I have to say that I have extremely mixed feelings and emotions about this bra. I have a sentimental attachment to it because I bought it at a Bravissimo store while we were on holiday for our 20th wedding anniversary. I have ordered some bras from Bravissimo in the past, though never went to a store because we don’t have them here. I made it a priority to get to one (actually made it to 2!) and thanks for being positioned near Apple stores for the menfolk to occupy themselves while I was trying on bras. I was in between sizes with Freya Patsy half cup which I’d ... really wanted, but this one seemed to fit at the time, and the price was right. The strap is a little twisted inside and doesn’t lay flat (lies flatter once on) and they gave me a discount for it. I say fit at the time, because at that point, I was only leaning forward and jiggling into the cups, and not swooping and scooping as the second Bravissimo store fitter had me do. So once I readjust my tissue, I get some quadding on my bigger boob. That said, I’m not sure if the F would be too gappy on my small side. The slight quadding doesn’t seem to make a huge difference. Now, I tried the 30E on because I had asked for 32DD which is what I had been wearing, and they didn’t have it, but said the bands ran large on this one so they sister sized me to 30E.

What I love about this bra: I love the print. The blue is very nice and the shade of ivory to contrast with the birds and bow is just right. It’s not to jarring...I think it’s rather cozy. The material is very soft. It’s a single piece of foam cup with a silky cover overtop. However, there is a small vertical seam on each cup, which does affect the print placement. The seams give the appearance of it being a sectional cup, but they are a red herring. It’s relatively light compared with my Freya Deco Spotlight bra, and not the boob armour the Deco is. I get a great rounded shape from this bra, both under clothing and...not. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />

The in between and partially irrelevant: The straps are stretchy and don’t have full adjustability, however, I do actually have some space left to tighten as needed, when I usually have to tighten all the way, even when I’m in a snug band. As previously mentioned, the elastic strap inside the printed material is slightly curved on one side and doesn’t lay down flat on its own, but is flatter with wear. Either way, it doesn’t seem to affect wear or comfort.

What I hate about this bra: The sides come up pretty high near my armpit crease, so when I get into certain positions (like moving my arms forward) it cuts into the crease. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s still not super comfortable either. I had this with my Panache Tango II plunge years ago (that was a horrible fit). I have had a few instances where I’ve had pain behind the gore. I’m not sure what exactly causes it. I think that it happened last time after I had been on the couch leaning up against some pillows. I recall the gore feeling like it was pressing in a bit then. Despite it mostly being a good fit, I feel like the wires press too hard against my ribcage sometimes, but sometimes I also think that it’s slipping away from my IMF a weensy bit. So maybe it’s just a wee bit too shallow or perhaps it’s the shape of the wire at the bottom of the cups. There’s just something about the band and/or wires that makes it not feel completely comfortable for everyday wear. I’d love to find something like it but without the fit concerns I have with this. I’m not sure that a larger cup or bigger band would fix the problems with this bra. I really love it it but I can’t overlook the problems I have with it.
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Navy with ivory birds colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jan 27, 2018 Flag this

I owe it to Calluna to take good care of this one. The strap is twisted like she said. Honestly, the biggest thing that bothers me about it isn't the twist itself, but the fact that the twist makes one strap thinner than the other lol. Lilly is a pretty typical moulded bra, although I like how the materials feel sturdier than the stuff in major retailers. Except the band, the band is stretchy and I notice it rides up on my bigger side at the end of a day. Too shallow on that side maybe. I deal with it because a looser band means ... less pressure on my sternum from the gore, which I desperately need if I'm going to wear a balconette with a high gore. My bigger side conforms to the entire cup, while my smaller side has some space at the top. The space is really only noticeable if one happens to push or pinch there. The entire bra gives me a very rounded shape regardless. For how closed the cups are, they don't cut in at the top. They are, however, very tall and frequently cut into my tail of Spence. Now I know what people mean when they talk about cutting in at the armpits. Appearance-wise, the bra is a very rich navy and very good condition for how much the label has faded. The only thing I hate is how the bow in the center is beige and doesn't match the very white birds of the print. Y u do??
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Updated on Mar 25, 2020 Flag this