This is the first bra I bought after measuring myself and getting an idea of what size I should be wearing. The ABTF calculator put me at a 36HH/38H; after some research I decided to try a 36H first. I chose this bra to start off...primarily because it was the cheapest bra on amazon that had been recommended for my shape that was in my size.
It's great. I have a small bit of wrinkling on the top of the cup on my smaller breast, but it's not enough to need to size down. The sides are very high, but not enough to poke into my armpits or be ...uncomfortable. The wires are VERY wide, but they seem to be just right.
The only downside to the bra is how much coverage it has - the gore is very tall and it covers basically the entirety of my breasts, so it won't work with low-cut shirts without something underneath. However, it fits me great, it's very comfortable, the wires don't poke at me, and the straps stay in place. Very pleased with it. Read more 73 more words
this was the first bra I've gotten at an extended size shop. I was so excited about how comfortable it was that I took it home, despite the cool reaction from the sales lady. Once I got it home, I realized the cups are actually too small for me. She did hint that I'm more of a 32HH . . . but it still does a better job than anything I have. (I have been wearing all-cotton bras from decent exposure).
Anyways, as I checked out the fit of the bra, I realized it IS near perfect aside from my larger boob clearly not staying ...inside of it. It is pinchy - but i havent worn underwires regularly in decades, so maybe thats me.
I also found it comes in purple now - so I'm trying to get up the nerve to splurge on a 34H in purple. I'm just starting to find bras that really fit - I'm planning on returning to the workforce next year and need to do whatever I can to look more youthful https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":-(" /> Read more 83 more words
Do you still wear this bra? I'm wondering how it compares now that you've embraced Polish bras. :)
No, i dont wear it. It was a bit shallow and just the wrong size. For a while i wore it around the house, but i am so much bigger, nothing is fitting. grrr
This is the first properly fitted molded cup bra I've worn in at least five years. I like it because while it's molded, it's not padded and I don't get a pushed-up shape.
Good points - Comfortable for all-day wear, and molded so that I can wear with t-shirts and tank tops. The wires seem wide, which works for my body/breast type. I get a bit more lift in this bra than I do with my 44FF - Elomi » Caitlyn Underwire Side Support (8030), but not so much that my bust sticks out. The underwire generally doesn't poke unless I'm bending over, which I don't do often.
Unsure points: The band rolls a bit when I'm seated. Not a big deal, and I'll see how this plays out over the next few weeks.
I bought this bra after a professional fitter in Nordstrom suggested it. The Good: The cups fit beautifully and although the gore feels a smidge too high (I blame that on years of cacique plunge bras), I like the fit in the front a lot. Initially it had a really granny vibe, but on it's kind of sexy. The Bad: The band rolls on my soft tissue like crazy! I blame this mostly on my body's shape and the fact that the bra doesn't have any side boning. I will probably add some myself. The other head scratcher is the top of the band stretches out a lot under my arms.
Good Points - this bra is very pretty, the pale but warm pink is such a good colour for me (a better nude than nude!), the straps are very comfy when correctly adjusted as the shape of the cup is full so the straps are not as wide as balconettes, this bra gives a good shape, as I have close set breasts the plunged wires do not dig in and can sit flat and due to the full cups, my full in the middle boobs maintain a slight separation and are kept in place.
the downside - my whole Leia fitting experience was a disappointment, the sales lady ...in particular (I wouldn't call her a fitter as there was very little fitting going on but a big sales push for bras that didn't fit). I was happy to find a bra that did all those good things above and had flitted from brand to brand and size to size in what she brought me - despite me asking for Freya and her poor fitting advice (you'll never find a gore that sits flat with your boobs, with your boobs you should scoop towards your armpit so it fits the bra!!!!!) that I didn't realise she had brought me a 34H. Her first words which gave me hope for the fitting were that I shouldn't be in the 34 I was wearing but a 32, however for a sale a 34 was fine! the band is too big and rides up. I measure 33 so can do 32 or 34 usually and my Bravissimo 34 don't ride up like this so I think this runs big in the band as well as wide in the cup ( the wires finish almost at my shoulder blades!!). As Elomi don't do 32 I cannot size down. I will however keep it for evening / occasion wear as it is good under lower cut dresses. Read more 214 more words
This bra seems fantastic! Haven't worn it yet, but it feels like an updated version of the Caitlyns I've loved so many of over the years. Has a J hook in the back which absolutely thrills me!
When I first put this bra on (before seeing myself in it), I was sure I had a winner. However, the gore is too wide for me, and the bra sort of "spreads" my breasts out somewhat and so I do not like the looks of this under my shirts. Too bad because other than the gore it fits.
I usually like to start my reviews with a few facts about the bra. The Caitlin is a full-cup bra, with quite a lot of coverage. The cup is constructed from 4 parts, with 3 satiny pieces making up the bottom, and a triangle of mesh lace making the top part of the cup. It fastens with 3 rows of 3 columns of hooks.
I've said to myself that I'd wear a bra even if I hated how it looked if it was comfortable, and I feel like this may be putting me to the test. I think that both satin bras and mesh bras can look sophisticated and ...classy or sexy, but satin and mesh together to me says kind of frumpy. The very high coverage of the cups doesn't score any points when it comes to appearance either. I got the 'nude' colourway, which is a warm honeyish beige.
I measure less than 28" around snugly, so I'm clearly not the target for this band size, and it shows with how much the band rides up. The main reason for trying this is the full coverage cups which just aren't available in smaller band sizes. Basically any balcony cut bra I try cuts in slightly on the top unless it's far too large elsewhere, but the cups which are taller on the inside and the outside seem to fix this problem. Even Jasmine in 30K with its stretch lace cuts in on top, but at least unaltered, this seems to sit flat despite being two cup volumes smaller. The other positive with this design is that the straps seem to be more centred, so they are better positioned on my shoulders than most bras I've tried recently. I wouldn't mind the straps being a smidge closer together, but I can actually mark these as not being too far apart for once! The straps are quite sturdy and fully adjustable. The gore is quite wide and tall, but tacking gores is very hit and miss with me owing to my mild symmastia and very close-set breasts.
The cups are both too wide and tall for me, in the sense that there's quite a bit of space top and sides, but even so, the bra feels quite supportive.
Edit: I've taken in the band to a more appropriate length, and the cups are too small and much too wide for me, and will cut in if I scoop more than very lightly, but this bra is both supportive and comfortable. Especially thanks to adding an extra set of hooks (I have 6 rows on the back now), I can wear the bra all day without wanting to tear it off. I wouldn't mind trying a 34HH or 34J in the Caitlin, but this is quite wearable as is, and I'm not sure if sizing up would cause different fit issues. Not a bra I'd choose for a stunning shape or a lower cut outfit, but great for a busy day when you just want to be comfy. I'd like to try a full cup cut in something which has a narrower cup. I think that there's definitely a market for full cups in very large cup sizes even in smaller bands. Read more 429 more words
Incredibly supportive, but probably one cup size too big for me. Not the prettiest bra, but the support and comfort make up for it. The j-hook is a nice option.
The cups are extremely comfortable, but the boning in the large underbust band/corset part have a tendency to flip up when sitting. Bonus- minimizes all back boob/back fat!
This bra is my best fitting bra. I like how it contains all of my boobs. I like to wear this at work and I feel very comfortable and supported. I feel like I could do anything in this bra. I do wish it had more forward projection, instead it is more east west but not to the extreme. The wires are too wide for me but it doesn't bother me too much. I think i just need narrow wires and Elomi is on the high end of the spectrum. I was worried it would be pointy but it gives a nice shape underneath clothes. This is a full cup bra so it will show under lower cut shirts. I can wear it under some high neck v-necks so its not too bad because I can still wear half my work wardrobe with it. I definitely recommend this for anyone needing good support and experiencing back pain. This seriously takes the weight off your shoulders and neck.
My feelings on this bra are mostly positive: there's a bit of east-and-west going on, yes, and it does come up quite high, but the cups do encapsulate the entire breast tissue. No jumping out over the top! The wires sit flat at the sternum and the support is very good. I did have initial difficulty getting the 4 hooks done up. Either it's loosened or I've smallened or both because it's not a problem 2 months later.
I wouldn't wear it as an everyday bra, because it shows at the neck of most of my tops and the seams would be pretty visible. But as a sports bra it's really very good, and that's why I bought it.
Does it give good control for up/down bounce? How much control would you say it gives in % could you run in it without a lot of bounce?
@ Bastet
I couldn't run in it (before I shrank out of it) because my knees aren't running-friendly, but it did pass the "jump up and down on a hard surface and see if it hurts" test. I hope that helps! It was one of the best sports bras I had, and I'm sad they don't make bands less than 32 in (I have lost a fair few kilos since then)!
Thanks for replying :) so you couldn't feel pain, always good, but was there any visible bounce and how much? I'm really thinking about buying it but I'm so sick of expensive returns so that's why I'm asking a lot of questions. Also if you don't mind me asking what shape is your bust? Are you fuller on bottom? I think different shapes have different experiences regardless of size. I really appreciate your help
@ Bastet
My shape: definitely fuller on bottom, narrow-ish root. The underwires on this style are probably a fairly normal width for a sports bra, from memory - narrower than Freya Active, anyway, if you've tried that on. From what I've noticed, sports bras do tend to run wider and less projected in the cup, so there's always a tiny bit of compression going on ...
No individual breast bounce, a bit of "continental shelf" movement when jumping up and down. They didn't move relative to the skin on my chest - it more moved as a unit. I think that's kind of inevitable though, what with my breasts weighing 2+ kg each and skin being elastic.
Thanks so much :) Ive been researching a bit today and I think I'm gonna try the Enell next instead as it claims to have no bounce at all and ideally that's what anyone would want.
This review is for the black version, 36G non-altered, on a body with soft breast tissue and a narrow-ish root, with a very tired Cooper's ligament (not self-supporting). Bra is approximately 2 months old at the time of writing this review, with regular wear (2-3 times a week.). No previous owner. Please forgive me if the bra measurements seem odd at all; I've never really measured them before and it's not as easy as I thought it would be! I love this bra. Oh, I love this bra. Even though I shouldn't, as it doesn't fit, not quite. For the technical bits: the wires are too wide for my frame. I ...have empty, unusable cup space at the sides because the wire is too wide. (Unknown whether this is because the band is technically a size too large, or because Elomi wires are just a smidge too wide for me in general.) It's one cup size too small; if I swoop-and-scoop, I have quadboob. Since this is the second-best fit I've got right now, I just jiggle myself in and try not to think about it (shame on me https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />). Even without scooping, though, I have slight quadboob that worsens as the day goes on. The bra cup itself is molded, which is a flexible and soft black material on the inside that does not irritate my skin in the least; the outside of the bra, underneath the embroidered mesh overlay, is beige. The black mesh overlay is attached only at the edges of the cups, but there hasn't been an issue with wrinkling. The seams and embroidery are very, very visible through most shirts, though. The band is firm, and only slightly too loose on my 34.5 inch ribs. It's wide and feels very comfortable. (It is worth noting, however, that the left side of the band under the cup and partway along the wing does enjoy flipping curling itself upward. I'm not sure if this is because of my body [tiny roll under my underbust crease] and posture, or the bra.) Now, aesthetically speaking (which I'm much better at; I apologize). Even though my breasts aren't full on top (I'm not even sure if they're full on the bottom, either...) I still get a pleasant shape from this bra - a very separate, lifted, round profile with what's often described as "Marie Antoinette cleavage". It does end up looking a little shelf-like once my breasts have settled in, though. As this bra has been discontinued and I don't have a huge amount of knowledge about how this bra may work with other bodies, I can't recommend anything in particular, except maybe sizing up in the cup if you find yourself at the larger side of your cupsize. Read more 350 more words
This elomi is not padded but has no pattern so it doesn't show through t-shirts. It stretched out in the band pretty quickly, so I'm on the last hook already - and pushes me off to the side more than the 34GG - Elomi » Caitlyn Underwire Side Support (8030). Good quality and supportive, but not as comfortable as the Caitlyn, either. I definitely want to take this off at the end of the day - it digs into my sternum.
Very pretty bra, though not for me. Beautiful red color, nicely full coverage. Wires are VERY wide, too wide for me. Cups are too small, the gore is floating very far.
Pretty comfortable, no poking whatsoever but the band is too wide on me. So I pinched the gore after it was stretched out some, and now it's much better again. Still, no perfect fit for me.
*edit* I've now added a picture clothed. You can see how terrible the gore fit is on it: the top of the gore sticks out through my shirt!
Do you still wear this bra? I'm wondering how it compares now that you've embraced Polish bras. :)