My shape: tall shallow-rooted teardrop with max immediate projection/depth, very wide full side roots shaped like the Nike swoosh, center-height, forward-facing, very close-set, with very firm self-supporting tissue

The Kiyoko is a 3-part half-cup modeled on the Freya Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) , but it is not anywhere near an exact replica. I was really hoping it would be, because my 28G - Freya » Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) is my best fitting bra right now, and this one is so pretty with the black and pink abstract floral embroidery that looks so delicate (and I am a complete sucker for embroidery). It is a beautiful soft shade of pink with tiny black swiss dots and a sheer embroidered overlay on the cups.

Sadly, it's just not to be. For one, the cups are not the same: shallower at the base, slightly closed on top (?!) probably due to the black edging which is striking and pretty but has very little give, and a bit of extra room over the apex that poofs ever so slightly on my extremely shallow upper root. The top edge cuts me off a teensy bit when it's not buckling from how far apart the straps are out in my armpits. I wonder if this fits more like a Lauren? I haven't yet tried a Lauren clone by Freya, but I love my Fauve half-cups and loads of them are supposed to be based on the Lauren.

The gore is too tall and too wide, though it doesn't bother me when I first swoop and scoop. It chafes and pokes as the bra shifts down, though, which happens pretty quickly because the band is so big. What is up with this band? Stretchy bands are a Freya Thing™, as we all know, but this is ridiculous. In the photos it's on the tightest hook, and I can still pull it away a good 3 or 4 inches.

The wires are ok. There is maybe a whole cm of space in the channel to play with, if you need to push them out or in to avoid digging. They are fairly stiff, I'd say, but not as bad as some other brands. They are too steeply curved for me, a not-really-a-problem I have with literally every bra I've ever tried, except in this case it is a problem because they are almost falling out of my IMF due to the looseness of the band and the push from my immediate projection. I lose the outer cup support and the wire at the wing is then too low, which means tissue tries to escape and it starts to dig, something I rarely ever have to contend with. None of this is the wire's fault, though, and it's all still in the band.

I'd also just like to say that the straps are gorgeous: wider than normal, matching pink spotted stretch satin, and just very prettily finished with picot trim and symmetrical seams. Very comfy, fully adjustable, super soft. If only they weren't so far apart, but no one's surprised by that.

So basically, in my personal opinion, size down at least one and maybe two bands for this model, and too bad for me there aren't any smaller bands. Between the shallowness in the lower cups and the complete lack of support from the band, I was doomed from the start! It's so pretty I hate to return it, but back it goes.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 25, 2017 Flag this

• Show all comments (7)
• 2

  Thanks for this in-depth review! I've had this bra in my wish list for a while now but I'll probably pass on it because of how extra stretchy the band seems to be.

• 3

  I also hoped that this would fit like Patsy or a Fauve half cup. Sadly not the case. 😞

• 1

  I love this pattern and it looks grand on you! Thanks for the review and photos!

• 1

  yogurt It's with a super heavy heart that I am packing it up for its return today. I do love how it looks. :(

• 1

  I've heard in general that's worth trying a bunch of different Freya halfcups, because unlike Cleo Lucy/Kali for example, they tend to have enough differences in the cut that they don't fit exactly the same. I've been keeping an eye out for this bra anywhere in my size, but sounds like it wouldn't be a good fit for me either :(

• calenlass, did you measure the stretched band?

• I did! You can see all the measurements in the "Measurements" tab at the top of the page. It is 90cm!

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