After thoroughly exploring the world of modern bras, I've decided to revisit some classic fits. I've been on a period drama kick lately and all the pointy cups under form-fitting '50s sweaters have made me wonder if I too can pull off this look. The Playtex Cross Your Heart series is one I remember from being a teenager though I never tried it. It has an element of nostalgia to it, and I snagged one off Amazon to try at an extremely cheap price.

I knew this would be an inexpensive soft bra made of poly/nylon that fits differently from wired modern bras, but what I didn't expect was to get this hideous thing that feels like wearing pillow protectors over your chest pillows. Seriously, it's difficult to imagine what a padded polyester bra with fiberfill cups would feel like until you have put one on your body. Even though it's winter, this didn't feel right on me, and I couldn't imagine wearing this during normal ambient temperatures.

As far as fit goes, I was debating between ordering 32B and 32C, but couldn't find much info on sizing. I went with a hunch that vintage fits run large in the cup, and sure enough they did, but having determined through thorough testing that I can in no way, shape, or form ever wear a 32B, I went with the 32C which is at least closer to a sister size. By modern standards, this cup is pretty big, but I found that the cup width, depth, and height worked on my larger side.

The problem was the shape, as I don't have the kind of conical tissue this bra requires to fill out the very pointy, very full center of the cup. It more or less gave the appearance of the orange-in-a-glass effect. I think this bra is designed for women with either a conical shape or soft tissue that can be molded into the cup shape. Firmer and shallower breasts are not going to be able to fill the center of the cup, leaving a sad, deflated center instead of pointy mounds. This bra is not going to help me achieve the '50s sweater fantasy.

Band size seems to run pretty true to a 32, and thankfully the elastic of both the bands and straps is wide and powerful. There's a heavy-duty 3 hook fastener at the back, and the band was decently supportive despite being two size too big for me. I appreciate the fully adjustable straps though personally detest sliders on the front.

I actually like the vintage cross-front construction and lace trimmed cups, however the polyester cups and plain exposed elastic makes the bra look incredibly cheap. It looks like a bad prototype made from available materials, not like an actual consumer product. The photos made this bra look plain, but in person it just dumbfounds me. Perhaps the vintage Cross Your Heart bras are worth a try, and I'm not totally giving up, but this is my first and last bra-in-a-box.

White colorway

Updated on Feb 16, 2020 Flag this

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