Because 28DD's tend to be a tad small for me now, I tried this one in a 28E, but the cups were very large. I'd say they are about a whole cup larger than labelled. They wrinkle a lot, especially in the middle and top part. There is an elastic sewn on the top of cup though, to prevent gaping and I think it is semi effective.
The band feels supportive though, even though it stretches quite far (But I can't say for sure since I haven't worn it for a long time)
I like the thick straps and that the cups have embroidery decorations on it.
Nipples are visible through the nude fabric if you have dark ones.
I love the soft blue colour and the semi-sheerness of the fabric. On the downside it gave me a slightly pointed look. I'll only wear this under thicker shirts so that it's less noticeable.
It's certainly a beautiful and comfortable bra, and the bra that fits me best so far; my problems are only due to the fact that I have a really specific shape I haven't yet found a good fit for. The gore is uncomfortable as with all the CKs I've tried (considering Flirtelle is pretty much a sister company) but it has gotten somewhat better with wear. The top of the cups being somewhat wrinkly seems to be due to my shape being really bottom-heavy and somewhat soft, as a size down is definitely too small.
This bra works great as far as support goes. The cups fill perfectly, and the band does not ride up. However, the straps are set far apart. This is too wide for my shoulders.
This is definitely not my favorite bra. The top part of the cup (with the sheer mesh and embroidery) is a LOT stretchier than the rest of the cup is, so my boobs stretch it out a little and make a weird bump along that seam.
After advice here and doing a lot of searching around the site, I decided that since I liked the Flirtelle Orchid so well that I would continue exploring fit with that brand.
Band: The band is snugger than I've felt but it's not uncomfortable or constricting. On the largest hook, I can slide two fingers underneath - if I add them one at a time. The third won't, though, and that's how the band is supposed to fit.
Cup: I've never seen this. Cup is completely smooth. there isn't a gap or a wrinkle. My nipples sit right where they're supposed to, and no chafing or itchiness.
Wires: the wires don't come up as high on the sides. I wonder if that is all right, but I'm not sure.
Straps: I think I might have narrow shoulders, because this bra chafes a bit in front. I guess it's not a perfect fit, but it's close, it's really close.
The seaming is well done. There are no loose threads. Visible stitching is even. Seams are neatly bound.
If the underworked dig into your sternum, slide the underwire in the channel - the channel is about 3/4" longer than the wires. This made all the difference in the world to me. I get slight quad-boob if I throw my shoulders back, but for the most part I love the fit.
I love this bra! I outgrew the 28Es, but this fits beautifully. It did take some breaking in before the gore was comfortable - I slid the wire into the armpit area at first, but now I don't need to. It is comfortable, pretty, and stays put all day.
I owned this bra in a 30FF, and so had the matching knickers for it! The 30 FF did not fit me in the slightest - lots of 'underarm fat.'
So i bought the 28HH; the back is normal for a 28, and the cups seem fairly normal. I prefer to wear this bra with an extender.
The cups are now too big for me, after having lost weight. The wires are wide and the gore is high.
It has fared terribly with washing and wearing - the quality is shocking. Although, i got it no super sale, so only having 1-2 months use is not such a big deal to me.
This bra has nice high coverage on the sides, which helps to keep my breasts pointed front and center
I can't quite fill the top part of the cups, but I don't think going down a cup size would solve that.
The straps are comfortable, and the band is perfectly comfortable. I like how the band doesn't rise off my sternum, and that the wires are wide enough that my whole breast fits in the cup.
I would buy this exact model of bra again in a different colour.
Supposedly, this is supposed to be a Balconette bra, ideal for my shape boob... whilst the bottom of the cup & most of the cup is filled on top on one side, you can clearly see I'm no where close with my other side!
Dear Snakecharmer, you got shallow boobs. Bras that work well on boobs like yours are padded halfcups like the Cleo Juna and related cuts.
I think the Flirtelle Dahlia is too deep in the cup in the cup for you, this is why it wrinkles. I also think the wires might be too narrow, in this case you might be dealing with the additional complication of an Orange-in-a-glass: you boobs cannot get between the wires of the bra, thus they cannot fill the cup.
If you want an unpadded bra, try the Cleo Lucy. Panache Harmony Balconette (if you can still find it on ebay) might also work as well as some bras by Change. Essentially you need bras that are shallow in the cup with wide wires. The Flirtelle Dahlia is neither.
Did you try adding a cookie to your smaller boob? You should always fit the larger breast, since this bra fits your larger breast you can just put a cookie in the bottom of the smaller breast to assist you with filling up the bra.
If you find that the underwires dig into your sternum, the actual wire is more than a half inch shorter than the channel - just slide it all the way to the armpit end - it makes a huge difference. I desperately needed bras with the 28 band, so I kept it, but it came from brastop with loose threads coming out of the mesh already.
There's just something strange with this bra for me. I tried it in 28e and 28f and had the same problem with both. The thicker bottom fabric is much more stiff than the flimsy lace. The result is that the lace is almost baggy on me and the bottom cup too tight.. It was the same in both sizes and the 28e was slightly too small.. I just think this style doesn't suit me. It is a very pretty bra though. One other warning is that it's very sheer so not great for wearing under a light coloured top!
Once I put this on the first thing I felt was the under wire cutting unto my sternum and everywhere else. Ow... my ribs! That tends to happen to me when there's no padding.
The cups gap on the top of my bigger breast, unless I pull the straps tight but that just cuts my armpits off. The band cuts into my flesh and it almost rips the hooks out when I have it on the biggest size (if that makes sense). But I'm wondering if thats what good fitting bands do... I wouldn't know, I've been wearing 32/34's. It does support my breasts better. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
This bra is very soft and pretty. It almost quadboobs in the size yet wrinkles at the top occasionally, which is odd. However, other than that it's a good fit and so far I am satisfied.
I have close-set, full-on-top breasts, and I think this bra is designed for someone with wider-set, full on bottom breasts. A miss all the way around. That said, it's a pretty bra that gives a fairly natural shape, and a thin layer of padding that makes it easier to wear under a t-shirt. The lace is unobtrusive and is not visible under a thin tee. I can't quite fill out the bottom of the bra, despite filling out the top ever-so-slightly too much. The wires are wide and run well toward the back of my underarm. This in itself isn't a problem ...for me, as I have a wide root, but it leads to my biggest beef with this bra; the fabric running under my arm from the underwire to the base of the strap is too high for me. It cuts into my underarm when I bring my arms into my body. The straps are pretty wide set for my tastes, which might be part of the problem. I'll wear this a few times to see if it settles into a better fit for me, but I may end up listing it before too long. Read more 97 more words
Dear Snakecharmer, you got shallow boobs. Bras that work well on boobs like yours are padded halfcups like the Cleo Juna and related cuts.
I think the Flirtelle Dahlia is too deep in the cup in the cup for you, this is why it wrinkles. I also think the wires might be too narrow, in this case you might be dealing with the additional complication of an Orange-in-a-glass: you boobs cannot get between the wires of the bra, thus they cannot fill the cup.
If you want an unpadded bra, try the Cleo Lucy. Panache Harmony Balconette (if you can still find it on ebay) might also work as well as some bras by Change. Essentially you need bras that are shallow in the cup with wide wires. The Flirtelle Dahlia is neither.