I read on the internet that Aubade had released some new constructions designed for fuller busts (“up to the G cup” they say, still a lot of work to do https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" /> and I decided to try them on in their local store. I tried on two new constructions, the comfort full cup and the comfort half cup in my sister size 85E as they didn’t have any 80F in stock. They call them “emboîtant” which I would translate by “enclosing”. Both styles fitted pretty well, besides a slightly loose band, but the half cup gave me a better shape and uplift. I ... may be tempted by the full cup in another colour though.

SIZE
I’m always a little bit confused by the French brands’ sizing. It seems some of them run huge in cups and I don’t need to size up while converting from the UK sizing. I’ve already tried an Aubade unpadded plunge in 85D (80E sister size) while wearing the UK 30E and the size was +/- correct. I also have a classic half cup in 85D altered to 80E that I used to wear at a time when I fitted into the UK 30DD/E. So my first try in this new style was a 80F as I’m one size bigger now. In theory, it converts to the UK 30E as there are no double letters in their size chart, but in practice it fits like 30F.

QUALITY AND DESIGN
Initially I was interested in the candy (“gourmandise”) colourway, but once is saw the both colours in real, the choice was less obvious as the black turned out to be very delicate and elegant. I love every single Aubade design. I find their bras fabulous, their laces gorgeous and colour associations always accurate.
This particular bra may seem quite simple but there are small details that make it exquisite. The cups aren’t actually completely sheer. The black, stretchy lace is lined with beige, unstretchy mesh. It gives the impression of sheerness without being completely transparent. The lace on both cups is perfectly symmetrical. The outer part of the cups is draped with black, stretchy tulle which starts at the bottom of the cup, goes up to the straps attachment and continues on the front part of the straps. The edge of the tulle is folded, giving an impression of continuity between the bottom of the cup and the straps. This feature is purely aesthetic, it has no supportive function (IMO). The straps attachment is adorned with a kind of black guipure lace flower.
The straps are half adjustable and half stretchy. The front part is covered with the same tulle that the one on the cups, sewed to the straps every 3-4 cm which adds a kind of lightness to the straps. As you can see on the pictures, the straps are very long, I have to adjust them nearly all the way. Happily they adjust short enough.
The underwires channels are covered in front with a satin material creating a nice contrast. The band is also made of a satin material.

FIT
As I mentioned above, the cups run large for the European sizing.
This new construction is a more comfortable version of their classic half cup. The seller explained to me that there are some important differences that make this construction more suitable for bigger sizes (the classic half cup is still available in 32-8 B-D size range). First off, the underwires in the classic half cup have the same height at the gore and under the armpits unlike the “comfort” shape where the underwires are higher under the armpits so that they can better enclose all the breast tissue. That is actually not true, the underwires in the classic half cup are also higher under the armpits, yet I suppose they're even higher in the comfort half cup. The fact is that this new shape encloses better the breast tissue and provides more comfort. My Reine des glaces half cup was rather uncomfortable due to the tension in the cups under the armpits. The second innovation is the U shaped band. I can’t say if it adds to the comfort as I believe that the support and comfort are guaranteed by the material the band is made of. The band itself is rather TTS.
Compared to my previous half cup, the Aubade à l’amour allows more projection. The underwires seem narrow but they stretch a little with the band so they’re perfect once I put the bra on. In my Reine des Glaces I struggled with a shape mismatch – the underwires were a tiny bit too narrow but the cups offered a little bit more space at the gore than I needed. None of these issues occurs in this shape - the underwires are just perfect (they’re on the narrow side though, comparable to EM), and I fill the cup in the centre as well. It’s probably because I have more centre fullness now than in the past. The shape is very uplifted and rounded yet natural. The high gore separates my boobs and doesn’t allow a lot of cleavage. This will obviously bother those of you who have very close set boobs. The underwires don’t overlap at the gore.

COMFORT
I was afraid of the gore because it’s very high, the highest of all my bras. It didn’t bother me when trying on in the store, but I know the gore can become stubby when wearing the bra, especially when bending over or walking. This is not happening in this bra.
The straps are very comfy but I would prefer them fully stretchy and fully adjustable, not only in the back.
The band is my only complaint in this bra. It could be the comfiest bra in the world, but unfortunately the elastic band used in the bottom part is very hard making the band a little bit itchy. This seems to bother me mostly when I’m at home, I don’t feel it when I’m outside. Hopefully the band will soften after a few washes.

Overall, I’m happy I’ve found a perfect fit in Aubade. I wish all their bras were available in this new construction but I think they’re waiting to see how it works.
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Updated on Sep 18, 2016 Flag this