There's no doubt about it - these are definitely "different". The string of pearls and the lace... It may sound like a cool idea to you. But when you try them on, one of two things could happen.

1) You absolutely love them. They're stylish and unique.

2) You HATE them, like I do. They're uncomfortable, a bit snug, and not so well-stitched.

These were an anniversary gift from my best friend, Sara. Sara is probably reading this across the US so please don't kill me over this review! Anyway, she knows I like to dress fancy, especially in bed. She thought they would be unique, out of the ordinary, etc. Holding them up in front of you they seem this way. But staring at the beads you can't help but wonder if these are really comfortable. Comfort is a HUGE issue with me, and with most people, I would suppose.

I'm honestly a little puzzled as to why there are pearls attached to these... Because, oh gosh are they painful! They rub up against my clit while I wear the panties and it hurts really badly. Originally the pearls were TOO long. Keep in mind I received the "plus size" sized panties. This may have had something to do with this. I usually wear a large from Victoria's Secret, Frederick's, Aerie, etc.

I saw Sam (aka Jul!a)'s review and she mentioned cutting the pearls, in which I ended up doing. The pearls are fully removable and replaceable, by the way. I got rid of (I think) 4 actual pearls. The fit felt better, but bothered me just as much as they did to begin with, because they rub against your clit if you aren't careful.

And the pearls look very cheap... Like, dollar store cheap. When you first wear the panties they look shiny and new, but the shine wears away quickly. So you know these are tacky pearls. I would suggest maybe replacing them with pearls of your choice if you dislike them. It's easy to do with a pair of scissors - After you cut them, just slide each end pearl through the loopholes and you're all set!

Pulling these panties out of the box, they looked very well made. The lace was gorgeous, has a beautiful design, and didn't look like it would splinter or fray at all. After one wear, I noticed that you can't be too rowdy with these. Too much tugging will cause fraying. Not so much fraying that I would consider the lace to be AWFUL, but enough to make someone want to be VERY careful with these on.

There are two sizes - One size fits "most" and Plus size. The Plus Size, like I mentioned, is going to be closer to a L at most stores. It could probably suit an XL as well, as it feels a tad bit loose on my hips. As far as the fit around my hips, these are comfortable. It's those dang pearls that get me. Anyway, if you're on the larger end of an XL, or any size above, don't trick yourself into thinking you can make these work. They wont go any further than an XL.

Coquette gives you a nice handy tag (that I cut off because it's HUGE) that tells you to handwash these panties only. That's totally understandable and I recommend doing the same. Several lingerie stores sell lingerie detergent in which you wash your panties by hand. I bought some at Cacique a year ago and I've used that brand ever since. I'm sure you can find delicate detergents at any grocery store as well.

Overall, these are going in the trash. I hate to trash a gift, but they are just painful to wear. The fact that you can't get rowdy with them is also a pain in the butt because I hate ruining lace panties. It's not attractive to get dressed up in lace that is splintering and fraying.

Obviously still not going to like these. Totally painful to wear and not worth the purchase. Actually trashed them already.