This review is for the Sophisticate balconette cut 32FF. Summary: the best-fitting bra I have ever owned.

This is equivalent to a 30 band in UK sizes. I used Sophisticatedpair sizing advice. From the descriptions of the soph balc cut, it sounds like it would be the same as customizing straps moved in, reduced cups, and reduced gore. Not positive on that - I don't think anyone but Anna of AP truly knows. There are probably more subtle adjustments throughout the size range (#hooks, strap width, strap distance apart, etc). I would recommend this bra to those with even or bottom fullness; those who need narrow wires; those who are tired of straps/underarm chafing; and those who don't mind waiting a month or more to receive it. On Anna Pardal: they are a young small business. There were multiple delays with my item, yadda yadda yadda, I was partially refunded and given a discount for future use. The quality of the product is spectacular, so that has helped as well, and if it fares well over time, I will order from them again.

Aesthetic: Feminine and sophisticated. I love the grey. I was quite surprised when I pulled it out of the box because the background color is truly pink-peach, not ivory. That aside, still quite beautiful, just not quite as complementary to my pale skin as it might have been. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" /> I love the AP designs: while Comexim and Cleo can be fun, their neon colors, excess frills, or strange patterns seem to disregard the fact that you will be wearing this under clothing that fits you and usually have to go to work(!). Lol. AP is gorgeous, considerate of the typical lifestyle, and makes me feel like a sexy young woman. Yay!

Wires: The miracle has occurred. The wires are flush with my breast tissue all the way around! They live oh-so happily in my inframammary fold. When I take it off, the lines are right there. YES! The gore tacks, there's no wrinkling in the bottom of the cups or space down there, and they are just the right width to encompass all my side tissue without going further back than they need to. And no strap chafing!

Band: perfect. Comfortably tight on the loosest set of hooks. Speaking of which, there are 3. I didn't ask, they're just there. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Note: this is true in my size, but I don't know about other sizes. I've never had 3 hooks in a non-sports bra before; I didn't know how much I wanted them until now! They're closely spaced, so it doesn't increase the band height all that much, but provides noticeable extra stability. They made use of this stability by making the straps only 0.5inch each. I'm still deciding if it's wide enough, but I think it is, and it will be nice for those shirts that show straps to not be noticeable on my smallish frame. They don't feel like they carry much weight right now.

Cups: on a scale of natural to half-basketball (0-10), I would call this an 8, which I would say is ideal. They are perky, central, and cleavagey, but don't attempt to make my boobs so round that they compress them (huzzah). I have never tried reduced cups or reduced gore, so there is more exposed in the center than I'm used to, but I don't feel unstable and my boobs don't touch. This cut drastically improved the fit compared to my unaltered Comexim. My right breast is almost a cup size larger than left, and if I aggressively swoop and scoop, there is quadboob on the right. I could consider 32G with the complimentary "cookie pocket" to use on my smaller side and possibly straps moved in (they're great in this size, but increasing cup size usually makes them further apart, which I don't want). This is pretty perfect as-is, and I hate the idea of having to stuff something in my bra (my boobs are big enough as is). I'll see if the gore continues to tack after several wears and then decide if I need to go up.

Fabrics: Inside the cups is soft cotton. The outer fabric is stretch satin (beautiful sheen, moves well without wrinkling on the cup), and the cup trim is a grey, non-stretch satin ribbon. I am a big fan of the ribbon because its firmness reinforces the shape of the cups right at the edge, where they take the most pressure from my center-full breasts. In some women, this may cause quadboob, but on me it does not. It helps prevent gaping and falling toward the middle. None of their other designs have this ribbon set-up (an old model, Fifi, used to), so I may hold out for their next season and see. I do have my eyes on the Florence, though, because it also has this stretch satin, so the seams don't show. I could ask for a ribbon along the Florence edge custom, but I feel like it's an insult to a designer. Thoughts?

Updated on Oct 13, 2015 Flag this

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