup. The matching Brazilian knickers run a bit small so I would suggest to go up a size for a comfortable fit.

All in all, Tallulah Tattoo is a gorgeous piece of underwear to have in one’s SS15 bradrobe, even though the bra was not a perfect fit for me. However, if you are more shallow and have a wide breast root, I would definitely recommend this bra to try as something well-fitting and pretty at the same time! TR styles are always rather affordable and the bra sets you back at £35 and the Brazilian at £16 and you can find them both at the TR Big Cartel online store in sizes 28-38 DD-HH and XS-XXL.



Suomeksi: Tutti Rouge on jo pitkään ollut yksi meikäläisen lempparimerkeistä, joka on kuitenkin D+ markkinoilla melko uusi nimi. Sain merkiltä testiin uuden Tallulah Tattoo nimisen mallin, joka on merkin pitkään viilattu puolitopattu balconette. Malliltaan Tallulah Tattoo on hyvin saman tyyppinen kuin viime kevään Rosa, taikkapa syksyn Kitty. Puolitopattu balconette on suoraan sanottuna vaikea malli toteuttaa varsinkin uuden merkin toimesta, joten mielenkiinnolla odotin, miten TR oli uudistanut kyseistä mallia.

Valitettavasti puolitopattu balconette ei kuitenkaan ole ihan meikäläisen juttu noin istuvuuden kannalta. Ulkomuodoltaan settihän on kuin karkki, joten mallin istuvuus oli todella harmi. Kokonaan susi setti ei kuitenkaan ollut – Tutti Rougen mallit vain tuppaavat olemaan minulle liian leveitä ja “ei-syviä” eli pinnallisia. Tämä on kuitenkin tyypillistä brittiläisille merkeille ja sopii todella hyvin rinnoille, joissa on leveämpi rintajuuri ja vähemmän volyymiä kuin meikäläisen varustuksessa.

Kooltaan Tallulah Tattoo alkaa olla jo melko perinteistä brittiläistä luokkaa. Valitsin itselleni kooksi 30H:n (eli 65H:n) sekä M-koon housut, sillä TR:n Katie ohjeisti minua valitsemaan koon isomman alaosan tässä mallissa. Omasta kokemuksestani pystyn myös sanomaan että TR on kooltaan melkko niukkaa mitoitusta niin ympäryksen, kuppien kuin alushousujenkin kohdalla. Nyt mitoitusta oli kuitenkin saatu enemmän jo kohdalleen ja koko 65H toimi meikäläisellä jo aika hyvin. Kupin yläosan pitsi on kuitenkin melko jäykkää, joten yläpainotteisille rinnoille tämä malli ei suoraan sanottuna käy. Jos kuitenkin brittiläiset leveät kaarituet ja söpöt printit ovat sinun juttusi, kannattaa Tallulah Tattoolle antaa mahdollisuus! Suomesta setin voi tilata Lumingerieltä, jossa rintsikat kustantavat edulliset 39 e ja postikulut ovat ilmaiset 🙂