Despite the February predictions of Punxsutawney Phil, winter has yet to let go of its blustery grip, not even in the usually hot and humid American South. Fortunately for us, EdenFantasys has decided to carry Coquette's new spring/summer collection, and it is sure to heat up any room of the house! I, for one, was super excited to see the addition of the Raspberry Fields line, and grabbed the chance to review the chemise. I won't leave you in suspense: this one is a keeper!

The Basics

Coquette's Raspberry Fields Chemise features the same color palette as the rest of the Raspberry Fields line: vibrant raspberry and innocent ivory, along with hints of pink and green. Raspberry, pink, and green flowers grace the delicate ivory lace that covers both the bust and the center front and back of the chemise. There is a layer of off-white material underneath the lace, keeping these areas from being sheer. (This is a nice and unexpected feature.) The left and right sides of the chemise are covered in a ruched raspberry fabric. The darker color and gathering of this material adds a wonderful visually slimming effect. Who doesn't like that? A raspberry ribbon is sweetly tied at the center bottom of the bust. The bust and the rest of the lace areas are trimmed with ivory lace eyelet. This eyelet is laced with a slim, satin ribbon...raspberry, of course. The eyelet extends past the end of the chemise, where it has functional, attached, plastic garters. The bust is made up of two, simple, triangular cups that are in no way shaped to support or enhance the bust line. There is no underwire. The piece has a halter-style, tie closure, which may be uncomfortable for those with large breasts over an extended period of time.

The chemise is made of Nylon (90%) and Spandex (10%), making it super stretchy and - oh - so - comfortable.






Sizing and Measurements

Eden offers the Raspberry Fields Chemise in sizes Small through 1X/2X. You can find the complete size chart for Coquette here. Personally, I chose the XL, which has the following recommendations...

Dress: 14-16
Cup: D
Bust (in): 42-44
Waist (in): 34-36
Hip (in): 44-46

My personal measurements...

Dress: 14
Cup: D
Bust (in): 42
Waist (in): 34
Hip (in): 40

Overall, the size chart seems to say that the XL should be just about perfect for me, and I have to say, I agree! I am quite happy with the fit of the piece. No area seems to be too snug or too loose. From my experience here, I will say that the size chart seems to be spot on.

The length of the chemise is about 27" from the top of the bodice, excluding ties, to the bottom hemline. With the ties, you are probably going to add another 5-7" on the length. I am 5", and on me, the chemise extended to about 3" above the knee, so if you are petite, you can expect it to give much more coverage than if you are of average or above average height.

The cups are 8" long and 9" across at their widest point. As these are triangular, there will be an opening of about 7" across the top of the bust. This means there will be a lot of cleavage showing, and if you shift much, yes, your breasts will likely be exposed. If you are considering wearing this out in public, I have two words for you: lingerie tape. Trust me. You will want this.

The lace panels that run the length of the front and back of the chemise are 7" across, 20" long in front, and 21" long in back. The garters are 3" long. They are attached, but if one is handy with a needle and thread, I suspect they would be easy to tack up to the inside of the piece. Unfortunately, my talents do not extend to sewing, so I will be leaving the garters as is.

Packaging, Care Instructions, and Storage

From what I have seen of other reviews on Coquette's spring/summer collection, some have been surprised and/or disappointed by the packaging of the pieces. Rather than including the piece on a padded hanger, as many Coquette pieces do, this piece came folded up in a resealable plastic bag. I believe the reason for this is connected to one of the two tags that are attached to the chemise. The tag says, "Coquette has partnered with Save the Ta-Ta's for the Spring/Summer collection and will be donating a percentage of the proceeds to breast cancer research. Funds go directly to researchers who are making groundbreaking progress in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods of this prevalent disease." I am sure - or at least I hope - that by eliminating the hanger from the packaging, Coquette is able to donate a larger part of their proceeds to the campaign. It is definitely a worthy cause, and one for which I am sure we all will gladly give up the padded hanger.





The other tag shows several views of the piece on the same model shown on the product page. It also states that the piece is made in China, and gives the care instructions: hand wash only, hang to dry.

For storage, you may keep the piece in the bag that it was sent in, fold it up and keep it in a dresser drawer, or hang it in your closet using the attached loops on the inside of the chemise.

Experience

As I have alluded to above, there are a few areas where this piece is less than perfect. For one, the triangular cups have a distinct lack of support for those of us with more...ample bosoms. If this is a concern for you, the Raspberry Fields Chemise might not be your first choice. Again, if you are well endowed in the bust area, shifting your pose while in this piece may result in some Northern exposure. Take heed. Also, the halter aspect may be difficult on those aforementioned busty individuals. Personally, I tend to shy away from halter tops for this reason, but for this piece, I am happy to make an exception.





The only other concerns I have with the piece involve the bits of ribbon that are laced through the eyelet. I have found that, particularly where they trim the bust line, they seem to be coming loose from the chemise, and the ends are frayed. I am hoping that my little skill in sewing might be enough to save them. In other areas, the ribbon seems to be loose, as if there is too much of it.



I did not wear this chemise with stockings, as the only ones I had on hand were black (Note to EF: Stock more nude thigh highs). They do seem to be adequate for the task of holding up a pair of stockings, but they are plastic. If they break, it will take sewing skills - again - to replace them.





Overall, I love the look of this piece, but with the little flaws I have mentioned, I will have to knock the Raspberry Fields Chemise down to four stars.

Aside from the frayed ribbons, this piece has held up well, even with machine washing a time or two when I wasn't paying close enough attention to sorting the laundry - whoops! The color has stayed true to the lovely raspberry with which it started. I have picked up some nude colored hose to go with it, and while the garters are not the best ever, they are functional.