Funny story- I had this shipped to my 82 year old aunt to bring with her from the USA, and she was rather shocked. She called my mom to complain that I had bought "a fancy dress bra" and "a circus bra".
I think what put her off were the rich colours, and the bulk. I love the rich red colour, but I am bothered by the bulk. Despite the Charlotte fitting like a glove, there is no way I'm going to forget I'm wearing it.
I love the shape it gives from both the front and the side, but oddly I'm less pleased with the side silhouette under clothing. ...I think possibly having a different material on the wings and on the cups creates an optical illusion which improved the silhouette when the bra is visible.
The thing that bothers me most about this bra is that although the band is firm and doesn't ride up, and even digs in after a few hours of wear, after a few hours I feel like the front of the bra is sliding down- I keep feeling like I need to pull the bottoms of the cups up to meet the bottoms of my breasts, but in reality there's nothing to adjust. After a few hours of this, the wires also start digging in underneath my smaller boob.
Despite these problems, I still like this bra a lot. My favourite feature is the elaborate construction where the cups meet the straps- it creates a kind of buffer that pushes underarm fat/migrated breast tissue/overdeveloped muscle (whichever it turns out to be) inwards towards the breast and prevents it from showing.
The detailing on the bra will show under very thin tops, but all in all it's quite useful for a "clown bra". Read more 186 more words
I'm been wearing 28FF/G lately and after hearing that this bra runs small in both the band and cup, got it in the 30G. I'm glad that I did, because even sizing up, the band was still very snug on me. The cups fit well, but I'm starting to think that my breasts prefer plunge bras over anything balconette since they are so close together. I mean, the center gore comes up really high on me, but it's still comfortable. The shape that this bra gives is very naturally rounded and gives you a nice amount of lift as well. It's a sexy bra, but the seams show under thin shirts. I'll mostly be wearing this with sweaters as a result.
Bought this for picky teenager. It's a petite-framed, fuller coverage bralette made from 2 layers of super soft, medium weight fine knit cotton. The straps are 15" long but these are in 2 parts, the first half on the front is 7" long and has soft lace trim sewn onto it, in the back is a .65" wide lingerie satin strap with a j-hook so the bralette can convert to racerback. Sneaaaky, I didn't know that it could do this.Very nice surprise as it's a hard to find feature in a bra.
All the seams are expertly bound with the same quality of elastic sandwiched ...inside, with double row of zigzag stitching pressing them neatly down. The underband is some kind of 1" wide elastic encased completely by the facing cotton knit. Both the top and bottom of the cotton casing are stitched securely to prevent the band from rubbing or the elastic from wearing through it. I'm impressed by all the thoughtful touches that went into designing this wireless bra!
No bubbling, rippling or weird unevenness when the bralette is at rest, or being stretched anywhere. Dalis doesn't bind in, wow. Somebody got heard or paid to figure this one out. Yeah, we're still kinda salty about the lack of consistency of elastic ease among the textile choices of curvy kate, freya, and panache/cleo styles.
The cup has a central vertical dart which is stitched to the inner layer with a miniscule 1/16" straight seamline, that has some stretch to avoid inducing in-cup quadding. This lower cup dart seam is 4" long, so if one has a shorter than average bottom cup depth (length from inframammary fold to nips) the cup might have pointiness above the fullest part of a breast. I did get the cup dart seam to stretch to just under 5" so Dalis should be ok for moderately projected, evenly full shapes. The gore and wing height are pretty good coverage, however some of this is the lace trimming. It's a forgiving edging to smooth things out but not a really supportive material in itself. I find this gives me a more subtle 'side muffin' silhouette since my boobs grow fullest from the underarm and side area so usually tend to squish out of a bra there. YMMV I wouldn't classify it spanx levels of control, but the streamling it does is, is not nothing either.
I'm thinking hard about things to kvetch about here. I think that the pattern could have a little more gathering from where the bottom of the cup darts begin to give the lower inner cup more space, and lower inner breast somewhere to be. Since it's easy to get squished in a bralette, especially one that's cut a little taller like this one.
Honestly we're both impressed, and really hope that more colourways and prints come out in Dalis. Read more 382 more words
I bought a 30F thinking that it would be stretchy enough to fit me as a 30FF/28G. I was wrong, lol. But, since it is a bralette, the perfect fit isn't as important to me so I kept it. The band is very stretchy - I wish it came in a 28 band since if I clasp it on the last set of hooks if I don't want any riding up.
tannerk I've been looking at this bralette for my daughter because she's liked some other Parfait nonwired designs... just wondering if I understood correctly, are you saying it's the CUP fabric that isn't very stretchy? (As opposed to the band which is very stretchy per your observation) Does the cup lack horizontal stretch or is it equally unstretchy both horizontally and vertically? Thanks in advance for any info you can share :)
Hi! So, I think the cups are somewhat stretchy, but I wouldn’t order a cup size down like I did lol. It seems to run pretty true to size with pretty even vertical and horizontal stretch.
It’s very soft, too! I’m sure your daughter will like it if she’s partial to the other Parfait non-wires styles.
ok thanks! Yeah I definitely would not risk sizing down, she is picky about side coverage. I am on the fence about this one, she tends to prefer the firm support of nonstretch or low-stretch cups... vertical stretch is the main problem obviously, in her size range (3oH-HH) it doesn't feel as secure as most people like!
I bought this well priced bralette from Belle Lingerie.
It is very soft - It's 87% polymide, and 13% spandex. It has two thin layers - one outer lace, and one inner stretchy polyester feeling material (almost like a stretch cotton). It was incredibly difficult to measure because it is a bralette, which doesn't have any wires. I did my best, but take measurements with a grain of salt.
The bralette is incredibly soft and comfortable. I put it on and went out for an evening, and I forgot all about it. The band measures a bit smaller than the actual size, and I bought a bigger size ...on purpose so that I could wear it for lounging around on days off. It has just enough structure and shape to be appropriate for day time/outside use though. It does squish me a bit, and there is not much lift. I would call it supportive though. I love that it has 4 clasps, because I can't do the pull over kind very well anymore - it's just too much contortion for me these days, lol.
I think it looks really pretty, and because it's part structured, part sexy bralette, and also so soft and cozy...I'd wear it almost for any occasion. Read more 101 more words
I have this one too, and just remembered about it! I think this is the only busty bralette style I own with a hook closure. Agreed with you on pullover styles… they’re fine if I am wearing something loose fitting where support doesn’t matter, but if I need the band to actually provide support, pullover is a huge struggle!
Ohh I like the look of this one. It looks pretty darned supportive for a bralette!
belleandblues and margesimpson it is SO comfortable. And yes, actually quite supportive for a bralette.
That’s great Wilderness1 it’s definitely going on my wish list, lol
Soft fabric with no irritating trim. Comfortable band. Round shape. Wires long enough to support my wide root without encroaching into my armpit. Seams show through shirt.
I might try this style if it ever goes on sale at Zulily. (I do not mind the seams showing through.) Do you think that it minimizes your shape at all? I have not had much success with "minimizer" bras. :\
I labelled this band as stretched to 30", it can stretch to probably about 33". Though doing so results in significant distortion of the wires. The cup depth can stretch to about 11.5". I believe this bra has been discontinued as I can no longer find it on Amazon nor Parfaits other retailers or their own website. Parfait seems to do this quite a bit. They put out many bras and most are discontinued rather quickly. They seem to excel the most in the padded/molded bra category. Providing the publix with decently projected padded bras. The gore is confusing to me. And it seems this is a hit or miss with ...many of their bras. All of their bras start out with quite a nicely narrow gore. But then they either stay fairly narrow (as with most their padded bras) or they get super wide at the bottom of the gore. THIS bra gets SUPER wide towards the middle and bottom of the gore. Alas, the material feels really nice. The cups are great. I think most women could get down with this style of cup. There is an outer layer of matte satin with a stretchy tulle lining. Top third is fishnet style mesh lined with the same tulle. The band is kind of strange. The gore and cup wings are made of a fishnet style mesh back with a stretchy tulle. Which I believe is what causes the ridiculous width/stretchiness of the gore. There is plastic boning in the wing seams and then the rest of the band is made of the same fishnet style mesh but instead of being backed with the tulle, it is backed with power mesh. Then there is about half inch of elastic sewn to the bottom making this a fully banded bra. There is also an interesting strip of plastic/rubber/silicone zig-zag stitched sewn to the outer edge of the cup. I imagine this is supposed to help the edge of the cup stay tacked down to prevent gaping without using a strip of elastic which would generally cause digging/quading. The construction quality is great. I think taking a piece of non-stretch fabric and sewing it to the gore would do absolute wonders for this bra. See my review here: http://bra.pe/X3lY/ for the story of me bravangalizing a friend and why I have bras in this size. Besides the gore issue, it seems to fit her pretty damn well. Her favorite of the three I got her so far is the Cleo Hettie ,also in 30GG. I imagine she will eventually end up in more of a 28HH/30H or even 28J/30HH as she has about a 13" h.perimeter and obviously prefers a firmer band. Read more 341 more words
Although this bra looks a bit like a granny bra, it’s super comfy. Wearing this all day today was the first time that I can remember going ALL DAY not having to think about or adjust my bra! The only thing I would change about it would be to have a lining. I teach young children and it’s pretty obvious when I’m cold. 😳
My shape: close set, center full, full on bottom, average/narrow width roots, tall shallow roots, soft tissue.
Cute bra, with a dark floral print and black lace. I like the three-button detail on the gore, straps are on the thinner side, band fits me nice and snug (comfortable) on loosest hook. When I ordered this bra, I ordered the unlined version, but they ended up sending me the molded cup instead! Sadly the unlined in my size sold out so I can't compare, therefore, I'm still debating whether I should keep this bra or not since this is my new size (I'm still trying to find bras with good ...fits in unlined cups!).
The problem I have with this bra is that my breast tissue seems to escape a little on the upper, outer corners, I wish the wing came up a little higher to push the tissue to the center. The depth of the cup seems to be okay for me and it just slightly presses onto the top of my upper breasts, but not enough to give me quad boob or show under normal clothes. It gives a nice round shape under clothes. Overall, it seems to fit okay, I'm just waiting on some unlined bras to make the decision on whether I should keep this or not. Read more 111 more words
I have been wanting to try this well-reviewed bra for a while. It has great style and provides a flattering fit on many people. Unfortunately I am not one of them! I bought this bra in "Wild Pink" colorway. It is a fun, bubble gum pink color. The band seemed a bit looser than I prefer, not bad, but I personally like a very snug band. My tight underbust is 29. The real problems were with the cups. The worst of the problems was with the side of the cup. For those of you familiar with the smaller band ...larger cup problems with Panache sawing the side of your shoulder off, it is similar. Interestingly, it wasn't super painfully tight in the front of the shoulder/ armpit area like Panache, but there was a ton of fabric there. Like covering large areas of my armpit when I lower my arm. I live in the deep south, and tbh that would just be covered in sweat in the summer. Gross. And quite uncomfortable. It seems like the same scaling issue that Panache has, like maybe they don't actually try these bras on women in my size range, but rather just guess and hope for the best? This bra does not have quite enough projection for me, you can see a bit of collapsing at the bottom of the cup. Finally, despite the excess fabric at the side of the cup, there isn't enough space in the cup where my center full breasts are, causing me to quad, and the gore does not come anywhere close to tacking. Read more 175 more words
Pics and measurements underway! I didn't mean this to be posted without them, oops!
MamaPagan , I remember you said a while back you were considering this bra, and as this is getting close to your size I figured you would be interested in the review
The strap situation is really bad! I strongly suspect, like you said, they don't try these on real women, maybe dolls or something. There is no way any sane woman would wear this and be like IT'S PERFECT!
You are too funny brasaremean . "IT'S PERFECT"
Oof, those straps are painful to look at on you! What were they thinking?
veggiechic You must be confusing me with someone else. I tried this one over a year ago in a 28K and a 30K, both too small in the cup. :-/ But I am interested in all bra reviews so thank you! I love reading the different perspectives!
hmmm. Guess so! Hopefully someone else considering this bra in this size range will be forewarned, lol!
I think I figured it out! A few months ago I was considering ordering several Amazon bras that were super cheap just to add the data here, then return. This was most likely one of those, as there was definitely more than 1 cup differece between the 28K and 30K, so inconsistent at best and we'd benefit from more entries. I know one of the bras was a Curvy Kate with stretch lace.
Either way, I felt guilty about ordering them with the sole intent to use free returns, which would drive up Amazon prices....so that guilt won and I didn't buy them. I chose the guilt of not adding potential data here instead. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't, right?
So I think your memory was correct after all! It's just mine failing me, haha!
Funny! I am glad I wasn't totally confused!
Nope, I think it's totally me! :-D
OMG the wires are basically ending on your back. Wow. Grading fail! Well, at least you tried it and you established it's not one for you.
Atleast it looks pretty lol. Terrible looking fit though. I think the main problem when getting into the larger cup sizes is that bra brands are in the mindset that the wires and the base MUST GET WIDER whereas it's looking more and more to me like the width of the wire really should stop at around 6-9" width depending on band size. I mean really this is a 30 band, what women is likely to have breast tissue that close to their back to require the cups to be 8" wide on each side. That's 16" of space they're expecting on the front of the chest, not even including the gore! So over half of the complete circumference. I guess it might make more sense on a 2D model, but not a 3D model.
LeProfessor I think this bra is just inconsistent at best. I tried it last year in a 28K & 30K. The 28K wires were 8" wide while the 30K was 7.5" and the gores were seriously floating. I don't think they actually intend for the wires to keep the breasts in place in this range, but more craddle them. My feelings on it at the time I tried them was they only would work for super firm tissue or over the muscle implants. The photos posted on Amazon reviews make it look flattering. (Those that were up Apr 2017 at least!)
Parfait's Sophia bra (in 30K) was unpadded with full stretch lace and a wide lazy J wire , flattened the breasts, but was so comfortable! If it wasn't for the band being huge, I would have loved that one especially on period tenderness days. I think the brand just likes the push up with "wide & to the side" look.
I totally agree MamaPagan this is their first bra into large sizes too. I was looking at other bras from them and they were very cute and not offered in the larger size range. Lets hope that they get more consistent and refine their bra patterns over the years!
I am very spoiled and find no bra super comfortable for a full day wear unless it is an Empreinte or Prima Donna ($150-$200 CAD price range) which is why I am parting ways with this bra. I believe it retails for around $60, and for that price, it is awesome.
Pleasantly surprised that I found a balconet that did not give me horrendous about of side boobage. My chest is wide and tall, slightly shallow at the top and rather full toward the bottom and sides. As a result, I fully expected this bra not to be able to contain my tall, wide roots. However, it seems to do a decent job of it. (I bought from amazon on sale, so I was feeling adventurous.) Overall, I really like it. The material on the outside of the bra is very smooth, and the material on the band is quite comfortable. The straps, I notice, do not adjust all the way, and while that is fine for me, that might not work for some. I normally wear 32 bands, (I like the extra space to accommodate my back and shoulder muscles) so this band at first felt rather tight for what I am used to. But overall I think its a good fit.
I have average-width, even breasts with tallish roots.
This bra cuts in slightly at the top of my breasts due to an incompatibility with the slope of my breasts/them being slightly tall. I got this lingerie set not as an everyday set, so I cannot comment on how well it goes underneath shirts. Might work for tops that are cut slightly lower than other bras will allow, as there is a slight plunge style shape to the bra.
Bought from a bratabase user. The appearance is so beautiful yet the bra is very sturdy and if it fit better I can tell it would be wonderfully supportive. I love the relatively tall cups, wings, and gore; If this bra fit it would be probably my favorite bra ever. See my profile page for my measurements and breast shape info!
My fit: Band a little too big on my 26 back, I can fit my hand into it, but it's firmer than a Freya I'd say. Too open in the top of the cups for me, I gape in every position I try except standing up with good ...posture with my shoulders back. Too shallow in the lower cups because after a few hours I feel minor pain in my lower breast so that leads me to believe they are being pressed too hard.
If I grasp the cups and hold them against myself, the cups are filled with breast tissue, so I don't know if that means technically it's not too big, rather it's just too open up top. Straps and cups and wires are too wide: outer lower sides of cups are empty, the top of the cups painfully dig into my armpits big time, and my arms Touch the cups and push against them. Overall it was a miss but it was exciting to try my first padded/moulded/lined/whatever you call these type of cups. I may try to alter the cups to fit better. Read more 138 more words
If you're up for some serious alterations, this bra may still end up fitting you! Charlotte is actually great bra for altering, because there's lots of ways to 'cover up' the bits you did bra surgery on.
I had similar problems with my Charlotte (straps too wide, frontal 'armpit' cup-part uncomfortable when moving my arms).
*Alteration*: I moved in the straps & reduced the outer front cup / armpit part - removing and then re-attaching the shiny satin side sling.
First I used seam rippers to remove the straps and loosen the satin part - just leave this hanging. Then I removed a bit of the foam part underneath. Trial and error how much / at what angle the armpit area works for you - use pins to try on! If it needs some tweaks, try cutting off more foam or pin differently.
Once you're happy with the armpit part, sew this new outer cup edge and try it on again (the satin is still hanging loose btw.) Works? Arrange the satin sling with pins and cut bits off where needed. Then you can re-attach the satin side sling (also helps to cover up your sewing underneath). Finally, re-attach the straps, set narrower and / or at a bit of an angle.
This alteration also made my Charlotte fit smaller, which is why it may solve your gaping. If not, you could also (alteration 2) lower the cup edge by removing the black piping (or cutting part of the cup and adding new piping).
(:
bubblegum ahh you are a genius! I am trying to practise more sewing so thank you for this. i may work up the courage to do this bra surgery.
Edit: alteration 2 does interfere with alteration 1 (needs to be done at the same time). Pinning is your friend: in the first steps of alt.1, trying on with pins should already make obvious if the armpit surgery helps solve the gaping or not. If so, alt.2 is not necessary but if it is, you can do both.
I got this bra in 28J after trying on the 30H and finding it lacking in sizing for me (cups too small and band too large). I fell in love with the design, the quality and the feel of comfort and sturdiness that this bra offers you.
Now that I got to try the 28J, I'm not so sure about some of those qualities, more precisely the design… For a starter, even though I purchased the smallest band size and that my measurements seems to put me in the 28-30 inches band size range, this bra is still too large for me ! I have to close it at ...the first set of hooks to get this tight feeling I get from other bras (where I can only put two fingers under the band and feel supported but not constricted). The biggest issue is the center gore that doesn't lay flat against my sternum at all, I can put one finger between my skin and the center gore ! I don't know if the problem is with the design or the cut of this bra, or if my breasts are set too close apart (I doubt that since it's the first time I get this issue). I recently put on weight, and I was a 30 before so I don't think I lost some inches at the ribcage measurements… Secondly, the cut of the cups makes them go very high under my arms, it touches my armpit. This doesn't concern the wires, just the top-side part of the cups. I think I will get used to this. Thirdly, and I think this is because of the high cut of the cups, I get more empty room on the sides in the cups that I'm used to, but that is not a concerning issue.
Despite that I get a very good breasts shape visually and everything is tightly held together, which is the feeling that I like. The straps are firm and large and stay on my narrow shoulders without slipping. The quality of the fabric and the sewing seems top-notch even though the vertical details are very visible under t-shirts (in 3D). I only wish the center gore would lay flat, and the sides to be a little lower… Read more 267 more words
I tried this bra and got similar issues...pokey underwire under the armpits and a gore that liked to float. The wires on this bra are wide. I really love the look of the bra but wish they had executed the design better.
This bra. It says 40 but measures to 38 and even then it starts distorting the cups. I can put it on as I'm about a 39" under bust now but it's snug. I had to do some fancy wiggling to get it on. I know it's distorting the cups too as the cups are wider than they should be and also it pushes my breast tissue to the sides but somehow creates a cleavage too. The gore won't tack but I'm sure if the band fit better it'd be way closer. The bra itself? Gorgeous gorgeous deep teal blue color. Online it looks way lighter but in ...person, it's a deep teal leaning blue that's beautiful. The longline (why they call it bralette I don't know?) has boning in the front and on the sides. I can appreciate that for helping the band to stay in one place but with my pear shape, once I sit down it still wants to roll upward in the front. The back isn't so bad though. I'm keeping it because I bought it through a Zulily event and if I lose a couple more pounds the band should be better and the cups will fit better too.
The bra itself though is gorgeous and I wish Parfait would extend their sizing! I'm in the largest for this particular bra https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Read more 124 more words
It is beautiful - i wish there was a pic of the back - how many clasps? can you try an extender or not?
dbmamaz Thanks! There is a pic of the back over on the full page of photos... http://bra.pe/XUP4/
There are 6 hooks so I guess I could wear 2 extenders! I think I'll try it! I kind of thought no on extenders but given extenders typically are 3 hooks I could always do 2 :)
Yeah, i found it eventually - still doesnt show all the pics when its on the front page feed for some reason
Gorgeous color on you . Lots of extenders in many different sizes on ebay . Here is an example of a 6 hook one http://www.ebay.com/itm/302016503614. Just remember to measure your bra to make sure they do fit together ..I forgot once . If not for extenders and altering I would have few bras so they are my secret weapon ;) . Love thr long line look wish I could find one close to my size to try.
I'm on the fence with this one. On one hand, I don't think I'm going to get much cleavage with my breast unless I wear this type of bra which I think is overall a little too small and big at the same time. Cleavage-seeking is the only reason I bought this. But, I really enjoy the shape, lift, and yeah - the cleavage. I think I will end up keeping it for special wear, but not everyday.
The band is tight, the gore doesn't tack, and the wing height is very high. Will get very slight quad boob if I were to bend. There is slight gaping at ...the very top edge, and I think the wires are slightly narrow on me. I needed to take the straps almost all the way up to correct some top gaping, and at least this bra allows for fully adjusting the straps. I'm not fond of the "peach" color - it just looks nude, but I like the detailing. Like other bras on me, it doesn't stay in my fold (I've never had one that does).
Despite the fit issues, it's not really uncomfortable. Incredible lift, shape, and cleavage for my breast that don't do cleavage. It's subtle, which I prefer. I believe if I were to correct the size issues, I would lose out on the cleavage. So - special-time bra only for me! Read more 123 more words
I am surprised you feel the cups are too narrow. I have been hoping to start wearing Parfait By Affinitas Charlotte Padded Bra (6901) precisely *because* it measures so wide. (I need W I D E 😀)
I wanted to try out Charlotte for a long time and now I had the chance. I got this bra pretty used, but it still fits decently. The colour is pretty darn great and I like the shape it gives me.
I love this bra and it fits! Hooray! My first one. It's got some issues here and there but I would still call it a fit. The wires were unwearable. They were the most painful wires I have ever come across. I couldn't leave it on more than a few minutes at a time, and it still left my rib cage tender to the touch the next day. It made the stabbing wires of the freya crush longline feel like a relaxing spa massage. Once I was sure it fit, I replaced the wires and it's fine now. It was slightly too wide and shallow for me ...so I bent the wires. This fixed the slight quading and width issue. Both of those were minor enough so that this worked. The straps are too wide and dig into my armpits. I make the straps as loose as possible to try and compensate for this. If I'm feeling brave enough, I might try to move the straps inward or replace them with thinner straps.
I like the oversized bow and how tall the sides are. The 28 band is tight enough for my 26 rib cage. I thought the contrast of the two different materials and the thick black lines were strange at first, but it looks better on. It gives a nice profile, not perfectly round, but still rounded and uplifted. Holds all swoop and scoop in place. I would get another one in a different colorway because I'm so happy with how this bra fits!
UPDATE I replaced the straps with thinner softer ones, so no more cutting into my armpits. This bra needed modifications but it's sooo worth it! Read more 171 more words
Word to the wise, I have heard their newest color ("floral shimmer") is narrower and more projected than previous ones. Never tried them though, and I'm tempted cause floral fits me great....
Thanks for the tip. I think I heard that one also runs large in the cup. Not sure if that's true or not.
I have heard that as well. I had to size down to E from FF/F
Am pleased with this bra! The only issue is the top of the gore slightly does not touch my sternum but it is longer than my other bras. Counting this as a win given it is comfy otherwise. I could have gone up one cup for my larger side but my smaller side would have needed a cookie or it would have been too large. Excited to rotate this in as a regular wearing bra. I also bought this in dusty rose and the tag on that one says US/UK size is both a G. Puzzled by that as I thought US and UK sizes are not the same in bra land.
tannerk I've been looking at this bralette for my daughter because she's liked some other Parfait nonwired designs... just wondering if I understood correctly, are you saying it's the CUP fabric that isn't very stretchy? (As opposed to the band which is very stretchy per your observation) Does the cup lack horizontal stretch or is it equally unstretchy both horizontally and vertically? Thanks in advance for any info you can share :)