I have a love-hate relationship with this bra. I got it about a year ago, after losing my pregnancy weight and struggling with La Senza bras for a while before finally giving up on them. I've since found better bras and I don't really reach for this one anymore. I wore it today though, because my only other nude bra needed the day off and I wanted to wear a white t-shirt. I felt my review needed an update.
I love it because it's the first non-nursing bra that actually fit me. Ever. It gets a lot of bonus points for that. I love it because it's nude and ...seamless and disappears under my clothing. Unless I'm super cold, it does a good job hiding my nipples. I also spent *a lot* of money on this thing because it was before I discovered boutique markups and all the fantastic deals you can get online.
I hate it because the band is really, really tight. It feels fine for a couple hours and then feels like it's trying to saw me in half. To be fair, that's more a shape problem. It's shallow and I'm not. The foam cups are made of that spacer fabric and it's very forgiving, so it tricks you into thinking it's a fabulous fit when it really isn't.
I hate it because of the shape it gives. Again, not it's fault. It's very minimizing, mostly due to its shallow shape. It has a sling inside the cups supposedly to bring your breasts more front and centre, but I'm pretty sure that's just a marketing gimmick. My breasts are very centre-full, but this bra pulls them as far apart as they can go.
I hate it because it looks like such an old lady bra. Again, not it's fault. Some people like that look. It's very practical and utilitarian. It's just not very cute. Read more 205 more words
Excellent assessment of the fit! Thanks for a great review.
Thank you :)
I have a wireless Wacoal whose band is also really tight, Keylime . I had to size up a band. I even could size up another band.
This is so similar to my experience with this bra. I adore the wide, super supportive band but the gore width is too wide for close-set breasts: love and hate. ;-)
It seems like this bra is the correct fit for me when I put it on, yet I still have issues with it sliding down over time. I wear it on the tightest hooks, and it feels tight, but as I walk or dreadfully go down flights of stairs, it starts to migrate down closer to my waist. My guess is I need to size down to a 28 band for it to work better, but it doesn't seem worth it to me to invest $70 for a strapless bra that I will wear maybe 2 times a year max. I was able to get this bra for about ...$10 new secondhand. 28E or F strapless bras aren't quite as easy to come by for such a good price. My other thought is that maybe I would be better off trying a 30DD, which also seem to be abundant secondhand. It might give a quad-boob, but maybe the extra compression from the cups would help keep it up? I'd try fashion tape before I buy another bra. I'd be curious about other's experiences using that as reinforcement! Otherwise I'm this close to trying to make my own corset lol Read more 89 more words
Yeah, strapless bras are a challenge. I've tried *many*, including the Wacoal Red Carpet. My favorite is 32F - Wonderbra » Refined Glamour Ultimate Strapless Lace Bra (
I also have it in 32C (lower wings for certain tops). Ideally, a 28FF or 30F would be best for me, but these are the closest sizes I could find on eBay. I reached out directly to Wonderbra, but they don't ship to the US :(
Regardless, this bra (32F) has worked great for me (middle hook). I recently took it on a Caribbean trip & wore it with a silk, plunging V-neck, spaghetti strap dress dancing all night. Then wore it several times with various tank tops. I wore it when I played beach volleyball with my granddaughter & never once needed to adjust it.
My shape may be different from yours, but if you can find this bra secondhand, I'd recommend it! I have photos of my 32F on my bratabase.
It looks like the bra might be too closed on top for you, so it slides down as you move.
Loxus I'm pretty FOB so I was leaning towards thinking it was too open on top if anything. The cups fit fine when I have good posture but if I hunch over there is a small gap at the top of the cup. Im still pretty new to this so not sure if i'm thinking of the right terminology.
It's not the size! I have worn this model as an everyday bra for 10-15 years, it is one of my all time favorites so I can see the issue here. The silicone lining is dry and the bra will never be able to sit right for more than a few minutes.
I have purchased this model many times on ebay (cheap because of missing straps) over the years and only recently received bras with "dry" grip. I had a retired size to compare with so this problem is age related. If someone buys this in similar condition from ebay it would be possible to contact the seller for a return or open a case and request a refund. A strapless bra should not need straps to stay in place. Glad to see the band is wide. I'm a 34D in wacoal but the band to narrow for my liking so 32DD with an extender is a better fit. I paid $9.99 for mine so guess I have to replace the band with fresh silicone. If anyone is interested in buying this pre-owned online make sure the silicone looks glossy in pics!
Last advice to anyone who reads this. You don't need straps on a bra unless you happen to have very large breasts. (For reference, I'm currently a 34D but have been a 36D). A strapless bra just requires a perfect fit in cups + good grip + a wide band and the red carpet just happen to be right for me. And you have to use a microfiber cloth to wipe of any residue on the silicone between washes. This is all I had to add!
mabra omg!!! You're a genius!!! I checked the silicon and it is all dull and has almost no grip at all. I never even thought of that being an issue when I bought it used, but it's been too long now to dispute (whatever, just $10!) Still going to try and save the bra. My first thought to replace the silicon is to buy some silicon grippy tape and sew it onto the cups. The band is a lot harder to deal with because of the stretchiness. I may try using fashion tape for that.
I have a couple Ewa Michalak strapless bras that slid down the first times I wore them. I have many EM bras, and the fit of all of them, including the strapless ones, is excellent. Maybe they slid down over the course of a night because the silicone got less sticky? I'll try @mabra's advice and wipe down the silicone lining. I'll probably try the Wonderbra Refined Glamour Ultimate Strapless Lace Bra justapac recommended.
This bra is truly a lucky find for me, as smooth seamless-cupped t-shirt bras that fit a 26 underbust are almost impossible to find. Especially without importing from Poland!
The band is lace on the outside and mesh on the inside, so it's quite cool. The elastic is covered with some velvety fabric so it doesn't irritate. And most importantly the band is exceptionally small for a "30" band, which is excellent for me. Brand new, it is just tight enough on the innermost hook, so I will have to alter it as time goes on. I also have this bra in the purple colorway, and it does stretch ...out noticeably over time. There are 3 columns of 2 hooks.
The straps are a thick, velvety texture which is as comfy as non-sport bras get. Which is not very comfortable IMO, but it's all relative. They are fully adjustable, but I don't need that.
The gore is low and narrow enough not to rest on breast tissue even though I'm quite close set.
The cups fit very nicely. They are molded foam cups that hold their own shape without a boob in them, but are softer compared to other molded cups. Most molded cups I try have the problem of flattening my boobs, buckling over at the bottom, and gaping at the top - probably because they are too shallow. For whatever reason, this bra has none of those issues. They are closed enough at the top that despite my FOB shape and short roots, I don't get any noticeable gaping, even on my smaller side. The cups definitely cope with my asymmetry well.
Compared to the purple colorway, the narrower gore on this version alleviates the problems I had with the purple colorway. The wires no longer sit on breast tissue in the middle, and sides of the cups don't dig into my armpits.
The wires are slightly too wide for me, but it's not uncomfortable and the bra doesn't cut into my armpits much.
It gives a shape that I like under clothing. Definitely not as lifted or centered as Comexim, but rounded and invisible even under clingy white t-shirts. Read more 251 more words
Overall, it does not fit, but this is the best bra I have.
It goes without saying that as a 26FF wearing a 30DDD, the band was too large. The gore is too wide for my close set breasts. The upper edges of the outside of the cups dig into my armpits. The wires are too wide.
However, for a molded bra it is surprisingly projected enough. It's very soft and comfy. The straps are elastic and have a velvety texture. I'm even to slightly FOB with short roots, and it does not gap at the top!
I think this bra may be better suited to someone with wider-set breasts. The cup and band size fit, but this "side-smoother" actually made created rolls were I typically don't have a problem.. This bra is very uncomfortable and the straps fall off my shoulders. In UK sizing I fit a 28F, and the cup volume and band size were similar to Freya bras I have tried in that size. The appears to be well constructed, and the foam on the upper cup is nether too stiff or too soft, so if the cup shape fits you well, you may like the bra.
Tight band!! This cappuccino colorway Embrace Lace barely stretches past 28". It is probably new or nearly new condition. The cups stretch with the band, making them wider than I need. Tried on with an extender. Would be better on someone with a smaller underbust who would stretch it less, or someone who needs wider cups.
Things I'm looking for in a spacer bra: true-to-size band and a lower coverage style, or at a least a style that isn't too minimizing.
While this bra is obviously full coverage, I am impressed with the band. It is true to size, maybe even a bit tight. It has 3 hooks, something I don't see often in 30DDD bras - I'm not opposed to it.
Unfortunately this size seems a bit big in the cup on me, so I can't comment on the shape yet. I do expect the shape to be slightly minimized based on other reviews, but maybe not so much as the Fantasie Rebecca was on me.
There is extra room in the top of the cup that gets worse as I move about and relax. The bra was also not super comfortable due to tall cups and wires in combination with the tigher band, so I may size up in the band and try a smaller cup.
Decided to try this based on recommendations and my love for the Embrace Lace bra.
This bra is a satisfying plunge, with a very low gore. The cups don't seem as tall as on other plunges - they stay out of my armpits.
It is made of a thicker but more luxurious feeling fabric than Embrace Lace. Hides nips better, but it kind of begins to be uncomfortable much like a Deco. It does give me a nice shape like a Deco though!
Gore is wider, and cups are wider but deeper than some plunges.
So overall I like the plunge and feel like it adds some sex appeal where my Embrace Lace is more covering, but I'm passing on it because it's not comfortable.
I think I would recommend this bra to someone who is seeking a plunge bra and needs slightly shorter cups than Deco has.
Bra is soft, band is tight. Cups are too separate and creasing at imf but I think it's the bras fabrics c and construction as I fill the bottom just fine. I think this would work best for someone who has more tissue on the side instead of center full.
As others have said this band seems to run a size small! Or at least is feels tighter than the other Wacoal bras I have owned. Besides that the main issue I have with with bra is the lack of projection. I'm full on bottom and pretty middle of the line between projected and shallow. Mine forms a weird almost fold at the bottom of the cup by the end of the day of wearing it, due to it shifting out of my IMF. I think the strange fit in the cup contributes to the band feeling tighter than it actually is. My other gripe with this bra is that the straps CONSTANTLY fall off my shoulders during the day. why is this bra so wide. why I found the lace in the band is comfortable. I like the flexibility of the foam cups. As for the color, the "sand" seems a little too light for my skin tone. It is paler than most fair skinned nude bras.
This is the comfiest bra I own and one of few that actually blends under t-shirts!! I'm going to buy another in the Sand shade but I want this in every color because it's seriously the only bra I own that isn't painful after a few hours.
This now fits me better than the 30DD. A little too wide, but good depth on my larger side. A little bit of empty space on the top of my smaller side, but there’s no way you could tell under a shirt. Love the 3 hooks - so much more comfortable than 2. Band is quite small for a 30. Cups are pretty tall.
Edit: Ended up returning it, because the band was just tooooooo tight. Much more so than the 30DD (which is strange).
This bra is very supportive and well-constructed. Wacoal bras tend to run large in the cup though, so this bra feels a little bulkier than I would like.
The Wacoal How Perfect Wire Free Bra is one of the most comfortable and best fitting bras that I have. The fabric is very soft and comfortable. It's one of the few bras I can wear without having the straps falling down. With my wide-set, shallow boobs, the cups comfortably encase all of the boob in the armpit area without cutting into my skin. I can mostly fill the bottom of the cups, though it helps that the padding is fairly forgiving.
The only con is that it's not the most attractive bra. The neckline isn't terribly flattering, and the gore comes up a bit high.
Cups collapse on me, as expected. They're very wide, worse than other wireless bras I have tried, but pleasantly deep which is nice. It's better if I don't swoop and scoop, but that just feels wrong. The band is true to size. The cups are so soft - softer than the wire free Deco.
For now I prefer the wire free Deco for its more plunging cut and lower gore. It's more attractive. Slightly lower coverage, less wide. Feel that it gives a better shape for me.
I have this bra in 30DD as well and bumped up a cup size when I started quadding. Based on my older one, the band might stretch pretty quickly. But it also doesn't seem to need to be extra snug to stay in place well. The underwires and center gore are perfect on me, so it feels secure and supportive. It's been comfortable enough and looks smooth under t-shirts. However, it is overall too big for my frame. The straps are set too wide, and the cups are too tall, doing unflattering things to my armpits. I don't like the exposed plunge feeling either, which doesn't seem to ...be super compatible with my shape. So I'm not a huge fan of the style, but it does work well enough and it's the best fit I've found so far.
UPDATE: I got a little adjustable band that hooks across the straps in the back, not as extreme as a racerback, but enough to keep them from sliding off my shoulders. The strappy thing is annoying to deal with, but it also causes the cups to angle slightly inward and gives me a nearly perfect fit. Read more 85 more words
I don't like strapless bras as a rule, but this Wacoal does the job and is tight enough in the band to stay put, which is more than I can say for any other strapless I've had...ever. Or for that matter, any strapless I've ever tried on, including both Panache, a Chantelle, a Natori, etc.
This is too tight! I just left a long comment on the same bra added by another user. You could have the same problem. Is the silicone grip glossy or matte? You should be able to wear this with an extender if the silicone is glossy.
Excellent assessment of the fit! Thanks for a great review.