I have been eyeing this style (frustratingly, the different colourways all have their own product names, so every FoE bra with "Strap Balcony" in the title will be the same bra but a different colour. I very predictably fit a 30G, so that's what I ordered. When it arrived, just holding it in my hands I knew it wouldn't work (for one, the way the strappy parts are sewed on immovably is really cumbersome when trying to put it on--you have to pull it over your head and fasten it in the back (as a life-long 'hook & spin' type, I broke a nervous sweat when I thought ...I'd be trapped in this bra forever while fumbling to fasten it), ESPECIALLY for small band size/large cup size body types; tell me, how am I meant to get a 30" band over 37" breasts? But it was so pretty I just had to try it on with foolhardy hope.
Aside from the ordeal of putting it on, this is apparently one of those brands that seems to think that to accommodate bigger breasts all you need to do is make the wires wider. These were possibly the most hilariously wide wires I have ever seen; they ventured far into my underarms and many inches beyond my roots (which are on the wider side. Really, no excuse). It was so bad. Though this is a 'balconette' bra, my breasts were squashed flat by the very shallow cups. I will also note that the band was rather on the loose side.
Major disappointment. I just want an artful, luxurious bra made by someone who actually understands large breasts.
This bra would look beautiful hanging on my wall, but as for the fit, FLEUR OF ENGLAND, THIS BRA SUCKS!!! Read more 184 more words
This is a most beautiful bra, made with quality fabrics and great craftsmanship. I love how smooth and soft the silk band and straps felt, and the lace of the caps was also very pleasant against the skin. I desperately wanted to convince myself that I could wear it, but alas it was far too small in the cups.
The band is slightly small, stretching only to about 29 inches, which is a good thing given that Fleur Of England doesn't seems to have 28 bands in all of their styles (or they sell out quickly). My usual size is 28/30 in Panache and 28 in Freya and I ...found this band to be plenty supportive. The wires have good width, comparable with Panache in this size range, which fits me just right. There wires might be sitting a bit beyond breast tissue on the sides, but this I think is caused by the wide gore rather then by the wires themselves being too wide. The gore feels very wide, even though it measures only 1 in, possibly because it spreads a lot rather quickly.
My real problem is with the cup depth. It is ridiculously small for a 30F. When I push the gore to my sternum, a huge amount of tissue just spills over the top of the cup in the centre. Interestingly, the cups feel like they have a decent projection at the bottom, but they are very shallow in the centre. However, I wouldn't necessarily treat this review as grounds for sizing up - I have spoken with Fleur Of England customer support team and learned that Flirtation is one of their older styles and that they have since increased cup volume so that newer models should fit true to size.
This bra, I want so much for it to fit. The color and quality is beautiful, but the fit just isn't right. It runs a little tight for a 30, I'd say, but the real issue is with the cups: Perhaps part of the issue is also the tightness (causing the band to pull on the wire) but even with an extension the cups are too wide and I can't get the wire to sit flat against my chest. The overall volume of the cup is pretty close (no gaping or anything) except that I don't fill out the very sides of the cup. And because of all of this, the bra really doesn't do much for my shape: kind of a minimizing effect. So, probably, a 32E would fit me better, but unfortunately there's no way for me to try that out... It's a shame, because it seems to otherwise be a supportive bra.
That last bit...lol!!!