Beautiful and well constructed bra. Band has more give than the equally sized 40FF Sculptresse Chi-Chi but both are comfortable to me. I currently measure loose 43" and snug 41" underbust. Although I love my Chi-Chi style as it’s the first pretty lace bra - I foresee myself using this one more as I’m afraid of accidently scratching the lace on the Chi-Chi. This color is a very dark navy - it’s listed name color is “Ink.”
My breasts are center-full, pendulous, FOB, and I have a lot of squish in my band measurement. My center-fullness is usually my dominant fit requirement. I suspect I have somewhat short roots, and narrow-to-average roots for my size. I also have narrow, somewhat sloped shoulders.
Oh, I want to like this bra so much, but I really do need it in a 34JJ, I think. Unlike 36HH - Sculptresse » Candi Full Cup Bra (9375) , the band is quite loose and stretchy. I can easily wear it on the last set of hooks. Sculptresse calls it a full cup bra and I suppose it isn't a ...balconette, but it does have a lower, more rounded neckline than say, Elomi Cate or whatever. Because the band is loose and the wires a bit wide, I do spill out of the top of the cup a little on my larger breast. It's sort of hard to describe but it's not that the cups are too small, exactly, so much as i have very soft tissue and the fit of the whole bra is just oh so slightly off.
The appearance and quality is lovely. I do with the straps were removable or adjustable. TBH, looking at the construction of the bra, there's no reason they couldn't be. ETA - by straps I meant the strappy detailing across the top of the cups, not the, you know, bra straps https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":D" /> Read more 136 more words
Hi! I just received this bra in the mail and feel the same as you about the band. I'm starting to wonder if I should have taken the 34J (but I predict spillage, as I'm FOT) or the 34JJ (but I feel those cups would be too big). I just want the center gore to sit flat against my chest, like my 36J Panache Jasmine does. What would you suggest?
Bragirl808 Hey there! Unfortunately 36 is the smallest band size it comes in. :(
If it did come in 34 bands, I would ask how the cups fit you. If they fit okay, I would try the 34JJ first because it it is a sister size of 36J and therefore have roughly the same proportions, whereas the 34J would be just straight up going down a band size.
Aaah, ok - then I will sadly just have to send it back :( I had tried on a 36H at a store near me; the band was alright but the cups were much too small. Such a shame! I really wish bra companies would start ALL their bras at a 34" band. Thanks so much for your help! :)
I really like this bra! This was the first bra I tried recommended to me for my new size discovery (was previously "wearing" 38D, should be 40FF). The first time I put it on, then, was like the heavens opened up and bathed me in comfort.
The gore tacks, the bra is so soft, it's beautiful as well. Band fits perfectly, I feel supported. My only dislike is the shape it gives me; it's a little too pointed for my taste, so I won't be wearing it with tight-fitting shirts however it is fine under everything else. It's so, so comfortable. There is slight wrinkling on my smaller side at the bottom of the cup, and the bra doesn't sit in my fold, however I have yet to have one in my life that has. My breast are simply cradled perfectly in this bra, and again, the lace feels so nice - not itchy on me one bit.
I haven't seen any other reviews of this bra in the new sizing (34 band). Let me say that it is AWESOME. I know that this is based on the Jasmine but I don't like the Jasmine (hurty wires, not enough lift, too little support in the stretchy upper cup lace, cups a bit too wide). The Chi Chi provides a great band - totally comfortable and firm. I wear a 32 often and this 34 gives as much support. It's also made of a soft material sewn atop the power mesh. The cups are totally front and centre and the lift is terrific. This bra gives almost ...an Empreinte boobs on a plate shape. I mean, only Empreinte is Empreinte, but at this price point you cannot beat this bra. I've got it in both the black and taupe colourways and I prefer the taupe. The fit is a bit better - though both fit extremely well - because black dye tends to mess with fabric ease and is always a bit less dynamic. I have found my latest neutral bra. Read more 74 more words
Thank you for discussing the expanded band size on Sculptresse » Chi-chi Full Cup Bra (7695) I am glad more people can opt out of Panache Jasmine's all-around SINGLE-LAYER power mesh and enjoy a smoother cup and double-bagged band of Chi-chi. I'm glad the Cappuccino color wasn't too ashy and taupe for you! It's annoying that in 8 years this bra's colorways stuck to loud swimsuit-like animal or floral prints copied off Jasmine and not, say, more skintone or neutral options. If you're on the market for another neutral bra in this cut, you might like your size of the new 40E - Panache » Serene in the Vintage = cool pastel pinky-beige colorway.
The stretch lace on this one seems like it would pill over time. The fabric used for the rest of the cup has a nice feel and I like this colorway. The straps aren't fully adjustable, so high roots beware. The gore comes up too high for me. The wires are too tall and wide for my shape. My tissue is folding over on the outside of the bra. It's closer than the 40 bands, so the cups must just be deeper if you go up a band, but I can't go up to a 44H, the band would be too loose. Though, it would be interesting to ...see what the results of that would be, I don't think I'm going to go down that route. The wires are just too high and I'm, frankly, very tired of ordering UK bras only to review them and return them. My thumb is literally sprained from stretching so many bands for that stretched band measurements. At least the bras are going back into a very restful state for the elasticity. Cheers to all the data I've gathered in the last two months, but pour one out for my thumb. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 96 more words
Has J-hooks. Has an east/west look, despite having the side support design. There isn't enough projection for my tissue to prevent the fold-over near the tail of spence region. The band is very comfortable in the back. It's double bagged with a leotard back. The straps end up decently close enough, but the straps aren't fully adjustable, so high roots/narrow shoulders beware. This also makes it so the J-hooks won't be as useful if you have to crank the straps down anyway. Might as well not have a J-hook at all, if you can't use it. It just sits awkwardly on the top of your shoulder if you have to crank the straps all the way down.
This Roxie bra might just be the one. The fabric is soft, the straps are long enough and not too wide (I wasn't expecting that since it's a Panache brand and they're notoriously short and wide on me), and the wires kinda stay up in my IMF. The wires don't seem as stiff as other Panache bras I've tried, like Envy and Andorra. The bottom is meshy and the top is a pretty lace over mesh, which gives me more support than other stretch lace bras. I would equate the feel and support to that of Elomi Matilda, but the fabric is softer. The cups seem to project out wider from the center. After wearing a few times, I did notice more jiggle than I get from Elomi Matilda. It's not a deal-breaker, but this bra won't be my choice if I know I'm going to be doing something like walking at a quick pace.
This is a very well-made and comfortable feeling bra, but it doesn't fit my shape. The cups are too separate for my close-set centre-full boobs. The wires are too wide and go under my armpits.
I love this bra! It's super cute and has great cleavage. The stretch lace is forgiving, but I think it is slightly too small in this size for me. There is slight quadboob and the gore has some wiggle room, likely from being pushed out, that allows tissue to migrate and then be squashed, painfully. Overall, this is a very close fit for my FOT, significant immediately and apex projected, short roots breasts. 38GG - Sculptresse » Chi-chi Full Cup Bra (7695)
The Sculptresse Gina reminds me of a bra I used to have - the Cleo Blake. It's a similar color and style/shape. The Gina has a prettier fabric (the Blake was more of a plain mesh fabric whereas the Gina has a pattern). It's well-constructed and good for women who have close-set breasts and need a narrow gore.
Aesthetically, the Gina looks good. It lifts and projects and gives a nice rounded shape and the hot pink color is pretty. It's sturdy; this is not a flimsy bra. I felt very secure in it.
The only thing I don't like about it is that the wires are a bit ...firm for my taste. I need to break the bra in. I can feel the underwire and band pressing after a few hours and it gets uncomfortable for all-day wear. It's not as comfortable as my Elomi bras which are always comfortable for all-day wear right out of the package. The Gina reminds me of my old Parfait bras which ran tight in the band and had firm underwires until they were adequately broken in. I feel like the Cleo Blake didn't take as long to break in as the Gina, but I could be wrong.
Fit-wise, the Gina is almost a perfect fit. It encases all of the tissue, gives a good lift, has no quad boob or side spillage/pinching, and the gore tacks (the majority of bras don't tack on me). I have close-set breasts that are almost even. I suppose I have average roots. I tend to do best with balconettes and plunges.
Overall, I'm happy with the Gina and would consider ordering another Sculptresse bra. I just wish that the bra was less stiff.
Edited one year later - October 2019. I only wore this a short time due to the scratchy fabric. I gained and lost weight and now most of my 40H bras don't fit. I tried this Gina in a 38H on again today and this bra is the closest to a perfect fit. It tacks and has a very smooth look. There's a tiny bit of the bottom that I don't fill, but I think that is due to the very bottom of the wire being just a little wider than my breast. I have just a little swell of tissue above the top of the cup, but not truly quadding.
Over the past year, I learned bra sewing but haven't been able to find a perfect fit. I'm tempted to try cloning this bra since it is nearly perfect. I wish they still made the Cleo Blake as that bra was my favorite Cleo/Panache bra I've ever owned. Read more 335 more words
This bra fits weird on me, it seems there is not enough depth at the wire and the cup fabric is very firm, so my breasts push the underwires out of my imf and down onto my sternum. There is not much room at the gore for my centre fullness - the gore is floating and wires are sitting on my breast tissue. The gore is too wide for my close-set breasts. Also, this band is very stretchy and loose for a Panache bra - I'm wearing on the tightest hooks and it rides up.
I tried this bra very early on in my bra search in a larger size, and it is so interesting to come back and try it again. This time, I'm sure the gore is just too wide for me, but it's comfy and wearable, and there's almost enough projection at the wire. Almost!
I have finally found a band that is firm enough to not roll in the back when I sit down. Yay!
However, I'm not sure the cup width is right for me. I'm having a lot of trouble determining my breast root width is. I have pushed on my breast tissue to see if I could find any definition of where my breast tissue ends and my underarm fat begins, but no luck. With the last bra I reviewed, (Elomi Eva Bandless) I noticed that the underwire dug into my underarm fat. I've been wearing it for a few weeks, and it still does that, but is tolerable ...throughout the day. I'm having the same problem with this bra, but the wires are moved forward more. It doesn't hurt, but you can see it is pushing in on the sides. The wires are also digging into my armpits when I sit. I guess they are too long? I'm not too keen on deconstructing a brand new bra. I may just sew some cushioning in that area, along with the top of the gore, as that is rubbing on my fuller side.
As for the cup volume, it's a great fit, till you get to the top of the cup in the clear mesh area. It seems I'm continuing to have this same shape issue in all the bras I've purchased so far. (Not all I've tried are listed.) The top mesh area is too big, and it's super loose and wrinkly there, making my breast tissue squishy/wiggly because it's unconfined. I plan to tack in the top part of the cup with some creative sewing. That should help confine my upper tissue.
I do like the up front look this bra gives me. I have a feeling Polish bras would be good for me in the projection area, but since the wire length is so short on them, I'm not sure if they will be comfortable for my breast tissue. Read more 223 more words
Do you think sizing down to a 38GG would help the wires get smaller and the bra wrinkling, or does that cause orange in a glass at the bottom?
I'm not sure. I fill out the depth of the cup very well. it's a very solid fill, till you get to the top of the mesh. I'm afraid if I went down a cup I'd be spilling out of the top and wrinkling at the bottom big time. So i guess that would be an orange in the glass? There really isn't any wrinkling of fabric in the bottom of the cup on this one. The line of the wire is a bit lower than my IMF though. I can try and bend the wires a bit to try and adjust the fit, maybe that would allow the wires to conform to my IMF better; just not sure if that will throw the top of the wires even more into my armpit. I went in buying this bra with unknown sizing. There's really not a lot of info on any sculptresse bras near my size for getting a feel of the land. It's a very pretty bra, but the avalability is scarce, so if I try another sculptresse, I would probably have to pick a more current design.
I have two more bras on the way. A Freya Paradise plunge balcony 36hh, and a Curvy Kate Portia in a 36hh. From what I've gathered, those bands a pretty stretchy, and both of my Elomi bras are now on the tightest hook, after three weeks of wear. The band's roll badly, so I'm trying a smaller band to see if that will stop that. I will share my take on those bras soon.
I send all my packages to my parents house for shipping, and my mother is thinking I'm loosing my mind buying bras left and right. She's content wearing a 38 D bra, that really is the wrong size. It makes no sense that I can fit a smaller band even though I'm about 100+ lbs bigger than her, without her wearing the wrong size. But I get nowhere with that arguement, so I let her alone about it.
Those Eva bands do stretch out way too fast. It's really annoying. They aren't the sturdiest but they are pretty comfy.
So maybe you are really projected but full on bottom so a shape with less room at top would work better in sculptresse. Chi chi wasn't projected enough for me, but Flirtini was. I had bubbling at the top so maybe that shape would work well for you as it seemed best for projected fob shapes.
You might really like that Portia too. Although it's a bit wide it has shorter wires and less of a deep u shape.
Moms are funny ladies. Mine also thinks I'm crazed for ordering from Poland.
Hmm, I've done the lean over test 90 degrees, and there is about an inch of tissue that fills over my nipple towards my face. I thought I understood that meant you were full on top. My tissue is very squishy, and will very much act like water filling a container, so I guess my breast tissue just goes to the bottom of the cups till it meets resistacne by the curve of the cup fabric, and then fills upwards. Maybe that makes me functionally FOB depending on the forward projection of the bra?
In my bra less state, my breasts just lay across my chest onto my upper stomach, kind of flat till you to about 4 ish inches from the end of my breasts where my nipples are, like down pointing arrows, then the tissue firms up. Imagine what I said earlier about water filling a container, well that's what my skin is doing here. I've gone up and down with my weight within the same 40 or so lbs in the last 10 yrs, so my skin is just not as elastic anymore, especially appoaching 40 yrs old. (Good ole Hashimotos thyroid, functional hypothyroidism at work there.)
The gap at the top of the cups is not a deal breaker, as I can fix that, but the poking wires are the real question on wether it will be wearable. If I can't get that to work, I may just list it as a give away here, because by then, I'll have modified it, and can't legitimately ask for money for a "damaged" product. That's a shame, because it's one of the prettiest bras I've ever owned too.
Something I've thought about is why don't we have a measurement for how deep the cup is vertically on this site. I know that can't answer all queries, but for example this bra is very projected forward, and has a pretty long distance from bottom to top of cup. The Eva is taller where it connects to the straps, but is not as deep in forward projection, thus making it a shorter length vertically. The cup depth horizontally in the charisse is 33.5, while the Eva is 35cm, making it much wider. I don't fully fill up the Eva, but it's nowhere near the gaping on the Charisse, which is listed as a smaller cup depth by 1.5cm. So in my case, I could benefit from knowing how far out the apex of the vertical distance is from the bottom, and then from the apex to the top of the cup. If I just hold my breasts up with my hands, I know how far I can go forward distance, before the fabric of the cups have to return to the chest, and how much fabric is left to go on the return trip, wether my tissue will fill that space up or not. Thus helping to determine if the cup is going to be too big or not. Just food for thought. :)
There is a cup height now in the measurements section but it's new and not everyone has added it. It's at the bottom of the enter measurements page under experimental.
Ahh, I found it. I will add to that when I get a chance. Thanks for the info.
I think Charisse is a bit of an odd duck up top. The mesh is quite firm, not much like the "power mesh" a lot of stretchy cups are lined with. I think it softened after a few washes, but it does still lay a bit oddly across the top of my breasts. I have it in 36H. I am a bit bigger than you; I wear a 34J most of the time now.
Breasts in this cup range are often functionally FOB, as you say. In my case, I definitely need a ton of depth at the wire and FOB-like projection, but I have a decent amount of center-fullness too, so a tall gore is added to my list of bra requirements. It's not that you can't also be somewhat evenly full if you are functionally FOB, but FOB-like projection will likely be one of your most important fit requirements.
Panache bras often have very firm bands, though Sculptresse is the stretchiest of their brands, IME. Freya, Elomi, and some Curvy Kate bras have stretchier bands. Freya and Elomi also have softer wires than Panache, which can make them feel less supportive. I think Curvy Kate's wires are somewhere in between Panache and Freya & Elomi. Some people prefer to sister size down in brands with stretchier bands.
I have a Curvy Kate Portia in 34J and it's a really great bra for me. The only issue is the gore is too low so I get some spillage/quadding, but it's still very comfortable so I wear it around the house. The wires are much shorter than Charisse. Sculptresse Flirtini is similar in shape to Charisse, but the top of the cup is made from stretch lace lined with power/stretchy mesh so it is a more forgiving fit. Check the measurements on here, though, as I think you will have the same problem with the wire length.
I think Charisse is a bit of an odd duck up top. The mesh is quite firm, not much like the "power mesh" a lot of stretchy cups are lined with. I think it softened after a few washes, but it does still lay a bit oddly across the top of my breasts. I have it in 36H. I am a bit bigger than you; I wear a 34J most of the time now.
Breasts in this cup range are often functionally FOB, as you say. In my case, I definitely need a ton of depth at the wire and FOB-like projection, but I have a decent amount of center-fullness too, so a tall gore is added to my list of bra requirements. It's not that you can't also be somewhat evenly full if you are functionally FOB, but FOB-like projection will likely be one of your most important fit requirements.
Panache bras often have very firm bands, though Sculptresse is the stretchiest of their brands, IME. Freya, Elomi, and some Curvy Kate bras have stretchier bands. Freya and Elomi also have softer wires than Panache, which can make them feel less supportive. I think Curvy Kate's wires are somewhere in between Panache and Freya & Elomi. Some people prefer to sister size down in brands with stretchier bands.
I have a Curvy Kate Portia in 34J and it's a really great bra for me. The only issue is the gore is too low so I get some spillage/quadding, but it's still very comfortable so I wear it around the house. The wires are much shorter than Charisse. Sculptresse Flirtini is similar in shape to Charisse, but the top of the cup is made from stretch lace lined with power/stretchy mesh so it is a more forgiving fit. Check the measurements on here, though, as I think you will have the same problem with the wire length.
I adjusted the wires a bit wider, to try and lessen some of the underarm poking, and wore it while running errands today. Well the poking wasn't as bad, but still needs some work, but the top of the cups filled in a little better. It's still not perfect on top, but nowhere near as bad.
@triumphof: So you've had more luck with FOB bras than FOT. I believe I am center full as well, since I have more tissue gravitating to my vertical midline. Have you had any luck with bras that are lower in the center gore? I have close set breasts, that can accommodate a high gore, but as I found out today, if the wire area doesn't have much padding at the end points of the wires, I get rubbed raw, particularly on my left side, as it is a tiny bit higher and fuller than my right.
I didn't have the above issue with any of my previous bras, so I never gave thought to the length of the wire. Now I know better, and will try to purchase accordingly.
Also, thanks for the info about Panache bands. I barely fit this 38 band. If I purchase any of their other brands, I may have to go up a band size. I wasn't miserable today, but it is certainly a chore to get it on, considering I have never been able to attach the hooks from behind.
I am certainly learning a lot from this experience, and what things work for practicality, from each bra adventure. I really appreciate all of you that have helped me. Thanks!
This bra. I love the shape it gives me. The top lace is mesh backed stretch and the bottom is a firm laminate fabric. Everything is fairly soft, especially the lace. The back feels tight at first but it's the same mesh used on most their bras and will stretch out quickly so buy a size that feels tight and use an extender for a few days. I wish the elastic matched the stretch of the mesh.
To wear this bra it would be best if someone was even to full on bottom, wide set, with taller roots than mine. While the top gives, it gapes and also quads. A gently sloped root would work much better to fill the top.
I don't love this pattern or really any of Flirtini's recent patterns but I love the quality of Sculptresse bras
This is the second time I've bought this bra. My first was 40H - Sculptresse » Chi-chi Full Cup Bra (7695). I loved the band so much I really wanted to try it again. It still doesn't fit a size up. I think the shape is just off for me. Because the sides are wide but press me towards the center I get this strange flat side. My breasts are then funneled into this squarish box on the bottom and spill into the stretch lace at the top. It could be I need to size up but I think the bottom has too much lift and not enough space, so a shape issue. Still, I may try it in a 42HH to see if I can get more bottom space. Honestly, I just like be the band so much. If I could get only bras with this band I would be happy.
Hi! I just received this bra in the mail and feel the same as you about the band. I'm starting to wonder if I should have taken the 34J (but I predict spillage, as I'm FOT) or the 34JJ (but I feel those cups would be too big). I just want the center gore to sit flat against my chest, like my 36J Panache Jasmine does. What would you suggest?