I bought this off of eBay and was worried it wouldn't fit me but it is near perfect. I have slight gaping on the top of one side but my one breast is smaller than the other and this happens a lot. At the end of the day I'd rather gape a bit than quad. Loving the vertical seams as a FoT.

One of the challenges with being FoT is finding vertically seamed bras that are unique in colour and/or lovely in design. That said, the hot coral and shell design of the bra are what attracted me. The thick straps are a bonus.

One of my rare eBay "wins" haha. I'm usually not so fortunate but bratabase is a great resource for making as best a bet as I can.

Updated on Jun 24, 2016 Flag this

This is my first purchase in the quest for properly fitting bras. I have been scouring the Internet and learning about breast shapes and proper fit. I believe I am (after two babies...) full on bottom, pendulous even, center full, somewhat close set, with narrow and short roots and soft tissue. This bra almost fits, but I think a 28E would be better. I have heard that Freya bands can run a little bigger compared to other bands, and I definitely think that's the case with this bra. I tried on another brand at the same time I bought this one (didn't fit at all, didn't buy) and ... this band was looser than the other one. I have to wear it on the middle hook to get decent support, and the tightest would be better but I don't want to wear out the elastic too fast. The upper edge of the cup is not quite laying flat, because I am quite full on bottom and shallow on top. Wearing the band on the tightest hook also helps the lace lay flatter, further leading me to believe the 28E would be better. But hey, for as cheap as I found it, it's a million times better than what I've been wearing. The wire is probably a little wider than I need, but it doesn't seem to create any other fit issues and is perfectly comfortable. The gore is pretty tall, but I'm so happy it lays flat! I've never had a bra that did that before! The very top of the wires in the gore is on breast tissue just a little because I'm fairly close set. It does not cut or feel uncomfortable at all, however. Overall, a nice bra; for me a sister size and a little more closed top would be even better, but it's totally wearable. Any suggestions for other bras to try based on how this fits would be much appreciated.
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Black colorway

Updated on Jan 30, 2017 Flag this

I changed the underwires of my 30E - Freya » Starlet Vertical Seam Bra (1061) for longer and more flexible ones. Turns out, my instinct was right! The new wires turned Starlet from a torture device into a very comfy bra that fits perfectly.

Old underwires: width 12,3 cm / length 22,8 cm / sturdy
New underwires: width 13,5cm / length 23,8 cm / flexible

How this affects the fit of the bra:
- The cups became wider and slightly more shallow.
- The new wires stretch with the band, so the band is a few cm longer now. Since the band doesn't have a lot of stretch to it, it ... fits more comfily this way.
- The underwires don't poke at all - neither under my arms nor at the center gore. I'm happy.
- There was fabric sticking out under the arms because the old ones were too short. This is now fixed.

I wish Freya would use more flexible underwires in the smaller cup sizes by default, as those sturdy ones often feel restricting and uncomfortable on people with small boobs or bony ribcages.
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peppermint colorway

This bra's measurements have been altered

changed underwires for longer, more flexible ones

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Aug 25, 2015 Flag this

Boob twin, this bra fits! Yay! Finally, and unlined Freya that works for me. I read that half cup and vertical seam cups might work better than plunge styles in my size range, and it's true. The depth on this is perfect for me so I'd say it probably runs small in the cup for an unlined bra.

Be careful when shopping, the Starlet also comes in a plunge style. If I had to guess, that one is probably cut deeper in the cups.

I'll post measurements and pics later but this does run larger in the band than Cleo and Panache bras. I am wearing it on the middle hooks and it's comfortable, but I can fasten it on the tightest hooks. It is a straight back, not a leotard back, but so far the straps are staying on my shoulders.

The bra is really pretty. I like the mint green color and the pink spotted bows. The lace is not the smoothest, it definitely shows under thin or tight tops.

Mint green colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 26, 2015 Flag this

I had been lusting after this bra from the moment it appeared - its based on the Fauve Chloe Vertical Seam (a gorgeous, elegant bra I tried on once and fantasized about ever since). So much more sensual than its balcony sister - the halfcup cut and vertical seam created a cakes on a plate sex appeal that the balcony version couldn't quite reach. The little polka dot blue bows could be overlooked - sure they're more whimsy than sexy, but they were small and unobtrusive. I was willing to take this bra or any of its sister cuts (Fauve Chloe, Fantasie Allegra) in any color, but ... I loved the basic black most of all. So the minute one appeared in my local Nordstroms Rack, I knew I had to have it. Finally, this sexy, seductive bra was mine!
Alas...
I never got around to wearing it for more than half an hour at a time. Falling prey to the same problem I was plagued with in Freya halfcups - too wide wires painfully digging in to my uncushioned (and thus unprotected) side ribs -this bra became unwearable for me. I was willing to ignore the fact that it was too shallow, or that I got major quadding every time I breathed, but the pain in my sides was too much. It was as painful as a Panache bra (also unwearable for me due to firm wires that dig in). This surprised me because the Freya Marvel (also a shallow, wider bra) was never so painful. Perhaps its because the Marvel has that "side sling" sort of cut rather than a pure vertical seam. To be fair, this bra is probably a size too small (I wear a 30F in Freya balcony bras because they are so wonderfully deep, but fit a 30FF in halfcups - my EMs are all 65FF too) - sadly, this style is not made beyond an F cup to test if a different size would be a better fit.

If you love (or are at least not bothered by) freya halfcups, this bra should work wonders for you.
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black colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 16, 2017 Flag this

Some quick details on the construction of that bra:
- It's an unpadded halfcup with one vertical seam in the cups.
- The center gore is quite high, and comes up at about the same height as the wings.
- The wires are long (23cm), but still about 1,5 cm shorter than the actual wire channels, so there is considerable wiggle room and they may slip around.
- As bellea noted in her review of the 28DD, the wires are hard and unstretchy and I found that they poke my sternum and sides uncomfortably. I def. have to exchange the wires for softer ones in order to be able to ... wear this bra comfortably and for prolonged periods of time.
- I found the gore to be quite wide compared to Comexim or Ewa Michalak, but there is no actual space between the wires. It's just that the wire channels are quite wide.
- It has a straight back (no leotard back).
- The band is long, but it doesn't have lots of give, so the bra feels quite tight when put on. It stretches to 30 inches on my new, unworn bra. It will probably loosen up after a few wears and after I exchanged the wires.
- Cups seem true to size and fit overall, apart from the uncomfortable stabby wires.

I may update this review as soon as I exchanged the wires.

UPDATE: Now that my boobs have grown a little (half a cup size, maybe), it fits more comfortably. The wires don't poke, neither at the sides nor at the gore. Sadly, the cups are a little too small now.
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peppermint colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 21, 2016 Flag this

This is my first vertical seamed bra and I'm not quite sure about it. The top of the cup seems tight and unforgiving and wants to dig in. I think this bra might suit someone with more bottom fullness to help fill out the vertical seam and avoid the top edge. I will report back once I've worn this for a day to determine whether I will keep or list this bra.

So I've worn this for a day and it feels comfortable. I don't think I am quite filling out the apex of these cups, which makes me think this bra requires a fuller bottomed breast. I was wrong in thinking the top was digging in because it is not an issue today.

Mint colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 10, 2015 Flag this

I got this mainly because I see people who say they need to size up for molded cups from their size in unlined cups, and my train of logic was "then I should maybe size down for unlined cups." Well, every time I size down in cup I get quadboob, and this bra was no different. The cups were too small.

The wires on this were not at all uncomfortable, which is quite the puzzle since the wires on the 28DD poked me all over and they're basically the same. Nearly identical width, same gore height, almost the same wing height. But this one didn't press uncomfortably against my ... sternum nor against my side, despite being too narrow.

The main problem with this bra was the cups. I got quadboob, and oddly enough, the cups acted like they were too closed on top and wrinkled at the top as well. I guess it wasn't open on top enough to accommodate larger sizes.

The band was the same as the 28DD, a bit too long. The straps were fine.

The bra is still good for shallow, FOT breasts, and in this size range, probably wide roots too.
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Peppermint colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 04, 2015 Flag this

I'd always read Freya bands were looser, but this sucker is tight....is it the black color? Is it the fact that it's probably a little bit too small for me? I really don't know. The upside-down band test was inconclusive, but I definitely don't want to wear this bra all day. Part of that is that it's scratchy. The lace isn't very soft but neither is the rest. As others have said, the top line is rather open. It technically wrinkles but only by about 1/8" (I'm even and center-full). It's the first unlined bra I've had that was even close though! I'm not tall but have a long torso, probably similar to someone at least 5'10", and the straps are a teensy bit too short for me and too narrow for my shoulders as well. I'd recommend to a FOT person who's average or short in the torso and average or narrow in the shoulders.

Updated on May 17, 2021 Flag this

I really like this bra. It gives a nice shape. I do think it is a touch shallow for me or the wires aren't long enough or it isn't wide enough. I really don't know what the problem is but it gives me side boob.

Updated on Sep 22, 2018 Flag this