I have been raving about Lepel’s collection for ages now and since seeing their AW14 collection last spring, I just new I would have to get my hands on some of their new stuff. Luckily Lepel offered to sent me a couple of sets to review and I was over the moon to get my hands on their Alexandra and Babushka sets. I received the bras in size 32G which was unfortunately a bit off with Babushka (too big with the band, too small with the cups) but the Alexandra was a good fit with the exact same size. This might be due to the difference in construction and materials. The Alexandra is a non-padded balconette shape with a rather generous cups and a firm mesh band whereas the Babushka is a padded balconette with a sleek and stretchy micro fibre fabric. Here’s a full review on the Alexandra, hope you enjoy it!



Wow my boobs look massive.

Design: Alexandra is a balconette bra featuring a three-part cup construction and a quite tall centre core. This balconette gives me almost full coverage and leaves no cleavage in sight. I would say the look is very appropriate for everyday and looks good under shirts that have a bit higher neckline. The cups give me a rather rounded forward-projected shape but not tons of uplift. The shape reminds me a lot of Marcie by Cleo, though I would say that Alexandra has a little lower profile and looks that way a bit more modest than some of the similar Cleo styles.

Although I do not own a lot of black lingerie, there is something about the look of Alexandra that intrigues me. I think the design is very simple, yet has a little bit of naughty maid-vibe to it. The upper part of the cup is see-though which looks lovely and gives the bra a bit of sexy edge to it. The centre bow keeps the look classic and cute and the black and white combo is always on trend.



The Fit: As I now wear a 30GG/H mostly with other British brands, I knew that the 32G would be a rather close call with Lepel. Lepel tends to make their bra bands a tad snugger than eg Panache and Curvy Kate so I opted to size up in the band. With the Alexandra style, this was the right move as the band is very rigid and stretches quite little. The 32 feels actually like a true-to-size 30″ band so I would definitely recommend sizing up even if you would measure 30 inches around your underbust. The band features two hooks and eyes but is wide enough to be comfortable and supportive.

The cups or Alexandra run large-ish so if you are between cup sizes, I would suggest sizing down. I am now exactly between 30GG and H so the 32G (same cup volume as 30GG) was a great fit for me with this bra. The cups are also very open at the top, meaning this is a great option for someone with full-on-top breasts and also a rather wide breast root. I find myself to be medium-to-narrow when it comes to the breast roots (the part where the breast meets the chest) so I would say the cups are a bit too wide for me, even though the depth was quite spot on. Usually breasts tend to be either shallow and wide or deep and narrow so this is something you should try if you are both deep and wide. The wires are a medium length so they fitted me pretty well.



Comfort: Alexandra is made of see-though mesh which is usually not the best material for someone with eczema. The set didn’t however feature any scratchy lace to irritate me so I felt I could wear it for a whole day without any skin irritation. The mesh feels a bit rigid to me, meaning the bra band was quite snug and also the thong didn’t stretch a lot. You might want to consider that when choosing the sizes if you have a bit of extra squish. For me the size 10 thong was spot-on and looks super flattering. Also the rise of the panties looks nice and the wide back part is something I adore when it comes to something as skimpy as thongs.

The bra straps are quite widely placed so you might want to take that into consideration if you are very petite or have slope-y shoulders. Also the wires come quite high so this can cause a bit of irritation in the armpit area. Otherwise the bra and the thong feel very comfortable on. Also I would like to give Lepel a bonus for the fully-adjustable straps that make the bra fit a lot better and also the straps a lot less slippery!

Lepel Alexandra is available in sizes 30-38 B-G and the panties (thong and short) in sizes 8-18. The best places to shop for them are Asos and Figleaves and the prices are very reasonable and student-friendly – only £24 for the bra and £12 for the bottoms! So what do you think of Alexandra? If you have any comments or questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! xx