This bra is very cute very cute. I really like the the way it looks because of the mesh cups with embroidery, and the straps are ruffled, but not too ruffled. It has the bedroom only look, but you could probably use it out and about.
I found the volume of the cups to be quite good and it gave a nice round natural shape. I did find the cups a bit narrow and the band is definately tight on me. I would say if you generally find Freya 28 band sizes too big, this one might work for you.
I will be returning this bra because the cups of the 30DD will probably be the same as the ones at this size, and a 30E will be too big.
Top of cup: somewhat high (but about alright for me, a 2/5 even fullness) but the cup does not really curve back in, so causes gaping issues, especially if lacking perfect posture and full on top-ness. Band: great for a true 28 band, but an inch too big from my ideal. Seems like it would stretch out quick. Gore: Digs in a bit, but that went away after a while, prehaps better suited to a more padded ribcage? Underwire: Not uncomfortable, but rides down a bit, not sure if caused by lack of immediate projection (In which case I may be slightly full on bottom, as this is an issue with ...all the ones I've tried?), lack of apex projection, or possible short roots. Appearence: wish it was padded/lined, as I am constantly cold. Lovely colour, but the pattern reminds me of maggots. Hurk.
Slight rant incoming-- I had hope for this. It almost fits, but not quite well enough. This was the only bra in one of the sizes that I can wear that I *thought* would fit me well enough, due to the width and projection, but alas, I thought wrong. When I first measured myself on the calculator I got a 28d, and considering how I never see those around much, I opted for the much easier to find 30c. While that ended up being a waste of money as my tissue migrated, I thought at least I knew what my ideal cup width was. Ha. Ha ha ha. No. It seems that this bra, with a narrower width, is still about half an inch or more too wide. I guess now I only really have the options of either wearing cheap band-too-big-front-too-small sports bras off amazon forevermore or I'll have to make my own, despite not having the sewing skills needed to even successfully hem all my jeans. *sigh*
My measurements: Cup width needed: approx 3.6 Cup depth needed: approx 8.1 (depth ratio approx 2.25) Shape: very narrow, even fullness (possibly a teensy bit FOB, centre-full, decent amount of apex projection, very (?)projected, lack of outer fullness? (They dip in slightly at the sides, and cause slight gaps on the outer edges of the cups), close set, possibly high set.
One thing you can do is take wires that fit out of a cheap used bra and put them in a bra that has good depth for you. It's pretty easy and cheap to learn how to hand sew (there are YouTube tutorials) and all you need to do is open the wire channels at the gore, replace the wires, and then sew up the channels. It's a pretty easy sewing job. It has saved a lot of bras for me so I can wear them after all.
One thing you can do is take wires that fit out of a cheap used bra and put them in a bra that has good depth for you. It's pretty easy and cheap to learn how to hand sew (there are YouTube tutorials) and all you need to do is open the wire channels at the gore, replace the wires, and then sew up the channels. It's a pretty easy sewing job. It has saved a lot of bras for me so I can wear them after all.
"Make my own" Sigh. My very close-set, omega-shaped breasts causede to purchase two DVDs, bra patterns, and a package of underwires. Because I have only basic sewing skills, I've only watched the DVDs. Thankfully, the more bras I've tried, the better I understand the characteristics my homemade bra must have. By now, I'm an expert. ;-) ;-) Someday, I'll dust off my sewing machine.
causede = caused me
Good for you Love4Pollinators I have been trying my hand at sewing bras myself and found that sizes plus measuring guidelines for bra patterns to be worse than ready to wear bras .
The more attempts I make and the more failed sews I have the more I understand how bras work . I have basic sewing skills as well that's all you need . I tried the bravo bella 2 first and found it the most difficult pattern to sew . The maya is easy . Though I haven't managed to get a fitting bra yet.
cupandahalf thanks for the idea! I have considered doing such a thing, but that is the issue, I can't find any bras with wires that fit haha The narrowest wires on bratabase seem to be 3.9, which isn't narrow enough for me, and buying an extra bra seems a bit expensive :/ I have looked at buying underwire, but I can't find any that's the right width for me, unfortunately. And I've been unsuccessfull at bending them to fit. Also wouldn't bending underwire/swaping them out cause the depth to change? That would make it difficult to get it to fit right. Thanks!
That sucks and I'm sorry you can't find narrow enough wires. I buy used bras on ebay and while it does add about $10 to the cost of the bra, it helps me out a lot with bra pain, so I understand the wire issue.
Regarding depth change, it doesn't change the depth, just where the depth is. Although some on here have told me that narrowing the wires will make the cup too large (by putting the depth out front instead of under my armpits), that hasn't been my experience. But I have very soft tissue that just squishes to the side. You probably have firmer tissue and would want to size down in depth I bet.
cupandahalf actually, just looked through bratabase, and there is one contender, the freya icon moulded plunge bra in 28d, in a cup width of 3.7! And the price isn't all that bad, looking online...now all I need to do is buy one of those, and I guess buy a bra that's shallower than I need so It won't end up too deep when I swap out the wires? Oh, and get a job to pay for it haha Thanks for the help :)
Again, it's a pain in the butt but I hope it helps. Start by putting the wires in a bra you already own and then go from there. :)
cupandahalf ebay is a good idea! It's where I got some of my previous bras for cheap :P and I just googled underwires on googles shopping thing, as I don't have a craft store (or one thay sells underwires for that matter) nearby, seems there's a lot of people who sell them for dirt cheap on places on etsy, although it's more difficult to work out if they'd fit you. And I found the artecrafts bra making websites sell down to 24 band cups (with measurement charts!) for good prices, not including international shipping fees :P I think I'll shop around!
And about the depth, hmm. I'd say I'm more soft than firm, but as I'm not full on top, it's possible the shape change of the cup could be an issue, especially with balcony bras. And I never thought where all that armpit empty space would go! That is a good point! Though I measured each breast and got 8.2 on one, and 7.5 on the other, and have been wearing bras with a cup depth of around 8, I guess that empty space that isn't filled has to go somewhere! I guess I should avoid my maximum assumed cup depth just in case I can't fill it, for now :P
You've been a massive help, again, thank you :)
If you are just wanting to switch underwires why not buy replacement underwires ? They come in different styles , all different widths and sizes .just remember that you have to look at the wire charts for each bra supply place to know what they call their wires and what sizing you want . Ideally you could take some wire you have around the house mold it around your breast root and then compare that shape to the charts finding the exact wire that fits your breast . If not just looking at the charts and measuring should get you near to what you want . Underwires tend to cost about 2.50 here in the states in my size .. I don't know a UK supply but I do know this company http://www.bwear.se/en/wires/ in Sweden is super helpful and she understands English very well .. and should be able to help is you have questions . Shipping is probably better and faster from Sweden than a US company however if you want I can give you names of some us suppliers .
I really do think if you email and say I am looking for underwires in this measurements they will try to help you find them .
@lvp thanks for the suggestion! :)
@lvp is right. I couldn't use the underwires because they weren't firm enough but if you find some narrow enough, snatch them up!
This bra has a high cotton content (says 65% on the label), which should help to cool you off in the summer time. I actually think this bra is quite pretty. The cups are made of two layers, the mesh layer, and the cotton layer. The cotton layer has decorative holes with embroidered edging which I think looks really nice. The tops of the cups also have a nice trim. The bra is more of a balconnette style, so if you're full at the top or full at the bottom, this could work for either shape.
The band is made of a ...t-shirt type material and feels very soft. Because of that, I'm not really confident that the band will last a long time, even though the elastic feels quite firm when I'm wearing it. The band actually fit great when I tried it on.
The main problem I had with the bra was that the cups were too narrow for me. It dug a lot into the middle of my chest. Also, because of the all the holes and embroidery, I can't think of anything I have that I can wear the bra under; it's just too bumpy.
One last note. I ordered this in colour Honey which is not a nude, so it will show up under white shirts.
I read through your other reviews and I think this bra would be great for you if you somehow could get your hands on it in your real size 28/30 F/FF.
Also, have you tried the padded halfcups by Lepel/Audelle or bras by Masquerade (=Harlequin in the US?)
Yeah, I kind of wished I exchanged it for another size instead of just getting a refund.
I haven't tried any padded Lepel or Masquerade bras since I generally prefer non padded bras. :)
Well, most of the bras that I think will work well for your shape are lightly padded. I'm thinking for example about the Cleo Sadie/Rita/ Poppy/Martha/Juna etc cut. Their unpadded sibling is the Cleo Harry, but for finding that on ebay in your size you will need some serious luck.
Is there a particular reason you think lightly padded bras work for my shape? I'm not trying to be accusatory or anything (if it comes across that way), but I'd just like to know because I like knowing reasons to things. :)
No, it is not padded bras. But I think that halfcups in general and specifically from Panache and subbrands Cleo and Masquerade might fit you well. And almost all those are padded. It is really rare to find an unpadded halfcup.
This bra is really large in the cups and the construction isn't ... conducive to support. Fabric feels scratchy. Did not fit me remotely. Looks beautiful though.
This a very pretty, kind of 'dark floral' bra, which suits me more than Cleo or Curvy Kate-type 'florals-on-acid', but there is quadboob and the bra gives me a pointy shape, which is not what I am going for.
Gosh, I brought this bra forever ago from Figleaves, but I sized out due to weight loss before it even arrived. It sat around waiting to be taken in, but my boobs grew and it is too small in the cup now. I'd say it runs closer to 32FF though.
Quite pretty and bubbly. It wasn't expensive when I bought it (I want to say $25) and it was the last one. I believe Faubourg has gone out of business since then.
Lovely bra! It makes me almost pointy, but not bad.
For a sheer bra, it's kind of sweaty in heat. But, meh. What bra isn't.
The front straps had some ruched mesh. The mesh was the same as in the cups, but it was painful on the straps. So, the mesh had a meeting with scissors and now is thrown out.
This was a pretty cute suit, and I loved the pattern. Unfortunately, it has the most ridiculously weak plastic wires I have ever encountered in something full bust. They distorted so much just putting it on,I might as well have not been wearing wires. There was basically no bounce elimination, either. That said, aesthetically the shape wasn't bad. The length of the top was shorter than I'd like from a tankini, but I do have a large stomach.
One thing you can do is take wires that fit out of a cheap used bra and put them in a bra that has good depth for you. It's pretty easy and cheap to learn how to hand sew (there are YouTube tutorials) and all you need to do is open the wire channels at the gore, replace the wires, and then sew up the channels. It's a pretty easy sewing job. It has saved a lot of bras for me so I can wear them after all.