Even though I went up a full cup size it still doesn't have enough depth at the wire for me and because of the bigger cup it poked me in the armpits to boot. I haz a sad cuz it's so beautiful and I had to return it.
The color I already have is the duck egg blue, and when I saw this one on eBay for $15 in beige (which should work as a nude for me), I couldn't resist.
Takeaway: Stretch lace is forgiving, materials are soft/stretchy and comfortable. Functions like a minimizer on me, which I don't mind; everything is still very rounded. The elaborate all-over lace makes me feel beautiful even if it's not the most stunning silhouette.
Fit: Just like my other Clara, this one ...has very tall wires, both under the arms and in the gore, but it doesn't bother me somehow. I am beginning to think I might try a 34G (one cup size smaller) in the next unlined Panache I buy, simply because I've noticed the Envy fits me much better in that size and these are fairly similar/based on the same model. There's nothing here to actually indicate I need a smaller size, but I also think the stretch lace is so forgiving it might be hiding an imperfect fit and I might get slightly more uplift with a smaller cup. I hesitate because I know the G-GG jump is where the construction changes (goes from 2 to 3 hooks, straps get wider), and I'm not sure if I'm willing to risk the comfort of the wide band and straps I get her just for slightly more uplift. On the other hand, this is the absolute tallest gore I think I can wear comfortably, perhaps a cup size down will scale down enough to reduce the gore as well. We'll see. It's kind of odd, in my other Clara there is an odd spot of tension on the lower-center cup area (the triangle panel nearest the gore) that I took to mean that this bra doesn't have enough projection for my center fullness, but in this one it's the opposite. There's some wrinkling in that same panel, whereas in the other Clara it's almost too taut. It seems like it might also be an issue with the construction; there are 2 layers in that spot, and it seems only the top layer is wrinkled. I am revising my theory - I think there is enough projection in that spot, but I think the shape of the wires/gore isn't quite right for my IMF in that region; like the wires are wider at that spot than my breasts so they are resting on breast tissue and I have a hard time filling it right there. Regardless, it's not an issue with comfort at all, and since that area is on the underside and in my cleavage, no one can see it, so I choose to ignore it because this bra makes me feel beautiful otherwise!
Appearance: The lace is beautiful, just like my other Clara. The color is a very yellow-peach beige... It's not the same color as, say, my beige 32GG - Fantasie » Rebecca Spacer Moulded Bra (2024) or my 34GG - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285) . It reminds me of the color of vanilla ice cream that has that bright pastel yellow color. It's not a true nude on me by any means, but it'll work under light shirts. The shape it gives is very round. My shape is very projected, and this bra handles it just fine, but somehow gives me a very shallow/minimized appearance. I don't mind this at all - I have my 75G - Ewa Michalak » Sf Gładzioch Beż (849) for days I want some real "oomph" with an unlined beige bra. I actually toyed with the idea of converting this one to a nursing bra (I'm always in search of more pretty nursing bras), but I won't, because the stretch lace portion actually extends up to the shoulder area which would put the nursing clip on top of my shoulder. The lace is flat enough to not show under clothes, even thin clingy shirts; the seams show more than the lace does, but it's all pretty smooth.
Construction: Stretch lace EVERYWHERE. There's a non-stretch mesh layer under the lace on the cups that actually does the heavy lifting. The straps in this size are wide and padded with some felt underneath. The back has 4 sets of 3 hooks/loops. There are side slings (double layer of the mesh), but I'm very center full with narrow roots and don't really need side slings ever so these just kind of sit there.
In summary, although this bra doesn't give the same stunning silhouette some of my Polish bras do, it still does an admirable job lifting/rounding. If I hadn't found Ewa's unlined bras, I'd probably love this one even more. This bra does make me feel like a very grownup classy sort of person when I wear it, and it's very comfortable! Read more 724 more words
I wear this bra at least twice a week, but I have a love-hate relationship with it.
When I got fitted at a local store (I told the whole saga in my review of 34GG - Panache » Clara Full Cup Bra (7255) ), they told me I was a 32HH in Panache bras. After some trial and error, I found the aforementioned Clara fit me well in a 34GG. I wanted to try the Envy I'd heard so many good things about, so I found a brand new 34GG Envy on eBay for cheap. I've actually had it for about 2 months, but I couldn't ...really bring myself to write the review until now.
First, this particular bra was, at some point before I got it, professionally converted into a nursing bra. This is actually totally fine with me, as I'm still nursing my 2 kids (and this is why I wear it twice a week despite the issues described below), but I was a bit miffed that it wasn't in the description. However - the straps are too short now! I'm not sure what went wrong during the conversion process, I've converted many bras by hand and never lost that much strap length... but even with my super short torso I can't make the straps long enough. They're close, but I could use maybe 1" more.
Next, there is an issue going on in the cups that I'm not 100% sure about. I think (and this is really just a guess) the cup might be too large. Now, the cup is filled perfectly, the stretch lace is flat across the top of my breast, it's all perfect... except the apex. It's like I get in-cup quadding, but only at a very specific spot at the seam junction/apex. Really it just makes giant wrinkles across my nipples. I'm sure the description sounds like the cup might just have more projection at the apex than my breast does, but it's not quite like that; it's very tough to describe. It almost looks like something is "off" with the tension in that spot, and for a few weeks I assumed it had something to do with the short strap/conversion issue. I do have a 34G Envy en route to me, so I should know within a few days if a smaller cup really helps this issue or not.
I'm in the process of changing the sling part of the nursing bra conversion; the original conversion used beige cotton in a crescent shape sewn into the actual mesh at the edge of the cup, which was affecting the depth/projection I get there. I am replacing that sling with just a piece of elastic sewn into the edge of the underwire channel, as this is the kind of sling I prefer for my nursing bras and it will hopefully fix some of the strange shape issues I'm getting.
I'll also say I'm a bit disappointed in the looks of this particular Panache bra. Now that I've found Bras That Fit, I find myself less willing to settle for bras I don't find beautiful, and I'm just not sold on this one. It's not a very pretty bra, to me, especially compared to my Panache Clara (linked above). The houndstooth pattern is too subtle and the floral is too matronly and the combo just looks like a hot mess to me. I'd overlook it if this gave me a great shape under clothes, but it doesn't, so at the moment the only reason I keep it around is to have an underwired nursing bra for the weekends. Read more 494 more words
This bra fits great! It covers my boobs well and keeps them from spilling out the top. It encloses my breasts perfectly and feels comfortable even after hours of wear. Sadly, I do not like the style of it. It looks like something my grandma would wear. While there is some nice flowery designs on the fabric, overall it's very plain and not very sexy. It is used but in excellent condition.
Simple and comfortable. If I had just a little more bust I could fill it but very very close to fitting me. Only the cups were a tad big. Provided good support and honestly could be easily worn anyway. The versatility of using straps vs not is awesome. Nice clean stitching and overall nice feel. Probably best for full bottom and projected bust.
Well, it's spilly at the top. This one leaves my armpits alone, and the embroidery is lovely. It's a really nice bra, I might wear it with some double-sided tape now and then to keep myself from escaping. The bottom of the front is digging into my ribcage, not too sure what causes that.
It's one of those bras that sits on my shelf in my closet waiting for a new home and until then I occasionally wear it with an extender so it intentionally floats at the front to gain more space at the tops of the cups when I haven't been able to wash my bras that actually fit.
I've never tried on a soft cup before, I love the feel and freedom of it. I love how sexy it looks. I tried on the 36FF and i just looked disgusting in it. I also got the same style but in a size 34GG and it fit me way better than the 36FF. What I don't like is the shape I wanted a more round shape. I feel the side view is slightly pointy and I'm not a big fan of it. I wish it would of given me more of a lift it's what I desire the most in a bra, lift and support. I didn't ...feel either of these. Everytime I was busy doing something I had an urge to keep pulling at the lace because I felt my breast were too heavy and kept riding the lace/cup down. It gave me a slight, practically minimal, quadboob. The band looked like it was fine but I felt as if it moved. I would prefer it tighter, except I'll get back fat. The gore would sit flat on my sternum, if I did not move. Once I started moving it would ever so slightly move half and inch onto my right breast which is a tiny bit bigger. It wasn't uncomfortable but I've never had a gore ever never ever ever sit flat on my sternum. I don't even have closed set breasts, so I don't understand why it would do this. I'm guessing maybe the cups are a tad too small. Another thing I noticed was that the bottom of the cup was not fully filled with breast nor the sides. I'm assuming I don't have enough breast on my side to fill that out. This was purchased as a trial and error, since I'm still looking for my bra measurements. Read more 199 more words
i suggest doing a "fit request" with these pics :) then others can suggest bras that might fit more to you liking :)
Do a fit request. I think there's probably a key fit factor you're still missing, especially if you still haven't been able to find a bra that at least tacks at the center--that suggests you're quite far off from optimal size and shape. I also think the Envy looks suspiciously unsupportive in your photos when that is not at all one of the typical issues for this bra in the correct size.
I finally got a chance to try this bra on a trip to Nordstrom. The bra is very comfortable and feels good on. The houndstooth print is subtle. The stretch lace on top is nice, but not as generous in stretch as the Jasmine. Eta: i ended up buying this bra; it gives me the best fit that I have gotten in a long time.
I really had high hopes for this bra, but it fell flat. I had heard this was a good bra for FOT boobs, but I had terrible spillage issues and the seam at the tops of the cups cup into my breasts very deeply. I had, not a quadra-boob, but a sextuple-boob effect! I don't know if the cup was just too small or what. The gore was a bit too wide as well. I prefer the gore on the Marcie or smaller than that. The bra was very well constructed and the appearance was very nice. The straps were slightly padded in the front, which made them very comfortable. And the band was also very comfortable. I appreciated the 3 rows of hooks instead of 2, as well! But, overall, too much spillage and cutting in. Very sad. Will be reselling.
Looks like some of the other reviews of this bra here called it shallow - unlike marcie. so that could be part of the problem
dbmamaz - Thank you very much for your insight! I will use that when looking for my next bra.
The 'database' here is a great tool for bra shopping!
dbmamaz Yes, I've been using bratabase for quite awhile now. But lately I've been (repeatedly) hitting a wall. My size is a lot bigger than in the past, so the bras that used to work for me don't. Bigger cup sizes in the UK translate to super wide bras for some reason :(. And the options for full-on-top breasts are super limited anyway! Trying not to get too frustrated lol. I'm going to venture into the Polish world of bras for the first time, which is scary. Hopefully Ewa Michalak or Samanta will have some good fits for me, and I won't lose too much money with the trial-and-error!
amocleo , if you need any advice for Comexim I could help you out! I have FOT issues a lot myself and the Marcie is probably one of my best fitting ones. I haven't tried EM or Samanta but I've tried Avocado and Comexim. : )
I'm FOT too - Floris has been my best fit. I bought too EM bras but neither was quite perfect - but I do still wear them
kerniss - yes and yes! I am interested in comexim and the Marcie is my best bra "shape" fit so far, too. My biggest issue with marcie is that the band kills my sides - it always digs in really painfully after awhile and I've worn that bra when I was slimmer and bigger. Also, I need much narrower wires I believe. What are your tips for comexim?
amocleo , what kind of side pain? Like on the ribs maybe? And if you're looking for narrow wires, then YES Polish bras will have that for you! I actually think Cleo tends to be less "wide" than other brands in general but I totally feel you with the wide wire woes. And let's see.... I'm between a 28FF and a 30F right now, but my best Comexim size seems to be a 60HH. The sizing conversion can be really confusing, but I think a 60HH is basically the equivalent for many people of a 28FF. So I would say you may be a 75K, since you're 2 cup sizes up from me! If you have issues with bras biting your armpits, you can get the straps moved in which is an absolute godsend. I do see a few girls have 75J's listed so that could be a good starting point to check it out if you'd like!
kerniss The side pain I'm talking about is that is digs into the fat below my armpits pretty badly sometimes, but will be a bit loose in the middle of my back if that makes sense. And thanks for the help with Comexim sizing! I would have been way off. As soon as I get some extra cash I'm going to try them out. I like the Irish Coffee bra the most and your review on it was very helpful.
Pretty, soft, band not too stretchy; good uplift, rounded shape. Cups too small for me https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />.
How I wish this bra had fit me! So beautiful, but once again - way too small in the cups! Great forward projection, but half of one breast is trying to escape on the top. Too bad - I really love the look and the side support.
It doesnt sound like you have your size figured out yet
According to brat abase full measurement scale, I'm a solid 32HH. Grabbed this bra in GG, as Panache bands usually feel tight on me. Should have looked for HH :(
Of course, some bras fit differently too. I try to look at the cup depth to make sure they are consistent.
Band is too soft/stretchy to provide enough support. Cup is a soft comfortable, but the totally wrong shape for me. Top edge of cup rolls out and is visible under shirts.
This is a good-enough strapless bra, on the basis that realistically, *nothing* is going to work when you are this size. The rubberisation strips along the top and bottom are as grippy as a grippy thing, and its fairly comfy to wear (probably because the band stretches a lot). It holds your boobs up roughly where they should be.
I wore this once, for my Wedding day, and it did a great job, but I was happy to take it off at the end of the day (I might actually have taken it off not quite at the end of the reception if memory serves me right). But hey, ...if you need a strapless bra, this would be my go to one. There are strap hole thingies if you want to use it as a normal strapped bra (but why on earth would you? Strapless bras are not meant to be a comfy, super flattering bra option, but a compromise when you want to wear something that smaller busted ladies can get away with no issues in summer and you don't want to be left out/look like an old maid *all* the time....https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" />)
It is fairly reminiscent of super hero costuming though - I think you could get away with this if you have a costume party to go to and want to be Wonder Woman or something - it gently reminds me of Bionic Woman or something - but hey - scaffolding 34GG boobs will do that.
I've been sleeping in this bra for a couple of weeks now. Between this and the other bras I've been trying in that time, I'm beginning to suspect I have narrow shoulders. Sleeping at night, this guy stabs me in the shoulders with it's straps. A lot. I quad in this like crazy, but weirdly it wrinkles and gapes in spots too. It can't seem to decide whether it wants to be too big or too small. The six columns of hooks are all well and good, but why only two rows?! Plus they itch and pinch and pull! It gives me crazy cleavage, but that also means a bit of boob sweat during the night which is sort of yuck. Overall I feel very MEH about this bra, and I'm super glad I got it for cheap on the listings here rather than paying full price for a new one.
Yeah, i'm wondering what you are looking for in a sleep bra? I only wore a bra to bed for a short while, when the pill was making my boobs really hurt. But i saw one woman saying she cant stand them touching each other. This thing doesnt look like it would accomplish much at all as a sleep bra?
I am honestly not very impressed by the wireless unpadded options from Panache and Freya. This design is not at all suited to a larger or heavier bust, or indeed even just a projected one like mine. If you really need to be supported for sleep I recommend the old fashioned, super cheap granny bras like the Playtex 18 Hour Original (See my profile) or the Triumph Doreen (available fairly cheaply on ebay from European retailers offloading past season colors). These designs are still sized vintage-style meaning you will probably need to size up in the band and size down in the cup. But they are super supportive and are built for comfort!
Nayanya
So I shouldn't mention that I sleep in a corset then...? ;)
I sleep face down so having a corset on in the process is last on the list of concerns. I did sleep in a bra a lot years ago, mostly because I fell asleep with one on along with my clothes and sometimes shoes still on. It was during the years when I was burning the candle at both ends so to speak with college and so on....
I had a soft cup Bali "double support" I think, couldn't handle how itchy it was even after several washings so it went out with the other clothing I was donating. I wouldn't wear it out in public anyway, even under clothes it gave me a horrendous profile - sort of square and lumpy.
Nayanya - I would very happily sleep without one except that they fall into my armpits and when I roll over they sort of get stuck and that is indescribably painful and for obvious reasons wakes me up. I've admitted that to hubby and a couple of close friends but having typed it sounds really ridiculous and embarrassing lol!
wendybien - I always look forward to your comments. You are like a bra encyclopaedia. I'll see if I can find one of those maybe in a couple of sizes since I haven't pinned down where I'm supposed to he yet. Thanks for the suggestion! I was thinking of maybe trying one of the wired baby dolls from CK or Panache Sport since the one I have for exercising is so comfy, and just sizing up a bit because it obviously doesn't need to prevent bounce and be so tight.
You could look at the unbra from Decent Exposures - i wear them most of the time, but I'm trying to build up a 'real bra' wardrobe so when I go back to work next year, I dont look so dowdy. but they are very very comfy, and come in sizes, and are all cotton or cotton blends. not much support, but might rein them in for you
I used to have hubby lay on the nipple somehow? Oddly that doesnt seem to happen any more. But i LOVE taking off my bra for bed. I have on occasion used a pillow between my boobs, but now I usually have my arm in between them, I guess? But never in my arm pit.
My husband and toddler are constantly leaning or lying on me and crushing my stray boob tissue (typically the nipple) when I'm lying in bed. I suspect it is not nearly as rare or weird as it sounds!
I would love to be able to sleep in a bra when I'm pre-menstrual, but I can barely stand wearing them during the day!
these 'real' bras are so painful for me - i cant let my youngest lean against me because it hurts so much. I keep wondering if there are other very short 32Js who have the same experience? Because of the wires being so very low on my rib cage .. . its just so painful. I am so jealous of people whose wires dont hurt so much.
I can take it for 10 hours, though.
but really the unbras are a totally different beast.
these 'real' bras are so painful for me - i cant let my youngest lean against me because it hurts so much. I keep wondering if there are other very short 32Js who have the same experience? Because of the wires being so very low on my rib cage .. . its just so painful. I am so jealous of people whose wires dont hurt so much.
I can take it for 10 hours, though.
but really the unbras are a totally different beast.
I'm one of those oddballs who horrifies other women by sleeping in the same underwired bras I wear all day. I've always, whether they were the right size or not, felt more comfortable sleeping in bra -- this goes all the way back to my first "training bras" when I was 10. I think it all goes back, once again, to my tiny little roots -- it all just flops around really uncomfortably and gets so sweaty underneath without something (and I don't think wirefree will cut it) to pull it up and away from my ribcage.
It horrified me at first, until I realized that for some people its comfy. For me, taking off my bra is one of the most wonderful things I feel most days . . . the pain stops and I can breathe!
I like sleeping with a not too tight tank top. That seems to keep my girls in line. lol :)
dbmamaz sounds like you need some extra soft padding on your wires. :)
I tried an extender once to make my Envy hurt less - it worked better when I tucked it under my wires than when I put it where it belonged. I'm really struggling to figure out what to do about my pain. It might just be I can only wear a bra for 8 hours. But there is literally only an inch from the bottom of my boobs to the bottom of my rib cage, and I really think thats part of the problem. I start to wonder if I'm more full-on-bottom than I think, and maybe I could get the wire sort of up under my boob? so tis not on such sensitive spots? Idk. I need to keep searching for an answer. I guess I could start be searching on how to pad your underwires.
dbmamaz In one of those videos on youtube there was a woman cutting up a pantiliner and sticking it to the part of the wire on the bra that was hurting her.
I love this bra even if it doesn't fit me. I really wanted that I could wear this bra, so I altered its wire because, at that time, I thought the wire was a bit wider for me, and it was the only problem. I replaced the original wire with the other wire (it's from Lepel Iris Fullcup Bra's; much narrower like 2cm, and much shorter)
However, after I altered it, I figured out this bra just doesn't fit me. I should have bought 34h or 32hh size of this!
ps. The cup size is a bit smaller than usual 34gg size, I think.
i suggest doing a "fit request" with these pics :)
then others can suggest bras that might fit more to you liking :)