The lace pattern on the bra is quite pretty (as least in navy), and it currently fits me better than I expect considering I now know that the cup size is too small in a universe where I scoop and swoop. The thing that makes this one unwearable for me is that the wire in the center gore feel high and scratches something awful!
If I'd bought this bra in an E or F cup, I think that I would be quite happy with it. The straps are very comfortable and more interesting than I usually get from a t-shirt bra, and the gore tacks very well for me.
The band is too big for me. That's the simple part. What's happening in the cup is strange. I don't spill out the front of the cup, which makes it seem like it fits, but the cup is definitely too small. There is a gap in the sides and the bottom of the cup and I think the wire needs to come up higher, like I have side boob turning into side fat near the top. The gore doesn't sit flat at all. Just wrong.
This bra model is one of my (few) long-lusted-after loves, although I held off getting myself one for many many months. I STILL absolutely adore it and I am therefore slightly gutted that it doesn't seem to work all that well for my shape. The 70D I tried before clearly seemed to large so here's the 70C I ordered in response. I'm not sure it got all that much better though ...
Bra description:
This is actually one of the more interesting bras I've encountered so far. The combination of the lovely and soft, partly floral lace, the 'pinstripe' centre gore bow and double straps just speaks to me: it's ...super feminine but with a business-like, tomboy sort of nod, if that makes any sense. Oh, and it is a half cup -- what is not to love?! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />
Anyway, the cups and band are all made of the soft, floral lace. The cups are of the two-part, vertically seamed kind. The outer parts of the cups are backed with a fine, rigid, very sheer black mesh. The inner parts of the cups are not backed and therefore have a little 'give'. A narrow band of elastic very lightly 'gathers' the cup edge to make sure it stays flush with the skin. The band consists of a single layer of the same lace and is not backed by anything, but the result is less stretchy than it would seem. The closure is of the standard two hook, three position kind. The centre gore does not come up as high as the wires and cups, which gives it a somewhat 'lighter' appearance. A satin ribbon bow decorated along either edge with a running stitch in contrasting thread adorn the centre gore. The straps are not fully adjustable: a double strap consisting of two narrower bands of elastic adorned in a similar way as the centre gore bow, i.e. with a running stitch in contrasting thread, connects to the cups. The adjustable part in the back consists of a single width of plain black strap elastic. The straps of the 70C are clearly narrower than the straps of the 70D. The wires of the 70C are also more flexible than the wires of the 70D. All findings on this bra, including the hooks and eyes, are silver-coloured metal. A silver-coloured metal tag with the brandname 'Chantelle' is sewed next to the closure.
Bra fit:
This bra is not the best fit on me. I'm not sure whether it's simply still too big, or whether there's some sort of shape mismatch going on. It seems that the cups are simply made for breasts that are 'taller' and more spherical than mine. Anyway, I'd say this bra runs generous in both the cups and band, compared, for example, to the @70D - Chantelle » Rive Gauche T-back Spacer Bra (3282) . Although it's better than the 70D, I still don't entirely fill out the cups and they still come up quite a bit higher on my chest than I expected. The wires are reasonably good on me -- they are much more flexible than the wires in the 70D, so even if they are a smidgen narrower they still fit -- but the cup depth and height just doesn't seem to match my breasts very well. As to the cup depth, my measurements confirm there really is very little difference between the 70C and 70D: only 0.5cm!
The band fits reasonably well at the middle set of hooks, but I feel it begins to ride up when fastened on the loosest hooks. It feels very slightly tighter than the band of the 70D, but compared to the T-back that fits me very well band-wise, this band still runs at least half a size larger larger. Part of the reason for that may be that unlike the T-back the lace in this Demi isn't backed with anything, part that the band is really very narrow. I'm not too bothered by it as it does fit me well enough on the middle set of hooks (I don't like my bands tight) and it's an easy fix to shorten the band once it stretches, but still. Sizing inconsistency of any kind is just plain annoying.
Having said all that, I must say that this bra DOES deliver shape-wise: Without bra my full-bust measurement is 86cm, wearing this bra it is a 'whopping' 91cm! And even though the cups are too roomy, the shape I get is reasonably round. Not as centred and projected as what I get, for example, in the @65DD - Ewa Michalak » Hm Gold (267) (which under my current measurement actually is about equally roomy in the cups), but therefore maybe more comfortable for me. It's the reason why I did decide to keep this bra: it's fairly comfortable and it looks okay under clothing. And who knows, my size my fluctuate upwards again, at some point https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" />
Conclusion:
I decided to keep this bra, probably against my better judgement: it isn't nearly as good a fit as I would have hoped, but it's a lovely, comfortable, reasonably flattering, unpadded half cup and I don't really have many of those at the moment, so there you have it https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" /> Combined with the matching 'shorts' (which run generous, by the way) it's a really sexy set. Read more 794 more words
Man, I just can't seem to find my size in Chantelle. This 32F was too big, and here I thought it was going to be a winner. I could have sworn I tried on a 32E in some other style and it was too small, but this bra in particular could run big, or I may have lost weight since then, etc. Also, I'm not sure if this should properly be catagorized as a 2-part of 3-part cup, since from the outside it appears to be two, but looking at the inside of the bra the lower portion is actually divided which really makes it ...three. Hm.
The fit seems to be similar to the C Chic plunge, though this center gore comes up higher. (Not an issue for me because I have wide-set boobs anyway.) I have a lot of empty space towards the top of the cup, and the whole top edge gaps tremendously. The underwire also seems just a hair too wide, though if it fit elsewhere I would say it wasn't a dealbreaker. All these issues would obviously be fixed with another cupsize, which I think I'll end up trying because this is a really beautiful bra.
I love the navy colorway (it's really more cobalt, I'd say) and the design is simply lovely. The lower half of the cups is a solid fabric that feels buttery to the touch, and there is unlined lace across the gore, the tops of the cups, and in a small band down the wing as well. There is a cute white stitching around the edges of the bra as well, including the straps. Speaking of, they have an interesting detail in that the front portion is actually three thin bands bound together where they meet the cup and where they meet the adjusting portion. I've always liked when straps divide like that! Overall, I find that Chantelle bras have a really beautiful use of detail and design that I haven't seen in the other brands I've tried. Read more 243 more words
The fit on this one is way off for my boob shape. I get both quadboobing and baggy fabric at the top, as there's a strangely tight band of lace right at the top edge; the wire doesn't sit anywhere close to my inframammary fold; the band rides up (though not as much as some bras, due to the three-hook column); and worst of all, the wire is just way way waaaay too wide for my root. It seems like it's about as wide as some Curvy Kate bras.
Tried this one on at a specialty shop yesterday and it fit quite well. The band is tight for a 30 (since I usually wear 28). It has an okay shape and but it looks very good under a shirt. There was gapping for my smaller boob though while standing up straight. Didn't pick it up because it was so pricey!
This is the first bra I ever bought after finding out my "real" size. It's amazingly comfortable, and since it's unlined, very forgiving to my bottom-heavy shape. I've found that the elastic at the top of the cup gets stretched out very quickly, so that every month or so I have to tighten the straps more to keep the cup from gaping at the top. The band stretches out over time as well, but it's very firm when new - even though I've lost some weight and am now a 34 I can still wear the 36 band in a new one. The shape the cup gives is more natural than uplifted.
Very pretty bra with pretty straps that are thinner than average for T-shirt bras.
Unfortunately, this bra has never fit me right. The band is a little too big and so the band of the bra sits against my ribs about 2 cm underneath the bottom of my breasts. Not very flattering or supportive, and it causes the underwires to stab me a little bit while walking.
I wish this bra worked better on me because I think the build quality is great and I like the straps. Would be better for a true 32 band.
I really like this bra! It's very pretty, and I love the bling on the centre gore.
The band is quite stretchy; I'm still wearing it on the loosest hooks, but I could comfortably wear it on the middle or even the tightest hooks without a problem.
The centre gore pokes me in the sternum a bit, but it's not unbearable.
It has a lightly moulded cup, so does provide a bit of nipple-peek prevention, but doesn't hide anything when it's cold https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
This bra is so cute; I really wanted to love it. The fabric in the cups is soft and the lace band is soft too. Unfortunately, this bra has never fit me right. When I was a little heavier, the cups were too small and I spilled out the top and sides. And now that I've lost a little weight, the band (which is really stretchy, so never really that firm to begin with) is useless. The bra slides down my ribcage as I go throughout my day, so the wires are always either floating above my breasts or sitting an inch below my boobs.
I would recommend this to someone based on it's appearance, but with a warning that the band isn't that snug and the bra probably won't stay in place if you are moving around a lot.
Another bra that's never fit me right. The center gore is a little too far apart and high up for me, and consequently, the underwires are always digging into my sternum. Also, the cups are a little bigger than other (moulded) Chantelle bras I own, so I've always had some loose fabric on them, even when I was heavier. Now that I've lost weight, this bra looks hilariously bad on me.
The fabric is very soft in the cups and feels sturdy around the band, but the inside of the band, straps, and stitching along the cups has has frayed and pilled a little, which is understandable for an older bra, but I haven't noticed the problem with other bras I put significantly more wear into.
I think this must be the wrong size for me, since it's quite painful to wear. The wires dig into my breastbone and I get painful red marks after only a few minutes. The wire is also too narrow for me; it sits on the outside of my breast. The construction seems nice otherwise, and it's pretty, but smooth enough to wear under normal clothes.
The bra is cute and the detailing hides under clothes pretty well, but it is on the expensive side ($76 from Nordstrom). Despite the band being slightly too large for me, it is fairly supportive and very comfortable (and doesn't ride up too badly).
This bra is beautiful. I love the lace detailing and the straps. However, it has minimal support. I feel like this bra is good for wearing around the house when you want to feel sexy for your SO and don't need support AS much as when you're out and about or at work. That aside it is extremely comfortable and I enjoy wearing it. I feel like the band is stretchy but is beautifully made of lace. Overall, this bra is gorgeous but lacks support.
This bra is a little wide in the cup for me and the cups are a little far apart for my liking, as I have more spacing between my breasts than I like. Wide set cups accentuate this problem for me. That being said, it is a very supportive bra and gives a nice shape under tops that are higher cut (I like it with turtlenecks). The straps are fully adjustable both ways, and made of a crinkly fabric that while hard to adjust, doesn't slip at all. The fabric/lace below the underwire rolls out a little bit but it isn't a huge problem.
I loved this bra when it was the right size for me. It fit great. I never gave it a thought during the day. The fabric was comfortable against my skin. Unfortunately, it no longer fits as I recently lost some weight.
