This is the second time I have reviewed this size and model, I thought I ought to as there is a slight size difference. This is slightly fuller in the cup and the band support is greater as it is new compared to the other which I reviewed, which is at least six months old and near its expiry point.
I adore the Bravissimo Dotty Spot Bra (AU08) the shape is rather pointy which could be a put off for some people but not me, it's slightly vintagey in my eyes. The fit is spot on this time too, when I first tried this model it was off in places, but that could have been my breast shape and not the bra, but the slight change I've encountered recently in shape and size makes this perfect for my boobs. It's soft, satiny and comfy, the straps are nice and thick, and the big reason I chose to get this over a couple of other bras that fit well was the colour, red is my favourite and I love the polka dots, it's cute and girly yet once I get the matching pants I still think it will be considered quite sexy https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />
I'm so sad that this doesn't fit because it's a lovely bra. The top seems a bit too closed for me, or maybe the cup itself it too small. I also like how the wires go to the ends of the channels.
This bra is a good fit despite being a bit big in the band (like everything else I own, sadly), yet it is still comfortable. I think it's a pretty good bra to wear under most clothes, the seams aren't too noticable. It is only a gentle padding too, so if you don't normally like moulded bras this could be worth a go. My only real con is the stretchy stretchy band.
This is a beautiful bra! I love the silky cups and the colour is a pretty good match to my skin colour. Even though it cuts in slightly in my bigger side I'm keeping it as it isn't too bad and I like the shape it gives. It's really comfortable and I like having 3 hooks on the band. The band fits perfectly on the loosest hook. The straps are fully adjustable and the cups are slightly padded. Edit: I was wearing the bra too low which made the top cut in. Pulling the bra up as far as it would go stopped the quadding.
I'm about a 30KK and tried this as I remembered it being big in the cups, but I found this to be too small for me. The cups are very deep, but very closed on top, resulting in an extremely pointy, projected shape but with a lot of overspill. Despite having too much upper fullness for this bra, I also have slight wrinkling along the apex, which is a bit. I would think this bra may be more successful on those who are more bottom heavy. I found it to be quite east-west, and I didn’t seem to be able to get a very uplifted shape however much ...I tightened the straps. I found the wires to be quite wide (Brav wires tend to stretch easily), and the gore fairly standard for Bravissimo (narrow but tall). I found the gore to dig in a bit, I think due to the height and my close-set breasts. The band seemed like a true to size 30, and the bra sports the usual 3 hooks and fully adjustable straps. As with most bras, I found the straps to be slightly too wide set for my frame, but they seemed fairly standard for Bravissimo. The sides were a reasonable height too, though I would have preferred lower. Read more 105 more words
The Alana runs small, so this is more like a standard 30K. I need a 30KK in most bras at the moment, so this fit pretty much as expected. It's too small in the cup, but what was really the problem was how wide set the straps become. I have a 30K Alana and it fit beautifully, so I was really shocked at how bad this bra fit.
The straps are significantly more wide-set than in a size down, and the sides are far too tall under the arm. I can't tighten the straps enough without the straps/cups digging into my arms/shoulders. Ideally I'd need a 30L for cup volume, but I think the straps and armholes would be unbearable. A 30K in a regular Bravissimo balconette would be far more preferable and should fit the same as this, so I wouldn't recommend buying in this size.
I tried this bra in cream. It is made from comfortable and attractive materials (I like the printed faux-lace effect).
It gives me an impressive "cakes on a plate" / "Marie Antoinette" look.
Unfortunately the cups are too small for me (I am spilling out of the top of the cup, and the centre gore doesn't lie flat).
In addition, the cups are quite wide and the side support doesn't really work for me. I think because my breasts are quite soft, the seam between the side support section and the next part of the cup digs in to my breast. I don't think this would be solved for me by a bigger cup size, sadly.
I am IN LOVE with this bra! It's the most comfy bra I've ever worn!
The band is nice and tight, the gore is perfectly flat, the underwires follow the contour of my breasts perfectly! I ordered it in a 30E at first, thinking that would be my size but ended up finding the band was quite loose and the cups much too small, so I sent it back for this size instead. I love the bow details, the only thing I'm not so sure about (as are many women from what I can tell) is the sheer panel above the cup. Now, I have full on bottom breasts, but ...even then I can feel it tightening over the tops when I take a particularly deeper breath in. And then if I curl my shoulders inwards it wrinkles. So weird.
I'm still not sure whether I like the shape it gives my breasts (Bras I Hate green shape or as it has occasionally been called, the elf shoe shape) but then I've worn nothing but moulded cup bras for the past 10 years or so, so I might just have to give it time to see if I get used to it. It looks fine under clothes so it's not a problem in my opinion.
Overall, I am quite happy with it though, and will most likely get it in more colours whenever I can afford to. Read more 125 more words
Comfy! Band is backfat minimising, nice wide confy straps, good smooth materials on the skin, no scartching!
Awesome shape! Very round, close to the chest, slightly minimized from the side, purple shape from the front, not east - west by any means. Cakes on plate ^^
Supportive! Seriously, if it wasn't for the strap position (far apart) this one could go up to KK. And an everyday bra.
Note fore wires - very wide. Will suit shallow boob ladies. If you are not one, you can still wear it if you accept some empty space bear the wires. Existance of such does not compromise shape or support.
Note for cleavage - gore is very high, forget V necks with this Note for print and thin clothes - the loud print shows through everything thin. If you wear dark clothes, white parts will pop out, if you wear light blacks will.
Note to self and everybody else: Get matching knickers with it! Get Sweet bon bon bra - it's the same cut!
I've been wanting this bra for so long that when it's gone on a sale on ebay, I snatched it up as fast as I can. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
Now. Got this in 28GG as I read as the Satine runs small, if I'm not mistaken. I usually wear 28G.
This bra is a plunge. Which means, the centre gore is low. Which means, it's good news for my quite close set boobs. The cup is perfect on me, except the wires are a little too wide, so I have one and a half finger worth of empty space on the side. Ideally I'd be ...needing a width of 5.5", this bra is 5.8".
Width aside, this bra is really comfortable on me. My Panache Sienna has the same width, but by the end of the day I feel some discomfort. I guess the wire on Satine is a little thinner compared to Sienna.
The straps are fully adjustable, which is a good news for those who needs it. The width is good on me, not too wide. The band is also firm on me. I used to like super snug band, but now I find myself reaching for looser bands (still snug, but not super snug as before), so the band on Satine feels perfect to me.
The shape is good. Kinda like Panache Ariza-ish shape. It also doesn't show under clothes, so it can be a t-shirt bra for some.
All in all, I'm satisfied with how the bra fits on me, only I wish the cup is a little narrow. Otherwise, it's good. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 164 more words
I have to ask you, how can you sell this bra? It looks so good on you :D Have the wires starting to bug you?
Branarchist - I knowwwwwwww I'm in love with this bra sobsob. But the wires are too wide. See in that one picture where the bottom is crumbling? I can't deal with that. I have extra space on the sides as well. But it is so comfortable, even with all the space. My brain wouldn't accept the wideness. :(
If it's comfortable and works why get rid of it? Fit doesn't matter :D (oh yes, I'm a branarchist :D)
When it comes to me, a little negative is a 'no' for me if I know there's something better. My mind won't be at peace. For the sake of my sanity, I'll just sell it. Hehe.
Ah I see :D Oh well, you'll always have the pics :D
I just got Bravissimo's Tanzania Stripe in a 30F, though I've worn the same bra in 28FF for some months. It's an unpadded, unlined half cup bra with that wonderful cakes-on-a-plate cleavage and rounded profile vertical seam construction is known for. Though my tight underbust measurement is 28," I decided I could probably get the same shape, with greater comfort, in a 30 band. This seems to be the case. I'm going to keep this bra. I have the matching shorts in XS. Their design is particularly beautiful and cleverly designed. The back of the shorts has an inverted triangle of the zebra stripe material. I've included photos ...of the front and back. I'm considering getting another couple pairs. I wish the purple background color were slightly more vivid, but the slightly iridescent green stripes make up for it.
One thing that annoys me about this bra, and it's something I find in a lot of bras of all brands, is the underwire does not completely fill the underwire channel. There is .625" (5/8") of space that is not filled. I prefer my underwires as high as possible on the sides, under my arms, since I have a wide root. I slide the underwires away from the center gore a couple times a day when I wear the 28FF Tanzania Stripe. I expect to have to do the same with this 30F. Read more 123 more words
This bra is a second-generation Inspire, released in 2013. It is supposed to be the same as the original Inspire but with the slider on the straps corrected.
In addition to this bra, I tried the 32H and the 36G. I wrote a description of the bra itself as part of the review for the 36G: http://bra.pe/RCH5/ so I won't go over the same material but will instead just talk about how this bra fits me.
The straps do adjust short enough, but I have them as short as possible already. The wire width is fairly good for me but I do have some wrinkling ...in the bottom of the cups, most likely due to the bra not having as much immediate projection as I require. The fit in the cups is pretty much the same as what I got from the 32H and the 36G. Here is a comparison with the 32H: http://www.bratabase.com/compare/dhnz7/
The bra gives a much better shape than I would expect from a sports bra. Maybe it is a little bit torpedo, but it's quite lifted. I don't expect to look good while I'm working out, but it's nice to have a slightly less hideous shape from a sports bra. From the side, it actually looks like a normal bra. I've taken pictures wearing a white t-shirt and the 32H bra: http://www.bratabase.com/browse/bravissimo/inspire-sports-au27/32H/
The bra does not go high enough to contain the upper part of my breast. You only see a hint that the top is cutting into breast tissue unless I lift my breasts up with my hands, as I have done in one of the pictures, when the tissue becomes visible. In a filmed bounce test, I found the bra quite good when I was jumping, much better than any other bra I have tried. If all my breast tissue were contained it would be perfect, but instead I have about 4 cm of breast tissue 'quadboob' bouncing above the top of the cup. For any woman with tall breasts this will probably be an issue. The tissue at the top of my breasts is not very thick, so you can only slightly see the top cutting in. In the picture I've included, I am lifting up the bra slightly to demonstrate what breast tissue bounces in the bra. It looks like this at the upward part of my bounce test.
Some of my breast tissue also escapes into the armpit. I think this is due to cut. I have the old version of the Inspire bra in one cup size larger and I do not think a larger size helps contain either the top or the side breast that is escaping. I would go with your usual cup size in this bra. For the band size I would round down rather than up, but not go down a size.
Despite the problems I have with this bra, it is by far the best sports bra I have tried. Here are my other sports bra reviews.
If I could get the coverage of the Panache (which goes up to my collarbone and gets all the side tissue) with the support of the Inspire, I think I'd be completely satisfied!
Branarchist - When it's approved, this review includes a picture of a sports bra cutting into my top 'tail'. Is this similar to what you have?
prettyNpetite - Maybe this sports bra would work for you? We do have different shapes, so maybe not, but like you, I've tried just about everything else.
Thank you for pinging me! Excellent review, very helpful! I'm getting more and more into the thought of ordering the Bravissimo Inspire and trying it out. Usually I think that it's best to order several sizes at once just to try it on, but since you said that you should rather round down than up in this... Maybe a 28F would be a fairly safe bet? I'm somewhere between a 28F and a 28FF, it seems to vary quite evenly. I would say though... I'm much closer to a 28F than a 28G. I am very hesitant that it'll be high enough for me because my boobs attach *very* high up. They don't even attach under my collarbones, they attach ON IT. They're actually so high up that I catch people's glimpses when I'm leaning back in the chair at school and looking down at my cellphone screen, it looks like a head rest, lol. The very best would be finding a bra that's tall enough to begin with, but I'm opening up to the thought that I'll have to complement a normal supportive sports bra with a smash-down crop top, crop tops aren't very supportive for the majority of the breast tissue as it's relatively heavy, but for the last top bit bouncing around... I'm thinking it could work :) It feels kinda bad though that I'll have to resort to that... There should be sports bras specifically aimed for those who need ultra-high coverage too.
prettyNpetite - I would round down on the band if you can, and go with your usual cup size.
I can already say that the straps will be too long for you. They widen over the shoulders, so there is a limited range of adjustment. I've got them as short as possible and they just fit me. My breasts start somewhat low but go up all the way to my collarbone, so I probably need much longer straps than you do despite being close to your height. I expect if your breasts are tall you'll have the same issues with the top bit of tissue bouncing. For me it is better to have 6 cm of thin tissue bouncing than my entire breast bouncing, which is what happens to me in other sports bras. When my pictures are approved, look at the one I took of my collarbone.
I'm wondering if I could bandage down the top of my breast tissue. It is a shame that sports bras aren't made for those of us with tall breasts. The Panache bra is the only one I know of that goes all the way up on me, but I get too much bounce in it. I already asked Bravissimo to make the Inspire higher several times, but I'm only one person.
I mostly recommended this because it holds me almost motionless and none of the other standbys did (at least for the tissue that fits in the cup). So in some way it is different from many of the others, and if you're in luck, maybe it will be different in a way that works for you.
I don't quite get what you mean by "My breasts start somewhat low but go up all the way to my collarbone" ? Kinda contradicting. Hmm... Do you mean that you lack fullness in the upper part of your breast tissue, but that you still would like higher coverage since you do have upper tissue that isn't being contained? Here's a picture for comparison, me in the Panache sports bra in 28F: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AQrkop138bg/UUDinyIPhxI/AAAAAAAAAKM/mKahYJvsyFg/s1600/Bild+2013-03-06+kl.+00.02.jpg
Quite obviously, the breast tissue I have on top is firm. It is by no means soft or saggy. Of course they don't *look* that firm when braless, gravity plays a great deal. Here's two outlines of myself when braless: http://imgur.com/a/dMzhe#0 like you can see, my boobs are very perky, and that in combination with the fact that my boobs attach on my collarbones... Yeah, that explains the severity of my problem with too low necklines in sports bras. Would you say that your top tissue is different from mine or is this the kinda degree of top overflow you get as well?
Thanks for the heads up about the too long straps. How tall are you btw? I'm 5 feet (152 cm), could be interesting to know when I see you reviewing new bras :)
I wasn't very clear at all - I was starting at the bottom and working up. So: the bulk of my breast tissue is fairly low, but my breasts continue quite a bit above where they appear to end. I have about 12 cm of obviously projected breast, and then above that another 6 cm or so that looks flat but is actually breast tissue. It's not a problem in regular bras, and I even wear FoB style bras without getting quadboob, but it becomes a problem in sports bras.
The Panache went higher on me. It just didn't work for other reasons. Looking at you in the Panache, there's no way the Inspire will hold in the top of your breasts. I would only suggest you try it if the other bras are also failing you on bounce.
I'm 160 cm, but I rarely have the typical issues that shorter people have with bras, probably because they are low set (or at least appear low set, if you discount the top 1/3).
Branarchist and I have been discussing this in a few of her adventures. I need to do a drawing of my shape to make it easier to discuss. I think I have less upper fullness than you do, though.
:( ... *sad face* I don't know what to do :( I need a friggin' sports bra! And I need a bra that contains my upper tissue as well because it hurts! :( I've tried the Freya Active in 30D, 30DD and 28DD, obviously the wrong sizes, but they didn't seem catastrophically low cut... I'm guessing the Inspire is cut higher than the Freya. I'm thinking about getting a sports bra that fits the majority of my boobs and then wear a really smushing crop top on top. I'm hoping that'll work... It's hard to find a crop top that fits though, I need a much larger size to accomodate my chest and then it doesn't even come close to hugging my ribs. Do you think it'd be possible to alter one of those crop tops? Take out the elastic in the bottom, cut it shorter and sew it back?
I'm absolutely not a seamstress, but I was also thinking of making a sort of 'cami' that could attach to the straps of a sports bra, which would be made of tight elastic to press on the breast tissue on top.
That's a clever idea too actually, if you just want to wear one bra. Could work great and actually look quite well if you get a fabric with the same color.
I'm still thinking about doing it the way I said it because that way I'd probably eliminate any chances of nipples poking through :) Great alternative though, I'll keep that in mind if I get fed up with wearing two bras at once.
Pictures have been approved, so you can now see the bit of top breast I'm talking about in the pictures for this bra.
Yeah I saw that. It seems to me that my boobs are relatively taller than yours. Yikes, I'm starting to wonder if I'm the woman with the most relatively high-set boobs haha
on Bratabase, that is.
I'm going to move this to an adventure - I think people may get bored otherwise, when they come here some time in the future!
This bra is great. Probably the best fit i have ever had. It is quite firm in the body and the cups fit perfect like it was made for me. It is also very pretty. The shape can be a bit funny under some tops though so i don't wear it with everything.
As I have had this a while I wanted to update my review. I stopped wearing this bra as quite quickly it seemed to stretch and wasn't supportive enough. In particular the straps seem really stretchy so don't seem tight enough. It is actually quite frustrating, as it is one of the few bras that really fits, and yet I never wear it.
Just adding some feedback. I no longer wear this bra, as it stretched really quickly, especially the straps. This was disappointing as it is one of the few bras that I was really happy with the fit.
I love this bra (my review is above) however, the only thing I wish bravissimo would change is I wish the straps could be adjusted more as i could do with tightening them a couple of cms. Does anyone know how this bra compares with other bravissimo styles? Are they similar? Do they allow more adjustment of the straps? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi deb. Can you tell me what you mean by funny shape undersome clothing? As for this one - you should get the same size in boudoir beau and one size up in alana. The straps can be adjusted all the way on those and they are quite popular styles whit a similar shape. However the straps on boudoir arent very comfortable.
Like Bettie Mae, it does not suit my shape. I love the style, shape, pattern and colour of the bra. It is very soft and has a lovely feel to it. I am around 28HH/J and went up a cup to a J as I heard it ran small, like their other Satine-shaped styles. If you are going to order, I would recommend doing this.
As with the Bettie Mae and Cleo Marcie, the wires are too wide for me with the cups collapsing underneath the cup and at the sides. I felt even less supported than in the Marcie, which is unpadded and so does this to ...a lesser extent. The bra seems to sit around my breasts rather than support them, it did this however much I adjusted the straps. There is also some quadboobing but I am unsure whether this is because my bra size is still in the process of discovered and/or the lack of support caused this. The band felt like a true-28 to be and the 3hook clasp was comfortable; the gore is short and makes for a good plunge style.
My Recommendation is to...: Up the cup, and it is for women who do not need wires as narrow as Ewa Michelak or Comexim. It's a very beautiful bra so I would recommend it to anyone who does not have these issues like I do https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 130 more words
this is a very pretty bra, the pink background looks like its been once white and got accidently dyed in the wash as its completely different to the straps and gore. theres a nice delicate leaf pattern & a very large pink and blue bows in the centre & two tiny ones on the straps. It feels very plastic (but i like that material) and give a very east / west "theryre comming at ya" shape. its very tight on the band for me but im expecting it to stretch like mad, as ive found this make to do in the same cut ie dotty spot and sweet heart. the hooks are poorly heat sealed so i hope that i dont have to take this back as my previous one have scratched me so badly. will update after a few wears Realised the mini bows are trying to disguise some poor attachment of the straps Band already stretched 1/2 inch after 3 wears & 1 wash Stretched another inch after 2 more washes / 4 wears
Not my style, alas. The bottom of the cup is fabric and the top is mesh, with a ribbon edge. The top doesn't quad boob but the mesh lays oddly (tight and flat), giving me what feels like an elf-shoe.
Under the armpit area the edge is slightly ruched elastic which doesn't stretch as much as rub. The cup itself comes up way too high under my arms, so I'd say this style isn't good for petite people.
My left boob seems to have migrated more than the right and is suddenly feeling larger, spilling over in the center of bras. It's definitely trying to crawl over the ...inside of this one, despite the gore wires being about as close together as possible. the right boob gaps at the top and because of the way the ribbon is made or sewn, the wrinkle is noticeable.
I ticked that the gore tacks but it's like 1/4 inch away from tacking, but that could be not enough depth on the left side or boobs so close set that the gore is pushed away.
Although I fill the bottom, I also don't fill it. Very odd wrinkling on bottom outside edge.
I bought this off eBay so it might be a second but it doesn't have the same quality feel as other bras I've tried. Read more 112 more words
This bra runs about half a cup big, so those in between sizes may find a better fit in their smaller cup. I'm usually spot on for Brav's 30JJs, so I have a little bit of wrinkling, but not enough to need a 30J. It gives a very uplifted shape with a high apex - it is somewhat pointy in my size, but still rounder than the Dotty Spot or Alana. Quite east-west and separated - it looks a bit wider from the front than the Alana. The wires are pretty standard for Bravissimo, which is relatively narrow for a high-end cup. The band feels like a fairly firm 30, and is made of a comfortable stretchy material. I loooove the emerald colour with black lace overlay, I just wish it didn't have the extra lining, it makes it quite a bit less delicate looking.
I like this bra. Overall it is fairly well made and I could see this becoming a favorite.
One of the things I don't like about this bra is how the wire is a lot shorter than the wire casing. There is a whole inch of empty fabric at the wire casing near my armpit. This (for some reason) causes me a lot of poking during the day. Additionally, the cups were slightly too small and cut in a bit at the top. This is actually one of my first bras where I haven't noticed too much wrinkling at the bottom of the cups!
Definitely a sturdy bra. I will definitely be trying this one again in one cup size up. I only hope the wire fills out the channel a bit more.
Sorry , I mean't to say fuller in the cup which makes it fit me better. The band is the same as the older one . Caroline.