From the very first time I spotted the Red Satin and Lace bustier by Coquette, I knew I had to have it. The red polyester satin beneath the black lace overlay is simply striking. I was expecting the red to be quite bright, instead it is more of a Venetain Red. Not to bright and not too dark. Simply perfect.

At first I worried how I would slip into the bustier and get a nice fit with the lacings. With a little investigating I was pleased to find that the bustier features a hidden zipper next to the boning on the left side. If you’re flying solo you can adjust the lacing, zip it, unzip it, and adjust some more until you get your desired fit.

I tend to look in the mirror and do some acrobatics to tighten from the bottom up when I can’t get the fit tight enough with the above method. Once I reach near the top of the lacing I pull the ribbon up above my head pull it tight before tying it as you would your shoes. This is easily accomplished as the bustier has around two feet of extra ribbon when laced an inch from shut and features metal eyelets punched through strong mesh-like strips which sit away from the edges. So you can do a fair bit of tugging to enhance your figure without worrying that you’ll tear something.

The bustier trimmed my middle substantially with the help of the plastic boning. It is thick enough so that it does not bow out randomly, yet thin enough to flow with my curves nicely. I would have liked for the bustier to be a little longer as the bottom sits above my belly button.

The bust part has lightly lined cups with an a underwire that actually supports your breasts. That’s right, you didn’t read that wrong. The underwire in this bustier is not wimpy, but instead matches most good quality bras. The cup sizing is pretty accurate. I ordered the Large, which has C-cup with a 38-40” band size. Generally I’m a 38D for most bras, and a C cup for others. So as long as you’re not a D spilling into the doubles you’ll find that your breasts will not spill out. If you need a little extra support the shoulder straps are adjustable.

One thing to double check before ordering is the waist sizing as the satin-like material does not stretch. You can gain around five inches above the waist sizing when you have the lacings undone with just enough ribbon to tie a pretty little bow.

My only complaint with the bustier is that the zipper has a tendency to run off track and can pinch the skin if you’re not careful. Not a huge flaw but something to be aware of when using.

Being the rebel that I am I tend to ignore the suggested “hand wash only” labels and throw it in the washer on delicate with cold water. Since I don’t want the boning to warp or come out, (like the underwire in my bra did when my Husband did the laundry), I hang it up to air dry. We have a clothes line in our laundry room, but if you’re not as lucky you can use your shower rod. So far after three washings the material has held up fine without any fading, thread breaks, or frays mishaps.

In the end the Red Satin and Lace bustier is definitely a must have. The material is comfortable but can get a little warm for long term wear as the satin-like material doesn’t breath. As long as I sit up straight the boning doesn’t jut into the bottom of my breasts. I’m a horrible sloucher, so the reminder is nice. If I had the confidence I would totally wear it out in public, but I don’t… which is a shame. I can however pair it with some jeans and totally rock it in my home.