Bubblegum

Finally!
An embarrassingly longgg overdue review of Yoko, bought in 2016.

I only remembered that I had never actually added/measured/reviewed this bra, when I finally decided it was really getting too worn out; and order the New Yoko (Plunge) last Black Friday! Figured this review might still serve someone's purpose, when deciding which of the 2 Yoko's to order?

This (2016) was my first time ordering from Comexim.

Looked back in my email order confirmation, and I asked for the following:
- 3HC style (I think the original Yoko advertised is 2HC)
- Straps moved in 3 cm.
- Back band with 3x4 closure
- Cookie pockets
- Cups lowered by ~2 cm.
- Gore lowered by ... ~2 cm. and gore narrowed, with overlapping wires
- Size 70K - or equivalent to allow for ~28cm. cup depth

(As you can see I was nervous abut what size to order, and ended up with way too many alterations. For what I can tell, all of them were done - even though the gore is so low that there's no possible overlap, which is fine.)

Nonetheless, what arrived was a strikingly beautiful, mesh-fabric-based bra that sparked a LOT of joy!!
Definitely some Asian vibes going on, and this vibrant/electric blue fan-shaped embroidery... Even more gorgeous than I imagined.

As you can see in the photos, lowering the cups was not the greatest idea - as it's pretty small / low coverage on me.
I may have grown slightly since then, but it has always been a bit too snug.

No worries though I, was still very pleased with my purchase, as Yoko was super comfortable, the straps easily blended in with my black-favored-wardrobe, the lower coverage meant it could be worn under any neckline... I've worn this bra to death! It is actually one of my only bras with lots of noticeable wear. After 4 years of at least bi-weekly wear, and sometimes being the only bra brought along on a city trip / weekend away / sweaty festival etc. - that seems very reasonable haha..

For whoever is curious; the signs of wear:
The straps have permanently 'rolled'/twisted (when unworn), the cups do some buckling / creasing, the band has stretched out a lot / mesh getting worn out and going extra see-through in places... (Almost to the point where I've considered doing some experimental bra surgery: replacing this worn-out band with a cheap black bra's band?) Anyway, keep in mind that the band measurement was definitely smaller when purchased.

All in all not a great fit, but a super comfy bra that has accompanied me on many adventures.

When I found out there was a Plunge 'Yoko' coming out, confusingly named 'Yoko 1' (huh? shouldn't the _first_ bra of this design coming out be Yoko 1? I refuse to call her by this illogical name.) I decided to order that, to replace this trusty boob-companion. Rest in peace OG Yoko, you've served me well. And I may or may not still Franken-bra-ify you (;

(BTW my Yoko Plunge arrived early January and a review on that is upcoming as well - spoiler alert: fits way better)

Also, appendix about the matching briefs:
The briefs in 'szorty' style, XL, sadly never fit me comfortably.
They're definitely big enough (43" hips/butt), but the leg-openings cut into my hip crease for some reason? Some rough elastics that were used? Also I found the mesh material less comfy in the briefs than in the bra (I've always been a sucker for cotton underwear and while these do have a cotton crotch, the main mesh just feels a bit rough on me). Anyhow, in my recent Black Friday order I tried ordering the Yoko briefs in 'Princess' style (like 'tanga' briefs) and they're a success!
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This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered straps, Straps moved in 2/3 cm. Lowered cups and gore, by approx. 2 cm.

Updated on Feb 11, 2021 Flag this

Had been coveting this Wildcat for a while..
Got it in my BlackFriday 2020 order with a 70K Red Panter and 70K Yoko plunge that both fit well, but in this halfcup style I really do need to size up.

So, sadly, this bra is definitely too small for me, even though I'm quite tolerant of being a little 'smushed'.

It's a lovely bra though:
Gold ribbon sewn over the straps, beautiful classic leopard print, nice firm materials used - and it's super supportive.

I'm probably listing this one!
Would work great for someone who's just a size or 2 down from me and perhaps a little less projected?

Including the ... briefs (never worn, XL) that are not my favorite - asked for briefs in 'Princess' style (more of a tanga brief) instead of this standard Stringi style, that's too revealing in the bum area for me. The Red Panter and Yoko briefs did get done in the requested style, but the Wildcat sadly didn't.

Contemplating whether to re-order a Wildcat through BreakOutBras, even though I do really need the straps moved in.. And have been wanting to try a Comexim with added depth at the wire. So might place a direct order from Comexim, as I do love this leopard bra. Then again, I don't NEED more bras.. And the Red Panter is a great scratch for my leopard itch as well (;
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This bra's measurements have been altered

Altered straps,

Updated on Mar 31, 2021 Flag this

I've had this bra for almost 2 years, only got around to reviewing it now!
Trying to follow alidieux' example to be a better contributor here and actually ADD to the database (:

So, actually have to admit I haven't worn Zenith a lot - this was my first bra in Ewa's SF style, and I'm still not sure it's my friend.
In other Ewa styles I hover around size 70GG - I have an SM (70GG - Ewa Michalak » Sm Ja Wiem... (755) ), S (70H - Ewa Michalak » S Turkusowe Kwiaty (703) )
an SMn (70GG - ... Ewa Michalak » Smn W Sieci (1326) ) and PL (70GG - Ewa Michalak » Pl Kicia Szałowa ) which all work well for me, and a BM (70G - Ewa Michalak » Bm La Gloria (1173) ) in 70G that I do wear often, though it is a tad small.

This SF in 70GG has a bit of the Goldilocks complex for me - where I might prefer an inbetween size as it seems borderline too tall / large?
There's some wrinkling in the bottom cups, which I'm not sure is due to lack of projection / orange-in-a-glass or too-largeness. On my smaller side there's some excess fabric in the upper cup. Larger side does seem to fit properly. The 70G might have been sliiightly small, like my BM, but as I generally prefer that in bras; perhaps I should have sized down after all (like Ewa does advise in it's description).

While the stretch lace is forgiving and the general fit seems acceptable, the cups come up pretty high and the gore does poke my sternum (for the record, I am sensitive to higher gores, would not be an issue for everyone). Also, as I've generally come to expect in (EM and most other) bras, the straps are too wide-set for me - after a day of wear they do irritate my armpit area.

I do very much like the design; I adore this particular color scheme of animal-meets-aqua/green/blue.
The general appearance and sturdy construction of Zenith makes me wish it fit me better / more comfortably!
The matching briefs do fit my 110cm / 43 inch hips/butt in a size M/40, but I could also have worn a 42/L.

As I don't reach for this bra regularly (think I've worn it about 6 times in 2 years?) I'm still contemplating whether to keep or sell this set...
Or to try and increase wearability & comfort by bending the gore outwards with pliers, as I've successfully done on other bras (like my 70H Ewa S Kwiaty) - and possibly move the straps inwards as well. Decisions, decisions (;
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Updated on Jul 22, 2021 Flag this

When I was planning on purchasing this lovely set, I was surprised to see it didn't have any measurements / reviews on Bratabase!
So ordering it -and specifically, adding it on here- almost felt like doing a public service, haha.

Appearance:
Obviously why I couldn't resist this beauty.
This was certainly a 'frivolous purchase' that I was trying to curb in 2020, but hey - sometimes you can just spoil yourself.
The colorway is called 'Peacock' and that makes so much sense. It's made of black mesh with an overlay of beautiful turquoise, blue and gold embroidery. The same bright colors are used for decorative rims, both under the cup ... along the wires and bordering the upper cup edge. The two center straps that go over the breasts run through a small ring at the gore, which makes them easily adjustable / no asymmetry issues.

There's even a strip of turquoise piping on the side (not reinforced or side boning though, almost looks like that) which I actually noticed in pictures to look a bit 'pulled' backwards to me? Kind of an unnecessary decoration IMO but okay. The matching high waisted briefs are super cute as well, with detachable suspender holders and a blue ribbon tie + peephole on the back. Mind you, that does mean you have to open & re-tie it as you use the restroom, it doesn't pull over your hips as most briefs would. Overall I really love the appearance. This bra is meant to flaunt (; and that is what I'll gladly do!

Fit:
I've tried a couple Scantilly bras over the years, with varying issues in sizing. My Voodoo (30G - Scantilly » Voodoo Plunge Bra (3511) ran quite large in both band and cup, but I had read multiple reviews to advise me on that. For Encounter, I found reviews by theLingeriePrincess and ComicsGirlsNeedBras that made me decide on a 32G - my general 'safe/gamble' size for Curvy Kate / UK bras. While the cups are on the small side for me (I definitely quad towards the center, more so than the photos show) I'm happy with the size I chose. The 32 band is super comfortable (not tight at all in my opinion, contrary to the L.Princess' review) and because the cups are pretty low coverage, the fit is quite forgiving. Keep in mind that the cups / cup edges are not stretchy, although for me they don't really cut in too much (I still lean towards FOT, but my upper fullness has settled a bit in recent years). The plunge has a nice low gore (5 cm.) which I personally l.o.v.e. (can't stand a high gore).

The briefs fit quite generously - as I expected to be the case from my earlier Scantilly experience. For my 43"/110cm hips and 31"/ 78cm waist I ordered a Medium (rather than my usual L or UK14) and I can almost tie them as tight as they allow.

Design issue/nitpicking:
For all it's beauty, I'm not super impressed with the way the embroidered overlay is stitched onto the cups.
The pleating at the underwire makes it seem 'bunched up' in the bottom, almost giving the impression of a too-large cup, even when filled to the brim.

Overall this set is gorgeous though, the colors are beyond pretty and the bra & briefs fit quite comfortably - enough for full day wear, not just a 'boudoir' set at all!
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Updated on Jan 14, 2021 Flag this

I had heard Breeze ran small in the band and somewhat large in the cups. So I was looking for a sister size, from my regular 30GG/H to a 32G or 34FF.

First tried this bra in a sale, when the only sister size left was a 36F. Not a big surprise that that didn't work out (36F - Cleo » Breeze (9025)) but I as I really loved the design and rounded profile, I wanted to try a smaller backsize.

In this 34FF, the fit is definitely much better than in 36F - although a 32G(G?) probably would've worked as well. I'm now wearing it on the ... second row of hooks. So for my shape (tall roots, upper fullness) Breeze doesn't seem to run large in the cups. And maybe one size small-ish in the band?

About the band, this is actually longer than in other longline bras I've tried (Freya Flourish & Crush, Fauve Bronte). This means (for me) that the band also doesn't flip up as much, which is great. And the length means a nice smoothed silhouette under clothes, without bulges.

Cup wise I could maybe get away with a bigger size, but there's no real quadding. Some minor discomfort where the sides are kind of poking into my armpits (which seems to be caused by the side boning? Luckily much less of a problem than in the 36F).

Edit: forgot about the straps; they are not my favorite. Pretty narrow, kind of wide set and more rigid than I prefer.

Guess Breeze still won't be an everyday bra for me, but I really love the design and it gives some good special occasion cleavage!
Matching shorts are a nice fit in a size 14, for my larger 42 inch hips / butt.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 13, 2016 Flag this

Bikini season has started and Flamenco has been beckoning me since summer 2015.. The vibrant print, the retro style, the quirky bow - so cheerful! So I jumped on it in a recent Pour Moi sale, got it for £11,60.

This is quite a short longline, the shortest part is just an extra 3 cm under the wires.
The 3 part padded cups are shaped to give a somewhat pointy vintage-y silhouette, that I happen to like. It's too shallow for me so the gore floats, this style stops at G while I could have used a 32GG. But for an afternoon on the beach or by the pool, I ... think it's fine!

The 32 band seems true to size, while in other Pour Moi 32 bands I've experienced a tighter fit. For a bikini it fits very comfortably though; and in swimwear I generally prefer to size up from my normal 30 band (ribcage measures 76 cm / 29.9 inch snug).

Some minor flaws:
The removable straps are a bit short (not a regular problem for me). So I wanted to make a cross-back but that won't happen. Also, the clips where the straps attach cannot be trusted. They randomly decide to detach by themselves - so I'll definitely add some stitches.
Lastly, the short longline band tends to fold under the cups. No disaster but it can look frumpy and rubs a bit.

However the colours are so rich, I love the print, it is well-finished and the quality seems fine.
Matching tie side briefs I bought separately on Figleaves for £5. They fit well in size 14 (forgiving fit because of the side ties).

All in all I really like this piece of swimwear and I'll surely enjoy it this summer ☀️

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Updated on May 23, 2016 Flag this

"The dainty Charlotte - Frankenbra or manufacturing error?" (a covid-induced review of a misfit bra)

The Parfait Charlotte bra is a very well-known, I'd almost say *infamous* style in the full-bust community.
It is currently way past it's heyday, but can still be found in most full-bust online bra stores. Around 2012-2013 however, Charlotte was one hell of a staple style - see the extensive list of bra-bloggers featuring it, at the bottom of this blog review: https://www.sweetnothingsnyc.com/2013/11/18/review-g-style-from-parfait-charlotte-bra-and-high-waist-brief/.

(side note: don't you miss bra bloggers? There used to be so many. Sigh.)

Since I really loved the pin-uppy appearance; I had tried two previous colorways of Charlotte (... class="mentioned-item">32H - Parfait By Affinitas » Charlotte Padded Bra (6901) 32GG - Parfait By Affinitas » Charlotte Padded Bra (6901) ) but sadly, had to admit that those didn't really work for me. The construction was really 'industrial' with super thick padding, little projection and verrry wide-set straps. The lack of projection made me size up to unmanageable amounts of bra, with excess material everywhere. If they hadn't been so darn uncomfortable, I honestly could have used them as a sports bra (or body armor, for that matter).

Some blog posts (https://www.bigcuplittlecup.net/big-little-cup-review-parfait-affinitas-charlotte-floral-shimmer-30gg-30d/ https://comicsgirlsneedbras.com/2016/06/03/parfait-charlotte-floral-shimmer-review-comparison/) mentioned some time later on, that the new 'Floral Shimmer' version (2016) was a much different fit, and aesthetically I really liked its monochromatic design! But I was still skeptical about the fit, considering the lack of wear any of my OG Charlottes ever got.

So, for the longest time, it was just on my passive wish list, maybe ending up in an eBay / BraStop basket at some point, but I never really committed to buy - and was definitely never planning on paying anything close to full price.

Fast forward to recently, when I encountered a 32G Floral Shimmer on eBay, for cheap enough that I was willing to take the chance.
However, I did notice that one thing seemed off: the ad said it had 2 hooks, in size 32G?
The way I remembered Charlotte, she had 3 or even 4 hooks, with a very thick back band overall.

After emailing the seller, they said they checked, and unexpectedly to me (I had ungraciously been counting on an error on their behalf); confirmed that this bra actually had 2 hooks?? This confused me to no end, but also made me curious... Gotta love an experiment. So yes, I bit the bullet and purchased it - and lo and behold, it's such a strange version of Charlotte!?

It did come with tags, that do say Parfait (with the logo and everything), so I don't think it's a fake / copy / rip-off.
The fabric and cup construction is exactly as pictured in reviews / other ads.

The fit, as described by BigCupLittleCup / ComicsGirlsNeedBras, is definitely different from the original Charlotte: deeper, with the apex in a different place, more similar to a Comexim plunge construction almost?

But look at those thin and flimsy shoulder straps! (they're only 1,6 cm., even thinner than the 'standard' 1,8 cm. of regular full-bust bras!)
That 2x3 hook-and-eye closure!
That meshy, stretchy band, instead of industrial harness-like strength!

It's really strange.
Like they stuck the band and straps from a 32C onto a 32G?
As you can see on both bloggers for this exact bra in 30GG (a sister size to 32G), there should have been much wider straps, more hooks, the works!

The good news: it does fit pretty well! The projection is good for a molded bra, and while the strap placement is still too wide for me, it is much more manageable than the armpit-eater Charlotte of some years back. And while I certainly would have preferred 3x3 hooks in the back, it's not unwearable. The gore is too high for my closeness, yes, but since there is no real tack, it also doesn't poke uncomfortably.

All in all, I think I like it enough to hang onto this version of Charlotte (whereas her super-strength sisters have been long-since discarded/donated): let's just call her unique and dainty!

I'm very curious if this version is around more, and whether it has been a fitting sample experiment, a factory error, or some other malformation?
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Updated on Dec 29, 2021 Flag this

Cheerful, vibrant print - a bit 'loud' and girly perhaps, but I like it.

As my Cleo Maya (sister cut) was kind of small in a 30GG, I decided to try this in 30H (found it for £9 on Ebay).
Quite a couple of issues with this fit though.

Firstly, the straps are WAY too wide set. This is practically always an issue for me, but Nyla is a big offender.
Next, the cups are too closed on top. They cut into my breast tissue, while the depth is fine. So that's a shape mismatch (a bigger size would probably be too deep). Also, there's wrinkling in the bottom of the cups ... - not sure if this is a projection issue, or connected with the shape mismatch / too closed cups forcing the bra downwards?

The wide set straps and too-closed cups seem worse than in 30GG Maya, which was in fact a better fit.
Because this was cheap and I do love the print, this might end up being an alterations experiment..

In unlined bras it seems harder to lower / open up the cup height, something I've been wanting to try. Some tugging and pulling on Nyla seems to show that attaching the pink part to the straps (while also moving the straps inward) could greatly improve the fit of this bra.

I'll update when I ever have time to try this out 😉
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 15, 2015 Flag this

Such a lovely print! Beautiful flowers in petrol and purple, a really wintery design.
The good parts; Jasmine has soft felted straps, a firm band, 3 hooks (from GG cups), nice stretchy lace on top and very firm supportive fabric in the lower cups.

However, Jasmine does seem to be my Goldilocks bra?
Hard to find the perfect size!

I love my Animal Jasmine in 30GG, wear it a lot but it's somewhat small.
So I sized up in Ricamo, 30H - rubs my armpits and wrinkles in the bottom.
Bought a cheap older color (Navy floral) in 32GG to see if the tight band was the problem, but that one's ... almost unbearably chafey in my armpits.

Tried this new design in 32G (too flimsy & small), 32GG (too chafey) 30GG (this one) and 30H (same issues as Ricamo). Panache does seem to keep their fit pretty consistent in different Jasmine colorways. In the end I decided 30GG is best for me, but still not perfectly comfortable.. Kind of wide straps, some wire poking, band could be sliiightly looser. Not perfectly in my IMF (seems hard for me to get bras to stay there 😒) And I'm still not a fan of the mesh-like fabric that is somewhat scratchy. All not dealbreakers, but things I suppose they could improve on.

Maybe after first being SO impressed by Jasmine's gravity defying performance as an unlined bra, I'm also getting more critical these days.

Perhaps they could learn from Comexim and produce a Jasmine with straps moved in?
And use the 4x eye setting and supersoft fabrics from Ewa? 😁
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Updated on Nov 15, 2015 Flag this

So this bra is EXTREMELY pink https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":D" /> Like, crazy pink. Obviously not everyone's cup of tea, but I find it very cheerful!
The bright orange embroidery really pops and the purple bows are a nice touch.

Cups are too tall for me though, and borderline too big. Quite a bit of gaping when moving my shoulders, which normally rarely happens to me (being FoT and having pretty tall roots).

Actually; Flirtelle seems to be making some changes to their sizing!? To me, their fit seems tweaked: tighter bands and larger cups than before. Did anyone else notice this (or am I a Flirtelle ... addict with too many styles to compare 😁)?

Anyway looks like a similar development to Curvy Kate - which makes sense as they're supposedly Flirtelle's big sister. Flirtelle used to run regular-to large in the band and quite small in the cup. I think Flirtelle (Kimberley?) was actually the first brand I tried in a 30 backsize (and G cup) around 1,5 / 2 years ago! Since then I've preferred 30 bands pretty much all over. However, this recently purchased Ariel bra (and Elsa + Giselle padded from the same 'release date') have a noticeably tighter feeling band, to the point I would consider going up to 32.

Then the cups: as a regular size 30GG/30H, I normally needed a 30HH in padded Flirtelles. But Ariel's cups run big compared to earlier Flirtelle styles, which means this is now more true-to-size. I'm not yet sure if this is a trend (?) but I've come across these bigger cups in Giselle and Elsa as well. My purple Ellie was the first Flirtelle in which I noticed decidedly larger & taller cups than before (see review).

Also they've changed their EU conversion and now convert 30HH to 65HH on the label. In previous styles (Zara, Anneliese, Ellie) they converted it to 65M or so. Again, C'Kates did the same some time ago?

So anyway in short; I'm happy with the aesthetics of this fun-colored bra and I'd advise to either get your regular size; or a sister size in a larger band. Think I'm returning this for a 30H or 32GG.


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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 30, 2015 Flag this