I wanted to buy two bras to make the shipping worth it to Canada from this France, so I selected this one. Soooo pretty! I feel like a bébé lawyer. Wow, Empreinte runs very consistent. VERY CONSISTENT. I mean, the size is the same in between styles. Sign of a quality brand!
As far as sizing in Empreinte, it might be better to see a professional, aka just try on bras in person. Empreinte has a variety of shapes, some cups are more pointy, and other cups are rounded, like the Cassiopee.
This bra is gorgeous! It looks like it fits you, too. You said it minimizes the profile and maximizes the front view. What do you mean by the latter? Does it make you look wider from the front?
Maybe it's just the flower pattern playing tricks on my eyes though.
Interesting, I know it looks like it fits, but I feel like the band isn't tight enough. I guess I would have to try a 32 band (70 EU band) to compare if that's too tight. It's possible this is the best size for me.
It probably does look like it's tight enough. I just like my bra bands really tight.
Oh, interesting. This women just wrote about having uneven tension in the band. A tell tale sign of this is having the side seam at an angle, instead of perpendicular to the ground. "Uneven tension can make the band feel too loose and the bra unsupported even though it's right size on either the top or bottom of the band." I'm not really sure what she means by this. Here is the comment https://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/comments/17b8puh/comment/k5it3x8/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Ya, I wouldn't size down in the band. The tension in the band looks good. If you size down it might distort the cups and so it won't fit well anymore. But you might be experiencing uneven band tension like the user above had mensioned.
I see what you mean about the side-minimizing and front-widening appearance, BraOdyssey . Most of the Empreinte bras I have feel somewhat loose in the band. It's hard to find Empreinte 30 bands. I feel supported despite this. However all my Empreinte bras are molded ones that hold their shape when empty. I'm lucky there's a shape match.
I wish you could try on a variety of band and cup combinations. Maybe a different combo would give a different shape. How does this bra look under clothes? Does it do what you want it to do?
Gorgeous bra built for very narrow, very projected shapes with considerable inner fullness. Materials feel and look very luxurious. Stitching, etc. is impeccable.
Runs huge, huge, HUGE. I am normally a 32FF (uk) also known as a 70/85G in European or French sizes. This is a French 85F, but it is a solid 2 cup sizes too big for me; it's both way too tall and way too deep in the cup.
If you are normally a 32G or even GG in UK sizes, and have average proportions, this would probably fit you very well. If you have been sizing way up in UK brands ...to get enough depth, but usually deal with too-wide wires, you may also find that you can fit in the Empreinte size matrix even though in theory you ought to be sized out by a mile. If a 32F is 12.5 inches deep and correspondingly tall, you can just imagine how deep and tall the 32G and H cups are.
The gore is also very narrow and tall, making this design very suitable for full and close-set ladies.
I'm really sad this is too large for me--it's a limited edition of the Thalia. It's black like the continuity style, but the top of the cups, straps, and front of the band are embroidered with subtle silvery-glittery thread. AND it comes with a little set of 3 adorable doo-dads that you can attach to the gore as decoration. This is serious glam! Read more 145 more words
Oh, this bra is gorgeous. Just crazy gorgeous. I usually don't go for lace but this lace seems really high-quality and it isn't scratchy at all. It's excellent as a t-shirt bra. Really? A non-molded t-shirt bra? Really.
The band is sooooooo stretchy. I guess this is what a leotard back is. It took some getting used to; at first I thought I could only wear it on the tighest hook but eventually I realized that it's designed to have some give to it so it is perfectly fine on the loosest hook.
The straps are gigantic and padded. This means the adjustable area of the strap is only ...a few inches instead of the entire length of the strap. Also pretty much impossible to wear under tank tops, which isn't a dealbreaker for me, but something to think about.
The cups seem to run slightly large, which is fine because I am often between a a 30G and a 30GG anyway. The material is verrrrrry forgiving and any gaping or wrinkling really doesn't show under clothes. This bra looks great under clothing (I keep checking myself out) and, well, without clothing too. It's lovely. It does show nippage very plainly though, so I can only wear it under multiple layers or when I know I will be particularly warm.
My only real problem is that the straps cut into the fronts of my arms. A lot of bras do this for me. I may have to do something about this one. There's no stretch to the straps or where the straps meet the cups.
The other weird thing is the slightly minimized appearance I get in this bra. Nothing to complain about, but it's weird to see my usually-quite-prominent boobs look a little muted.
I sized down a cup size due to Herrom reccomendations--but wish I had stayed with my usual 36F (this bra is a 36E). cups too shallow (quad boob) plus the gore does not tack on my sternum. other than that I like the looks of this bra and am going to exchange it for the hopefully correct size for me...UPDATE: I returned this bra for a 36F and it was too small in the cups. I had to pay return shipping to HerRoom so I am not going to try for a third bra. The price, poor fitting, has made my experience with empreinte very bad and I probably won't try their bras again. live and learn
Oh the Elise.... What a heartbreaker. I was happier than winning the lottery when I found this bra in 75E with all three matching bottoms in the saphire/marine colourway . It was love at first sight, but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. Empreinte is cruel to me with their sizes. I have 75Ds that are way too small and now this 75E that is a cup size too big. I chose the balconette, not the full cup cut, but even this one is way too roomy. Where do I begin... I don't think there is a need to explain the luxurious quality this brand is already well known ...for. There is no other brand with bands like this: comfortable, holds, does not stretch out and lasts forever. It doesn't need to be tight to hold everything in place. Lovely single embroidered mesh in my favourite colour, fully adjustable straps that are decorated at the front. The wires are narrow with deep cups, just as they should be for my shape. Fits like a UK 30FF, so about one cup size too big for me. First I was thinking about altering the cups for smaller, but I'd need to sew a dart in the gore, too. It seems like an expensive experiment with me having zero experience with such adjustments, so I don't want to butcher this beauty. All three bottoms are absolutely fabulous, but the panties are my favourite fit. Read more 132 more words
That is a gorgeous bra. I'm not the best at spotting fit problems in photos. Could you point out where the cups are a size too big? They look okay to me.
I can't believe you found your favorite color and three matching bottoms!
learningaboutbras The gore is too high - this is essentially a balconnet, but it fits me as a full cup. There is excess fabric all over with not enough lift, too roomy. Maybe its not visible on the pics, because my breasts are fluid like pendulous. The top of the cup is the loosest. I fill all bottoms of bra cups, as my liquid boobs just take up the given cup shape starting from the bottom upward.
erispe have you considered wearing a nude pad/liner inside the cup to fill it out a touch more? It is indeed a beautiful bra, and looks to be a near-fit. If you love it enough this could be worth a try. I have very fluid-like breasts as well and this strategy worked for me to add fill to my bras on low-volume days in my cycle. I eventually gave up on unlined bras altogether because of my breast type, preferring lightly padded styles that are almost always more forgiving of minor volume discrepancies (including my asymmetry).
2ks-rddit-80 Thanks for the idea, it is certainly worth a try. I actually do have some pads of various sizes.
Oh Empreinte with your 3cm increments! I find most of their demis fit like a full cup. You could try cookies just to tug all the fabric into the right place. Here are the photos of my Empriente adjustments, but I am very centre full so the outside dart works well.
I kept the Ornella, but I have now tried swaped wires and I have not yet figure them out yet. http://bra.pe/XVQa/
My most successful Empreint fit has been the Vivienne which is not the standard demi cut. I have also swaped the wires and not quite figured it out yet, but the wire swap here was a great deal more successful unaltered than the Ornella. http://bra.pe/XUnM/
maddy2596 Gee thanks for this! What do you reckon I could do with Elise? The top of the gore is really poking unless I pinch the lower part of it together. So when the gore stabbing stops, this actually opens up the upper part of the cups even more, so it starts doing waves on me. I am actually happy with the wire width - the length is more of a problem. I have no idea from where to take away from the cups. I have never narrowed a gore either, so clueless how to go about it in order to be functional and esthetically acceptable.
I find Empreinte usually leaves some extra room in the wire channel. You can start by seeing if you can push the wires down the channel from the gore. If there is space there, you might be able to effectively lower the gore without changing the shape. I have freakishly narrow roots so I have narrowed the wires in a whole bunch of bras and and slowly working through them to sort it out, but I do know that Empreinte wires are a bit curved inwards at the top of the outside edge and thus may start poking on the outside if you stop the poking at the centre. If shifting the wires in the channel seems to help, getting them to stay put can be challenging. I'd suggest using overlapping stiches (needle goes in forward on top and comes up halfway back from the bottom so that the stiches overlap) and work each channel at least three times remebering that it is the single thread that crosses the wire channel that is holding the wire in place, not the stitches showing on the top of the fabric. I'd recommend doing a zig zag top stich after your several layers of overlapping straight stich (needle goes in below the line of the straight stitch from the top and comes up above the straight stitch from the bottom, in below and up above - and then the reverse as well backwards to create a zig zag on both top and bottom, in above and up below).
The general rule about hand sewing bras is that if the needle is sharp and the stitch firm, you can always cut the thread and completely remove it if you don't like it. It is when the stiches are tentative that the problems happen. All fabric, even lacy ones, are made of thread in a net. Some fabrics have a loose weave so you can see the holes like a cross stitch mesh in grade school. Higher quality weaves have finer threads and smaller holes. However, if the needle pierces the threads cleanly, the thread it draws goes straight through and doesn't attach to the faric threads. If the needle wobbles through, it can draw the thread into knots with the fabric threads. Elasticized and embroidered fabrics can be harder to work with, but the principle still holds. No fabric functions like sheet plastic. Piercing fabric is not the problem. There is no seal. The problem happens when dull needles sloppily (usually tentatively) partially perforate a whole bunch of fabric threads at once and tie them all in knots by smushing them together. Use a finer, sharp needle, and be confident with each stich. If you do not own a stitch ripper, get one. They are super cheap and function like erasers in sewing. If you use the stich ripper's point to isolate the thread from the fabric and rip the thread only without hooking the embroidery or fabric threads, your added stitches completely disappear as if never there.
As to how to work with the cups, I put the bra on and use pins to try out different seam options. The general rule I find is that how ever I have pinned it, I err on the cautious side and sew the smaller dart just inside the pins, rather than try to take out more than the pins do. Start with pinching the fabric to form a fold and pin the fold. Then I flatten the fold back to the fabric so that I sew two lines like you can see in my pics. I use an overlapping stitch as the fabric can be delicate and a single stitch would not provide enough of an anchor for when I move around in it. Sewing the elastic edging is pretty simple too - just pierce sharply and straight through without detours. I finish the top edge of the elastic with a blanket stitch (an edging stitch where you loop the needle though the last stich before you make the next one so that it makes a line along the edge and each stich look like the arms of an E). I always over sew, rather than under sew, knowing that the more stiches the less tension on each individual thread. Smooth and pin the cup flat, knowing that it is curved, and don't try to out think the curve - the fabric itself is all flat, not round, so seams are all flat and magically make flat fabric round.
I have put darts in the top cup both just inside the strap attachment and in the inner edge about an inch out from the gore and along the diagonal seam in addition to the ones on Ornella and Jasmine. Play with it. Empreinte mesh is more sturdy than it looks and so long as you don't force the needle to punch through spots it really doesn't want to go and are careful with the embroidery sections, the fabric quaility makes it easier to work with for a beginner than some of the cheaper fabrics in cheaper bras. Before you tie off, you can always un thread the needle and pull the whole thread out undoing all your stitching. If you are really worried, you could take it to a tailor. Even those that don't specialize in bra fitting could do a cup dart super easy, provided you are comfortable letting them pin your boobs! Just be sure to say "no cutting" and they can do magic that is completely reversible. I have a little Chinese lady in my neighbourhood whom I go to with challenging fabrics and dresses and so long as you don't mind the scrutiny and the poking and touching, it can be a lot of fun.
Good luck with it! A bra that is too small is hopeless. Anything that is too big, can be worked with.
Thank you maddy2596 for the detailed instructions. Not sure if I'll have the courage, but if so this will be my sewing manual. :)
This is the third Empreinte bra I tried. I wrote pretty negative reviews about Nikki and Anna (Both 65G) but I'm happy I gave Emreinte another chance because, believe it or not, I actually love this bra. I wish Emreinte would extand their size range a little bit, the size thing is really the biggest issue for me.
But first - superficially it's obviously beautifull. I don't know what deserves the title "french luxury lingerie" more then this. The color is amazing and fits me pretty well I think. Unfortunatly they didn't have the shorts or normal panty anymore so I got the thong (They had a sale ...so ugh I like to own matching sets!), I usually don't really wear thongs but was really surprised that this one is really soft and comfortable. This bra is very well done and this time I do actually think that it is worth the price and from the reviews I've seen on here Cassiopée seems to fit a range of differend breat shapes. The Cups are Seemless and I guess adapt well to your shape. I'm FoB and CF but with tall roots and these cups work super well for me. They make a really good rounded shape, the Cups are really spacious and comfortable and the straps are soft on the skin but strong and not stretchy. The gore doesn't tack perfectly, but almost, I do hope it's gonna tack as I'm loosing weight.
The biggest (only) problem here is the large band. I would usually choose 65/30 but the cups would definitely be to small. with the 65G the cups fit almost perfect but I almost immediatly had to use the tightest hook for it to not ride up in the back. I am not going to send this back, I am going to keep it because I like it and it's almost perfect but I'm tried to alter the band a few times already and the seam I made is pretty ugly and scratchy. If anyone knows a good band altering tutorial pleeeease feel free to share!
I'm definitely going to keep an eye on french lingerie in the future and try more. Read more 255 more words
~70J/32G ~65K/30GG, projected, bottom and center full, tall roots, avarage root width, soft tissue ----- I'm not a big fan of the design now that I've actually seen them in real life, and also the color looks quite different to the pictures online on this one. This is probably the most puke-colored bra I've ever seen, and the straps are rediculously massiv with applications on them that are also really effing massiv. The cups give me cone and table-boob and cut in on the top. I guess they're a bit too projected and closed off for me.
Such a bummer! Sorry for the bad experience. Are they returnable at least?
Yep, returns always work very well and quick where I ordered, fortunatly :)
That's great! You were able to give it a try but not stuck with a horrible bra as a result. It's a win experience then. Yay! And we thank you for the added data and experience you shared for the database . Thank you!
Empreinte definitely has a distinctive and very consistent cup shape and grading approach, at least in their unlined/unpadded designs, and if a wearer's proportions diverge too much from what their designers assume, or if the cup is not a size that works, it will be a major fit fail. I'm glad you can return these! I am just curious about the prices offered by German retailers though (since I see that's where you are based). Do they sell Empreinte for very high prices? It's a French brand and although there are huuuuge export markups outside the EU, within France at least it's not a brand with luxury price points or a super premium luxury image--their image is more that of a good, solid quality specialty brand. A bit better than Chantelle (formerly they would have been equivalent but Chantelle has started cheaping out on materials horribly, unfortunately) but not nearly as fancy as Lise Charmel for instance, and probably even a bit below Aubade just in terms of how recherche the designs and embellishments are. The shape works well for me so I regularly buy Empreinte from discounters or during the sales, and I find at 30-40 Euros it is very good value since the bras are really durable. If you are reading user or blogger reviews from North American customers you may be given a misleading image of the brand because those people would have to pay an OBSCENE price point for Empreinte if they purchased in their country at full price. So I've seen people refer to Empreinte as if it was a very, very high end, almost couture product, which it is definitely not. Just a good solid member of the bourgeoisie, not bra royalty or anything ;-)
Nikki was originally 92€, Anna was 107€, on sale for 75€ + I have a bunch of 15% discount codes for the website I ordered on (Lace.de - for some reason they keep sending me these codes lol), so I was able to order both bras for ca. 140€.
I tried Chantelle before and I definitely prefer them when it comes to quality. I think the nicest feeling bras I ever tried were from Chantelle, Mark&Spencer, Sugar Shape (relatively new german brand), Katherine Hamilton and I think Fantasie, but most of them were really bad fits for me, the wires are simply too wide most of the time and the cups too projected and cut off at the top and the KH was a C-Grade bra from the outlet section. All of those brands, except for Katherine Hamilton, were more afordable and felt way nicer them Empreinte. The fabric on the Nikki bra was even a bit itchy, wich surprised me, a lot of reviews I read specifically said that the material is comfortable even if the bra has a lot of applications. My skin is really sensitive so this is a big issue for me. I know there are brands that are even more expensive but for 99% of the average population on this planet 100€ or $ or whatever is really really expensive for one bra, it's a price you pay if you want to splurge on a really really really good item, that fits perfectly and feels like great quality and Empreinte is not that kind of a brand for me, sadly. Anything over 50€ is actually too much for me atm, but not having even one single bra that fits and is comfortable is something that has such a negative impact on my everyday life that I basically just bit the bullet and hoped for the best. It all depends on the perspective, really.
Oh yes, if your skin is very sensitive some of Empreinte's materials will not be comfortable because their bras tend to be very embellished. Nikki in particular looks like it has a lot of texture going on. If you liked the brand's shape I could probably recommend some that were nice and smooth but as it's a bad match for your shape obviously it's not something you want to pursue. I agree Chantelle's newer materials are much softer to the touch--I miss their old ones because they were more robust but I think you would have hated them because they were not nearly so smooth! Perhaps that is why they changed them.
Are you small in height, or short-waisted, or with small shoulders/small build? Just asking because UK bras like Fantasie, Curvy Kate and so on are apt to have wider-spaced straps that will mess up the fit of the upper cup in more petite-framed wearers especially if they are in a higher cup range. French brands tend to have more centered straps even in youthful designs because French people are not as tall or well-built in frame as Nordic/British/Germanic bra-wearers--if I knew your fit needs I could recommend some well-priced options.
I am really sorry to hear it's been such a struggle finding bras that fit recently! I do not see any photos of you in a bra, but my impression of your shape based on your comments is that perhaps the fullest part of the breast is fairly tall, more than the average. Does that sound right? (If you've taken all the breast measurements, a sign of a "tall" yet full shape would be a vertical breast perimeter that is equal, or almost equal to the horizontal one. People with average breast proportions tend to have a vertical perimeter that is appreciably smaller than the horizontal one--for example when I was about a 32FF/30G I had a good 4-5cm difference-- so a lot of bras are proportioned that way as well. This means they will often cut in or fail to tack on someone whose boob shape is taller.)
If that sounds like it might be correct there are definitely options out there but you are absolutely correct in observing that many bras will lack the height and volume you need. FWIW, the now-inactive, but very prolific blogger BrasIHate has (or used to have, back then) a shape like this, although she dubbed it "full on top" (which only describes one aspect of her shape). Anyway, her old bra reviews might help to get visual impression of the constructions that work best for that shape.
I'm actually half colombian and definitaly build more southamerican then germanic, I'm 165cm and have a pretty short upper body. I do have rather broad shoulders but the straps on Nikki were too far apart, I felt them cutting in somewhere right between my breast and shoulder joint. It can be difficult to figure out your shape but judging from what I've tried and from the guide on the ABTF reddit my last guess was that I'm narrow and projected with tall roots? I think my root goes up to my collarbone even if it dosen't look like it when I'm not wearing a bra, I can push my tissue up all the way to the collarbone. I also figured out that narrow U-shaped wires fit me the best. Shallow bras are always a total fail but bras like this one that are to short in hight and too closed off are almost as bad.
I thought about trying the panache basics (Andorra, Envy, Jasmin, Tango ?) that are constantly recommended for figuring out your shape but that might be a waste off time after all. I tried so much but some bras are just hard to get my hands on, I literally found only one german website that offers a lot of panache bras and they don't have the sizes I need half the time. From what I remember most british bras were not tall and narrow enough for me, like the cup would be one size too small but the wire already too wide so I don't even need to bother trying a size up, it's always something like that. Or there's not enough immediate projection, a lot of bras lack space in either the top or the bottom of the cup, it's like my boobs always try to find a way out haha Oh nooo BrasIHate seems really interesting, too bad she's inactive :/ I posted a photo in my Mimi Holliday review, the Coco Loco was too small in the cup sadly but the shape wasn't bad, Coco Loco and Cleo Piper are my best fits at the moment but both are way too small in the cup
juliaae ok I took a look at the Coco Loco photo. Yes! I think your description of your shape is exactly right, actually. Narrow, projected and very tall.
I am not sure if you have the exact same "type" of tall shape that is most common. A lot of people will say mention have tall roots and it's true, they do, but in most cases they are talking about a moderate-thickness, nicely tapering amount of tissue that really just makes a straight line from the apex of the breast up to the collarbone. People like that can have boobs of all sizes and other dimensions, but with that shape (tall and very tapered upper boob) they will tend to need bras that also have an upper cup which has a sort of flat upper portion, and which matches the slope of their own tapered upper boob-line. So for these people, the famous Panaches like the Tango (harder to fit) or the Jasmine (a bit more forgiving) work really well in the right size, usually, if the wire width doesn't bother them. They will struggle with cups that curve up and around and then come in abruptly to contain a rounder upper boob (these are often described as "closed on top" like the Cleo Lily for instance).
Since your photo is from the front, I can't tell if your shape is mostly like that, or if you have a more rounded-and-tall shape, with a distinctly tall rounded and projected breast mass and no super straight tapering line. The rounded-and-tall shape is one of the variants of the shape often described as looking in profile like a letter b or d, with the round bit representing the main projected part of the boob. I am sure you've heard of it--people sometimes refer to it as "full on bottom" when in fact the upper breast can still be full but not tall meaning they fit petite height cups. Whereas if you also have this shape but have tall boobs, your shape is still roughly the same but with different vertical proportions: it's now a taller b or d, basically.
On people like BrasIHate the fit issue is that this rounded, full upper portion of the breast is already taller than average, plus it doesn't end super abruptly. On her it tapers slightly to the collarbone I believe, whereas on other people there is more really noticeable boob thickness going all the way up, but either way, all the upper boob business from nipple on up remains quite fleshy and curvy, not a real straight line. Sometimes bra seams will sit weirdly on these "tall but rounded all over" people, as if the apex of their breast was undefined--in fact, their natural breast apex might be defined, it depends, but either way, it just gets smushed higher in the cup, because that natural breast apex is so much higher up than the bra's apex. There can even be an odd wrinkly or unfilled area in the middle or lower-middle part of the cup, because the apex of the breast can't really settle at the lower point where the designer expected it to be on a cup of a given depth... andalso the whole breast tends to overflow at the top due to insufficient cup height and/or insufficient depth and curve in the upper portion. The Panaches with that straight tapered upper cup (Tango!) tend to be impossible for these people to wear but sometimes the Envy or Andorra are ok. Very occasionally a Jasmine. But overall, any bra that is super open on top or has better-than-average cup height while keeping generous depth (compared to the width of the bra) and a rounded structure will tend to work. Cleo Marcie often works if the projection-to-height ratio is compatible, and if the person's shoulders are not too narrow.
Further variant: lot of the "letter b" people instead have this projected mass and then there is not a meaningful amount of tissue above it, there's no tapering. I am like this for example, you can see some of my photos in my bra reviews--you'll see I have a really short torso as well, but since my boobs just "end" abruptly without tapering, and since they are not especially tall, my main challenge is just to fit the center fullness. In contrast, someone with taller boobs will often not fit the same bras as me. They can wear a closed-in upper cup but the design of the cup has to match their overall breast height, their apex height, AND it has to be able to adapt to their round and curvy upper breast shape.
Anyway all that is very long-winded--as the saying goes, "sorry, I did not have time to write something shorter" (i.e. concise and well-written). Maybe it will give you some clues about the dimensions of a cup that would fit you better--you can search by measurements throughout the Bratabase entries and see if anything looks promising.
I'm kind of impressed, where the hell do you learn all of these things :D "...it just gets smushed higher in the cup, because that natural breast apex is so much higher up than the bra's apex. There can even be an odd wrinkly or unfilled area in the middle or lower-middle part of the cup, because the apex of the breast can't really settle at the lower point where the designer expected it to be on a cup of a given depth." That sounds familliar. I'm quite similar to brasihate from the side I think, in a bra everything gets shoved up and I'm ofter very curvy on top and more tappered and fob without a bra. If I ever find THAT bra I won't ever let go of it again and buy every single shade available but for now I just gotta keep searching haha
Aww thank you... get older and older and older and eventually, if you've sustained a bra obsession, you too will pick up all this stuff! I've had many years and many bra-fitting SOS calls/messages from friends to help me learn.
There are definitely "tall" bras out there--it will just be a matter of finding them. Judging from BrasIHate's reviews, it seems that back in 2011-2015 she tended to get a decent fit in Bravissimo's own brand and also in Cleo Marcie, so those could be a place to start.
If you don't mind nonwired bras, I think that may make things a bit easier because you won't have to worry about wire width, only the height of the overall cup structure.
Finally, in general, if you are good with google and keyword searches, some clever search strings to look for reviews where people complained about the fit problems experienced by someone with average height boobs in a cup that is TOO tall for them, will often help you find those taller-than average designs. Try "gaping on top" "gaping near straps" "cup too tall" "cannot fill top" etc.
This is my second Empreinte Melody Contour Demi Cup in 32E. I picked up this NWT gem for a real deal after going on a hunt because I adored the Melody I picked up here from a fellow Bratabaser. Interestingly, this one is fitting differently than the other - it seemed smaller sort of overall. I decided it was more likely due to me (my body and breasts change depending on where I am in my cycle) until I took a look at the measurements side by side. The Caramel colorway IS smaller. Not by a ton, but it's enough to give me ...some quadding I wish I didn't have. The band is considerably smaller and less stretchy, and that is actually something I'm happy about - I'm on the closest set of hooks with my other Melody, whereas on this new one I'm on the farthest set. This experience and discrepant observations aren't steering me away from this style - I still quite like it - I just find it hard to understand how these bras can retail for $100+ USD with anything less than exacting quality control. I will not be paying retail for one of these bras, ever. Still, the projection, shape, support, and firm yet minimal "padding" are everything I want in a bra. Read more 121 more words
This bra is pretty amazing. Nothing has yet matched my immediate projection AND narrow roots AND given me so much beautiful lift and shaping. There are two things about this bra that, for me are not dealbreakers, but are things others should be aware of - 1) The band is STRETCHY. I started the day on the third hook and am now on the first hook. I will happily alter if need be, but knowing this as I now do, I would have sized down to a 30. This is saying a lot, because 32's are typically TIGHT on me. 2) The ...straps will not go any longer - not a problem for me but for anyone else it could be. I mean very literally that the straps are at maximum length, there is no adjustment left. If you have low set breasts or are taller than the average American woman (64" or thereabouts, I'm 65" with a long torso) you could have a frustrating problem. Now that that's out of the way, back to the pros! My breasts completely fill these cups, including when I am sitting. The cup is an E and I usually take an F, so it's on the larger side for an E, meaning perfect for me as I'm a little deflated from yo-yo weight gain/loss over the years. The center gore is fairly high but comfortable on me - my breasts have some separation. The bra is moulded and therefore padded throughout, but not by a lot... it's like an extra thick lining that hides nipples and provides fantastic shaping. My breasts when unsupported are pendulous (see my shape set http://bra.pe/KCho/ for an idea of what I mean) and this bra picks them right up, when the reverse is often true. Even when I am sitting they stay supported - there is none of that annoying sinking feeling and breast-to-torso contact I so dislike. The lace overlay is really pretty, and gives this otherwise t-shirt bra a nice feminine touch. Under the slinkiest material I own the pattern does not show through. I don't know that I'd ever pay the ridiculous American retail price for this bra ($179, um no....) but I'd buy it again for the price I've paid for other mid-range bras. Read more 292 more words
This is the result of my recent visit in Empreinte’s atelier. I initially just wanted to discover the brand and determine my size. If I were to buy an Empreinte bra on internet, I would probably try a 80E (and this is also the size their online calculator suggests). The French 80 bands translate to the British 30. In theory, my British 30F size translates to the European 65G or French 80G but I seem to mostly wear 80F in French brands. As Empreinte’s cups are known for being deep, I would probably go down from the 80F to the 80E. I couldn’t be more wrong… Thus I’m happy ...I actually got fitted by them. After being measured, I was given a 75F to try on but it turned out way too big in the cups. The 75E was perfect in terms of cup volume. I was really surprised when I saw the label – it says the 75E is equivalent to 30E. Normally, the French 75 bands translate to the British 28 but it seems Empreinte has its own sizing chart. I tried two types of construction: the seamless one and the 3 part balconette they call “corbeille”. I’m very disappointed because the balconette doesn’t work on my breast shape https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> I love their balconettes because they have the best designs and the most beautiful laces, but unfortunately in 75E the gore is too high and very hard making it painful and the cups are too closed off (even if I’m FOB). I tried the sister size 80D hoping the wires would be softer and the looser band would make the gore wearable. The wires are the same, but the gore and the cups are actually lower. This size could work but the band is unfortunately too loose. The other styles I tried were the seamless Melody and Cassiopée. I was very surprised with the fit. The cups are very high and I would call this cut fullcup. I’ve never bought fullcups because I thought they give a pointy shape but this one is surprisingly rounded. It’s also a tiny bit to closed off but there’s no major quadding. The underwires are quite narrow, comparable to the EM, and hard but I don’t have the gore issue in this cut. As mentioned, the cups offer much coverage and the straps attachment is placed really high. I thought it would result in empty space in the upper part as I don’t really have breast tissue up there but there’s no wrinkling. I already have some unpadded bras and they all have cups running high under the armpits causing some discomfort. There’s no such issue in this bra as the straps are quite close set. I would possibly prefer them wider because I have narrow root but I can deal with it. The straps seem sturdy and their stretchiness is only 30% according to the label, offering great support. They’re also rather long so they can accommodate low set breast. The band is very comfortable. It also seems it’ll stretch out a little bit because it’s only made of a single layer and the elastics seem less sturdy than in EM bras, but I don’t think it’ll require alteration. There are no words to describe how beautiful this bra is. I love laces but I’ve never seen a lace like this before. It’s intricate and shiny, all that I love! I think it’s right to say that I’ve never worn such a beautiful bra so far, I feel like a queen wearing it ^^. The quality and the materials are really good and the bra is really well made. However, when I compare it to my other bras, I have to admit that EM materials are the most suitable for the size and thus the most comfortable and the only Avocado I own is the best made bra I’ve ever seen (even if the shape and comfort aren’t perfect). This comparison proves that the Polish brands make a great job even though the French brands use incredibly beautiful materials. Read more 573 more words
Very short, projected, slightly narrow, close set, even center-full breasts...
These wires are delightfully soft: a welcome relief from Panache's heat-treated, extra firm wires. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":-)" /> The materials feel both delicate and supportive. And, the projection this model allows is magnificent. The straps I long to show: they are lovely. If you have narrow, short-rooted, projected breasts, you want....uh....NEED this bra. If the wires were wider (I never thought I'd say that), this would fit me better. Ideal for projected, narrow breasts!! This is not a fit for me, and it will be listed soon https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":-)" />
Oh, such a shame this one's not a fit for you. What UK size would you say this one corresponds to?
DTT, have you received the Comexim you ordered in December. I know you ordered from Canada. It took almost exactly one month for my Comexim to arrive from Poland.
BaliBoy not yet, but I'm so ready for its arrival :-) @erispe To me, the cup dimensions (height and width) are a 30E, but the depth is like a 30F/FF. Truly, it is very well-suited for narrow, projected breasts :-)
erispe I was so afraid the cups would be too tall that I ordered the shortest cup I could find. In retrospect, I wish I had bought the taller cup :-)
I am completely in the dark with their sizing. The 30D fits like a 30DD, but the 30E fits like this and there is no size inbetween. I am trying to change my order that had three 30Ds to 30Es, but I don't know if they'd do it or if it is even a good idea. It is just so unfortunate that the users who added bras in our size range have not added measurements.
If we could convince Empriente to send us a few, I'm certain we could dramatically increase their sales. I don't have the cash available to buy more than one at a time. Darn. If I were independently wealthy, I'd buy habitat for millions of animals and bras ;-) What a dichotomy ;-) I'm amazed by the projection and softness of the fabric! I'm definitely purchasing another just so I can add data: somebody's got to do it ;-) ;-)
A narrow, projected bra good for short roots with a center pull strap?! What a find... I wish there were more bras with center pull straps. Maybe I'll find one before one of my bras saws my arms off. :P
I thought ordering a full cup style would be risky, the 3 part balcony, "decolleté" seemed the most simpatico to me. I tend get FOT in some bras, despite origally being FOB to even shape. Oh yes, I'd love to review some free Empreintes purely for science's sake. :)
My first experience with Empreinte and I'm so impressed! I got this from VioletIridescence. It's a gorgeous bra with a lot of added details and beautiful shades of purple. It's a moulded bra so I did not expect a perfect fit, but it's the best moulded bra I have tried to date. I need a narrow cup, fairly short cup, immediate projection, and a low gore and this bra checks all those boxes! There's gapping at the top of the cup when I move because it's moulded and I don't have a lot of upper fullness, but it fits very well otherwise. I tried some jumping jacks and jiggling and although there was gapping, I still felt contained and supported so I don't mind gapping if I don't have to worry about anything accidentally popping out. I'm very impressed with this moulded bra.
Happy2BraShop thank you! I keep telling myself to stop buying so many bras and then I see listings like this one and I decide it's too pretty and I need it haha
Looks so great on you! Happy to hear it worked out!
~70J/32G ~65K/30GG, projected, bottom and center full, tall roots, avarage root width, soft tissue ----- I had high hopes for Nikki, but I'm sort of conflicted. I actually do really like the style of the fabric, the applications and I love how much of a shallowish round shape it gives, but then on the other hand, It's just too much. The straps for example are absolutely massive on both models I ordered (Nikki and Anna). They're so freakin wide and thick, I can only imagine how wired these bras would look unter a simple top in summer. I also get that a lot of people are looking for wide straps, ...but for me personally, it just dosen't make me feel good. The moment I looked into the mirror while trying this it reminded me of how limited my options are because of my unusual size and how I can't be picky about such things even if they bother me. If it would have fit otherwise I would keep it but sadly the gore dosen't tack and the cups are overall to small (And probably too shallow). I thought to myself "give it a shot, wear it for a day", but as soon as I put my shirt back on and started moving normally I felt so uncomfortable. I think the fact that the band runs large in this brand, combined with how badly the cups fit makes this a really uncomfortable "unstable" fit. Read more 133 more words
Sorry the fit was less than ideal. Unfortunately high price does not always equal a quality product. Hopefully you will find a well fitting bra that you enjoy soon.
Hm 75cm stretched is about right for a 30 band (at least my EM 30s). Does it stretch more than that?
I guess I could stretch it more then that but I'm gonna return it and don't want to stretch it out or something, I compared it to the Mimi Holliday bra in 30GG I recently got and it was quite a bit tighter. However, the band isn't the biggest problem, the cut just isn't quite right for me. And I think the gore beeing so high in the middle might be a problem, these types of bras always seem to be a bad fit for me :/
I’m a big fan of this bra. I’m short (5’) and often have trouble finding underwires that aren’t too wide for my frame. The cups are close and narrow, and have the best projection of any bra I’ve tried. The material in the cups is remarkable. There are no seams but they don’t stretch over time. I was fitted for this bra, and the fitter told me they use technologically more advanced materials. At the time, I thought that was probably hookum. But, I think she might be right. The material is sturdy, even though it’s lacy and comfortable. When I got ...this bra, I was fitted into a 38H in Primadonna and a 36G in Empreinte. The sizer told me that Empreinte does fit differently. If you buy one, definitely go down a cup size. I’m not sure quite how to advise on the band. The bands are more elastic/prone to stretching than Primadonna’s. The full length of the straps is adjustable (which is good for my short torso). My only complaint is that the straps are a bit wide-set for my shoulders- a problem I find with most bras. Empreinte makes an @Appoline style which has closer straps that I prefer. Read more 107 more words
This is my 3rd cheaply acquired Empreinte, courtesy of a German lingerie purveyor on eBay. Like my other two, the cups are probably a full cup size too small for me, but the fit is otherwise so dang good I'm willing to write off the quadding as a minor problem. If I lose weight it comes straight out of my breasts so this could be a perfect fit ten pounds down from now. Anyway, this denim color is a pretty deep blue lace - with almost a hint of teal - over black moulded cups. The bra band is comfortably stretchy but does not ride up. The projection is pretty generous so I don't have to adjust my boobs too much throughout the day. I would never buy this bra at full price but I'm happily enjoying these bargain acquisitions. The shape they give me under clothing is very nice - lifted and rounded, and front and center. I enjoy that my upper arms don't run into side boob all day.
Me: Narrow roots, narrow shoulders, evenly round, lots of immediate projection, very soft tissue, slightly FoB, slightly centre full, splayed, never met a gore I didn't like, left-heavey by more than a cup size, 31" underbust, but prefer tight band with extender. Panache, Freya size 30GG
Another Empreinte failure. Absolutely beautiful bra!!! But ... too small. It measures as 30cm deep, but I quad baddly and push out over the outside. This band feels tighter than other models I have tried, but it is otherwise the same shape as the 30G seamed demis I have tried.
Narrow wires, lots of immediate projection, very, very well built -straps, hooks narrow gore and no extra room in the wire channel. Straps are only barely long enough, though that is usual for me. Gorgeous purple colour and embroidery with metalic thread accents. Ribbon ribbed straps, good side boning.
Just too small - fits like a 30FF/G or more like a 28G/GG
So I think I definitely fell for Empreinte bras. After my trials in their atelier, I thought their unpadded balconettes weren't made for me. The gore seemed very stubby and the cups cut in. However I decided to order Ornella online at a bargain price. I thought that I could overcome these issues when trying it at home and putting it on more carefully. While trying bras at home is definitely better than in store, I was still facing the same issues. The cutting in isn’t actually that bad and the quadding decreases while wearing the bra so it’s not my main problem. However the gore was trying ...to kill me. It was very painful and left a red mark after a very short time of wear. Other than that, the bra is very comfortable, the band is perfect, just like the straps placement and overall shape. As it’s also very beautiful, I had to do something with the problematic gore. Pushing the wires down in the channels didn’t quite work as the gore was still hurtful and the wires went back up in the channels. As a last resort, I tried to bend the wires off my sternum. My first attempt was a fail, I didn’t feel much difference. The second attempt, much more drastic https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />, turned out to be successful and I’m now happy to wear my Ornella without any discomfort. I’m really surprised to see that the gore actually still tacks. I tried to understand why the gore in this particular cut is so painful for me while I can barely feel it in Cassiopée and it’s even higher! I compared the wires in both bras and their form is different. The wires in Cassiopée are straight at the gore, thus they’re joint more or less from the base to the top (real U shape) while in Ornella the wires ends are more opened and they meet only at the top of the gore. I guess it somehow affects the pressure distribution and the pressure is more concentrated on the wires’ end in Ornella. This cut is a very good construction. It offers a great support, my boobs are immobilized. The shape is rather natural and more projected than in Cassiopée. I’m not sure if this would work for all kind of projected boobs though because the bottom of the cup seems a little bit shallow (at least in my size). It’s not a problem for me as my tissue is very soft and if there’s not enough space at the bottom of the cup, my boobs will just try to escape by the upper part without any discomfort. That being said, it seems that the material has softened since I started wearing the bra and this even before I washed it. The wires are also narrow like in Cassiopée, but their form under my armpits is different - they dont go straight to my armpit but are lightly directed to my back. The difference is really tiny. The band compared to Cassiopée is a little bit lower. Overall, I’m happy I persisted with this cut, because it offers such a great support during the day plus it's really beautiful and I can now try a whole lot of other beauties.
Me: Narrow roots, narrow shoulders, evenly round, lots of immediate projection, very soft tissue, slightly FoB, slightly centre full, splayed, never met a gore I didn't like, left-heavey by more than a cup size, 31" underbust, but prefer tight band with extender. Panache, Freya size 30GG
Wires seem overly eager to distort. They measure 14.5cm but they fit more like 15.5 or 16 -even with a full extender added. I don't need the extender to fasten the band, but this band is different material than my other Empreintes. Instead of the shiny, elastic synthetic band, this has a layer of lace on top. ...Possibly this shortens the stretch?
Otherwise, side boning, three hooks, thick straps, very narrow and tall centre gore, lots of room for my centre fullness, straps are set narrow enough and are ribbed for no-slip.
Ivory white fabric and details. Faint peach embroidery lining the white embroidery (see photo). Beautiful! Single lay of no-stretch mesh on whole cup. Funny ruffled lace on the inside of the front of the strap. Definitely impedes strap shortening, especially as strap is line with foam for the length of the lace.
The only odd thing is the shape. It is slightly pointed (green shape) and very front and centre and would be perfect, except I get an odd flattening on the outside plain directly beneath the strap attachment. This prompts a bulge on the side just instide the wire. I have put in a photo from underneath as it seems the best way to capture it. I also took an identical photo with me holding a dart in the elastic between the strap and the outside of the underwire. It seems to fix the problem. I think this is what the correct shape would look like if the wires were actually narrow enough for me. I will experiment with a dart there and other things. I think it is because of my relative centre fullness. the shape from the top is also fixed if I push my tissue in from the bottom centre and it compensates by pushing out the flat part in the cup. Another soft tissue issue. sigh. This is the same alteration I am using on my Comexim half cups with the straps moved in. I might be better with a sister size up in the band and replacing the wires with narrower firmer ones - but that is not an experiment I want to try with a brand new, and expensive, bra.
Edit:
So, I fixed the shape problem! In doing so, I moved the straps wider and made it murder on my armpits 🙁. I tried what I call a "full alteration" first which totally corrected the shape issue - too much room in the side of the cup that my centre full soft tissue does not fill thus not enough width tension and the strap pulls flat from the outside of my nipple to the strap attachment. This brough the straps a great deal wider and they dug into my armpits (see photos labelled full alteraton). So I took it out and did what I have called a "half alteraton" instead. This seems to the be widest I can pull the straps and still be wearable and yet so the alteration for shape correction. It is more like a 2/3 or 3/4 alteration, but "half" is an easier label. So, I can either have comfortable strap placement and flattened weird shape, or a nicer shape with slightly uncomfortable straps. I am going to try with my Ornella too as it has similar issues, but not on the same scale.
I took out 3 cm in the end so the new cup depth is 28.5 cm - wow these really are huge cups!
Me: Narrow roots, narrow shoulders, evenly round, lots of immediate projection, very soft tissue, slightly FoB, slightly centre full, splayed, never met a gore I didn't like, left-heavey by more than a cup size, 31" underbust, but prefer tight band with extender. Panache, Freya size 30GG
Empreinte for cheap! (ie. under 100 CAD - which means I get the styles and colours that happen to come up)
Oddly, it fits my larger side perfectly, but I need to put both my full cup cookies in my smaller side and I still get gaping at the top! I guess the projection at the appex and inner fullness just ...can't be compensated for by push-up or appex cookies. *Edit: This is because of the shape issue I noticed after I got my Jasmine.*
Good immediate projection, unfortunately, narrow wires are softer and distort a bit to feel a touch wide. *Edit: I used an extender and it solved this problem.* Shape is French and pointier, but really, really round for a French maker.
Standard Empreinte band - feels and measures looser than it actually functions. Excellently broad straps and three hooks, side boning, and super narrow tall centre gore. Plus, very narrow set straps.
For those unfamiliar with Empreinte sizing, they use three cm increments so their 30F has an average cup depth of 26cm and 30G averages 29cm - which equates roughly to 30:10 in UK and US brands (2.5 cm increments) and 65:11/12 in Polish brands (2 cm increments - 11 unlined, 12 padded). In my experience anyway.
Edit: I put a dart in the outside of the cup just inside the wire to correct the shape issue I understood when I tried my Jasmine which has a more extreme case of the same issue. I have tried twice now, making the dart smaller, and the straps are only just wearably wide now. I might take it all out and try again because they are still a bit too wide, but I wonder if a smaller dart would even make the shape correction.
I have taken out about two cm so new depth measurement is 29.4 cm. I may try once more to make it a little smaller. Read more 275 more words
Shortest gore and wings I've seen on a 30E bra! A real plunge! Unfortunately, the gore stabs me a lot. I want a plunge like this to work for me.
Wish the tall cups could take a hint. The shape is just wrong for me though, the cups are deep where I do not have depth.. Though the bottom is filled and the top seam does not gape.
I've never tried this brand, but it feels luxurious. Very nice small details and so soft.
Empreinte had better feel luxurious because it retailed for $120 here in the USA. But yay for comfortable bras! I just didn't want you to suffer sticker shock when you next went looking :(
Empreinte cups run simply HUGE. What happens then is that the lack of surface tension on the cups (and lack of '"boob push-back" against the whole front of the bra) can cause the gore to feel quite uncomfortable. If you are an E in any other brand at a given band size you'll want a D in Empreinte! Sorry this did not work for you. If you see a 30D in this brand at a good price you may find it worth a shot!
It's nice, but not $120 nice haha. Not many things are worth that much to me.
That makes sense! The cups measure deeper than some of my 30E bras, around 9.4". I should have asked for cup depth before buying, but no big deal. I'll remember that in the future :)
Empreinte is expensive in its home market (France) but not that expensive. It's not even close to top of the line couture-level lingerie brands. Their price point is about 70 euros for the regular line and 88-100 for the very ornate lace line. It's when they are imported that they become so pricy (120-30 for regular line and 150+ for the fanciy ones).
Yep. And I'm still pretty bitter about the one I bought so take this with a grain of salt but I don't consider them to be worth more than ~$40 USD. My Melody seamless lace was comfortable and all, but completely stretched out after less than a year. 🙄
Really! I have two and have had them 2 years, they are definitel.y stretched but not to the point I can't wear them anymore. That's a shame! Maybe you got a bad colorway. I have the petrol blue and the brown. If you want me to try to pick you up something from the Paris discounter when I go in mid-December, PM me about it.
Really! I have two and have had them 2 years, they are definitel.y stretched but not to the point I can't wear them anymore. That's a shame! Maybe you got a bad colorway. I have the petrol blue and the brown. If you want me to try to pick you up something from the Paris discounter when I go in mid-December, PM me about it.
Yeah it was a bit shocking. I bought it and went back to the store wearing it months later and the salesgirl immediately said "oh! Let's get you more support there!" and swapped it to the tightest hooks. Then asked if I wanted to try on their newest Empreinte, like I hadn't paid $170 for a bra I had just been told was obviously stretched to the max...... and the other one they had was even fancier, and therefore like $300. Ugh.
For what it's worth, it was a burgundy fashion colorway that they're not making anymore.
But that said...... I'm not gonna lie, I eyed the seamless non-lace Melody with some interest. >> Some of their other all-lace cups are also really pretty, like the Grace. (I don't get along at all well with their seamed cups.)
Did you by any chance size down from your UK/US band size instead of just from your French one ? THeir non-French band sizes are already converted, so if you normally wear a 32 in other brands you'll want an 80 French size which in other brands is a 30, but in Empreinte is marked 32. I did buy a 30 once by mistake (which is their French 75) and I didn't realize how much abuse it was taking because the elastics are comfy, but it was under too much strain and that is the one I did find stretched too much.
I'm sorry my post reads like gobbledygook XP
Most of my Empreinte purchasing and trying on was done through the Store of Lingerie in Colorado, and their fitter put me into the 30G Melody. Since then, I've gone down a cup size (woo hormonal birth control) and the 30F I tried on a few months ago just to confirm what I suspected had happened was indeed a perfect fit.
At the point when I was sized into the 30G, I definitely was a 32, and expressed surprise, but the fitter told me the brand just runs big. So, maybe, but I wasn't the one who made the sizing call. X3 At this point, I'm sure I'd be a real "30F", but I'm also a bit confused as to which size that means I should be ordering?
M, my snug underbust measures ~28", my loose ~30", and I absolutely used to wear exclusively 32s anyway, but these days I'm finding more 30s to be comfortable. (Though, since I'm also increasingly wearing Comexim and Ewa Michalak, their "70s" often being closer to 30s in measurements, I'm not sure where along the line it started being more comfortable to wear smaller bands...)
I wish French bras were a little easier to come by in the US. I just found a couple Simone pereles on Amazon much cheaper than usual. I ordered a Cleo at the same time too and I felt like I might be getting too snobby because cleos have been a tried and true brand and fit for me but I'm really leaning towards sending it back and I felt a little badly about that. It's no secret I have a thing for my lejabys too
it is definitely possibly to wear Empreinte bras a band length down from what's strictly necessary because they are soo comfortable, and it's actually still totally a good fit, the only problem was in my case at least, that that it blitzed the elastic much faster. I'm usually a snug 32 or more commonly a 30, and can comfortably wear both 30 and 32 in Empreinte, but 32 is as tight as I need (I also got a touch of east-west in that one 30 I wore and stretched too fast). I'm not sure what to say about Empreinte cups for you at this time, what cup depth do you usually wear?
This bra is gorgeous! It looks like it fits you, too. You said it minimizes the profile and maximizes the front view. What do you mean by the latter? Does it make you look wider from the front?