I’d seen The Oblong Box Shop Sweetheart Pinup Tops online a few weeks ago when reviewed by the gorgeous duo Junebugs and Georgia Peaches, otherwise known on Instagram as modernjunecleaver and ameliajetson. At the time I loved the idea but didn’t want to pay for the international shipping for one top, which is all I had left of my monthly budget.

Not long ago I thought of the tops again and went back to the site to check them out. At $20 a top with the current USD to GBP exchange rate that puts each top at £12-thereabouts, which is a downright bargain. Considering I was tempted by about 5 colours and that the international shipping was now being offered at $17 flat rate USPS, I decided to place my order.

Available in 9 colours, I narrowed down my lust list to the canary yellow, cobalt blue and white, resisting the urge to pick red, black or navy, as would be my usual default wardrobe staples. I was trying a new product from a new brand, so why not try some new colourways. The USPS shipping said it could take up to 21 days and was untrackable, so I placed my order and prepared to wait out the full term.

Eleven days later my order was on my doorstep, sweetly cosseted inside the outer postal package in a bundle of tissue paper tied with cute striped string and a little label. These tops are made of a material that feels like a soft stretchy spandex so I was prepared to try them on and perhaps find the material might be the kind that tends to enjoy making sweet and obsessive love to the small bump created on my sides beneath the back band of my bra, and maybe a love handle or two. Hallelujah, no! The tops fit wonderfully. The ruching, great cut, and not-actually-spandex fabric skim lovingly over my slight imperfections, leaving my silhouette sleek and my confidence as in tact as my comfort level, which is whole. The cross-over style of the bust is especially flattering, despite the fact that my boobs are not huge, and the bust is lightly padded. I loved the vibrancy of the colours and the tops looked incredible with my beloved circle skirts, whether layered beneath a cardigan or worn alone. The only thing I noticed that I didn’t like was the fact that despite having wide straps big enough to cover a bra strap easily, the placement of those straps were such that my bra strap still showed in the inner corner on each side, where my bra strap connects to my bra cup. I’m really persnickety about not having underwear unintentionally showing, to the point where even clear bra straps bug me, so for me this means I either have to wear a strapless bra, which doesn’t give me the same cleavage as a balcony or a plunge, or else I will have to add a couple tiny stitches to the base of those straps to bring those inner corners in just 1cm to close up that tiny area where the strap shows.

Overall, for the great cut, cheap pricing and reasonable international shipping fees (and delivery times) I am so pleased I bought these tops. Buying them in 3 different colours that aren’t my usual 3 shades means I can mix and match them widely across my wardrobe while testing different colour palettes on my outfits than I usual rely upon. It was a happy purchase experience that I would definitely recommend, and since this top comes in sizes up to 36 inch waist, it’s a top that can cater to the many varyingly shaped ladies among you. Additionally, for waists up to 42 inches they offer this Sweetheart Pinup Top in a criss-cross strap variation.

Happy shopping!