This is quite possibly one of my tightest bras in the band, which is perfect for me. My band measurement ranges from 26~27 inches. If you are a sub-28 band or "small 28" I highly recommend this. If you are a true 28, I advise you to go up to a 30 back as it is very firm. The underwires are definitely narrow which are perfect for me. I have two Paige bras- to me they almost fit exactly the same, but the material on the ivory/black colourway is definitely a bit stiffer, which I don't mind as it retains the shape better. Because of this, it almost feels ...like it is less roomy in the cup than the coral colourway. I have bottom-heavy breasts and this used to fit me when I was a 'true' 28F; nowadays I would fit in a 28FF or in this case, 30F in this bra because it is one full band size smaller. As you can see, it does cut me in a bit, but I don't get 'orange in the glass' at the bottom. It's a great bra if you're bottom-heavy. I would not particularly recommend it if you are full-on-top especially, and I would caution those who are more even too. The material of the bra is soft, but also has a stiffness to it. It definitely softens after washing, but it's not really a problem for me. Like others have stated, the mesh is not stretchy at all which prolongs the lifespan of the bra. This bra is on the more expensive side of full-bust brands, but you can really feel and see the quality. The shape this bra gives is slightly minimized, quite natural shape. The seams and ribbon does show under thinner and tighter shirts so I find it perfect for days when I can wear thicker sweaters and not have my breasts so showy. 'Subtle peaks' would be great words to describe it. I would also like the state that for my bony ribcage it has not caused any discomfort issues. Read more 231 more words
I'm crazy about the design and look of this bra/set. Unfortunately I did notice some fit issues: The band is very tight, which I actually did expect (and made sure to have an extender handy https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":D" />). By the photos, the cups seem to both cut in, and wrinkle just a smidge. It appears to cut in on my fuller on top side, which is also my bigger boob (left). On the right, I'm pretty flat out even/FoB, and it wrinkles slightly in the bottom somehow. Both cups wrinkle in the corners, but I never found that to be a problem/really even very noticeable. That's about it ...though. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
I tried it on, and realized that I didn't really like the shape it gave me. It's very natural, and my natural boobs are not something I've ever admired. It did give a slightly more teardrop, rounded out look, but also retained a lot of my natural shape. Regardless, teardrop is do-able.
I have tall roots/or prominent pecs, and I'm tuberous, so my shape is like a saggy downward slope. I'm not literally sagging, as my tissue stands out, but the shape of my boobs and lack of anything but tissue behind my nipples in particular makes them appear so regardless. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
My main problem remains my downward sloping high roots, which are visible under a shirt. Initially, scooping/swooping makes it less visible, but it settled and became noticeable in a few minutes..so, I hadn't checked whether it was visible in photos.
I wore it yesterday underneath 2 shirts (one had a built in "bra"), and that was the only thing that made my roots less visible. I'd imagine I'd do ok in a sweater, and I like the look of the bra on me without a top.
I modeled it for my bf, who ended up adoring it. For some reason, his favorites are usually the ones I'm a little unsure about. Maybe he senses my uncertainty xD Though this bra IS extremely beautiful and again without a top, I do think it looks pretty nice.
I love it, and I'd hate to get rid of it actually, but I'm not sure how often I can wear it because I'm just so self conscious about my chest as a whole.
The band is also about TTS 28, which I mentioned I had known and prepared to wear an extender. I think it'd actually work really well for someone in between 26 and 28, or a 28 who likes tight bands. The 30 would probably be ideal but I don't have any problems with extenders.
Even with the extender however, I find that the wires are a little bendy, and stretch to about 6-7"(even with the band extended so that it's fairly slack), which I think, contributes to a slightly shallow look I'm getting also. It's not like..hmm..VS or Tutti Rouge padded shallow look, and I get a little bit of cleavage from the shape, but it does push them down and out just a little.
Also, with the extender, the straps are just a tiny bit too wide, mostly on the left, and it's falling off my shoulder a bit.
It's a shame, because I'm so crazy about this set, but I'm not feeling the fit on me right now. But it's so pretty o_o Maybe it will grow on me.
It's hard to see in pictures because the tissue settles a few minutes after s/s. Maybe I'm just nitpicking. My bf was crazy about it, but I don't feel very confident in it due to my natural shape. I love this bra but man, I reeeeeally hate my natural toobs.lol
So yeah, I think this bra has a fair amount of projection, which is nice, but for me, the bendy-ish wires extend about an inch, maybe an inch and a half, from my boobs somehow. That causes a shallower look. It's not my favorite look, but I don't mind it. As mentioned, main problem are roots, not the bra.
Things I really like about the bra:
Beautiful fabric and design. The lace detailing has these adorable little flowers. My mom took a trip to Mexico a very long time ago and brought home a dress and a top with similar looking edging. I always thought it was a very pretty design.
The lace in itself seems to be really nice quality. Love the bows, and jlcl119 was awesome enough to put some back on the straps (I honestly can't sew even a stitch to save my life....yet). I'm such a sucker for bows and lace, I swear.
The cup material is a mesh. Very nice, comfy feeling. I love the cup design, and it works well to give me a more pleasant teardrop shape.
The cups are very close;wires touch. Perfect.
The material seems a lot nicer for a humid/suffocating PA summer day. Most of what I've been wearing isn't very breathable in the deathly humidity. I wore my padded Ewa to the city the other day and immediately knew I'd made a big mistake.lol I had kept my Freya Rio for this purpose, but the wires felt too rough to me.
The band is nice and firm. It seems very supportive imo.
And that detailing. Did I mention? It's super pretty. Love the frilly thong too. It's really girly, which, I love in lingerie. Sexy or girly, always. I hate my body type, limbs, and skin texture(my life consisted of gaining weight+losing weight rapidly), so I never let myself wear a nice girly dress or something along those lines, like I've always wanted to. I try to get that out with my lingerie when I can haha.
Straps adjust long/short enough for me. The straps seem easy to adjust, unlike my Deco Vibe which breaks my nails every time I try adjusting. I'm lower set, but I actually found that I needed to adjust the straps pretty short, especially after the extender.
So yeah, verdict is: Adore the bra, hate my boobs + roots. And I really need to tone my arms. I'm having a low self esteem week/month so ignore me. xD
I'd recommend this to someone with close set boobs, needing some decent projection, and narrow to average/verging on wide wires. Since they're bendy, get your normal band size for slightly wider wires, and a band up for narrower. As I said, even using an extender to add inches and cause a slack band, somehow the wires still extended 1-1.5" away from my IMF. I do have an unusual IMF, but in my bras with 5" wires, they usually come closest. This one seems to measure about 4.7-4.9" actually, but I just feel they're pretty bendy.
I did some inspection, and upon stretching the band, there was a 2" difference in cup width where unstretched, the width is about 4.9". So roughly +2". Band stretches to 27.5/28", so on my current underbust of 29.5 (hello post sharkweek weight gain), I'm sure..that'd account for the 6-7" cup stretch. Obviously this should never ever be worn on my body without the extender to preserve the wires.
Recently had a similar thing happen with my Fantasie Rimini; it had 5" wires but looked waaaay too wide when I put it on somehow. That one looked absolutely terrible on me though and I hated it on myself since I got it.
I've cut out wires and bent them to my shape before, and got 5.3", so these issues I think are simply from wearing tighter bands /fluctuations throughout the day, and/or bendier wires.
Not a big deal, I'm most, most, most uneasy/self conscious about my roots/ribs/pecs "showing" and poking out above my boobs. Just imagine a typical slope, then at the boob it almost starts going straight down and becomes like upside down "7". The bra at least does a great job helping reshape somewhat. Just can't stand those roots. Stupid toobies. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
I want to quick mention cup depth also: I measured in the center, which was actually somewhat difficult because the wires, unstretched, are very narrow, and the cups are pretty projected. I got roughly 9" in the center, and about 9.5" on top. Strangely, my other bras with 9.5" on top, had pretty noticeable gaps, but this one doesn't at all. I'm mostly even and soft and the cup depth seems fine.
Anyway, I wore this most of the day yesterday. I went to my therapist appointment and after doing a double session(2hr), my back hurt. I think that had a lot to do with having used the extender to make the band slack. So idk. I think I'll give it one more try and see how I feel. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> I wore it an hour or two after my appointment, and decided to switch into a Comexim after returning from the post office. So, idk. I love it, but not sure it's for me unfortunately :, (
Overall, the bra itself is gorgeous. I'd be interested in trying another Miss Mandalay for sure. I think if I keep this I just need to do some layering with my clothes, or sweaters, to conceal my roots. Good thing August and September are right around the corner. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 1423 more words
I think you're used to Polish boobs. This looks good, it is a more natural shape but your shape isn't bad! Aren't the underwear too cute?!
jlcl119 Thank you :) I agree ! I even just considered keeping an obviously too big Comexim that came in the mail.lol Tried some Ewa pads, almost convinced me, aaand then I realized that I definitely have a problem. xD
It looks great, it fits great, it's a super cute and flirty bra. It's pretty comfortable except for the gore. I have a little divot in my sternum. Nothing extreme, but it's there. This bra happens to fall into that divot and dig up into the bony lip. It's kind of painful for me and I find myself taking it off shortly after putting it on. I don't know why it does this. I have other bras with gores the same height and it doesn't happen, but both this and the Paris I have just hurt me. Anyway, I have an olive based skin tone and am currently pretty tan (usually I'm pretty pale). Surprisingly, this bra functions as a decent nude as long as the top isn't too sheer. The matching ruffle thong is a piece of cheesecake girlishness. It's really a cute set.
This is a cute, lightweight bra, excellent for summer. The band is very snug, even though I bought this bra used. The cups cut along the inner top edge Perhaps it would be better for someone more FoB, or with less tissue in the upper/center area. The shape it gives is a lifted, natural, slightly rounded shape which I didn't appreciate until I put a shirt on over it. The shape is similar to what the Cleo Marcie gives me, except I feel more secure in this bra. The straps have a nice lace detail over the coral ribbon that makes me want to show them off (*gasp* I know, revealed brastraps are so tacky!).
Edit: With time, my boobs seemed to get acquainted with the shape of this bra and had distinctly less cutting along the top edge. Weird. Overall, I'm pretty happy with this bra and may look into getting another Mandalay soft cup.
I tried this on once and didn't end up keeping it so unfortunately there are no measurements or pictures for this bra. Ultimately the bra did not fit because the band was way too small - I could hardly fasten it! Cup size was perfect. One of the reasons I bought this was because I had heard that Miss Mandalays bands run small. In most brands the 28-bands are a bit too big for me so I thought this would be perfect - oh well! Very good bra for someone who needs a really tight 28 or even a 26 band. The too small band was the reason ...I put only "Okay" for the bra's comfort.
The bra is really pretty, the mesh is soft and the construction seems sturdy as hell. May not be suitable for full on top breasts because the band on top of the cup does not stretch. The shape it gave my breats was lifted and a bit pointy from the tip. It kind of minimized though the look of my boobs and I'm not really sure if I'm a fan of that personally. This is why I ended up not changing for a bigger band size. Read more 94 more words
I got this one in a 28F and FF to try out. In black, because that's about the only option I had. 28F bikinis are expensive and the choice isn't massive, and I tried to cut the cost by ordering a black bikini top and getting some funky bottoms to go with it, and 'pimping' out the black top; I can then sort of have a new bikini every year.
I got the FF as well because what little I could read about Miss Mandalay halter bikinis they tend to run small. On my breasts they don't. The FF was too large. The F is a perfect fit ...though. The measurements seem small, but this is swimwear material and stretchy, including the cups. It has a slightly optical minimizing effect, but that's fine. I don't need optical illusions to make my breasts look larger! The halter straps seem flimsy, but they can be tied up well enough; and they make for easy adding of beads and things. I love how long they are.
The support level is low. Not uncomfortably so, but I wouldn't go for a run in it
I tried it out in the pool at the gym. I always feel silly going there with a bikini, but water testing a bikini requires water. 80 laps, including a few tumble turns and powerful push offs and the bikini was definitely still exactly where it started out. In fact, it only seemed to fit better. Read more 138 more words
I was really curious to try Miss Mandalay. I've read a lot of different reviews about it.
My first impression: this thing is stiff! And tight! And it looks pretty.
And it fits. Easily. If you're a small 28 that is; anyone with an underbust larger than 26in should size up to a 30. Yes, the +3 or 4 rule applies to this brand I think. The cups are forgiving in terms of breast shapes: the tops of the cups are fairly supple and loose.
I am just not really fond of this bra yet. The band stretches just as far as my Cleo Zia, but it somehow is a lot tighter. Stiffer, really. It doesn't really feel sexy either, despite being sheer. I'd like the shape to be a bit more balconette. I really feel like I have to 'break it in'.
Also quite interesting: the wire is super-bendy; despite appearing narrow. It widens and springs back. And I love the narrow gore.
Doesn't fit well at all! Such a pity too, it's very cute. The cups are too narrow for me, so the wires dig in on the sides, the ribbon at the top of the cup cuts into my breast, and my breasts trying to "escape" into the middle create a really unflattering wrinkling in the cup.
I have the same fit problems with Freya bras, so if you like Freya this might be a great choice for you!
The bra has a fairly firm band, my measurement is 28.5" and it fits snug and comfortably. It seems well-made too, no snags or loose threads.
I only discovered how a bra should really fit in February 2012. I bought this bra in June. Since my expensive Simone Perele and Chantelle 30Es from Nordstrom were too loose on the first hooks less than two months after purchase, I started buying 28Fs online. I only discovered last month that some 28 bands are a good middle ground for me between the extremely firm 28 bands of my Panache Andorra Full Cup and my Miss Mandalay Paris and the loose 30 bands of my early Nordstrom buys.
This bra has what I believe is a quite firm 28 band. I kept thinking it might stretch out, but it hasn't, though I've worn it seven or eight times. Now that I have some bras whose bands are firm but not painfully tight, I just don't want to wear this one anymore. I love the hot pink color, the Art Deco lines, and the sexy sheer and semisheer materials. But I'll get a 30E in the Miss Mandalay Paris next time.
I think you're used to Polish boobs. This looks good, it is a more natural shape but your shape isn't bad!
Aren't the underwear too cute?!