This bra was sent to me by Tutti Rouge. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
After falling in love with the Lilliana Bra, I was thrilled when my new Betty set showed up on my doorstep last week. Tutti Rouge has released their first line bit by bit, which has only helped build anticipation among lingerie fans and bloggers. It's a smart strategy and one that seems to have paid off in terms of social media chatter, so I was extra eager to see the second release from the much-hyped Tutti Rouge line.
Look and Feel:
This set feels silky and incredibly well made, especially given that the price point is $49.99. The floral fabric is beautiful and fabulously girly without making me feel like I'm 12 all over again. This feels like a much more expensive bra than it is, which makes Tutti Rouge a great addition to the full bust budget line world. If you're a frequent Cleo or Parfait by Affinitas customer, these bras are of similar quality. I ended up loving the pastel colors much more than I anticipated and I'm really excited to see the jewel tone version come out for Autumn/Winter.
Fit and Support:
This bra is built very differently than the Lilliana, which means if that bra worked for you this one may not and vice versa. In my case, I have a clear preference for the Lilliana. Having said that, I believe the Betty will be great for loads of women who aren't me. The Lilliana is built for women whose breasts are narrower set and who have more solid breast tissue. Women with soft breast tissue may have the same issue with it as they do in other plunge bras --- it's easy to puddle out into the middle of a plunge bra. The Betty Bra is perfect for people with wider breasts and softer tissue. The build of the Betty Bra is much wider and the half cup design means softer tissue will fall into the cups beautifully. If you have denser tissue or more natural forward projection, you may find your breasts fighting the bra and winning like I did.
While the Lilliana band ran tight, the Betty band is fairly standard. I'd advise most people to go up a band size in the Lilliana and stick with their regular band size in the Betty. The cups in the Lilliana ran small, while the cups in the Betty are also fairly standard. If this had been the right shape for me, I would have fit into it in my regular Panache size of 34HH, while I'd be tempted to try a 34J (and ideally a JJ if they made one) in the Lilliana.
The Verdict:
I think this bra is going to be a godsend for lots of women, since there's a sad lack of half cup bras out there. If you're bored with balconettes and plunges, this bra is going to rock your world. It's supportive enough to be worn as an everyday set but also pretty enough to be worn on a special occasion, which makes it extra budget-friendly. The half cup shape produces a supported version of that "cakes on a plate" look that isn't too extreme for every day wear. Even though it didn't work for me, I think the Betty is a great option for those of you with the right shape and breast tissue type. In the meantime, I'll go back and wait to buy up the Lilliana in all of the different color combinations.