When I decided to buy a piece of lingerie to surprise my husband for his return, I was a little wary. I've a body shape which can be difficult to shop for but I thought the Sequin seduction babydoll set fit the bill. Its fly-away back seemed like it would make it loose around the midsection, my biggest trouble area, and its focus on the ass would be distracting as well. Lastly, I thought the slightly coloured sequins and beads looked very sophisticated against the black satin.

I was less impressed with the appearance of this set in person. The sequins and stitching on the satin waist band and bra "cups" seemed to reflect a bit of colour in the photos but are actually a plain silver. While I'm normally a fan of silver on black, it really cheapened the look. It reminded me of a tacky Halloween costume rather than a sophisticated babydoll. They do look less garish in lower light where the sequins appear a darker, charcoal rather than bright silver. Also, the cylindrical beads on the cups and band which were nearly invisible in the photos, are much more noticeable in person and are not a style for which I'm crazy. I wasn't completely turned off by those things alone.

I knew I'd be taking a chance by going with the large but since there is no larger size, I went ahead. Part of my decision was because it fastens in back with a typical 2", 3 hook enclosure and I surmised that I could always use a bra extender. I was right and while I was able to just squeeze into the babydoll it was neither comfortable nor flattering; the waist band bunched up awkwardly. After attaching a bra extender, I was able to breathe and it looked much better.

I wear a 38 - 40 bra, which is exactly the large on Coquette's size chart. Unfortunately, there isn't much elasticity in the waistband - unlike an actual bra - so if you have any doubts about the size, go up. On the other hand if you really like the style or cannot find the size you need, a bra extender might save the day because the band fits traditional, 3 hook extenders.

Elasticity would also have been more convenient in the shoulder straps which are black ribbon. I liked that they were adjustable but found that, unlike durable bra straps, I worried about breaking these when adjusting them while wearing the babydoll. It would have been nearly impossible to accurately adjust without wearing it.

I appreciated the double layers of black, see-through mesh over the tummy area. It gives hints of skin without losing its modesty appeal for folks like myself. The high, empire waist is great for those with a tummy and I liked how I looked in profile. Its floaty nature did have a lot of give but also meant that wider midsection cause more back and butt to show. This was also increased by my use of the bra extender but I had no qualms about that. Being a shorter lady (5"2'), the babydoll fell to just about where my thighs meet.

Despite the fact that I was able to work with the waist band, the satin bra cups on this one just don't work with my body at all. Although the sizing chart says this best fits a C cup, I think it's more likely a D cup. It felt like the cups were far too large and widely set apart for my C cups, especially the smaller breast. I'm sure most people don't notice the difference in size but I felt like this really highlighted that "flaw." It also flattened my breasts. In this way, I think elastic straps would have been doubly convenient. Coquette also could have made the top of this babydoll less "cup-py" and I'd have been able to wear it more successfully.

There isn't much to say about the thong that goes with this set. For a large, it was especially small (I vary between a medium and large from VS ). It didn't want to go above my cheeks in back and, if you have a fleshier mons, the low cut in front won't be flattering. If it had been higher cut or larger, it might have worked (maybe not beautifully) and didn't seem super uncomfortable but any black or silver thong would look fine.

Besides the tag on the babydoll which says to hand wash, which even a lazy launderer like me is inclined to obey because (I tossed the thong in with my regular laundry and it survived just fine), there wasn't any information. It came in a plastic bag which was then wrapped in pink tissue paper and looks a bit DIY.

In the end, this little number didn't give me any confidence. In fact, despite the reason I bought it, I haven't even had the confidence to wear it for my husband.