After another long Covid winter the dawn of spring with the clumps of daffodils and blue clouds of crocuses is a welcome sight. It also means the latest collections from Marie Jo Lingerie are starting to arrive. The winter season was filled with blacks and browns and as a fan of colour, I was a bit disappointed. For me, lingerie is often the main piece of coloured clothing I wear in the winter so to be faced with the muted tones I wasn’t inspired.
This spring-summer collection is a different story, an optimistic burst of colours and designs that hopefully signal a return to pre-lockdown existence. The possibility of sunny escapes and bright coloured outfits means that the new collection looks like it is an essential rather than a luxury.
The season starts with a punch of vibrancy with the Marie Jo Avero in Apple Sorbet. I was apprehensive about the acid green of this collection when faced with it over a dodgy poorly lit Zoom call. Seeing it in real life and having tried it on a few customers I can see that it’s going to fly out. The most pleasing aspect of this collection is the reintroduction of the T-shirt Bra 0100418. This style is our best-seller as it isn’t multiway, so has a narrow back band plus it has a bit more space in the cups.
If you love a bit of neon but the Apple Sorbet Avero is a bit much then the new Marie Jo Georgia might be more up your street. The bold colours are an embroidered highlight on a soft pink background. The abstract floral print is fun and contemporary and is carried on up the straps. It looks particularly effective on the matching briefs.
There are four different bra styles but I want to highlight the Georgia deep plunge bra and the Georgia Push Up Bra. Firstly the plunge full cup is a shape that was introduced a few seasons ago and I’ve found it fits beautifully, if you are usually a full cup bra fan but want something a little lower at the front I’d recommend giving this a try.
The Marie Jo Georgia is also the only collection to feature a push-up bra with removable pads. This style can give you a little more roundness if you are shallow at the top of the bust and it’s a great solution if you have one breast noticeably smaller as you can remove the pad from your full side.
It’s not unusual for Marie Jo Lingerie to produce collections that are similar, however, it usually happens in different seasons. This summer along with the Georgia and its pink, green and yellow embroidery comes the Marie Jo Ettie. This collection has a softer colour palette but it’s not remarkably different to the Georgia. It is more modest in the styling of the briefs which many will prefer and there is also a T-shirt bra, but for a small shop like us, it’s not different enough to stock along with the Georgia. It would however look fantastic displayed with the Marie Jo Ani.
This pretty soft yellow collection reminds me of the Marie Jo of my youth, in fact, I’m pretty sure I had a set almost identical in a pale pink sometime in my 20s. The embroidery is a bold floral which isn’t too overpowering as it is in the same buttery yellow as the tulle background. The full cup bra is a well-cut shape for the fuller busted Marie Jo fan who likes a little more support and the embroidery is accented by a striped fabric at the bottom half of the cup, giving it a vintage feel. These stripes are used effectively on the full briefs, a great style to wear under summer dresses and with the heavily embroidered back have zero frumpiness.
If you are looking for a simple elegance then the Marie Jo Agnes is perfect. Available in Ivory or Pale Blue it has an understated embroidery paired with a dotty tulle. The collection has a non-wire triangle bra with is available in XS to L but if that is not going to be supportive enough try the deep plunge underwired bra where you get a very similar look. The collection also has a smooth t-shirt bra in a similar cut to the Marie Jo Avero T-shirt bra 0100418.
If you are looking for a white lingerie collection that has a little more detail the Marie Jo Sylvia combines a white on white print with delicate lace. This collection has appeared in the last two seasons but the white is the most striking. With its simple clean lines, the romantic lace is the star. This collection makes a lovely bridal lingerie set.
Recolouring of previous season collections is standard practice and I am thrilled with the new colours in the Marie Jo Elis and the Marie Jo Ely. You may not remember these as the previous seasons sold out so quickly.
The Marie Jo Elis in Spicy Berry is a shot of fun and the bra styles in this collection show this. The longline full cup bra uses the stunning lace along the bra band giving a retro vibe. The tulle at the top of the cup means you get the full cup bra support but maintain a delicate feel. The other stand out bra style is the Elis Padded Bra with its integrated padding to give you a little boost. Team it with the lace shorts for maximum impact!
The Marie Jo Ely is a gentler shade of pink, almost a peach. The bold gingham check is enhanced with heavy ivory lace. Although it is difficult to see from the photographs there is a subtle glitter. It seems a shame to hide this collection under clothes. The gingham gives the Marie Jo Ely a country and western look while still staying feminine.
In addition to fashion collections being recoloured the eternally popular Marie Jo Jane and Marie Jo Avero get a new lease of life with an inspired choice of colours. The Marie Jo Jane has been launched in Pale Peach. The delicate colour is accented with blue and peach embroidery. The colour is a great choice if you have a pale skin tone and you are looking for a new take on the classic t-shirt bra. For me, it’s the Jane padded balcony bra that is the stand out style in this colourway. Practical and pretty it looks great with the lace back Italian Briefs or for those summer dresses the classic full briefs.
If you were a little disappointed with the Marie Jo Avero in Apple Sorbet the Avero in Tiny Iris may be more to your taste. The bra styles are the same as the classic Marie Jo Avero but there is a change to the straps. This collection has a split strap with one half a plain lilac and the other a row of miniature daisies in alternating lilac and white. The Marie Jo Avero Tiny Iris is the only fashion collection to have a strapless bra. Coloured strapless bras are a rare find as the demand in the summer months is for a skin tone. The Tiny collection does not feature the daisy sided briefs or thong.