Tuesday 23 April 2013

Freya "Cha Cha" Bikini Review

I'm a person who is very picky about what kind of swimwear I like, but one thing I've long been obsessed with is white bikinis. Something about Ursula Andress in "Dr. No"--


As a side note, Ursula Andress is my celebrity torso double as well as my bikini idol. Like me, she has a short torso that's kind of flattened in the front and smaller from the side. But anyway...

Freya's Cha Cha bikini appealed to me for "Dr. No" reasons and their bikinis are often quite wonderful in terms of shape. You might remember my success with their unpadded plunge bikini shape (seen in my review of the Siren bikini). The Padded Sweetheart cut of the Cha Cha and several other of their bikinis, meanwhile, is one I hadn't tried before.

But vertical seams always indicate a round shape, so I decided to give it a try.


YUP! Round shape. I ordered it in a 32GG. As with the plunge Siren bikini, I find myself wondering if I could just barely manage to size down in the cups (so a 32G or 30GG), because these bikini shapes both run a little bigger than Freya's or Panache's balconette bras or balconette bikinis. The 32GG isn't too big for me, but has the slightest bit of empty space in the apex, down the center seam. I think I could also squeeze into a cup size smaller and just have a bit more cleavage.

The cut of the cups is great for my full-on-top shape. Those with less volume there might want to try a smaller size if you're in between sizes to prevent gapping on the top edge. It does, however, have a little bit of stretch in it.

The padding is very thin and unobtrusive, which is good--less "squeezing out the boobs" action after getting out of the water than with a thicker padding...at least, I hope.

The band is, of course, a little loose on me (more so than the Siren) and rides up a bit.


It's a sister size from my normal size of 30H, so this is to be expected. However, I actually prefer this for swimwear because I don't like to have the band cutting in too much, for reasons of pure vanity.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the matching bottoms anywhere for under $25. I'm obsessive about having matching bikini tops and bottoms, but not $25 worth of obsessive, so I launched a months-long search of the internet to find something cheaper that would go with it. I got lucky on ASOS, finding this bikini short on sale for $6.65. I got a size 6. Here's the full set:



I was really happy with how well the patterns matched on the Freya Cha Cha and ASOS bottoms:


The success of this bikini is making me excited for summer--so close and yet it still feels so far!

Do you have a 'bikini idol'? Ever found a swimsuit that lets you walk in her shoes?

12 comments:

  1. I'm so fixated on white swimwear that I'm keeping a non cup-sized white swimsuit that I've had for 10 years. I just want Panache to come up with a white Veronica. The Freya Chacha looks great on you and good work on finding these matching bottoms!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow - it looks terrific. And I have to laugh about your obsessive quality about matching bikinis, but not 25 bucks worth! Let's just say I'm insanely obsessive by that standard :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Where did you find the top at? The bikini is really cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mine is from the Figleaves outlet but I expect you can also find it on Bare Necessities, Asos, Amazon, eBay, etc. Figleaves had it cheapest at the time that I bought it, but that was months ago, so it's worth poking around!

      Delete
  4. That bikini looks great on you! And you're right; you do really look like Ursula Andress in it. Good job on finding the unbelievably identical twin briefs on Asos for practically nothing! Just an amazing obsessive shopping story--my favorite type of story!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I absolutely love this bikini on you. I bought the halter version of this white bikini and disliked it, so I sent it back. Granted, it was too big in the cup. Balcony styles fit me in this size perfectly, but this particular halter top was huge and made my boobs look way bigger than they really are. I am now thinking of getting this half cup style at some point, though the prices now are ridiculous ($60 for the top, $35 for the bottom on ASOS).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What color are you looking for? I believe the white is still available in the Figleaves outlet for somewhere in the region of $40 for the top, although I am not sure what sizes are left. And depending on what size you would need, you can potentially still get the cheap 'matching' bottom from Asos!

      Delete
    2. If I were to buy this top, I'd go for the white one. I think with Canadian delivery, figleaves price will pretty much come up to the ASOS price anyway. I already have one bikini, and recently ordered Cleo Pippa, still in the mail. Considering that I live in Canada rather than Bahamas, I think even two bikinis is a luxury :)

      i love how you managed to find "matching" bottoms. I do the same thing, but usually do not even come close to matching more than the color! I am amazed that you found something so similar.

      Delete
  6. Where can I find stores (physical, not online) that carry my size? All I've ever been to is Nordstroms and they only had one style in my size. I'm in Pennsylvania.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Is there any way to subsecribe to this blog by email? Google Reader is dying so I am trying to use a new reader and it doesn't allow lots of blogs. Sigh...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this bikini. I have quite a collection now that I can find swimwear in cup sizes (oh how i struggled as a teenager being squashed by a speedo)
    I bought the red halter version of this bikini and it has become my favourite. I have been looking at the white version too but I am a very fair blonde and wasn't sure it would suit. After getting a nice tan in Mexico I think it might be a go. Who would have thought...........56 years old and finally wearing bikinis!
    Ursula Andress definitely my bikini idol too. I have a short torso as well but I joke that I am built more like a parsnip wide shoulders, slender flat bottom and skinny legs

    ReplyDelete
  9. I bought this bikini in the red halter version and LOVE it. I am totally obsessed with buying bikinis now. Didn't start wearing bikinis until into my 50's. Oh how I wish bra sized swimwear was available when I was in my teens ( spent my summers squashed into a speedo looking like two flattened sponge cakes on my chest)
    Haven't had much luck with bra sized one pieces, bikinis just look better. Was thinking of adding this white one to my collection though I wasn't sure the white would suit my very fair skin. Now I am reconsidering since I have a nice tan from a month in mexico
    Ursula Andress is definitely my bikini idol too! I have a short torso also, though I joke that I am built like a parsnip wide shoulders narrow hips and skinny legs
    I have tried several brands of swimwear, freya always consistently delivers

    ReplyDelete