Lovely bra from VioletIridescence! I’ve had my eye on it for a while but was gun shy because it was a longer stretched band than I usually take, and half cups tend to be tall on me. But after my rib cage inflammation flare up recently, I thought it might be perfect to have something a little looser to play with. I do find that I can do it up on the middle hooks, but end of the day swelling gives room to expand some, so I think that it’s going to be perfect if/when I have another flare. The cups are bordering on too ...tall, but kind of wrap around the top of my tissue and it’s fine. My tissue is soft and shallow on top, so vertical height of cups can make or break a fit.
The materials of this bra are very comfortable and soft. The black lace is lined underneath with beige, and I’m an unusual move, there’s a tulle side panel on the outside of the cups which connects at the straps with an appliqué flower and then extends up the straps and wraps around them. The straps are probably my biggest criticism of the bra. While beautiful with the gathered tulle, they are only partly adjustable, and I would say I’m not particularly low set or high set, but I have them tightened pretty much all the way. And they’re quite wide as well as wide set. This is one of the first bras in a while that I’ve had to regularly fiddle with my straps during the day. They are quite prone to slipping off my shoulders. The bra cups are fairly narrow and projected, but on the wide side of narrow, and slightly shallow if you are more than average projection.
I’d still say that it’s a success and even though it’s not a perfect fit right now, I know it’s going to be a big help when I have swelling again. I have a pretty good shape with a soft, lightweight bra that’s made from some lovely materials. Read more 243 more words
I'm not familiar with Aubade despite having seen it around for decades. It's almost always out on racks as a 36B or 34C when I encounter it and has always been woefully gorgeous and tiny. We exchange a simple glance and move on as though nothing has ever happened and thus is was that I've gone my entire life without a clue the perfect bra was quite literally lurking under my nose this whole time. I'd never have known Softessence was THE ONE! if not for another member here who has passed it onto me like a great blessing from above.
Softessence seems to be a hybrid halfcup ...plunge, cut much lower than even the discontinued Ewa Michalak HP, or Panache's Rocha are! Its cups are made from 2 layers of supersoft fine mesh with embroidery on the outer layer, this gives a breathable and gauzy, silky feeling rivaling Katherine Hamilton's fine tulle. It has a very short deep open cup with some degree of lift after the first cm through 4 cm out from the wire, which should do great things for a very narrow and projected breast. It's somewhat similar to Bravissimo's Elise which differs in that its a plunge that tends to run tall even without the upper panel. Perhaps Softessence's middle-of-the-road lift is meant to compress breasts into themselves instead of toward the chest wall as many halfcups do. It seems less for a bottom full shape than perhaps for an even or upper full one. With my doublewide situation I consider this style pretty bottom heavy friendly as it's not crushing my breasts backward into my pits or up to my eyeballs- in my experience most balconette cups feel like a truck meant to run over and squish my tissue. So it's either the short narrow wires, open cup top or just built different.
Big shrug. oh, No. OOPS...
That reminds me. Its dainty stretch satin straps are very sturdy yet soft, narrow but supportive, as well as beautifully adorned with matching embroidered mesh lace trim. A shame to not be able to see them hiding under sleeves. As with all of the sewing treatment & fine sundry choices, this bra has almost Rosa Faia levels of heirloom detailing, and just exquisite fabric matching. Attachment point where these are sewn to the cups tilts outward toward shoulders somewhat & kept raising upward and falling off my wide bones (rare!), so have tacked the straps facing inward the other direction, instead. This has only ever happened with older Ewa's, and I'd forgotten it was much of an issue until Softessense came into regular wear. Unclear if this is an average Aubade feature or operator error at the factory. As the back does not have a ballet scoop to direct the straps up maybe they're more easily prone to simply falling off shoulders from there too. More about this:
There's a VERY tall, wide bra band made of 2 layers, superfine sleek powernet inner and an embroidered stretch lace outer. This has 4 sets of hooks for a closure indicating great anticipation of Serious Business Afoot. But it's not a longline, and still reminds me somehow of strapless bras which are made with a thicker band design to 'bear up' the heft awaiting in front. I'm not sure about this airy high tech design's ability to reign in free weight personally, as a good third of my breast are just tall upper tissue that the lower projection hangs from, and it's all attached to some crazy big strong shoulders that don't seem to be effected greatly by the less supported volume when upright throughout the day. They do ache badly after sleeping braless on my side in the morning but am not willing to test this fine piece of work out as a sleep bra just to answer the question of how effective it is for controlling heavy boobs. I'm not sure open cups would prevent mine from skittering all the way out these open cups like a pack of rats, should I roll onto my back anyway. So still curious to know more about the extra thick band's purpose in relation to this cup shape.
On fit. I have super short, full hard breasts that both appreciate the low cut & openness of the halfcup shape here but are also sort of fighting the lift feature, by trying to push the cups down & eventually an agreement is met between the mechanical stretch ability of the duel mesh layers, and my lower breasts. Softessense wants to retreat down my chest but instead manages to drag up my breasts highly, front & center like some great sleek russet momma-cat carrying aloft her kittens, and narrows the distance between apex by a few inches where it dumps them together in what I presume is where they are meant to nestle. Near my sternum. Being as I'm already very high set with super short inner tissue and find the average shirt too revealing, there's a quandary. I find Softeessence's lifted effect minimizing overall, but more accident prone as I'm not used to having more bulk right ahead for things to bump into, catch or spill on. I'm not used to anything remotely like cleavage, period and this constantly collects tiny crumbs, hairs and other items which feel like a bug triggering mortal irritation/terror. Ultimately for 'lost wardrobe' purposes it's nice to have the big roots squished out of sight even if the overall look is rather pointy in the clothing I've sized out of due to chest girth.
Softessence is also very comfortable despite some overflow near the outer cup where my boobs escape under the wire like prison convicts, which is one of the most singularly and literal hot points of contention I carry with cup fit. Its unclear if this happens due to the cup shape, band size or lack of a stabilized wing. I've 2 empreinte I'd worn regularly in similarly sized 32G with the same lack of stabilized wing where the band joined the wire channeling and while they had looser bands they didn't do this. Both of those cups were shaped more like Katherine Hamilton full balconettes with a very full lower cup which might have just matched my rounded outer breast shape and held me more gently there, instead of trying to prod it up up and away from the very place they should just be let to sit.
It's been a wonderful month with this in the bra-drobe... While I'd not guess that my short wide oval shape would ever be compatible with a very narrow deep plunge apparently I was dead wrong. I'm now on a journey to find this one again in a larger size as my hopes are this one will ease up and match my shape over time, but just to be on the safe side better to be prepared for the inevitable. If anyone has any idea of similarly short super-projected open topped styles please comment below! Read more 1084 more words
I ordered this from Town Shop with their 15% off + free shipping promo. It was shipped same day and arrived to me within 2 days of placing the order, which is pretty fantastic. Can't recommend them enough!
I've always thought Aubade bras were extraordinarily beautiful and sexy, but until their recent launch of a G cup in some models, I've been way outside their size range. Design-wise, this bra is phenomenal... no criticisms whatsoever. I want to keep it out on my desk just so that I can stare at it! The delicacy and quality of the lace, which scallops at the neckline and bottom of the ...band, is totally unlike anything else I own. In combination with the gathered black tulle straps, gauzy side panel, and guipure flower appliqués, it's sublime. The band, like the few other French bras I've tried from Lejaby and Empreinte, is totally plain on the backside.
The comfort feel is exceptionally high for such a decorative bra. The band and inner materials are silky soft, so despite the glamorous look of the exterior I easily forget I'm wearing it. The band length compares to an Empreinte 30. It measures looser than what I would normally wear, but doesn't ride up on the third hook. I don't feel like I need to hook it as tight as a UK 30 in order to get the same amount of support, if that makes sense. The cups, surprisingly narrow and projected, give a nice naturally rounded profile. The halfcup shape is a little fuller coverage than a Polish halfcup, and gives a "soft hills" rather than y-shaped cleavage effect. My only disappointment with this bra is that the straps are only half-adjustable, and currently I have them adjusted as short as they go. I'm neither tall nor petite at 5'5" but now I'm wondering if I'm higher set than I thought. Eventually, a strap saver may be in order! Read more 216 more words
Every Aubade bra I've tried so far had too long straps and I don't find myself high set. This bra is no exception, I have the straps fully adjusted and they're still to long and I have to readjust them at least once a day.
vesela_krava Oh that's good to know! I was wondering if it was just me... it's such a good fit otherwise. Looks like I might be investing in a strap saver then :)
I have an 80G (UK 30F, supposedly) aubade terracotta that has an 11.75" cup depth. I know aubade typically runs 1-2 cups big, but these measurements seem to match a 32H/HH UK with insanely narrow cups. What's going on here and what size does it actually fit like?
I have the other bra on here, the 30E, and same story in this size as well. I meant to buy a 30F but must have misclicked/ wasn't paying attention, and I'm glad I did cause it runs very large, both in the band and the cup. I ended up keeping it since it fits okay enough at the tightest hook, and it was only like $15 on Amazon at the time. It's wild to me, I have multiple aubade bras and have tried on many more and this one is just BIG.
The quality of all the little details on this bra is astounding, however sadly it is too big so it will have to be returned. Interestingly, the other Aubade padded half cup I tried was too small (it was a 80F), so I thought 80G would be my size, but there is tons and tons of room in the cups that I can't fill.
This is the non-padded/molded version. Compared to the padded version, the cups are much, much larger.
This version has sheer, two part (one single seam down the middle) cups. The lace and detailing is absolutely gorgeous. There are so many beautiful details to this bra and photos don't do it justice.
Fit wise, I would call it narrow and projected. The straps are comfortable, and the best part is, they aren't so wide that they're in my arm pits! Nearly all half cups seem to give me this issue since I'm pretty petite, but that is not an issue here.
Really pretty and looks like a nice fit!