This was my first attempt at this beautiful lace longline bra. Both the cups and band were too big for me. The band runs true to size for a 30, but the cups run at least half a size to a full size big. The wires are much wider than my Freya padded half cups in this size. The gore is also taller and quite wide, which did not work for my close-set boobs. The 4-part cups are fairly closed on top and projected, so good for full on bottom shapes, but probably would cup in if you're full on top. Other notable features of this bra are really soft and stretchy straps and only 2 columns of 5 hooks. The materials are soft and supremely comfortable, except, in my case, for the wide and tall gore. I loved how it looked so much that I ordered it again in 28FF - Freya » Fancies Longline Bra (1014). I've written up a full review of that bra on my blog.
This bra fits me perfectly! I'm usually a 30f, so I had to go up a cup size in this bra. I am very projected so I think this bra just runs a little shallow. This bra gives great cleavage and a nice shape. I never feel like I am going to fall out even when playing with my kids. The band is very firm which offers great support. The only thing I don't like is you can see the edge of the cup under thin shirts, so I can't wear it then but under dark colors or flowy tops it's perfect.
My shape: self-supporting teardrop (max projection/depth underneath, tall shallow roots on top, moderate overall projection), center-height, forward facing, very close-set, really wide roots and lots of side boob, and firm tissue that pushes push-ups right back
This review is for the new Candy colorway. It's very sweet! The allover lace is subtle and not lumpy or bumpy, and the edging is simple and effective at dispersing the cup edge under clothes.
But the very first thing I noticed, before even swooping and scooping, is the tall gore. Poke city! It's so bad that it pushes the whole bra down out of my IMF, and there's nothing else that could be ...doing it this time. I plan to swap this one for the 28FF or the 28G, but those wires are going to have to get bent as soon as I try it on.
Speaking of swapping for the 28, the wires pushing down is not ameliorated in the slightest by how stretchy this band is. I am accustomed to Fauve longlines and the Patsy and Ivy I've tried a number of times, all of which are firm and supportive even 2 sizes up from my regular band. This is attributed to the way the taller band can distribute tension, I think, and is one of the many reasons I like them. Not so, the Fancies. It's better on the tightest hook (of which there are only 2 sets, I might add, not 3), but still not enough. Look at those photos! When I pull the band back far enough, I also notice some tension ease on the gore as the wires flex into a better position on my sternum. Hopefully this will all be better with the 28. So basically, ladies, I would definitely recommend sizing down at least one in this band, at least in this cup range. Good grief, Charlie Brown.
Moving on, the cups are great. Wonderful! Dare I say perfect? I can't tell completely because of the gore issue, but I'm 99% certain I have enough immediate depth. This is so rare for me, especially needing half-cups for my upper roots like I do, since they usually run shallow on the draft and my poor boobs just have to make do. There actually might be a titch more room by the inner wire than I need, but it doesn't affect my fit. The top edge barely even buckles when I slouch. Hooray!
The wires are another problem, but this is more because I have an unusual shape at the wings where my side roots are shaped like the Nike swoosh. This is the first time it's been so obvious in the photos, and I do have some tissue around where the cups want to buckle, that's where it kind of tapers off (so while it looks like I have almost an inch gap between the base of my root and the wire, it's more like a cm). The wires would be a great width otherwise (i.e. SUPER WIDE), I think, but they are just too steeply curved for me, and sizing down too much in the cup would probably put the outer end of the wires right on top of breast tissue.
The straps are soft and comfortable, and they adjust long enough. They are too far apart, as always, and it affects how the top edge of the cup stays put, but this is Freya's favorite scaling problem in this size range, so if you were hoping for a fix for this on the Fancies, no luck this time.
Thank goodness for free returns! Read more 484 more words
Beautiful!! Does the wire hurt--looks like it is poking your side boob? Mine are quivering in fear, "No! Don't do this to us again." ; -) ;-)
"...firm tissue that pushes push-ups right back."
Yep, my tissue also puts a lot of bras in their place. calenlass , lol
Thanks for the detailed review!
Love4Pollinators It doesn't hurt as far as I can tell, but I feel like I might be sort of immune to pain there at this point on account of the weird shape I have going on and the number of bras that don't jive and sit on top, and they just make me feel like I need to readjust every 5 minutes. Also I was VERY distracted by that gore, but I don't remember noticing any pokery or jabbing.
I'm glad you aren't in pain!! That gore left angry marks. I can tolerate those for 30 minutes maximum.
I will admit I'm surprised I'm not bruised today. It felt like it was stabbing straight in while it was on.
My shape: mid-height front-facing teardrop-profile (ski jump with no "jump") with tall shallow roots, low apex, lots of immediate projection underneath but moderate overall projection, wide roots with lots of side fullness and shallow tails that wrap all the way to the shoulder blade, extremely close-set center tissue (possibly a trace of natural symmastia), and very firm self-supporting tissue that when pushed out of shape will push right back.
Freya sure does love their crazy prints! This one is abstract, but I like the black and white + pink, and I also like that they kept the accents simple: black piping on the top and bottom edges, simple black-and-white ...striped ribbon bows at the straps and center gore, nothing too fussy.
Sadly, it doesn't fit. The cups are too large by at least 1 cup size, although the shape they give is very round and not exactly "natural", but lovely. It's hard to tell because they stand away up on their own, but I think the top half of the cup might be TOO round for my shallow upper roots, although I also believe that, in the correct size, it wouldn't be noticeable under clothing. Otherwise they seem to fit well and the apex isn't too high, immediate projection seems to be almost adequate at the base of the cup and the center gore, and the sides are nice and tall. The band is firm and supportive, and I think it is holding the wires in place even though I probably need a tiny bit more depth in the bottom of the cups.
The wires are wide enough for my fullness, if not the root tails, although they are a very curved half-circle shape, and not even really a U. My IMF is definitely not that regular, so there are some little fullness issues where they don't match! There is a little space in the channels to shift the wires, but not much.
The gore is too wide, but most are and this one is low enough that it isn't terrible. I didn't come away with pressure marks after the 20 minutes it took to try it on and get the photos, so there is that!
The wings are obviously quite tall, as is customary with the longline bands, and only 2 sets of 6 hooks again. The straps are too far apart and contribute to the top of the cup buckling, but no one is surprised by Freya's stubbornness on that issue at this point.
I need to find a 30F to check my assumptions, but I think it would work much better in the upper cup, and might still be ok even with the loss of wire width. Read more 336 more words
The lace overlaying the cups didn't initially appeal to me (it made me think of patio paving/spiders gone wild...), but it's very soft to touch, almost cotton-like, and it's quite an unusual pattern for lace. Very witchy and gothic while still modern - not an easy combination to find. It looks pretty fragile in places, I'm a bit worried about snagging.
The straps are slightly padded with a beige, velvety elastic - I love this, the plush underside is nice against the skin and it makes the straps, which are fairly narrow, more comfortable. They do seem pretty stretchy though and ...are quite long to begin with.
The cups are lightly lined with a layer of beige foam. It's thicker than the Patsy Halfcup, but not as thick as the lining for Cleo Mimi. The wires are a little wide for me - my main complaint with the fit - but they're average to narrow for a UK bra I think. I tried on the 30F and the wires were almost perfect on me, but unfortunately I had a bit of quadding to go with them. I'm even to FOT and the cups are quite closed at the top so the quadding is probably part shape issue. Under a t-shirt the diagonal seams are a little bit visible, but not as bad as some other padded plunges I've tried (Cleo Devon for instance...). The profile is slightly peaked on me and not particularly uplifted, and the shape I get from the front is fairly wide/east-west.
The charm at the gore is a bit odd - it's a very simple gold coloured semi circle, I guess they thought it fit with the modern/geometric lace? Anyway it flips up on me rather than laying flat.
The band also feels pretty stretchy, so if you're in between sizes I would go for a 28 over a 30.
I snagged this baby up for a steal at $16 at Nordstrom Rack! Currently it will work for a little while as my size is rapidly changing. This bra is well constructed and I'm pleasantly surprised that the band only having one hook could be so supportive. I do feel this may run a little larger in the cup compared to other unlined Freya bras. The straps are are lined the first 2/3rds of the way up the front with same patterned fabric of the cup. The cups are a 3-part construction with only one layer of mesh fabric. The upper part of the cup is a delicate lace that has some stretch to it. The bra has a cute center keyhole. The color is very vibrant and eye catching. I feel this could be slightly more open for me as I get a slight double-bubble. But this will most likely be a winner after I have my baby and boobs return to a more natural state.
bigbeautifulwoman I will always have some gapping where the straps meet the cup. This is due to my implants. I have very round breast and if straps are pulled too tightly it distorts the cup and pulls the fabric causing tension ripples. I also measure out really small for my frame above and below where my breasts sit on my ribs. :)
I don't know if this bra fits or not because it arrived from Amazon with blood stains and hair stuck to the cups! I'm returning it for a refund for obvious reasons.
OH MY GOD! That's terrible, please report the seller to Amazon OR if Amazon shipped this to you themselves from the warehouse after a return, please complain to them in the strongest possible terms! They need to check their returns more carefully for biohazards at least. I can understand the odd deodorant stain sneaking past controls but this is BAD!
wendybien Yeah I called right away and complained in the strongest terms. I have had regular issues with Amazon sending me crushed items (including another Deco earlier in the week), and once with deodorant stains, but this was a new low. It was sold by Amazon, not a third party, and they didn't have any more left in the size and color to send out a replacement. I did get some promotional credit as compensation in addition to a refund, but yuck. The only reason I order from them is free returns, but it's becoming less worth the bother all the time.
I think this is gonna add to the list of reasons why I may be going to hell, but the first thing that came to mind was "She should have taken a picture of this and posted it here!" :P
I don't know if you're interested or not, but I have a 30FF Freya Deco Spotlight in my listings. It's an inky blue color with black polka dots. It's brand new, with tags attached ... no blood, hair, deodorant or any other nastiness included. :)
valentine556 , I actually have photos, but I don't want to upload them here because that's gross and also because I pity the poor bratabase user who would be innocently browsing and happen upon them as a example. Anya99, I only ordered the 30FF to try it out for size and then if it didn't fit, use Amazon's free returns. However, if I get a chance to try a 30FF and like it, I will keep your listing in mind!
Anya99 Also that blue color is so pretty. Claret was my first choice, but that colorway is really hard to find now.
I completely understand. :) I have the same bra in a 30G as well, so if you find that size works better, I've got that too... brand new, but the tags were accidentially removed by my husband, who thought he was helping ... clearly, he knows nothing about bra fitting. :) They're both blue because I couldn't find the red either. But they're super cute. Prices are definitely negotiable. Hope you find a perfect fit. :)
If someone gave me the chance to design my dream bra, I'd probably come up with the Piper.
The shape it gives is perfect- round and lifted, with a perfect amount of cleavage (safe for work but still sexy).
The design is beautiful, pink but not too pink (almost apricoty pink) with a lovely floral print, and plenty of black accents. I feel the bra has its own personality: pink and frilly with a dark edge.
The longline enhances my shape, but presents a minor problem for my flared ribcage- the bottom tends to flip up towards the end of the day. I suspect this issue will rectify itself as ...the bottom stretches out with wear, and in fact this flipping has happened less each consecutive time I've worn Piper.
When I saw this bra I just had to have it, even though I suspected I wouldn't get much practical use out of it. Surprisingly, I can wear it under about two-thirds of my wardrobe. The seams lie flat enough that I can wear it under tight tops, and since they're vertical I don't mind if they show a bit under my thinnest tops, because they look like a feature of the tops, rather than like something sticking out from underneath. The only thing that prevents wearing it with more tops is the lace, which shows through more easily.
The only thing I'd change about Piper is I'd add more sets of hooks (it only has 2) to make it last longer. I love this bra so much that if I could guarantee my bra size wouldn't change I'd order another one for when this one wears out.
Update: contrary to expectations, I've found that over time the band flips up in the front more rather than less. I've decided I'm happiest if I just leave it like that once it flips, as I've gotten used to the feeling so it doesn't bother me any more, and the side and back stay straight so the shape isn't affected. I also find the band in general is sitting slightly lower than it did at first, which causes my breasts to not fill the bottom of the cups (orange in a glass), and slight spillage at the top. It's still wearable, but if I ever buy another longline I'll size up. Read more 276 more words
Size: My 'real' size is 32E/F and that's what I've tried at first. I have two other Arabella bras in 32E and they are actually almost good, the cups embrace breasts fully, the band is ok, though a slightest bit on the loose side. The only problem is that I have wide root breasts and I prefer wider wires, while this model (and many other Freya models, as far as I can tell) have definitely narrow underwires, shaped like capital letter U. Arabella is so beautiful that I wore 32E anyway and it wasn't tragic, but after several hours I could feel the discomfort from the wires and ...I was afraid I would get dark marks on my skin. Finally I got a possibility of buying an Arabella bra in Cassis (dark violet) shade and in sizes 30FF. When I read the measures of the bra I noticed they actually look more like my measures and I decided to give it a try. It turned out it was a good decision. The cups aren't as perfectly fitting as in 32E, but still good enough and they don't give such slightly tubular shape as the 32E gave me. The band is tight, but ok. And finally the underwires are good! I must confess also I bought a 28FF at the same time, as I was afraid that 30FF may be too big in cups. Well, that 28FF is again too narrow in wires, the cup size itself seems to be fitting, but the band is too tight. I can wear it with an extender, but the wires poke, so I don't.
Comfort and shape: This one had wires wide enough for me and I can say that it's amazingly comfortable. Suitable for all day wear and in summer the mesh fabric is a real blessing. It gives me a lot of support, natural shape and moderate lift, while 32E gave me more protruding shape.
Appearance: It looks amazing! I think it's the most beautiful bra design I have ever seen. Arabella just looks good on its own and amazing against the skin. Personally I like Cassis and Oyster colour versions the most and that's what I own, but I wouldn't mind having more colours. I think it's a real shame that Freya doesn't make them any more, as Lyla is nice, but not as strikingly pretty. The bra I own was second-hand and the label was quite washed out, but the condition of the bra is excellent, so I hope it will stay this way for a longer while. I bought a matching shorts and suspender belt, brand new ones and they are exactly the same shade, so I think the colour doesn't fade.
Extra info: My mum is a fan of Arabellas, too. She's over 60 so I'd say this bra is also suitable for mature women. Despite its delicate look it's very supportive. Read more 377 more words
I love the spiral embroidery pattern on this bra, very nice details. It looks good when worn and it's comfortable. But some of the gingham fabric (on the band) seems to have faded after only one or two washes.
This 30FF Freya Nieve Padded Longline Bra was another of a few different bras I tried on this week. In the pictures it looks like an unideal fit, but it was actually one of the more comfortably fitting bras I have tried recently and is probably a closer match than pictures suggest. (I will admit it's not perfect, but it's good enough to consider it a keeper) I was unsure if I would like the longline, but I actually think I prefer more clasps than fewer. (This has 5 Hooks per row, I think I certainly prefer 3+ Hooks per row in back) Like most 30 Bands, I ...end up hooking it on the tightest row right off the bat, but that's because my rib cage is ~28inches, 30 Bands seem easier to find in more brands so sometimes I go for it and pray it's firm at the underbust. I normally would not pick the exact print, I prefer satin/lacey blacks, and second I like soft feminine pinks/florals. This bra is Floral, but has kind of an autemn color pallet, composed of tans, browns, with black trim/detailing. The construction of the Bra looks well made, it's a lightly padded 3 part half cup, with two seams separating 3 pieces of each cup. The material inside is comfortably soft and I am happy with the look and feel of rhe Bra. I do wish the gore was a little shorter and closer, or perhaps touching/overlapping. I have lost some upper ffullness/volume over the last year, so I can tolerate the Gore on this but with the volume loss my tissue seems a bit softer. Gore's that are a bit tall with space between them tends to push my slightly softer breasts back outwards. The straps are fairly comfortable on my narrow shoulders, and they do adjust enough. The cup height is reasonable and the wires are fine, they are a little wide for me but not too bad, especially in this fit. It's hard to get a perfect fit because my breats are assymetrical, but this seems to be a decent fit on both, with the few minor exceptions that make it tolerable to wear. I prefer having cleavage as opposed to none, and although the Gore doesn't bring them in as much as I wish, it's better than a full cup with a similar gore size and style.
(My left breast is larger and Fuller with a somewhat narrow root, while my right breast is all around smaller and has a different and more narrow root that is a bit higher on my chest. I am petite, 4ft 8 with narrow shoulders so I think in general I have Short and narrow roots compared to those of the general population. I am unsure but think I am functionally FOB, I lost upper fullness with weight loss, but still have some inner/center fullness and my nipples are a bit spaced apart, related to the centerfullness and not much outerfullness at all. I believe I am fairly/somewhat projected, (I think pre weight loss I was Very Projected) my breasts do not look close set when unsupported but supported they are close/center full. I fit best in about about a 28FF right now, need cups that are nor too tall, and like my Cleo and Polish Bras the best currently) my weight fluctuates, so it can be hard to find the right Bra and have it continue to fit perfect. This Freya bra isn't perfect but worth keeping! Read more 480 more words
My shape: mid-height, front-facing, very close-set teardrop with tall shallow roots, loads of depth at the lower wire, even more side fullness with wide rib-wrapping Nike-swoosh shaped side roots, and firm self-supporting tissue that apparently makes it look superficially like almost every bra fits at first glance!
I got this bra along with the 28FF - Freya » Candid Longline Bra (5044) on sale from Figleaves. As I suspected, this one is also not quite right, and I'll have to go in search of a 28G instead to get as close to ideal as possible.
The cups are better on me than the 28FF, which is as ...I suspected. They might look a tiny bit loose and wrinkly in the photos, but I think a 28 band would put the proper tension on the wires. This one also doesn't have the noticeable poof at the inner cup seam, although the extra inner-fullness is a bit more noticeable on my lack-of-it (but not the sort of noticeable that shows up under clothes!). Even though the longline style means that the size difference is visually unnoticeable, it could scooch down to push the wires out of my IMF by about 1/2 a cm in the time it took to finish the photos, making the shallowness at the base of the cup more obvious.
My only real concern about the 28G is that the straps will likely be in the same place on the cups, and while they were too far out (typically for Freya half-cups) but tolerable on the 28FF, they are even farther out on this one and make the top edge of the cups buckle.
Thank goodness for free returns! Read more 171 more words
I would say the main problem I have with this bra is the cups come up to high under my armpits. There is a lot of extra fabric there (and after one wear, it was completely coated in deodorant that can't be removed). Another issue is the really thick straps have to be completely tightened to fit me. I think this is probably a great bra for someone with a larger frame than I have. It doesn't seem to work for me- I have a short torso. Too bad so sad.
OVERALL RATING: 5/10 DESERVING PRICE: £10-20 BEST FOR: Moderately wide roots; teenagers and young girls with developing breasts; potentially trans women; moderately shallow breasts; projected breasts (size up); everyday wear; fuller-breasted or FoT people who want tavern cleavage.
Freya Patsy is an underwired, lightly padded half-cup bra that comes in lots of colours and patterns, but this one is black and a sort of dusky pink-beige. The lace is a few shades lighter than the polka dots, which are almost beige-brown. The ribbon on the gore matches the lace colour rather than the dots. It doesn't suffer from any manufacture issues, but the fabric feels a little cheap in an ...'organza'-like way. It's a low-to-mid range, and I'd expect to pay somewhere in the range of £10-£20 in a boutique for this bra.
PROS:
LOOKS: Comes in a bazillion styles, you'll find one you like. Very pretty and dainty. Extremely flexible cups due to very light padding. Beautiful bra for teens and younger girls. Excellent quality sewing and manufacture.
COMFORT AND FIT: Comfy inner lining. Comfy gore, quite long - so not good for girls with short nip-to-neck lengths. Band runs tighter than Freya usually does, but quite flexible. The straps on this bra are a good distance apart, so they will not poke into your armpits or scratch your skin.
CLEAVAGE: This bra will give fierce cleavage for fuller, rounder breasts, and good cleavage for shallow breasts too. Close-set, projected, full breasts will get true ‘tavern Wench’-style cleavage from this bra. Projected breasts will look better in this bra, but shallower breasts will be comfier (due to the shape of the cups).
CONS:
QUALITY ISSUES FABRIC: the outer fabric of this bra is awful. I personally find it scratchy and cheap-feeling. It feels like a softer organza. The lace on the upper section of the cups sometimes scratches the cleavage uncomfortably - it is not soft, and therefore not good for girls with skin sensitivity issues or eczema.
FIT ISSUES STRAPS: The straps on this bra are a good and wide. Unfortuantely, because they are so wide and because of the scratchy fabric, they can feel a little scritchy when you lean forward or stretch. The inside of the strap has a running stitch to secure the fabric, and this can be a little scratchy too. They are a good length, and so the cup does not tend to gap dramatically when you move.
CUPS: This is a half-cup bra, but the cut seems more like a balconette to me. The cups are open at the top, which will inevitably lead to gaping issues for girls who aren't Full on Top. I can't comment on cleavage in this bra, because I found that even when swoop and scooped, whilst not minimising, it doesn't seem to give good cleavage at all. Fuller breasted girls may find that they love this bra for cleavage, but shallower girls will find it extremely hit-and-miss. I think this bra would make an excellent everyday bra for girls with more projected breasts.
WIRE: The wire is moderately wide, but because the cup is only light padded, it doesn't seem to give much support by way of wide roots. It isn't the best for girls with wide roots, and will give you armpit muffin (damn you, armpit muffin) in tandem with its average-sized band. Girls with normal roots might find some empty space at the sides. The cup-strap join is not too high, so if you're looking for something to wear with low-cut scoop necks, this might work for you.
FABRIC/PATTERN: The lace sticks up a little haphazardly, and does show through and deform tight and light-coloured shirts when I wear it. GORE: This bra has a relatively high degree of cup separation (distance between the cups), which could be a problem for girls with close-set breasts, and may cause the gore to dig into your breast tissue painfully.
ABOUT ME MY BREASTS: wide roots, moderately full on top, moderately shallow; 30G-32FF
Regarding the material, I have had this bra in 4 colorways. The magenta is the softest, then the ballet pink, then ink, and the black has the roughest outer fabric and runs firmer than the others.
Yeah, I have the unpadded version in pink and it's SO much softer. My main complaint with this bra is its fabric, so I think if it was a better fit for me I'd be inclined to try the other colours
As usual for Freya, the band runs loose, almost a whole band size in this case (That's why I bought a sister-size). The straps are wide and thick, the cup is quite supportive even without side support. Unlike the Daydreamer I I fill out the space near the gore perfectly. There is slight gaping at the top if I slouch - but it sits flush if I sit straight. Something about the immediate-projection-area is slightly weird, but not enough for the wires to slip down. Wire width is almost perfect.
As usual, I cut off the bows. I am not a fan of the print, so I am debating which color I should dye it. (Black? Blue? Green? Red? HELP!! - please give input). There is always the gamble, which parts of the bra will take the dye?
Wow, this bra runs so much bigger than labeled size in the band! I couldn't believe my eyes when a 30 was riding up on me, but when I measured it it stretches to 34! It's also slightly large in the cup, unsurprising for a Freya plunge balcony. I can't believe I'm actually writing 28FF on the exchange form! Being a 31 in ribcage I have never worn that band size. I'm used to Freya bands running large so I usually order a 30, but this is really surprising, I almost considered just returning it because there's no reason a bra should run that far off from the labeled size. Seems like a quality control issue--I hope Freya's quality isn't going downhill. The bra is absolutely gorgeous and I hope my exchange will fit. To note, it is quite closed on top because of the black trim.
Thanks for reviewing this. I'm looking out for SS16 Freya reviews in my size range. Kiyoko is pretty. I wonder if the half cup will run similarly large... The balcony cuts don't work for me, sadly, but your review/photos are still helpful.
You're welcome!! I avoid Freya half cups cuz they awkwardly cover way too much for a half cup on me, but that's just my 4' 11" self with my short roots.
I understand completely. Short girl with short roots here, too. They used to fit me better in 30G, but I lost some weight. Now the coverage is better in 30FF, but too wide and a tad shallow. Still they are one of my better and reliable summer options. The balcony plunges sadly don't work for me :(
The freya half cups used to be some of my favorite bras until i realized i could get a much better shape from other bras. I had resigned myself to never having cleavage bc I'm short rooted with splayed breasts, and everything covered most of them, until i found ewa bras that actually are short enough in my size to show some cleavage. I'm not sure if the plunge balcony will work for me or not, previously the only one I'd tried was the Starlet which had such hard wires it caused me pain, but this one doesn't.
This is beautiful!
It really is! I heard the print was inspired by japanese tattoos. I really hope the smaller size will fit!
My shape: teardrop with even fullness, super tall and super wide roots, very close-set tissue in the center, and all the fitting problems shallow ladies have but with more immediate projection.
This review is for the black colorway.
Received this bra yesterday in a swap, and I am pretty perplexed. It fits very similarly to the 30G - Freya » Patsy Padded Half Cup Bra (1223) longline I used to have, which was about 1 size too big in the cups. I believe I have gone down a cup size since then, but I don't think I've lost that much fullness or weight or changed sizes THAT much, ...because my other half cups in 30F and my 30FF - Freya » Marvel Side Panel Bra (1501) fit me pretty well, so I'm not sure how this 30FF seems to be a whole 2 sizes too big! I did notice that these cups are quite a lot taller than the Marvel's, and definitely taller than my Fauve half-cups, so maybe that has a lot to do with it. I have a Freya Ivy Padded Longline Bra (1333) coming from another swap soon, so I'll compare it to that too just to be sure.
I will say that I am pretty confident now that I need 28 bands in Freya (except maybe the longlines, because of the difference in tension distribution across larger fabric expanses). I thought my Marvel had stretched a tad because it was gently used when I got it, but I'm sure now that it hasn't stretched and the tightest hooks are where I would have needed to wear it anyway. This one is very stretchy and soft, and it shifts and wants to slide down even on the tightest hooks, causing the center bridge/gore to chafe a little and pulling the underwires down, which makes the bottom of the cups difficult to fill. It also pulls away in a little wrinkle along the top edge of the wing between the side seam and the strap under my arm, but this may possibly be due to a mismatch with my ribcage shape.
When it sits where it's supposed to, the center bridge is comfy enough, even though it's so high. The wires rest on the very edge of my breast tissue in the center, which isn't perfect, but I have yet to find a bra with center wires stacked on top of each other unless I sew them that way myself.
The cups gape like crazy, though. They are so big that, even though they are soft and there are no ridges to show through a shirt that would otherwise hold them in place against my boob, the empty fabric wrinkles, so you can see them anyway. The placement of the straps so far out - basically in my armpits, although just shy of rubbing - really doesn't help the matter any, and I can see the sides of the cups buckling independently from the rest of the fabric when I shrug my shoulders, but it really does just make the whole situation more extreme.
Listing this one right away so I can try a 28F as soon as possible! Read more 423 more words
Yeah I recently read somewhere on here that Patsy runs large!
Not happy for you that it doesn't fit, but thanks for this thorough review - for me it means I might give Patsy a try (borderline sized out of Freya halfcups) .
Thanks! I try to be thorough, because just saying "fits great" or whatever doesn't help anyone.
Maybe the longline has shorter cups, because I don't remember having this much of a crazy time with mine. It was too big in the cups, but it wasn't like this! I did my research, too, so somehow I missed people saying it runs large. :S
Good luck in your search! I hope it works out for you.
Hmm yes I suppose it might just be the tallness then, making some people say it runs large but not on others?
Looking up measurements in the size I think I'd need (30H) they don't seem large or unusual. Good idea on here to start adding a measurement for tallness! Obviously (too) tall cups will really influence the fit. And yeah I know the feeling, doing your research on a bra and still it doesnt work out -__-
To remedy your gaping / tallness issue; (for this bra or future bras) you might try changing the strap placement? If you centre the straps a bit more, the cup fit will also improve :)
~ Discovered this when replacing straps because of armpit-chafing. (But mostly works on a tiny gap / near fit)
I wish I'd tried this bra sooner! It is SO comfortable. I've always hated how bulky and unattractive Freya straps are, but they're definitely worth the comfort. I'm a 32F, but I generally take 30FF's in Freya's due to the stretchy band. Definitely the right choice for this bra because it fits comfortably on the last hooks. The wires could be a bit narrower for my smaller breast, but the extra bit causes no discomfort and looks fine. The cups might be a tiny bit too closed on top for me; I have to check again when my cycle is over because I gain a lot of upper fullness when menstruating, so I'll check back with that in a few days. Other than that, I have zero complaints about this bra. It's beautiful, and constructed nicely. I've been needing a black bra, and I'm glad I found one that wasn't too plain and boring, the pictures really don't do it justice. So glad I ventured out of Cleos and got this gorgeous bra.
I love this bra. The straps are nice and very soft. They do fall off my shoulders at work once in a while when I've been moving around a lot, but it's not often. It fits me beautifully. I think I could stand to go up to a G in this because there's the slightest hint of quadding at the end of the day but I'm very comfortable in FF. It's official, I'm in love with Freya padded halfcups. I need them all.
Glad it worked for you :D i actually discovered i love them too, just needed a different size! This whole time i thought the half cup shape was never gonna work for me but i really just needed a larger cup.
This is a comfortable bra that fits my shape very well. It is so far one of the prettiest and best fitting bras that I own. The quality is surprisingly good for how lightweight, sheer, and delicate this bra is. The straps are pretty stretchy but the band is nicely snug (for now) and the cups are deep. It gives great support but no extreme lift. It is also very breathable for those that live in a more warm climate. You should wear a cami (or silicone nipple covers) if you have more projected nipples and you are concerned about them showing through a shirt.
I am new to this, but it looks like a great bra for you. You look terrific.