I got a chance to try this bra on quickly today, but was unable to take any photos or measurements.

Every time I see photos of this bra, I love it more and more. It's pretty and lacy, but with a vintage feel. A little background: I first tried Clara in the Black/Gold colorway when I was a 30GG and it was a total fail on me. Now that I am in the market for an unlined style, I thought it would be worth trying it again. I found the new Royal Blue colorway in a UK department store. They also had other colorways, but I only had a few minutes to try things on, so I grabbed the blue in a 30E. Sadly, Clara doesn't come in a 28-band, or I would have chosen a 28F, which is most likely my unlined size post-2016 weightloss.

When I grabbed the bra off the rack and felt it, the first thing I noticed was that it seemed different to the Clara I had tried before. The materials seemed softer and finer/more delicate, somehow. I know a lot of people would be happy about that, but the Clara I tried in 30GG had more of an industrial, supportive feel to the materials. The bottom part of the cup was rigid/stiff and the top lace wasn't so stretchy. I was hoping for that again. I wonder if it's because the construction of the cup changes above a G?

As for the fit, when I put it on, I had to hook it on the last hooks straight away. The band was super stretchy and soft. I wasn't expecting that. I'm a little worried now because I ordered a Panache Floris Balconnet Bra (7311) also in a 30-band and I hope it runs tighter. But I digress. The other thing I remember about the first Clara I tried in 30G was that the wires and gore were murderously hard and uncomfortable. The gore on this Clara was fairly high for me, but for some reason didn't dig in (maybe because the band was loose) even though it tacked very well. I was surprised by that.

I had some difficulty adjusting the straps because of the decorate hoop edging along the edges of the straps. The fasteners just wouldn't budge. I was already in a rush in the dressing room and that got frustrating quickly. I'm short-rooted and high-set, so it took a while to get them short enough. I persevered.

The fit of the cups was... confusing. As someone who has been a 28G-30G for a long time and mostly wears padded/molded bras, the cups on the 30E looked so tiny. My boobs must have really shrunk. Thanks, genetics. I have plenty of other fat stores you can take inches off, you know. I was therefore surprised when I got it on and scooped & swooped that I was reasonably contained. Well, my larger side was quadding considerably and the lace was cutting into my roots (amazing, given how short my roots are when supported). I think it's because the bra really wasn't supporting me properly. The bottom of the cup was too shallow and had some space above the wire that I couldn't fill. The apex of the cup was too shallow, especially on my larger side. Since my tissue is very soft, it just sort of squished down. From the front, the cup might have appeared to fit my smaller side well. The outer side of the cups was a whole other story.

The inner construction of Clara comes with a side support sling. I dread these, as I have a ton of inner fullness but absolutely no outer fullness post-weightloss. The outside of the cup was weirdly empty on me, with hardly anything touching the side sling. It made my roots seem even narrower. The cups aren't technically that wide for me, but they are too shallow. So I had a lot of empty space at the sides of the cup while feeling squashed in the middle. To get enough volume in this bra, I'd probably need a 28FF to fit my larger side, but then I would have gaping on my smaller side and a lot more empty space at the sides of the cups. It would probably also feel more jiggly and even less supportive.

And finally, some brief notes on the comfort/feel of this bra. I found the material too thin for my comfort. Especially the lace top part, which is very thin, and the rest of the cup just wasn't supportive enough for me. I prefer thicker materials that give me more "coverage". If I run my hand over the cup of the bra, I don't want to "feel" anything through the material, if that makes sense.

Sorry, Clara.

Royal Blue colorway

Updated on Jan 11, 2017 Flag this

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