When narrow isn't narrow enough
My 30K - Panache » Ariza Balconnet Bra (5051) arrived today- which was good, because it had been just over 3 weeks since I'd ordered it and I was getting to the point where I was about to message the Ebay seller.
My first thoughts when I saw it in real life was 'wow, this is one garish bra', but I'm desperate enough to wear anything if it fits well. Seriously though, what on earth is wrong with having a colourway which is just one colour? And preferably that one colour can be beige or white or black. I am a boring person who likes my underwear to be primarily functional. I buy 5 packs of beige cotton briefs from Target and they are my favourites, because I can wear them under anything.
As I was entering the measurements of the bra into Bratabase (am I weird for doing this before I try on the bra? Probably), I could tell from that moment that this bra and I were unlikely to be friends. The 38cm wire length was a big tip off. Whilst I cannot contest that this bra is say narrower than a Tango or an Andorra, it is still Panache Superbra in fine form. The cups are too tall, and the wires are too wide. This is sad, especially as I'm hoping for non Ewa Michalak options which fit me after strapgate. Oh Ariza, it seems that you and I will not be friends. Other people in my size range have got such a good fit with you, but we are not meant to be together I fear.
Filed under Bra sizing and fit
7 comments
I also find Ariza to be too wide. When I tried Ariza, it was so wide and shallow, it crushed my boobs flat and wide. When I sized up to get enough depth, the wires were too wide.
But Andorra gives me a very narrow, centered look. I think it has to do with how the depth is distributed, and with the sling. Maybe Ariza has more depth on paper but in use Andorra is deeper.
Andorra also has that beautiful, forgiving stretch lace which really helps with fit. I know it's a go-to bra for a lot of women who are on the edge of being sized out of commercially available bras. It was still too wide for me, but I have a very small frame, and scaling of bras gets a bit weird down my end.
I do think that there's a big difference between depth and effective depth of bras. If I could miraculously somehow angle the wires so that all of the cup points forward on my torso, the fit of this bra is pretty much spot on (though kind of tall). As it is though, my top inner quadrant escapes from the bra because there isn't enough room there, but I have a lot of bagginess at the sides. I could probably fit into a smaller cup size in some bras, if the bras were actually designed with me in mind, but as it is, I find I need to size up a bit to keep my breasts in check. I'm not going back for more with the Ariza though.
If you have a lot of depth in the middle part of your breasts, your needs will be different than someone who has a lot of depth at the sides. If you have a lot of immediate projection, you may need a bigger bra than someone who has a more shallow gradient because your boobs desperately try and find the apex of the bra.
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