Disclosure: I bought this set with my own money. Aubade is not affiliated with this review.
Aubade is one of those brands that I have a lot of love for. Whilst I wouldn’t consider them the height of exquisite luxury, they consistently produce beautiful and classic underthings of an exceptionally high quality. The fabrics and construction are consistently excellent; I have several sets from this brand that are nearly five years old now and they still have a whole lot of wear left in them. Nevertheless, this isn’t a brand that I follow with rapt attention: as gorgeous as their lingerie is, it’s not exactly boundary pushing.
I’m the first to admit that I’m very desensitized to lingerie these days; over the years, my lingerie shopping habits have trailed away to the extent that I almost never buy anything for myself now. The Aubade ‘Vegas Fever’ set was somewhat of an exception though. I distinctly remember seeing this set on display at a Figleaves press event and thinking ‘I need this in my life. Desperately.’ There’s just something about that mix of old-gold sparkles and the vintage stitching that presses all the right lingerie buttons for me: I honestly can’t recall the last time I felt this kind of ‘need’ for a lingerie set.
Aubade 'Vegas Fever' set. Photo by A. Lindseth
I purchased the ¾ cup bra and matching ‘tanga’ thong in the Cosmos colourway in sizes 32C (as my usual size of 30D wasn’t available in this style) and M/UK12, retailing for £105 and £57 respectively. The bra was available in sizes 32B-36E and the knickers in sizes XS-XL. Aubade normally offers a range of shapes in each style: also available in the Vegas Fever range was a push up bra, a balconette, a brief and a short.
Both pieces are created in a mix of a sparkly gold nylon/polyester blend knit and a stretch lace. The thong features a front and back panel of this knit, with the front panel featuring graphic stitch detail created with a specialist stitch that accommodates the stretch of the fabric. Side panels are made of a floral stretch lace with the scallop along the leg edge. The gusset is lined with cotton and the leg and waist edges are finished with a plush, picot edge elastic. I often have issues with stretch lace as it has a tendency to look quite cheap: fortunately this one is delicate enough to avoid this issue.
The bra is constructed with an inner three-part cup of stretch lace, lined with a non-stretch nylon for support. The neck edge is finished with an elastic, which can help to give a little flexibility in fit for people whose busts don’t quite fill out this fuller cup style. The outside of the cups features lightweight foam with an outer of the sparkly metallic knit, finished with the vintage inspired stitch embellishment. It’s worth noting that the neck edge of this outer cup is very neatly finished with a tight zigzag stitch: it’s enough to stop the fabric from fraying and to give a very delicate edge. The cradle is made of the same stretch lace and lined in non-stretch nylon for stability and the wing of a single layer of the metallic knit fabric. Plush picot elastic finishes the edge of the bra and it closes with three columns of two hooks and eyes at the centre back. Shoulder straps are split into two, with a top part of a non-stretch metallic finish trim, leading to a thinner adjustable satin elastic with black rings and sliders. Both bra and thong are finished with cute satin bows and tiny gold star charms.
Both pieces are well constructed, with accurate and secure stitching. My only real complaint in this area would be that the top seam of the cup has been stitched with an overlock finish: this can result in a slightly scratchy texture, which is a little disappointing to see when such care has been taken to fully enclose all the other seams. It’s not a dealbreaker in the slightest, especially since I can’t find any other realistic faults in the stitching of these pieces. Both pieces were made in Tunisia and there are extensive labels inside the garments listing fabric compositions and care instructions; these labels are a little bulky but I assume the brand intends for them to be cut out.
There are a few fit issues with this set, but I’m well aware that part of this is due to the fact that I didn’t buy the right shape for my body. Ordinarily, Aubade’s balconette shapes give me the best fit: unfortunately this style was sold out, so I opted for the fuller ¾ cup. Unsurprisingly, my bust isn’t quite full enough to fill out the top of the cup. Fortunately, this isn’t entirely noticeable due to the elastication of the neckline and it doesn’t affect the comfort of the bra. The wires are a good fit and encase my breast tissue entirely as well as tacking at the gore. The band is comfortable on the tightest hook, as I’d expect given that I had to sister size up. The thong is also a great fit: the elastic is lovely and soft and they fit well on the hips.
Even with my limited lingerie buying habits, I’m pretty pleased that I added the ‘Vegas Fever’ set to my collection. It’s comfortable and holds up well throughout the day and looks as good as new even after several washes. More importantly, I feel great when I’m wearing it; I don’t consider it a particularly ‘special occasion’ set, but it still feels a lot more glamorous than my other everyday lingerie. When it comes to a brand like Aubade, I think that most of their designs are going to be a great long term investment for any lingerie wardrobe. It’s well made, comfortable and beautiful: and isn’t that everything you’d want from your lingerie?
Readers: Have you ever tried Aubade? What do you think of this style?