I've been a big fan of the Ciao Bella Balconette for a while, as I wore the 30DD last winter as my primary "sweater bra" under thicker clothing. The 30DD has been too small for me since the beginning of the year, so this year I started picking up the 30DDD instead, which now fits me very well at 28E/28F. This is one of the few styles where I find a 30 band very comfortable as it is snug but not tight.

I've had my eye on Smoke Blue for a long time, but this color wasn't available in 30DDD, so I decided to try the sister ... size of 32DD, expecting to need to make some alterations. Surprisingly, the band is only marginally larger than the 30DDD, and as it is quite reasonably firm, and it makes for a very comfortable option although it is not snug. I found that the cups fit identically to the 30DDD, which is a huge relief. I am very pleased to find a sister size that actually works really well for me!

Unfortunately, I found that this colorway was less flattering on me in person than in photos online. Smoke Blue is a dusty blue with a slightly teal cast on a nude overlay. The center gore bow is pale gossamer pink. The color is too yellow for my cool skintone, so unfortunately I won't be keeping these. However, I can confidently recommend that if this style works for you, trying your sister size is a great option!

Note: this is the second bra of this size and color that I purchased, as I've found inconsistencies in the sewing of these bras, so I try to order more than one at a time to compare. This is the first bra in this range where the cup depth measured slightly shallower than normal. However, I didn't notice any difference in the fit despite the .5 cm difference per cup.
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Smoke Blue colorway

Updated on Nov 07, 2020 Flag this

I've been a big fan of the Ciao Bella Balconette for a while, as I wore the 30DD last winter as my primary "sweater bra" under thicker clothing. The 30DD has been too small for me since the beginning of the year, so this year I started picking up the 30DDD instead, which now fits me very well at 28E/28F. This is one of the few styles where I find a 30 band very comfortable as it is snug but not tight.

I've had my eye on Smoke Blue for a long time, but this color wasn't available in 30DDD, so I decided to try the sister ... size of 32DD, expecting to need to make some alterations. Surprisingly, the band is only marginally larger than the 30DDD, and as it is quite reasonably firm, and it makes for a very comfortable option although it is not snug. I found that the cups fit identically to the 30DDD, which is a huge relief. I am very pleased to find a sister size that actually works really well for me!

Unfortunately, I found that this colorway was less flattering on me in person than in photos online. Smoke Blue is a dusty blue with a slightly teal cast on a nude overlay. The center gore bow is pale gossamer pink. The color is too yellow for my cool skintone, so unfortunately I won't be keeping these. However, I can confidently recommend that if this style works for you, trying your sister size is a great option!
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Smoke Blue colorway

Updated on Nov 07, 2020 Flag this

Fit is great, just itchy for me on the inside.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 02, 2016 Flag this

I am tall, with low, wide, shallow, widely spaced, FOB breasts and a promient sternum. I like the softness and squishiness of the cups on this bra, but they don't shape me the way that I like to be. I prefer a nice rounded shape and these seem to emphasize my FOB-ness, probably because the cups don't give enough support. I am in between a 32 and 34 band and can be a D or DD cup depending on brand/model. The 32DD fits well with a bra extender, so as expected in the band. The straps do not extend long enough for me. They are also weirdly thin, and the double strap in the front has no stretch and is constantly getting twisted/refuses to lie flat. The lace also bunches at the apex of each cup and creates a misleading point there that is not reflected in the cup. The lace and weird shape also shows through most of my clothing. I do like the cups but this is not a go-to bra for me.

Updated on Jun 09, 2016 Flag this

This bra is 1-2 band sizes bigger that I normally wear so the band is a bit loose. However, I find this bra super comfortable and the cups fit well so I still wear it.

Updated on Mar 02, 2016 Flag this

I like this bra a lot. However, I wish I had known that black bras tend to fit tighter than other colors due to the effect of the dye on the fabric. The bra I tried in store was black. The bra I bought online was pink. The black one fit in an amazing and super flattering way; the pink one is similar but the lace at the tops of the cups is loose whereas it lay flush against my tissue in the black. My next purchase of this bra will be the black one.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 06, 2016 Flag this

This bra fits great on my shallow breasts. My boobs are too close set for the balconette style though so I sewed the gore closer together and it feels way better. I didn't like the strap design, I wish it was a single, thicker strap, rather than two thin straps on each side. But overall it's a great fit.

This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered band,

Updated on Aug 04, 2013 Flag this

My breasts are shallow (as in my breast tissue starts up high, not that my breasts have no projection) with narrow roots. The vertical seams and almost horizontal top of the cup are a really good fit for the shallowness, but the wires are too wide for my freakishly narrow roots.

It is a comfortable bra, though the band doesn't seem to have a lot of give when it's new (this is my 2nd bra of this style, my size keeps changing due to tissue migration). It has softened up quite a bit. The lace and heavy seams makes it not so great under sheer shirts, but it's not ... as noticeable as I thought it would be. How much do I like this bra? I had a 32D before this and now it's been replaced with a 30DDD.

I wore this bra in a rotation of 2-3 other bras for about 3 months. It was always washed by hand with Forever New and air dried. It's in great condition, but my underbust has decreased by a few inches while my bust has increased, so now the band is way too big and the cups a bit too small.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 08, 2013 Flag this

Didn't write a review

Added on May 25, 2015

Didn't write a review

Added on Apr 22, 2014