Being isolated and in quarantine for over a year has made me feel more than a bit at odds with my body. I’m certainly not alone in this: more people than I can count have expressed complicated feelings surrounding all things corporeal, and I’m no exception.
I’m most myself when I can fully step into my spooky femmeness. My aesthetic has evolved over the years, and in the time since I came out as agender, I feel more harmony with my gender expression than ever before.
When there’s not a global pandemic, you’ll find me wearing sharp-as-knives winged eyeliner, matte black lipstick, cropped bangs and stick-straight hair, and some kind of all-black getup with spiderweb platform creepers.
These days, I’ve taken to sneaking black lipstick under my KN95 masks. They stick out more in the middle than traditional medical or cloth masks, so I can get away with it. In the rare instance I go anywhere other than hiking, whatever I’m wearing is 99.99% going to be considered too elaborate for the venue. (Hell, I went on a COVID-safe outing to a museum with extremely limited capacity last weekend and wore a floor-length mesh duster and spike-covered boots.)
I don’t get a lot of the over-the-top mesh right now, though. When I’m at home, I feel like a frumpy lump. I don’t say this in a shaming, anti-fat way; rather, it’s borne from a longing to dress up outside of those every-now-and-then occasions I have a safe destination to head to. Because my femme expression is such an inextricable part of me—it’s connected to the way I heal from trauma, my (lack of) gender, and my interactions with the world—putting it on the back burner has literally been painful.
I suspected I might need to try something new to jumpstart feeling more connected to my body again. I noticed Lovehoney’s line of Fierce lingerie—perfect for a spooky femme look—and selected a few pieces to review. Long story short: that suspicion was absolutely correct!
I was thrilled to discover the Fierce range because it’s an accessibly-priced wet look lingerie line that comes in straight sizes and plus sizes (up to 5X/6X in some pieces). I chose a variety of silhouettes: a dress, a catsuit, and two different kinds of teddies. In addition to wanting to test out the fit and feel from piece to piece, I also wanted to build a collection I could use in different settings.
To start, I tried on the Fierce Leather-Look Bodycon Dress, as pictured in the featured image. (Straight sizes here.) I got a 3X-4X, dress size 18-20, and probably could have sized up, but I don’t have any serious complaints with the size as is, it’s just a bit snug. If you’re between sizes and wondering which to get, I would definitely recommend sizing up!
This dress makes me feel like some kind of buxom, glamorous goddess. It would be a perfect club or party outfit; in post-COVID times, I think that’s exactly what I’ll use it for! The lace-up detail in the back, as shown in the picture, is my favorite feature. I wouldn’t necessarily say the front of the dress is plain, but it simply does what it’s supposed to: it’s high-shine, plunging, and sexy. The corset-style addition to the back is the unexpected gem of this piece. Other features to know: it comes with removable straps and has a hidden side zipper.
Next up was the Fierce Wet Look Long Sleeve Zipper Teddy. (Straight sizes here.) I originally asked for a 3X-4X, but it was a bit small on me. Lovehoney kindly sent me a new teddy in 5X-6X and it felt like a dream! I was so surprised by how comfortable this piece was in particular. I wore it bodysuit-style layered under a skirt for an hours-upon-hours-long Zoom birthday party and I was completely content the entire time.
This is also a versatile piece. Fully zipped up, it looks quite disciplinarian (but, like, in a good way), but you can customize it for as little or as much access as you’d like. For the party, I wore it partially unzipped, to approximately my waist, with a bra underneath, but it the dual-direction zipper can unzip all the way to the back. Let your imagination run wild! I also love that it features a high-cut leg—perfect to pair with your favorite pair of fishnets. I would also recommend sizing up in this piece if you’re between sizes.
The second teddy I tried was the Wet Look Sheer Deep Plunge Teddy. This is the most revealing of the four pieces: the top features a wet look which transitions into sheer mesh at the waist and below. If you’re not searching for something incredibly revealing but still love the look of this one, it can also be worn as a layered piece, like how I’ve styled it in the photo. Here, I put fishnets on underneath, layered the teddy over that, and then added a wet look skirt on top.
I have this teddy in a 3X-4X. It fits well in the chest, but I wish there was a bit more room in the stomach. It does have a bit stretch and is soft and comfortable, though, so the fit isn’t too much of a mismatch to be a problem. If you’re at the upper range of the size measurements, I might select another piece to try. Other features to know: the back straps are adjustable, and it comes with four detachable garters. On me, it has a high-cut leg because it stretches a bit over my stomach.
In my opinion, the magnum opus of the Fierce line is the Wet Look Zipper Catsuit. (Straight sizes here.) As soon as I took this out of the box, I knew what I had to do: the silhouette challenge.
I felt so powerful when I put this catsuit on. I had lusted after it for a while after seeing how fabulous my good friend Amy from Coffee & Kink looked in hers, and trying it out for myself for did not disappoint! My first instinct was to put on black patent heels and grab a whip from my closet. I definitely lean sub, so does this speak to the power of the catsuit?! That’s my running hypothesis.
The catsuit is very similar to the long-sleeved teddy—the only difference is it’s fully-body! Interestingly, the 3X-4X catsuit fit me just fine, whereas the teddy was a bit small. (It’s also important to note that 3X-4X is currently the largest catsuit size available.) Like the teddy, it also features a front-to-back dual-direction zipper.
All in all, I’m incredibly pleased with how my lingerie experiment turned out! I don’t own much lingerie, especially wet look pieces, so this was just the creative endeavor I needed to start feeling more like myself while I’m stuck at home.
Thank you, Lovehoney, for sending me these pieces to review! You can find their entire Fierce line here.