It's not often that I feel the need to review lingerie or swimwear the moment I get it in. This, however, is one of those moments.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by Bras & Honey, and I was asked if I'd like to review one of their products. Bras & Honey is an online store based in the UK that specializes in the Eveden brands: Freya, Fantasie Fauve, and Elomi. They also carry Panache, Cleo by Panache, Wonderbra, Curvy Kate, Elle MacPherson, and Mey Underwear. They sell lingerie, swimwear, shapewear, sportswear and nightwear, and ship worldwide.
I decided to review the Freya Swim Cherish set in Orange, as I absolutely love orange. I often get headaches, so when I get something that only has a halterneck, I like to size down in the cup as much as possible so that the straps don't need to be tightened a lot. As such, I opted for a 28D. I usually take an S in bikini bottoms and knickers, so I went with an S for the Rio Bikini brief.
The Cherish collection is part of the Freya Swim SS14 line. Cherish is available as Halter Bikini Top, a Bandeau, and a . Matching knickers for the Orange colourway include a Rio Bikini Brief and a classic brief. a The Cherish collection is also available in Cobalt, a rich blue shade, and in Lime, a light green shade.
Look
Orange base with white pin spots. Ruffles adorn the . Two buttons sit in the center. Cherish looks very orange in the pictures, but in darker lights it's more of an orange-red colour.
Band
Narrow band with one clasp, rather typical for a bikini. The band stretches to 28.7"/73 cm, making it a bit bigger than the 28 it's labeled. This is rather typical for Freya, but luckily enough the band doesn't feel looser when it gets wet. It's still a bit too big for me, but it's not as
Cups
Non-padded plunge cups with one vertical seam. The cups are based on the previous Freya Swim Halter Bikini Tops. The seam is quite close to the center gore, which is rather unusual - usually the vertical seam sits in the middle of the cup. The cup depth is around 5.9"/6 cm, which is rather typical for a 28D. The cups get slightly bigger when they get wet, but it's less than half a cup size.
Center Gore & Wires
The center gore is quite wide, and very low. The wires are of medium-wide with for a 28D, and come up quite low.
Straps
Halterneck straps that are more or less fully adjustable. They're neither narrow nor wide set, and they tie in the back.
Fit
This model gets along perfectly with my shallow-narrow-conical breasts. The cups fit me well: they don't give me quadboob, although they do cut in slightly, especially on my bigger breast. This is expected, as I usually take a 28DD/E in wired bras and bikinis. Still, they fit very well regardless of the slight sizing issues, and I'm more than happy with the fit.
I get a lovely natural yet uplifted shape, and I even get a hint of cleavage in the front. The bikini top really compliments my smaller bust, which I love. As a side note, I own the Kansas Halter Neck in 28DD, and the cups on that one get a bit too big for me when the cups get wet. I did not have this problem with the Cherish in 28D at all.
The band is on the bigger side for me, but the band didn't ride up a lot, even after wearing it for a few hours. The halterneck straps are perfectly set for me: they keep my tail of Spence in check, and tie narrow in the back.
The cups and wires are narrow enough for me, which is a great change of pace from the usual "cups are too wide and the wires are too wide" that you'll quite often see in my reviews. The center gore however, is too wide for me, and it sits on my breast tissue. It causes no visible fit issues, although it gets slightly painful after wearing it for a few hours.
Comfort
I've worn it for a couple of hours, and no neck pain! The fabric is very soft as well, and the wires caused me very little pain, even after wearing it for such a long time. As I mentioned above, the center gore did hurt me a bit, as it sits on my breast tissue.
Verdict
I highly recommend this bikini top for those with shallow breasts. However, as the cup depth can be somewhat controlled by how tight the straps are tied, I'm certain it will work with all kinds of projection levels, and types of fullness. Despite slight sizing issues, it fits me very well, and I couldn't be happier with this lovely top. I'm going to wear this halterneck bikini top as both a bikini top and a summer bra.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by Bras & Honey, and I was asked if I'd like to review one of their products. Bras & Honey is an online store based in the UK that specializes in the Eveden brands: Freya, Fantasie Fauve, and Elomi. They also carry Panache, Cleo by Panache, Wonderbra, Curvy Kate, Elle MacPherson, and Mey Underwear. They sell lingerie, swimwear, shapewear, sportswear and nightwear, and ship worldwide.
I decided to review the Freya Swim Cherish set in Orange, as I absolutely love orange. I often get headaches, so when I get something that only has a halterneck, I like to size down in the cup as much as possible so that the straps don't need to be tightened a lot. As such, I opted for a 28D. I usually take an S in bikini bottoms and knickers, so I went with an S for the Rio Bikini brief.
The Hatlerneck Bikini Top
GeneralThe Cherish collection is part of the Freya Swim SS14 line. Cherish is available as Halter Bikini Top, a Bandeau, and a . Matching knickers for the Orange colourway include a Rio Bikini Brief and a classic brief. a The Cherish collection is also available in Cobalt, a rich blue shade, and in Lime, a light green shade.
Look
Orange base with white pin spots. Ruffles adorn the . Two buttons sit in the center. Cherish looks very orange in the pictures, but in darker lights it's more of an orange-red colour.
Band
Narrow band with one clasp, rather typical for a bikini. The band stretches to 28.7"/73 cm, making it a bit bigger than the 28 it's labeled. This is rather typical for Freya, but luckily enough the band doesn't feel looser when it gets wet. It's still a bit too big for me, but it's not as
Cups
Non-padded plunge cups with one vertical seam. The cups are based on the previous Freya Swim Halter Bikini Tops. The seam is quite close to the center gore, which is rather unusual - usually the vertical seam sits in the middle of the cup. The cup depth is around 5.9"/6 cm, which is rather typical for a 28D. The cups get slightly bigger when they get wet, but it's less than half a cup size.
Center Gore & Wires
The center gore is quite wide, and very low. The wires are of medium-wide with for a 28D, and come up quite low.
Straps
Halterneck straps that are more or less fully adjustable. They're neither narrow nor wide set, and they tie in the back.
Fit
This model gets along perfectly with my shallow-narrow-conical breasts. The cups fit me well: they don't give me quadboob, although they do cut in slightly, especially on my bigger breast. This is expected, as I usually take a 28DD/E in wired bras and bikinis. Still, they fit very well regardless of the slight sizing issues, and I'm more than happy with the fit.
I get a lovely natural yet uplifted shape, and I even get a hint of cleavage in the front. The bikini top really compliments my smaller bust, which I love. As a side note, I own the Kansas Halter Neck in 28DD, and the cups on that one get a bit too big for me when the cups get wet. I did not have this problem with the Cherish in 28D at all.
The cups and wires are narrow enough for me, which is a great change of pace from the usual "cups are too wide and the wires are too wide" that you'll quite often see in my reviews. The center gore however, is too wide for me, and it sits on my breast tissue. It causes no visible fit issues, although it gets slightly painful after wearing it for a few hours.
Comfort
I've worn it for a couple of hours, and no neck pain! The fabric is very soft as well, and the wires caused me very little pain, even after wearing it for such a long time. As I mentioned above, the center gore did hurt me a bit, as it sits on my breast tissue.
Verdict
I highly recommend this bikini top for those with shallow breasts. However, as the cup depth can be somewhat controlled by how tight the straps are tied, I'm certain it will work with all kinds of projection levels, and types of fullness. Despite slight sizing issues, it fits me very well, and I couldn't be happier with this lovely top. I'm going to wear this halterneck bikini top as both a bikini top and a summer bra.
The Rio Bikini Brief
Orange base with white pin stripe spots, buttons in the middles, and ruffles at the side. The briefs are very flattering, and the size S is a perfect fit on me - no muffin top, with enough room for the junk in the trunk. If you usually take an S, you'll find this one perfect as well. The back gives an average amount of coverage on me.
Conclusion
The ruffles on the bikini top and the brief give this cute set a 1950's, one that I absolutely. This set combines both looks and fit, and I cannot recommend it enough. I'm planning on getting the matching bandeau in the future, as the look of this set has captured my heart. My orange lions may have lost the World Cup, but I still feel like a winner in this set.
- You can find Cherish's measurements over at Bratabase.
- Available in sizes 28-30 D-H, 32-36 C-H, 38 C-G at Bras & Honey, which offers international shipping.
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