(This review is for the original Adriana bralette. This style has been re-released and is allegedly truer to size, though I did not have any problems with this bra not being true to size)
This is my second Adriana Lace Bralette in the older version, which many reviewers have complained runs small. I have not found in my experience that it runs small at all, and I find that it fits true to size in the band and a little big in the cup, due to the high cut V neckline. I started with the 30E after reading reviews that it runs small, found the cups ...a little too big, so I grabbed a 32D to see how it would be.
Since the band is quite firm, the 32 band wasn't impossibly big on me as it normally would be, but it definitely rides up a bit in the back. It is comfortable and still provides support, so I don't mind it too much (I've actually ordered a second color in this size). The cup is one size smaller than the original one I tried, but I didn't find that they were much shorter or cut lower. The cups are still quite tall, so while the volume is good, I find it a bit too full coverage for my tastes, and have ordered a 30D to see if sizing down one cup size and going to my original preferred band size will help.
Still, the fit is great, and this is a super comfortable yet supportive bralette. The band on the 32D size has only 3 rows of hooks and is a bit narrower than the original 30E I tried, but it still feels pretty firm. Almost all bralettes are way too loose for me in the band to provide any kind of support, so this is a great find. The wings are tall on this style but not doesn't feel quite like a longline as the 30E did, and there is a long piece of flexible plastic boning which adds extra stability. The band is made from double layered mesh and floral lace.
The construction of the cups has more shaping than a standard core sized bralette, so you can tell it's designed as a full figured garment. The 2 piece cup is seamed vertically in the middle for depth, but there's also a separate horizontal piece sewn at the bottom of the cups that acts like a bit of a cradle. I believe this piece allows the cup to have more projection and yet still be seamed smoothly into the band without resorting to shirring. The construction of the cups is much simpler than the Panache Andorra Wireless Bra, but the fit is rather similar. The inside of the cups is made from silky knit fabric and is quite comfortable, as there are no scratchy seams to be found.
The downsides to this bra are the tall cups, which are basically designed to be full coverage, but can show under clothing. The stretchy floral lace is soft and nice quality, but Parfait decided to enclose 4 layers of fabric together in the vertical seam going down the cup, so this seam is definitely visible under clothing. The upper part of the strap is wide lace and tapers to normal elastic, but the adjustable portion is quite short. I had to shorten the straps down completely. Despite these shortfalls, I am surprised by how comfortable and supportive this bralette is, and if I add foam liners for shape, I would definitely wear this out of the house. I think this would be fantastic for plane rides where comfort is paramount.
After trying two band sizes, my best size is definitely a 30 band, but I am not sure yet if a 30D will be too small in the cups or if it will have the coverage I prefer. A 30D or 30DD would be my best bet in this style. Overall, this bralette is what I wanted the Cosabella Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Soft Bra to be, but at half the price, and with a secure hooked band, and what I wanted the Panache Andorra Wireless Bra to be, though the one I tried wasn't in my size.
If you typically have trouble finding small band, medium or large cup bralettes, I highly recommend giving this a try! I haven't tried the new style and probably won't until there are some more fashion colors, but I am pleased to see that the new style comes in 28 bands, and I would just start by ordering my normal size of 28E in that version. Read more 682 more words
(This review is for the original Adriana bralette. This style has been re-released and is allegedly truer to size, though I did not have any problems with this bra not being true to size)
This is my second Adriana Lace Bralette in the older version, which many reviewers have complained runs small. I have not found in my experience that it runs small at all, and I find that it fits true to size in the band and a little big in the cup, due to the high cut V neckline. I started with the 30E after reading reviews that it runs small, found the cups ...a little too big, so I grabbed a 32D to see how it would be.
Since the band is quite firm, the 32 band wasn't impossibly big on me as it normally would be, but it definitely rides up a bit in the back. It is comfortable and still provides support, so I don't mind it too much (I've actually ordered a second color in this size). The cup is one size smaller than the original one I tried, but I didn't find that they were much shorter or cut lower. The cups are still quite tall, so while the volume is good, I find it a bit too full coverage for my tastes, and have ordered a 30D to see if sizing down one cup size and going to my original preferred band size will help.
Still, the fit is great, and this is a super comfortable yet supportive bralette. The band on the 32D size has only 3 rows of hooks and is a bit narrower than the original 30E I tried, but it still feels pretty firm. Almost all bralettes are way too loose for me in the band to provide any kind of support, so this is a great find. The wings are tall on this style but not doesn't feel quite like a longline as the 30E did, and there is a long piece of flexible plastic boning which adds extra stability. The band is made from double layered mesh and floral lace.
The construction of the cups has more shaping than a standard core sized bralette, so you can tell it's designed as a full figured garment. The 2 piece cup is seamed vertically in the middle for depth, but there's also a separate horizontal piece sewn at the bottom of the cups that acts like a bit of a cradle. I believe this piece allows the cup to have more projection and yet still be seamed smoothly into the band without resorting to shirring. The construction of the cups is much simpler than the Panache Andorra Wireless Bra, but the fit is rather similar. The inside of the cups is made from silky knit fabric and is quite comfortable, as there are no scratchy seams to be found.
The downsides to this bra are the tall cups, which are basically designed to be full coverage, but can show under clothing. The stretchy floral lace is soft and nice quality, but Parfait decided to enclose 4 layers of fabric together in the vertical seam going down the cup, so this seam is definitely visible under clothing. The upper part of the strap is wide lace and tapers to normal elastic, but the adjustable portion is quite short. I had to shorten the straps down completely. Despite these shortfalls, I am surprised by how comfortable and supportive this bralette is, and if I add foam liners for shape, I would definitely wear this out of the house. I think this would be fantastic for plane rides where comfort is paramount.
After trying two band sizes, my best size is definitely a 30 band, but I am not sure yet if a 30D will be too small in the cups or if it will have the coverage I prefer. A 30D or 30DD would be my best bet in this style. Overall, this bralette is what I wanted the Cosabella Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Soft Bra to be, but at half the price, and with a secure hooked band, and what I wanted the Panache Andorra Wireless Bra to be, though the one I tried wasn't in my size.
If you typically have trouble finding small band, medium or large cup bralettes, I highly recommend giving this a try! I haven't tried the new style and probably won't until there are some more fashion colors, but I am pleased to see that the new style comes in 28 bands, and I would just start by ordering my normal size of 28E in that version. Read more 682 more words
Oh, this bra! Cleavage! I *never* have cleavage, but this bra does the trick. Soft shepherdess mounds, not quite cakes-on-a-plate, just gorgeous...it's so nice to have a bra that makes me feel like my body is beautiful. I have wide set, tall roots, soft and shallow boobs, and they're not the same size; usually the left side of the bra is quad-boobing or the right is sad and gappy, but this one puts the right volume in the right place for me, and it's open enough on top to be forgiving of the size difference.
A few downsides: the little pintucks along the ...top of the bra show through t-shirts, so it won't do for close-fitting stretchy clothes. Also, while the chestband fits me well enough, it's on the tight side of fitting. Combined with the rigidness of the wires, the effect is a little more constrictive than ideal for everyday. One of the hooks has started to show a spot of rust; if I remember I'll hit that with a careful bit of nail polish so it doesn't spread. Otherwise the bra is holding up well, and I look forward to more years of happy round bosoms to come. Read more 101 more words
I am tall, with low, wide, shallow, widely spaced, FOB breasts and a promient sternum. I am very pleased with the fit of this bra, as I am somewhat difficult to fit. I am typically (barely) a US size 32DD and UK size 34D (30" ribcage measurement but I'm very bony with sensitive skin, so I need a band that's not too tight). I decided to size down in the cup after looking at the measurements and reading reviews. I haven't personally compared the 32D with the 32DD, since I ordered it online, but I am satisfied with how the 32D fits me. I am paranoid about not ...filling up my cup (probably from years of being told I was flat), and the 32D gives me a tiny bit of quadboob at first scoop and swoop, but my breast tissue settles and fills out the cups (seemingly) perfectly. This band, while being much the same as other UK sized bands in tightness, seems more comfortable to me. It digs in a bit, but I couldn't go to a 34 band without D cups, risking cups that were too big for me. The straps are pleasingly wide, about 3/4 of an inch, and nicely stretchy - with other bras, notably the Cleo Maddie Moulded T-shirt Bra (7201) , the straps just won't extend enough to be comfortable, and they don't have enough stretch. The gore doesn't come up high enough to poke me in the sternum, and I haven't had to bend the wires outwards like I have to on some of my bras because of my weird bone structure. The wings are high (just the way I like them), and the wires don't extend the full length of their channels, on either end, leaving about 1/2 of an inch empty tubes, which doesn't bother me. Visually, the bra is very pretty, I love the navy color, and the lace at the top is attractive without being lumpy underneath my shirt. This bra doesn't give me crazy lift, nor does it really flatten me. It's a nice everyday rounded shape. The "padding" is not padding in the US sense of the word but fits in with my experience of other UK bras labeled "padded" - i.e. the cups are made with a thin layer of foam, not just fabric. Overall I would recommend this bra to anyone who is also shallow, with wide roots, low breasts, widely spaced breasts, FOB. I would consider going down a cup size if you are even vaguely in between sizes, though. Read more 321 more words
I bought this bra basically based on looks alone, but I'm glad I did. It turned out to be the perfect shape for my breasts. It gives great lift and has a very nice "green" silhouette to it. Also, despite the bra being so firm, it's very comfortable.
I heard this bra runs small overall, but I'm glad I only went up a little in the band. My rib cage is 31 inches and it fits comfortably. I usually wear a 32D/30DD and the cups are perfect.
There is enough padding in this bra to prevent headlights, but it doesn't add to my size. Surprisingly, the seams are not popping out through the fabric of my shirt. The color is, however. Best to wear this with darker colored shirts.
Edit: Now that I've worn it all day, I have to say, this thing murders my tail of spence. No slouching allowed in this bra!
Fits similar to the Parfait Saffron, but I have a little tiny tad quad boob if I stick my breast out far. Might just be the way this particular one bra was sewn. The tag also says that the size is a 70DD China/Intl, but it wouldn't let me enter in that size. Has side boning.
I have this in the blue and black. Band is snug and doesn't loosen after extended wear. Fits just like the Parfait Saffron padded bra. As usual for Parfait bras, the tag says 70DD for INTL/China, but when I try to enter it in it won't let me, it says that it is invalid.
The band is tight on the loosest hook- it's almost uncomfortably tight. The gore tacks, but is too wide for my close set breasts. The cups are too wide, short, and closed. The cup shape ends up being very splayed and pointy. I don't fill out the apex, because it's so far off from where my breasts do point. I get wrinkling because the bra doesn't have enough immediate projection in the bottom of the cups for my even high root breasts. I had to severely bend the underwires to make them support the breast tissue near my sternum. The bra comes up too high near my armpits, and cuts in.
This is the complete wrong bra for me, and it's too bad, because it's beautiful!
Top of the cups are a little too big. The wire comfortably fits all side-boob, but I wish it was bent a little to follow the curve of a rib cage better. Over all very comfortable, and a good fit, very soft padding.
This bra is glamorous! Makes me feel like a pin-up or a can-can girl. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> This bra works well for my shallow breasts, and the high wings contain my tall root well. Plus the wings are boned! The fabric of the cups is a little stiff, but I'm assuming it'll soften up with some wash/wear. Plus its not noticeable under sweaters.
I ordered this as a mass order from BN, hoping for a nice strapless/convertible bra, but returned because it didn't fit right. (Granted I measure 27"/35", but it was worth a shot.) Here are my impressions.
The bra as a whole is pretty comfortable: the lace doesn't itch, the band is soft, and the cups feel nice. The band fit true to size for a 32. I would say the cups run on the larger size for a 32D. The band features side boning, a strip of grippy stuff on top, and two hooks. The straps are fully adjustable and have very little stretch. If you are going to ...use them, be warned that they are a bit more off to the side and may dig in a bit. The cups are a bit wide, not very stiff, and shaped oddly. They are thick enough to prevent show-through. The shape it gives is kind of droopy and east-westy on me. Not as uplifted as one would like in a strapless.
All in all, I wouldn't suggest this to a friend because of the strange shape and the fact that there's only grippy stuff on the top of the wing in back.
The side support stays are AWFUL, I had to take them out to make it wearable. There is still a lump at the bottom of the seam from the channel that they were in. It makes me hesitant to buy a Parfait bra again, because from what I've seen, they all have them. I wouldn't say that it fits anymore, my boobs have grown a bit since I bought it, but it's the best-fitting one I have at the moment. The straps are very hard to adjust, but they don't move once you've got it right. They are made out of a felty kind of material which seems to hold the adjuster in place. I wish they were an inch or two closer together. Like all full-bust bras I've seen of any brand except the Panache Sport, I wish there was padding around the wire.
Bottom line, I wear it every week, but I'm not going to buy another one.
