I read some reviews online that said that Bravissimo bras run small in the cup and as this is my very first Bravissimo brand bra I ordered a size up from my normal 30G - mistake! I wish I'd just tried it in my usual size because the 30GG is a bit too big on me.
Band feels like a good 30 sports band - a bit tighter than an everyday bra. I liked the band tightness.
Unfortunately I couldn't wait to take this off after trying it on because the underwires were so uncomfortable and dug into my ribs in one spot. I've got limited options in an underwired ... sports bra (I desperately want something for all day hiking that will wick sweat away from in between my boobs) and the Freya Underwired Active sports bra doesn't work for me (shape issues and it's too wide set) so I'm going to persevere with this style and order in a cup size smaller next time. I'll probably do major modifications to bend the underwires and then pad them out with some thick, sweat-friendly padding because this wouldn't be wearable after 30 minutes, let alone 6 hours.
PROS
1. High center gore
Doesn't dig into the breast tissue at all even towards the center of my chest (like the Freya Active underwired sports bra does). And it's narrow so it doesn't push your boobs too far apart
2. Forward facing
Doesn't push you boobs sideways and keeps them front on. Great for boobs that sit close together
3. Padded and wide shoulder straps
I felt like they would stay in place. Only just was able to tighten them tight enough in length however! (May not work if you find straps are always too long). These only adjust part of the way.
4. Good fit in the band
I thought the size 30 was exactly right for a sports bra - just a little tighter than an everyday bra.
5. Sports fabrics
The cups are constructed with that light, man-made sports fabric that dries really quick when you wash it and wicks sweat from the skin into the bra where it can dry out faster.
CONS
1. Underwire casing is like a "normal" bra - not padded enough!
The underwires have no extra padding and are instead cased in a regular everyday bra casing. In a sports bra I like more padding so that metal doesn't dig in during activity - the Panache Sports bra in comparison is so heavily padded on the inside that unless you look at the stitching it's hard to be sure there are underwires in there.
The underwires in this size dug into my ribs about an inch towards my sides from their lowest points under my boobs. It really hurt and I was constantly shifting the bra up and around trying to find a good spot. I took this off
2. The underwires are still very wide
Yes, the bra underwires sit nice and close in the center but man they're still really wide! I'm going to try one size down but I'm really quite concerned that even then these will sit too far under my arms.
3. Double layer fabric in cups
The double layers of fabric can provide extra support but this is the type that kinda sticks together in places and doesn't in others leading to wrinkles galore on the top layer. Drives me crazy.
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Updated on May 27, 2012 Flag this
