I fell in love with the Masquerade Lula Mae the moment I saw it, but took a long time to decide whether I really wanted to buy it or not. I have all my bra basics covered, and I want to add only bras I really love to my collection. Finally I got my hot little hands on this beauty. Here is my review of the Lula Mae for you girls:
The Lula Mae is a bra from Masquerade, the more glamorous label of Panache. It comes in olive+black, and turquoise+brown. Oh, and I also saw a lovely gold+ turquoise model on Bratabase!
Aesthetics 4.5/5
I totally adore the design of the Lula Mae. The glossy turquoise is unexpected, and I love the way the brown mesh with white embroidery covers the cups. I know that the "lace climbing on satin cups" thing is all over lingerie this season, but I really adore this look. I think that it gives a visual lift to the cleavage and is very flattering.
In the catalogue photos the top edge of the cup just peeks above the lace, but in reality the lace starts lower down, and that broad expanse of naked blue makes the cups look "heavier".
I like that the straps are simple, as anything elaborate would be just too much. But they could be thinner, per my taste. There is a weird stitch where the strap is attached which could have been creatively masked.
In the center there is a cameo pendant, a cute nod to the Baroque insiprations of the design.
Fit: 3/5
The underwires are shorter than their tunnel, and come up low in the front as well in the underarm area. This suits me because longer underwires are often uncomfortable for me, and I've already dealt with my armpit rolls.A plus point for the stability of the underwires and the band. The underwires are embedded above the band (instead of the band being attached to the underwire on both sides). The band is stretchy only on the side panels (the parts below the cups are not). When I stretched the band to the maximum, the underwires held their shape perfectly.
The cups of the Lula-Mae go up quite high, almost like in a full-cup bra. For this reason I wouldn´t recommend it for petites, they would have the top outer edges of the cups around their neck. Personally I would prefer if the cups were lower-cut: not only the fit would be better, but the whole construction would look lighter. I wonder if the Lula Mae feels so full-cuppy in bigger sizes as well?
The cups are thinly but stiffly padded -- this are the kind of cups that hold their shape and expect the breasts to mould to them.
Because my breasts are tear-shaped, I get the top-edge-not-lying-flush problem with anything that isn´t low-cut. Fortunately the gaping in the Lula Mae is very slight in my case, and it doesn´t affect the comfort and support.
The cup is made out of three pieces, and in my opinion the top piece could have been omitted altogether. This would have prevented the gaping top problems I (and many other girls) have with this model (also, the bra would look "lighter" and the top naked satin part would be thinner and thus more flattering).
Also, this bra doesn't give me any cleavage worth writing home about.
The straps are satin in the front half and elastic at the back half, this means that the regulation is limited, which could be an issue for some.
Comfort: 5/5
The Lula Mae is one of the bras that are comfortable the first time you put them on. No breaking-in needed here!
Summary: 4/5
In spite of the too-high and hence gaping top edge, I love the Lula Mae for it's effortless good looks and comfort. For me this model was true to size (like most Masquerades I've tried), but I know a couple of girls who had to go up or down a cup size. I got a 28DD, this is the size I normally wear with my 69/85cm measurements (27/33).I happen to own a lot of turquoise clothes, and finally having a cute turquoise bra makes total sense!
Lula Mae 28DD Stats:
Band unstretched: 60cm
Band stretched to the maximum: 71cm
Underwire length: 18cm
Underwire width: 13cm
Update: After several months of owning the Lula Mae, I have the feeling that this bra is a case of style over substance. I still think it's very pretty, but I find myself reaching for other bras that fit better and are soft /lightly padded.
Update: After several months of owning the Lula Mae, I have the feeling that this bra is a case of style over substance. I still think it's very pretty, but I find myself reaching for other bras that fit better and are soft /lightly padded.
Does anyone else own the Lula Mae? What are your impressions? Also, what are you currently eyeing from Masquerade?
