Never heard about this bra until 2 weeks ago. I had to try it out because it was so beautiful, and on sale. It looks like it's a seamed bra, but it really isn't, the cups are molded. I wore this for a few hours while lounging around my apartment, and it wasn't the most comfortable bra, due to the boning on the side. I, very tempted to remove the boning because I won't be able to wear the bra for long periods of time with it in.
I think this would work best on even or FOT breasts; I'm not sure if there's enough depth at the wire for vFOB breasts.
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. Read more 600 more words
Oh I love this print! I agree with you that is the best thing here! I don't know what size your ribcage is, so it's possible it's just doing this due to size per se, but I see some ride-up of the band at the back. You might be able to buy yourself more cup room and allow the band to sit lower and more comfortably by lengthening the straps a good 1.5 inches or more, and readjusting the back carefully. If you're petite or high-set and are accustomed to having to tighten straps to the max, you may not have as much experience as other bra-wearers at fiddling with the adjustment and finding that happy medium where they are just snug enough not to fall off, but still aren't doing any heavy lifting. Overtightening straps is a very common issue that can throw off the fit in ways that affect comfort. I don't know if it'll make it really comfy enough for regular wear but it could help a little for sure.
wendybien Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. You're the first, I believe. I don't think I have a comment on the other review yet. Anyway, regarding the band riding up and straps...I did recently tighten them some to see if it helps with the way the wire sits/fits under my boobs. I think that they are a bit tight and can use a little loosening again, though the pictures are mostly from when I got it. As best I can see, the band is straight and horizontal. If it's any lower, I don't think that it will be in my IMF. That said, yes I am petite and have narrow shoulders that tend to slope some. And I always feel like I have to tighten them a bit, though the fitters at the other Bravissimo tightened the straps more aggressively than I usually do. Snug underbust is 29" ish when I measured, but the two fitters here measured me 29" and 28" (respectively) but with a bra on, and iirc 35" overbust with the first fitter. The first fitter put me in 28F Envy and it was too tight...the wires were distorting and I had a valley of squashed skin under the band. That said, I think that a stretchy 28 from Freya for example might be ok. Does this help? I tried putting measurements in today and my recommended size is 30F, 30FF, 32DD, 32E. I've tried a 30FF Panache Clara and it's noticeably too big. So I think that I am mostly 30E/F with potentially smaller Freya bands at 28 (except Deco), and the odd snug 32. Thanks for your help and input! 💖
wendybien Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. You're the first, I believe. I don't think I have a comment on the other review yet. Anyway, regarding the band riding up and straps...I did recently tighten them some to see if it helps with the way the wire sits/fits under my boobs. I think that they are a bit tight and can use a little loosening again, though the pictures are mostly from when I got it. As best I can see, the band is straight and horizontal. If it's any lower, I don't think that it will be in my IMF. That said, yes I am petite and have narrow shoulders that tend to slope some. And I always feel like I have to tighten them a bit, though the fitters at the other Bravissimo tightened the straps more aggressively than I usually do. Snug underbust is 29" ish when I measured, but the two fitters here measured me 29" and 28" (respectively) but with a bra on, and iirc 35" overbust with the first fitter. The first fitter put me in 28F Envy and it was too tight...the wires were distorting and I had a valley of squashed skin under the band. That said, I think that a stretchy 28 from Freya for example might be ok. Does this help? I tried putting measurements in today and my recommended size is 30F, 30FF, 32DD, 32E. I've tried a 30FF Panache Clara and it's noticeably too big. So I think that I am mostly 30E/F with potentially smaller Freya bands at 28 (except Deco), and the odd snug 32. Thanks for your help and input! 💖
Doh! Double comment! I'm wearing it today and it is ok, better once I adjusted the straps to fit looser again. I started out feeling like it was not good today but I have eased into it somewhat. Perhaps it was me trying the old standby at La Senza a few hours ago and realizing that I have completely sized out of their bras, with the exception of the So Free unlined balconette in 32DD. The band is snugger on it than the lightly lined balconette. But it's not sold anymore/right now. It might return for spring/summer. But yeah, all of the 32 bands were on the tightest hooks and I could get at least 4 fingers in sideways between the band and my back.
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?? Read more 152 more words
Straps are too apart for me. I know it's a balcony bra but it is still too apart for my narrow shoulders. Other than that the bra is pretty and fits nice to me. I tried both 30DD and 30E and 30E fitted me better. Overall, I like it and I got it for a good price. I'm thinking of alterating strap locations so that they can be little more closer.
The bra itself is okay..but its straps are too apart each other for me. I have narrow shoulders and inner-full breasts so wide straps cannot support my breasts right. The cup has only one seam, which is a diagonal one - not a shape that suits FOT like me but since there was no OIG effect, I guess I'm keeping it.
This is gorgeous, it looks so pretty with all the details. Unfortunly it doesnt fit me at all! The cups are to small, but I'm not shore a bigger size will help since the cups seems to be really shallow.
Not a good fit for me, mismatched shape. Wires way too wide, cups too shallow at base, straps too wide, all contributing to a lack of lift for my shape. Very pretty bra though--love the embroidered flowers and leaves.
This is the first moulded bra I've ever tried that felt like it was moulded just for me. There's absolutely no gapping or quadding anywhere while while standing still. I have a couple issues with it though. Both the band and the straps are very stretchy - so stretchy that it doesn't feel as supportive as it could. I also feel that the elastic could stretch out quickly, making the bra unusable. I probably would've done better to order this in a band size down, as the bra does move around some when I move, which results in a small amount of quadding.
The bra gives a lot of lift and a nice rounded shape. The bra cups themselves are seamless, but there's a fabric overlay with a seam going right down the centre of the cup. Between the loud pattern and the overlay's seams, this bra can be quite visible under clothing, depending on the fabric.
Pros: - Beautiful bra! The lace is so pretty! - Gives a nice silhouette. Breasts are lifted and little pointy, but not too much. - Very supportive.
Cons: - The wires are slightly too narrow for me. It definitely fits better during times of the month when my breasts aren't as full. When they're at their fullest, the wires pinch and don't want to stay in my imf.
Verdict: Keeper! Sadly, not an everyday bra because of the narrow wires.
Note: I did have to alter this bra. The top of the cups have elastic that cut into my breast tissue and caused some quadding. I cut off the elastic and the quadding completely went away.
Slightly too wide and projected in the cups and a little too closed on top for my full upper tissue and tall roots. Would be better for FOB or roots shorter than mine
Me: tall roots reaching collarbone, very close-set (touching), average to narrow width, shallow, splayed east-west, FOT or even (unsure), centre-full horizontally (for this reason I don't usually wear plunges), high set, short torso, broad shoulders, size asymmetry.
I love the look of these bras and I soo wanted them to work for me but they do not... I have too much projection for these cups. The quality is in my opinion the best quality Lepel makes (comparing others from the brand I have tried). This bra would be great for someone who has shallow, full on bottom to even breasts and would work nicely for someone with splayed breasts as well.
Really comfortable... I think 30dd would fit better as it is large and stretchy in the cups.. still wearable though. The lace is really visible, even under knitted jumpers. Fabric on the band is lovely, but the lace in the cups seems cheap. It also gives a weird shape and a bit of an east west effect. What's really odd is how it seems to flatten me despite it being too big
Really cute bra that a friend gave me at the start of my fitting journey. Fits relatively true to size, and has a nice amount of projection at the base. Material is not stiff, but it is sturdy. I did not have the chance to wear it at all since I was too small when I received the bra and grew straight on to an F cup (and beyond) during pregnancy before I realized I needed to start wearing a different size.
My only real complaint is the straps, which are a bit thin for my liking.
Very pretty! This may actually be too shallow for my more shallow/wide boobs, because it gives me a slight quad boob. I tried it without the padding, and it was a little better. However, the wing is also a little too short for me, so I get a slight "armpit wing." Not as terrible as some others, but enough to make me hesitate keeping it. I love the lining inside the cups--its a very soft, almost t-shirt type material.
This unpadded bra runs true to cup size and too tight in the band. I normally wear 28-30" bands, this 30 is too tight to comfortably wear all day. Small complaint with peak-a-boo nipples through the shear upper panel requiring extra adjustment when donning, but it isn't bad.
This bra came with padded inserts, which I have removed for a better fit. Without the inserts, I get no quadboob, and the bra is extremely comfortable. The band is a bit more stretchy than anticipated.
Adorable!!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!