Share your bras and experiences and help other women
Get recommendations, write review and learn more!

Got bras? Create an account

Bra » Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285) » 30F » Bras » Owner

Measurements

Measurement Cm
Search by measurements
Fits ribcage0.0
B. perimeter0.0
Stretched Band63.5
Band Length58.4
Stretch ratio1.1
Cup width14.0
Cup depth26.7
Depth ratio1.9
Wire length25.4
Cup height0.0
Cup separation2.5
Gore height7.0
Wing height9.1
Strap width1.5
Hooks2
Compare to your bras

Labeled as

Index30:7
EU65G
US30G
FR80F
AUS8F
UK30F

Review

2
like

Didn't fit

I bought this bra, along with the 30F - Freya » Gem Balcony Bra (1361), mainly as a fitting experiment. Both were recommended for women with short torsos. Panache is supposedly the widest wire width, good for wide root breasts, while Freya is generally the narrowest wire. I am not sure whether I have Broad Root Breasts, or just a lot of migrated tissue under and around my armpits on a very small rib cage due to 20 years of wearing a bra with a cup two sizes too small and a band two sizes too loose living in Orange in a Glass hell. I wasn't really enlightened about root size by comparing the two, but I can say this was a damn uncomfortable bra for me!

EVERYTHING rubbed in this bra: strap edges at connections in front and back, gore and armpit poking, the lace itself, the edges of the wings, the bottom edge of the band... Aarrrrggghh! Both bras actually felt like my ribs were pressing outward at the bottom of the band, causing the top of the gore and the armpit end of the wires to dig in. Because the Panache is so much more heavy duty than the Freya, the problem seemed more extreme. The Panache Envy wires are long, rigid and flat, almost like a metal picture frame. They felt heavy, intrusive and unforgiving. They did not want to bend around my body, even though the industrial strength mesh band forced them to (note my underarm picture - the wire extends all the way past the midline to my trapezius muscle). The deep "U" shape at the bottom of the Panache wire made them dig into my ribs right at the lower corner. I even got the jewelry pliers out and bent them to go over the rib at the edge of my sternum they were pressing on, to no avail. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":-(" /> I did this with both bras -- the Freya Gem became slightly more comfortable, but not the Panache.

What is the definition of "wide" versus "narrow" wires, numerically speaking? I laid the two 30F bras on top of each other. Both were exactly 5.5" wide inside between the wire ends. The biggest difference was the shape of the curve and the fact that the Freya was .5" longer than the Panache, and spread open more as I stretched the band.

For those with small ribcages and wider roots, the distance from one outer wire tip across the frame of the bra to the other outer wire tip is 12.25" lying flat.

As a 46-year-old who breast fed two for two years each, I'm a bit deflated on top (think of a hardboiled egg laying sideways in a short sock). Although the four-part cup seemed like it would offer great uplift, the "U" shaped wire and stretchy lace fabric did me no favors. I cringe at the pictures I've posted. I think my petite frame, short height, and very sensitive, stretchmark-scarred skin just couldn't handle this bra.

On the other hand, my 20-year-old daughter who is also a 30F (though with a 26" underbust and plenty of all-around fullness), LOVED it and looked absolutely stunning in it!

Nude colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 27, 2015 Flag this


Subscribe to updates on this entry

  • Show all comments (7)
  • WELCOME TO BRATABASE :) your envy review helped me a lot

  • WELCOME TO BRATABASE :) your envy review helped me a lot

  • Sorry, but thats a funny review! Bra are so personal . . . Panache's older models apparently were wider, and also some models are considered wide in the smaller range, and narrow in the larger range.

    Because a 30F is going to be narrower than a 32F . ..

    Anyways, Panache's wires are the firmest - which is why I prefer them. By way of introduction, I'm 49, nursed my 3 kids a total of 10 years, so I'm also very soft - but also more full-on-top (the top of my breast rounds up above the apex), and a 32J.

    Getting used to Panache wires was really hard, esp because I'd been wearing unwired bras for decades. There is a break-in period, and also washing helps with the itching. BUt . . . the envy slides down slightly and hurts my ribs, while the Panache floris does not.

    finding your right size range is a start, and fine-tuning is a process. You may even want to try using an extender while breaking in bras, or even trying a 32 and see if that is more comfortable.

    Good luck!

  • Panache no longer has the widest wires. That is information from several years back. The envy doesn't have wide wires. The bra IS very firm, though! Sorry you are having a rough time.

  • Do you have Amazon prime by any chance? If you do its a great place to find a lot of bras to try. Also Asos USA - free shipping and returns, same with Journelle. Sorry I don't have any good advice with the wires outside of if its poking too much I wouldn't keep it!

  • Thank you for the feedback, Ladies. It sounds like I really need to try many more on before drawing any conclusions.

    So what is an example of a particularly wide wire model I could try to help me get to the um...root...of the shape question?

  • 1

    Curvy Kate's older models tend to have pretty wide wires, and softer/more flexible than the Panache torture wires. Their newer seasons like AW2014 and SS2015 have somewhat of a changed shape, more narrow and projected. Possibly their Princess or Dreamcatcher bras could help you determine width - they're pretty budget-friendly on Amazon right now. They're also unlined so you won't have a molded cup interfering with shape-diagnosis.


add a comment

Use @ to mention users, brands, models and more

You need to sign in to comment

Fit information

On May 2015

Everything uncomfortable

Center gore comfort:
Underwires dig into sternum, because they are too high
Underwire length:
Runs too high under the arm, it pokes
Top of the cup:
Wrinkles, can't quite fill it
Band fit:
I can fasten it, but it feels too tight

This bra didn't fit her, but these did