After my success with the Ciao Bella Balconnette, I decided to give the Ciao Bella Bralette a try. My favorite everyday bralette for wearing at home is the Honeydew Camellia Bralette, but I find that the construction is super flimsy and after a while they lose all support, so all I can do is wear them to bed. I wanted something that fits similarly to the Camellia but has a more supportive band, yet is still comfortable for bed.
The Ciao Bella Bralette fits this criteria quite well! I despise pull-over bralette styles as I find them super uncomfortable to put on, so I like that ... this one has a regular band with hook back. The band is much tighter than the Camellia and is constructed like a normal bra. The front panel is made from the same Ciao Bella lace as the Balconnette style, and it shares a similar appearance as it has a fully vertical seamed cup and a taller gore. The appearance from the front is almost like a bandeau but with shaping in the cups so it's not completely flattening. Unlike triangle bralettes, I find that this doesn't give a pointy shape and gives a similar shape to the Ciao Bella Balconnette but without the padding.
The construction of the cup and cradle portion is actually quite interesting. Most bralettes have cups seamed into the elastic band, but this bra actually has an elastic cradle where the cups are seamed, and the bottom of the band also has full elastic. This is great as it provides more support! However, if you compare measurements between XS and S, you will see that there's quite a big difference between the sizes in regards to band size. For my 28-30 band size, the XS fit perfectly, but I don't think it would support a larger cup than 28E/30DD. Sizing up to a S results in 1.5" difference in band size but 0.7" difference in cup depth. So, this would a tough fit for small band and large cups, which is a problem common to all bralettes.
Like the Ciao Bella Balconnette, one criticism of this bra is that the straps do not adjust any shorter as very little of the strap is adjustable. This may be an issue for petite torsos or straps stretching out over time.
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Updated on Oct 05, 2019 Flag this