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I am officially giving up on Parfait bras after 3 epic fails. Unfortunately, this brand is just not for me. The main problem is that these bras are clearly not designed for my shape. Parfait bras all run on the narrow side and are a little deeper than what I'm used to. The underwire shape is always a deep U, while I am wide and shallow and need an even C underwire. However, I found that there were some differences with the two versions of this bra that I purchased at the same time, so I will comment on the differences in the ... below review (it's hard for me to conclude whether these two bras were slightly different generations or the differences were just due to production, since I already returned the original bra).
I purchased the Sandrine from Nordstrom Rack where it was a great price. The last Parfait unlined bra I purchased (Irene) was a total mess, and had heinous fabric. Thus, I was so surprised that Sandrine is actually quite beautiful, and is made from soft and silky lace! I am actually really impressed with the quality of this bra, and if it had worked out, I would've switched to this as my everyday lace style. The upper layer is made from a silky, lightweight stretch floral lace, and the cups are lined with lightweight stretch powermesh, so the cups are full stretch while still providing support. The upper panel is stretch lace with the same lining, but there's clear stabilizing tape at the upper edge, a detail I don't see often in bras. There's even a little crystal at the center gore with a 3 petal ribbon flower. Not necessarily to my taste, but certainly not as bizarre and random as the Freya center gore decorations I've come across. The Cameo Rose color is also a really pretty soft nude pink, as pretty as a nude shade can get.
However, the underwires and I still just could not get along. My guess is that the shape, volume, and projection of the cups would've worked out for me if the wires were different. Compared to the Black Sandrine, the ones on this particular bra came with more of a C curve and were a bit wider, so I tried to open them up a bit, but I wasn't able to do this successfully as I needed more than 1 cm of additional width, and I believe 1 cm is the widest you should open your underwires without affecting their structural integrity and shape. The cups definitely felt a lot better, but the fit wasn't quite there. However, I did like the shape of the cups and how they provide full coverage without feeling matronly.
Still, there was no point in considering changing the wires when the band was also too loose and not supportive. The band on this particular bra was a bit smaller than the Black, so it did feel a lot better, but after adjusting, the back of the band definitely rode up. I am not impressed with the wing construction at all, as it is just single layer stretch lace without any stretch mesh lining! The upper and lower edge elastic is also the standard narrow size and doesn't provide enough support or stability. I found that tightening the band causes the wires to pull into my body, which makes sense since it's so flimsy, and doesn't have a full band construction. The straps are also really skinny with no texture, so I imagine these will definitely slip.
Ultimately, poor band construction and horrible wire misfit can't make up for beautiful styling and gorgeous materials. I don't feel confident that I can find another Parfait style that will suit my shape and be supportive, so I think this will be my last try with the brand.
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Cameo Rose colorway
Updated on Sep 27, 2019 Flag this