Cross Mon Heart: Silk Dreaming

If you knew me while I was going through my MFA fashion program, you would probably know that my favorite material is silk. Silk often gets a bad wrap with designers—it’s known to be squirrelly while sewing, challenging to wash, and impossible to cut—but I don’t agree. Yes, it can be a hard to deal with, but it’s a classic diva; you just have to treat it right and it delivers. And, though I know it’s sacrilegious, I’m going to let you in on a secret: I always wash my silk, I don’t care what the instructions say (there are a very few exceptions to this, if you’re interested in my ideas on silk and how to care for it, let me know!).

So it was with some surprise that I took stock of my lingerie collection a few months ago and realized that I didn’t have a single fully silk set. I knew I had to fix this, and I went on a hunt.

It didn’t take me long to set my sights on Miss Lala Presents. While she’s most known for her Chocolate Box set (prepare to swoon when you see it), she also has several fully silk combos that are lovely. My favorite? The Cross Mon Heart combo. The black body, the bright pink silk lining, the perfect stitching, and the adorable soft bows stole my heart. I messaged her on instagram and was soon happily chatting away to make sure we exchanged all the necessary information.

Usually I don’t purchase sister sizes. It’s probably a topic best discussed at another time (and maybe over a beer), but I just don’t have luck with sister sizes as a general rule. Miss Lala Presents was completely transparent about her sizes, and the fact that she doesn’t carry 30DD, but after talking with her, and looking over some pictures, I decided to go for the 32D anyway (one of my sister sizes). I’m not disappointed.

The fit gives me lots of cleavage. I’m not sad about it, especially since I usually go for a much more natural shape, and it’s a welcome change for when I want a little more bounce. The silk feels like butter on my skin, and the details of the set—from the beautiful ruching to the stitching—wowed me. I don’t normally like when lining shows on the outside of a garment, as it usually indicates a sewing/patterning mistake but I love that the little bright pink edges of this set peak out to say hello. Maybe most importantly, it’s adorable front AND back!

Here are a few take home notes:

1. The fit is tight. Make sure to work with Miss Lala Presents to find your size.
2. The silk does not always lay completely flat, especially on the inside of the bra. In my opinion, this is not a mistake, but rather speaks to the nature of the fabric.
3. It’s surprisingly comfortable!
4. Treat your set with care—hand wash with gentle detergent and lay flat to dry.
5. You will fall in love. Prepare for an expensive silk addiction habit.

I’ve noticed that I now scan websites and brand Instagram accounts for sets I think might be silk. It’s official—I’m done for. Send help (or your fully silk lingerie set recommendations).