Fezziwig

The Curvy Kate Portia Balcony is a very, very cute bra, with a cute contrasting ribbon woven through the upper lace panel. The three part cup provides moderate lift. The sling-shaped outer panel is much larger than the inner triangle that comes off of the gore, though, to it tends to push side-breast inward more than center-breast outward and give a slightly pointy shape. On my very soft boobs this resulted in a flattening of the outsides and a falling to the center. This is the same exact cup shape as the Freya Gem Balcony Bra (1361) .

Sensitive types may not love the picot edging on ... the straps, or the exposed seams and ribbons woven through to the inside on this unlined bra, though the fabric and materials themselves are soft. There are just a lot of textures. The thick elastic straps are sewn on to the apex of the cups rather than looped through a ring, so there is a sharper-than-you-would expect edge of cut elastic with pokey corners. This could be problematic for those with strap-boob bulges.

Short ladies will appreciate the low gore and wing height, and the minimal .6" underband, which is cut out under the gore to give room for tummies.

The wires are very rounded, with the outer edge just 1/2" higher and slightly straighter than the gore. They are 1/4" taller at the gore and wider at the outer tip than the sister size 28FF - Curvy Kate » Portia Balcony Bra (CK4001) . They also happen to be almost exactly the same wire shape and size as the 28FF - Freya » Gem Balcony Bra (1361) except they are 1/2" shorter at the gore and the Portia 30F band is 1" longer. The distance between the outer tips of the wires is 12.25" but they easily stretch wider, which could cause distortion and the consequent wire poking for ribcages larger than 27", unless you have wide roots and need the cup to go around the edge of your rib cage.

I am a comfortable 29" (27" tight) and the gore and wires did not contort enough to dig. The straps, though, were too wide for my petite 10" wide frame width and because they are not on rings in front, the top of the cups wrinkled when shortened and positioned on my shoulders.
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Black/Pink colorway

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Updated on May 27, 2015 Flag this

I was excited to find a full cup bra in soft, stretchy 100% cotton without irritating seams or edgings, since I am apparently really sensitive to this. Of all the bras I've tried since beginning this Bra-Odyssey, this one fit the best and was the most comfortable. Unfortunately, the softness and give of the fabric wasn't enough support for my 40+ year old boobs, which are so soft they pretty much take on whatever shape they are poured into and are easily mashed by clothes. As a result, I didn't get much lift or projection in this bra under clothes. Because gravity has taken it's toll, I do ... prefer a bit of a push-up effect to give me back at least a little fullness on top, but this bra did not do that. Another consequence of the stretchiness: although I marked the "stretch band length" at 26" -- the point at which the distance between the tips of the wires began to spread, flattening the cup across the top -- the band actually does stretch from 23.5" all the way to 30", which could unwittingly warp your fit if you are above 26".

Another huge problem with this bra for me was that even through a heavy weight white t-shirt, the contrast between skin color through the top lace panel and solid white cotton in the wavy shaped cup showed right through in a really distracting way.

In addition, the workmanship of this bra was poor -- wads of thread in spots and bumpy vertical seams that also showed through clothes. It would be worth buying for $10; not for $50.

For those who are short torsoed, this bra had a very minimal underband width -- just .7 inches including the wire, so the relatively deep gore didn't cause issues, even when sitting.


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Ivory colorway

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Updated on May 25, 2015 Flag this

I bought this bra, along with the 30F - Freya » Gem Balcony Bra (1361), mainly as a fitting experiment. Both were recommended for women with short torsos. Panache is supposedly the widest wire width, good for wide root breasts, while Freya is generally the narrowest wire. I am not sure whether I have Broad Root Breasts, or just a lot of migrated tissue under and around my armpits on a very small rib cage due to 20 years of wearing a bra with a cup two sizes too small and a band two sizes too loose living in Orange in a ... Glass hell. I wasn't really enlightened about root size by comparing the two, but I can say this was a damn uncomfortable bra for me!

EVERYTHING rubbed in this bra: strap edges at connections in front and back, gore and armpit poking, the lace itself, the edges of the wings, the bottom edge of the band... Aarrrrggghh! Both bras actually felt like my ribs were pressing outward at the bottom of the band, causing the top of the gore and the armpit end of the wires to dig in. Because the Panache is so much more heavy duty than the Freya, the problem seemed more extreme. The Panache Envy wires are long, rigid and flat, almost like a metal picture frame. They felt heavy, intrusive and unforgiving. They did not want to bend around my body, even though the industrial strength mesh band forced them to (note my underarm picture - the wire extends all the way past the midline to my trapezius muscle). The deep "U" shape at the bottom of the Panache wire made them dig into my ribs right at the lower corner. I even got the jewelry pliers out and bent them to go over the rib at the edge of my sternum they were pressing on, to no avail. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":-(" /> I did this with both bras -- the Freya Gem became slightly more comfortable, but not the Panache.

What is the definition of "wide" versus "narrow" wires, numerically speaking? I laid the two 30F bras on top of each other. Both were exactly 5.5" wide inside between the wire ends. The biggest difference was the shape of the curve and the fact that the Freya was .5" longer than the Panache, and spread open more as I stretched the band.

For those with small ribcages and wider roots, the distance from one outer wire tip across the frame of the bra to the other outer wire tip is 12.25" lying flat.

As a 46-year-old who breast fed two for two years each, I'm a bit deflated on top (think of a hardboiled egg laying sideways in a short sock). Although the four-part cup seemed like it would offer great uplift, the "U" shaped wire and stretchy lace fabric did me no favors. I cringe at the pictures I've posted. I think my petite frame, short height, and very sensitive, stretchmark-scarred skin just couldn't handle this bra.

On the other hand, my 20-year-old daughter who is also a 30F (though with a 26" underbust and plenty of all-around fullness), LOVED it and looked absolutely stunning in it!
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Nude colorway

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Updated on May 27, 2015 Flag this

The Prima Donna Couture Three Part Cup Underwire is a seriously comfortable bra, made of soft, stretchy lace without a hint of itchiness. The full cup style gives excellent coverage and the outer upper quadrant of the cup is stretchy and very forgiving for those with armpit/strap boobs embarking on the Great Migration Home. For those sensitive to seams, this cup is lined with a very soft, featherweight tricot. The tall gore and sides fully encapsulate without seeming intrusive, even on my 5'2", 29" underbust frame. The band and wires are fairly stretchy (more Freya than Panache) without side seam boning, but it feels secure. The very, ... very minimal underband is just 3/8" and cuts away up to the bottom of the gore, allowing it to not press on short-lady tummies. The straps are fully adjustable, supersoft felt-like elastic with a tiny pleated ribbon running up the center and no irritating lace or tricot along the edges to itch or rub.

After trying on the 65F (the smallest size), which felt too small, the saleswoman at the bra boutique pushed me to go with the 65G despite the bit of wrinkling in the upper lace of both cups. Once I got it home and tried it driving and sitting for a while, I realized there is about a finger width of gap in the outer bottom of the cups above the wire.

Overall, this is a great bra and could even work as a sleep bra or the go-to refuge for PMS week.
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Gardenia Rose colorway

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Updated on May 26, 2015 Flag this

Goodbye Old Friend! You did your best to provide daily support these past four years and we've had some good times and some bad. Who knew you were two cup sizes too small and two band sizes too big? Awaiting my new, appropriately sized friends and a future with less back, neck and arm pain and headaches, I am humming a little ABBA tune:

"Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong
You're enchained by your own sorrow
In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow
How I hate to see you like this
There is no way you can deny it
I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet...
Chiquitita, you and I ... know
How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving
You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end
You will have no time for grieving."

--------------------

I am 46 years old, 5'2" and short-torsoed with quite a petite frame under the flab, and there are a number of things I really, really LOVE about this bra:
- It gives a nice shape under clothes, even heavier sweaters and sweatshirts that mash down soft-cup bras.
- It shows no lines under thin t-shirts.
- It is completely smooth inside -- no irritating seams!
- The wires are short so it doesn't poke under the arms or at the top of the gore.
- The strap connects to the cup slightly toward the center, giving good support of the whole breast like a full cup without showing in scoop necklines, and staying put on narrower shoulders.
- The partial band and very short gore of this plunge style means very little bulk under the breasts to pinch into short women's tummies or flip up when pinched against the ribs while sitting.
- Despite the plunge style, the satin band along the top edge provides good containment of center fullness -- even for super-super-soft ,crepey breast tissue that normally falls out of half cups, demis and balconettes. You won't fall out even if you lean over.

There are a few minuses:
- The band is VERY soft and stretchy with no vertical reinforcing seams, so it doesn't provide strong support compared to many bras. I would rate this bra an "Excellent" in comfort, except for my suspicion that it is behind my chronic neck and arm pain (though to be fair, the lack of support could be simply because I was wearing a 34 rather than a 28 or 30 inch band).
- The wires are quite rigid, like Panache wires and can cause pressure points if you have a raised rib in the wrong spot.
- It may not come in a small enough size for petite women. After the bra calculator revealed I need a 28 to 30 inch band, rather than a 34, I have ordered their smallest band -- 32 -- and a Rixie Clip to see if I can find a way to get the support I need from this otherwise amazing bra!

Regarding quality: the pictured bra has been worn almost daily (in rotation with three others in different colors) for the past five years. They've all held up great.
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Mink colorway

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Updated on May 23, 2015 Flag this

This is a gorgeous, sophisticated looking mesh bra in a mocha color scattered with small red embroidered flowers -- I SO wanted it to fit. Sensitive types will appreciate the thin, flexible wires, which have extra cushioning like all of the Prima Donna bras I've tried, and the lack of scratchy picot edging and side seam boning. The lower cup and side-support panel are lined with very soft, light cotton so the nips don't show. The upper lace panel is very stretchy, soft and the edge is reinforced by elastic. The wide straps are almost fully adjustable, smooth, satiny elastic, with a couple of inches of small embroidered ... applique flowers climbing them like a trellis. Delightful!

PETITES:
Short women with small rib cages will appreciate the close-set 6.5" back strap placement and the diminuitive 12" distance from outer wire tip to outer wire tip, as well as the minimal 3/8" underband, which is scooped out below the gore to give lots of tummy room. This is not a bra that will dig into short girls' ribs when you sit down.

BAND:
Like the 65F - Prima Donna » Aurora Underwired Bra (0162631), the 22.5" unstretched band is even shorter than the usual Prima Donna 65 band, which I measured at 23.5 in the Prima Donna Madison Plunge and 24" in the 65E - Prima Donna » Couture Underwired Bra (0162580). The band stretches about two inches before the wire tips begin to spread out and distort the shape of the cup, so if your tight underband measurement is more than 26.5", you may have issues with the wires poking and the cups not fitting properly. I am a snug 27" and I had quadboob and poking under the arms despite not filling the cups fully due to the distortion. The band is very stretchy and will not feel too tight on a 29" ribcage -- but the super-flexible, narrow wires, very short band, and elastic-backed edge of the upper lace panel will magnify each other into disaster territory. Go up a band size or two, or expect to use an extender.

CUP:
The Prima Donna First Lady has a 3-part cup consisting of a curved side support panel that comprises the outer 1/4" of the cup, a deep, lower "cat's ear" shaped panel with a curved transverse seam about 3/4" above the nipple that comprises approximately half of the cup, and a 2" wide sheer rectangular mesh panel that comprises the upper 1/4" of the cup. It is almost identitical in cut to the 65F - Prima Donna » Couture Underwired Bra (0162581), except there is no hidden vertical center seam in the lining of the lower cup for extra lift. In my opinion, this makes the First Lady a great bra for very full on bottom or very full all around shapes. For those like me who are deflated on top, somewhat full on the bottom and very squishy, the result was two pyramids! I did not have that problem in the 65E - Prima Donna » Deauville Underwired Bra (0161810) which has the same design, except the upper panel is a full inch wider -- putting the curved transverse seam right at the nipple -- and the shorter lower panel has a center vertical seam in the cup lining to give extra lift.

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Cosmetic colorway

Updated on Jun 30, 2015 Flag this

This bra is beautiful and well made. However, it's not for someone with sensitive skin or super-soft breasts (such as those with severe stretch marks from breastfeeding). The seems are exposed inside the cup, and the pretty picot edging under the arm and along the strap was itchy and uncomfortable, as were the corners of the strap where it attaches inside the cup. Very soft breasts will be flattened on the outside and pushed toward the center.

Black colorway

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Updated on May 23, 2015 Flag this

See: 28FF - Freya » Gem Balcony Bra (1361)

Black colorway

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Updated on May 23, 2015 Flag this

See: 30F - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285)

Nude colorway

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Updated on May 23, 2015 Flag this