Simone Perele

Simone Perele is a name that everyone knows in the lingerie industry. Not because of daring new designs, or big budget advertising campaigns, it’s because they have been quietly doing their thing for over 60 years.

This family run business started in 1948 and its brand aim was to combine comfort and beauty. This international brand has gone from strength to strength and is a staple in all good department stores and lingerie boutiques the world over. So much so that it is said to sell an Andora bra every minute somewhere in the world!

The key to its success is that this lingerie is for the everyday woman, someone who is focused on well-fitting garments that work seamlessly under clothing. While this may be lingerie you can wear everyday, it is by no means boring. My first impression of this brand was exactly that, too beige and too many t-shirt bras for my liking. It’s unfortunate that I held onto that impression for such a long time because I was missing out. When I first found Simone Perele, it was in a David Jones. At this stage it was not a concession so it didn’t have control of what products were being ordered and there was less focus on adequate staffing. It had a presence there (it’s the only lingerie concession in all David Jones stores) but no soul.  I have been aware of the brand but never tried. Simone Perele is missing from many lingerie addicts wardrobes, it’s often overlooked. I was surprised that some of my friends live in Simone Perele and know nothing/ have no interest in lingerie. I was so surprised in fact that I thought I had better try myself.

Luckily I was given the chance through my work to attend a brand awareness workshop as part of the companies move into concession in David Jones. It was great to learn about the different products and size ranges, as well as the history of the brand. I was able to try on a few different styles of bras before I was able to choose which one would be coming home with me. In Simone Perele I take an 8E as that is the smallest back size they do. They also only do single letter cup sizes so it’s best to go into your local David Jones or lingerie boutique that stocks SP and to get fitted properly as your size may vary from other brands. This session was also about getting fitted properly but I ruined their fun by knowing my size straight away! It worth noting that my bra size fluctuates quite a bit so I ordered this in a size that would fit me on my smaller days.

The bra I decided on in the end was the Amour 3D plunge in the colour Anthracite. The main reason I chose this bra is because it was one of the few available in my size and it was the only one in that size that a suspender was part of the collection. I was very tempted by the new strapless bra. It was the most comfortable strapless bra I’ve ever tried, but my mind was set on the Amour. So you may be wondering what 3D means? Well while this bra looks like a moulded cup, it isn’t. The cup is made of two pieces of spacer foam that have been sewn together. The result of using this method and fabric type is a super lightweight bra, breathable fabric (essential to avoid sweaty summer boobs in Australia), and enough coverage to avoid nipple situations without adding bulk. To pretty up this bra, they have used leavers lace on the outer sides of the cups. The reason for placing the lace in this position is so the function of the t-shirt bra is not compromised, it still keeps its smooth line under clothes, but it adds that feminine detail SP is known for and is the point of difference between the many t-shirt bras on the market.

In the 8E the bra closes at the back with 3 columns and 2 rows of hook and eyes. The back of the bra is made of a microfiber material so it keeps everything smooth. This is the only time I’ve ever really liked only having 2 rows of hook and eyes. It just helps keep everything seamless while still having enough support. I think this bra will stretch out more than speciality fuller bust bras that I own, but that is to be expected as SP mainly focuses on core sizes with a few extensions on both sides of the spectrum. The Amour 3D spaces comes in sizes 8D-F, 10B-F, 12B-F, 14B-E, 16B-E, and 18B-D. Generally they do 8-20 back sizes and A-H but not all sizes are available in each range/style.

This bra is so comfortable to wear I can’t even put it into words! The wires are perfect, not too high not too wide, but I did notice there is a bit of a gap in the casing where the wire ends. It is about a fingers width and a bit. I didn’t actually notice this till after a couple of wears and inspections. It actually has made no difference to me while wearing the bra I just thought of it as something quite odd. The bra straps are only half adjustable but I have found them quite a good length for me personally. The front of the bra has the double feature straps which give a delicate edge in contrast to the quite serious colour without compromising on support.

The suspender and boy shorts I purchased in a size 10 with my own money to complete the set and I couldn’t be happier with them. The undies so so comfortable and perfectly seamless, and the suspender actually does an OK job for holding up stockings even with only 4 straps. The ribbed elastic helps stops the coated metal sliders from sliding down while wearing stockings. The main part of the suspender is made of the same microfiber material as the back of the bra so it is seamless under clothes and does not irritate the skin at all. For a suspender that is from a mainstream lingerie company that does not specialise in those items, I’m quite impressed with the quality of it. This will not replace my retro heavy-duty suspenders but it’s just nice to have a full set that is seamless, practical and comfortable.

So what did I learn from this session? Basically not to knock something before you try it.

E. x