I'm very impressed with this bra. I bought it for $8 and it is so far my best-fitting bra.
I'm wearing a 32B, which is technically a sister size or two up from where I should be. The band is a tiny bit big on me, and definitely fits like a 30C.
I'm able to fill both cups and it is the first bra I have ever owned where the gore lays flat!
This is my first bralette ever. Forever 21's site calls this a bra but the tag on the bralette calls it a bralette so that's what I'm going with. It is a two-layered cup made in the triangle shape with one dart for seaming with underwire and side boning.. The band on the medium fit me best but the cups were too small and the band on the large is (was) too large but the cups were almost perfect. I did have to compromise a little-I would have preferred tighter straps but I had to loosen them to avoid quad. The straps are stretchy and there are two sets of them. There is only one row of 3 hooks and it hooks in the front. The mesh is quite stretchy so I think this could work for many people. I already took the band in (all photos/measurements are pre-alteration) so now it stretches to 30.5 inches instead of 35.5 making it much more supportive. I love this bralette!
The gore and cups are so unique! And a weirdly decent fit. Nice find! I want one now haha.
Hi gratiat ! Great review, I love the look of this bralette (bah autocorrect still hates that word even though I must write it umpteen times a day, ha!), the double strap is really cool looking and quite unusual. Love the plunge front and meshiness too. I wear a 30F usually too and it's super nice and surprising when you do find a highstreet winner 😊. Wish I had a forever 21 near me! (they're pretty few and far between in the UK)
Thanks guys! I was determined to make this work because this is a style that is almost never seen in sizes outside the matrix and I've always wanted to try a meshy, edgy bra with cool straps. It is definitely more bra-like then bralette like but all the better for me! I
Wow does that super-wide gore still tack?! I can't figure out how that works if you usually wear Ewa and Comexim that have super narrow gores. Mind you I suppose gores that are too narrow don't bother the tissue unlike when they are too wide.
It does tack! It's literally at *just* the right spot where it's at the widest part possible between my breasts. Any higher and it would hurt.
Apparently I can't edit my last comment, but I forgot to mention that the gore actually does rest on my tissue because of the width. However, because it's at the widest part between my breasts and it's a soft tack it does not hurt. It's just annoying and I notice it throughout the day.
Oh boo! Yeah I was surprised it would not interfere with boob tissue at all... I think that would bother me too much
I'm almost tempted to get another one next time I'm out there to experiment with-take out the front clasps, narrow the heck out of that gore and then add clasps in the back.
Interestingly, I like this. A lot. It's a "poor fit" for a few reasons(and I would NOT recommend it for most people):
1.Stretchy band even in a small. Rides up. A lot. This is always an issue with "S-M-L" sized bras: I could get an XS, but the cups are already leaning towards too small.
2.Cups are further apart than I need. This causes my boobs to look saggy a lot of times, imho. I don't understand why popular store bras always have such a wide gore! It's actually not too bad on this one, but I still wish the cups were closer together. I could honestly make do with so many 32D's ...if the freakin gore wasn't so wide. -_-
3. Non-adjustable straps. Yellowberry (yeah the kids' stuff) is the only brand with bralettes I have tried with adjustable straps. And they have tighter bands and give an amazing shape. Yay kids bras. Most bralettes don't seem to have adjustable straps, and that's just silly. For me, this is actually ok because this has the perfect length straps for me anyway. I guess I shouldn't include this in why it's a poor fit for me. So now this is more of a "cons" list. Oh well.
4. Gore doesn't lie flat for several reasons. I will never find a sized Small bralette that has the right cups. This is the dumbest sizing ever.
But, I love the look, I love the fabric; it's like bed sheet fabric. It's super weird. But comfy. For me. I can't see everyone enjoying this. It's cheap, but it feels great to me. Probably because lately the feeling of my bed sheets is the most amazing thing ever. I get a rounded, pushed up shape, without the band being at all supportive, underwire, or anything. It's witchcraft. And I can wear this and feel no weight from my boobs. I wouldn't recommend this to most people besides as a fashion accessory type..thing..really. But I love it. So many bralettes just sit on my boobs and do nothing, but this sits on my boobs and creates an appearance that I like. Anyone with a pretty small bust, who doesn't care about support or just wants a sleep bra or something, or anyone who has wire issues (like me not being able to find small enough wires with the depth that I need, and wires pinching my skin under my arms after wearing all day), this works pretty well. But honestly. It's cheap, it's not supportive, and I don't recommend it to many people. Lol
I'm considering buying another one, cutting an inch or so off the band, and adding hooks. That would make this so much better.
I've been having trouble finding bralettes that fit too. I need them as "sleep bras" because I feel weird without a bra on even in bed. I wish they would make bralettes with a small band but medium cups. I'm making do with a few size small lightly padded ones from VS. I bought some Xhiliration ones from Target but the size Small was ridiculously small. Which makes me think the mediums might actually work. You might like them because they have hook closures : http://www.target.com/p/women-s-lace-bralette-xhilaration/-/A-16664086#prodSlot=medium_1_20&term=xhiliration+bralette If you are interested, they were cheaper in store than online. They're on clearance plus an extra 20% off if you use Cartwheel.
I like your idea of altering the bands yourself though. Update if you do end up doing it! I have zero sewing skills or else I would try it too. I wish there was a place I can mail bras to get altered/fixed. I'm that inept at basic sewing that I would pay someone to do it -_-
LoisVain ooh Thank you :D I will check them out today being as I have off ! :) I feel weird without a bra going to sleep also. I normally wear a lace Aerie, but their lace bralettes are the worst for me. :(
I do believe some Etsy users will customize their bralettes for you, but a lot of them are so expensive. Though I guess it may be worth it for a custom bra. Idk.
I will definitely update if I alter it! I have zero skills too which is why I'd buy another one haha. Tried making a simple pillow once, with a machine, and still failed xD Learning how would definitely be useful though, seeing as bralettes should seriously have hooks and almost none do.
Having a place to mail them in and be altered would definitely be amazing x_x
Looks cute and comfy and in the end that's all that really matters, isn't it: how it makes you feel :)
If you think the "gore" is too wide you can also consider taking some of the length out of the band there, at the centre front, by sewing through both band and (part of) the cups. May need to get the next size up, though, as this would reduce the available cup space.
Looks cute and comfy and in the end that's all that really matters, isn't it: how it makes you feel :)
If you think the "gore" is too wide you can also consider taking some of the length out of the band there, at the centre front, by sewing through both band and (part of) the cups. May need to get the next size up, though, as this would reduce the available cup space.
I got this for my mother, she likes it a lot better than her 36As. It would fit even better if it were half a cup size bigger.
Edit: Here are her measurements (in inches)— Snug Underbust: 29 Tight Underbust: 27 Standing Bust: 31.5 Leaning Bust: 33 Lying Bust: 32
The ABraThatFits Bra Size Calculator puts her in a 30D bra, but she sister sizes into a 32C because she doesn't like her bands that tight.
Overall this bra is a pretty good fit for her; she gets a bit of a line at the top of the cup, but I think it might be a shape mismatch. She might need a slightly larger cup volume, but she doesn't need to go up a full cup size. It is currently her best fitting bra, but I'm trying to get her to buy some that fit better. Also, some of her old ones would actually fit reasonably well if she took the bands in.
This bra apparently runs tight in the band because having finally measured it I'd guesstimate it as fitting closer to a 30D. As a ignorant 28DD purchasing a 32C this worked well, but now that I know to tighten the hooks the band seems almost too stiff. It rides up in the back no matter which hooks I place it on, but when I have it on the middle or tightest hooks the riding up digs the underwire downward into my chest, especially when sitting.
This is probably the bra that fits me best at the moment. I bought it in late 2013 and just checked the Forever 21 website and couldn't find it so I don't think that they sell it anymore. Honestly, I uploaded this for the selfish reason that other than the band size (too big) it's the one I have that fits me best and therefore I would like to compare its data. I will say this though, the cup separation and width of this particular style is NOT typical of Forever 21's 32As in my experience. I remember that when I got this one I also tried a few other styles in this size and the cups were way too narrow and close together for me.
Super cute bra! Very breathable material for wings. Soft and lightly padded. Very stretchy. Was my favorite bra when it fit. Shows light wear on cup separation.
Sometimes I feel like my boobs are popping out of the top and am worried about my nipples showing, but I think this only happens when I'm about to be on my period or am on my period (when my boobs are slightly bigger than usual). Otherwise it fits nice, gives a nice lift, etc. The center part of the bra doesn't sit flat on my sternum though. The pads are removable which is nice, and the cups overall have a very nice structure to them. The detailing is nice, just a little too dramatic for my taste, and the bow in the front is gigantic. Also, sometimes the boning pokes me https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
It's not the comfortable and it doesn't fit that well. I don't know if it's the right size. It's pretty poor quality and I can't get the band to fit well no matter what.
I am a 28DD and I tried to convert to a correct bra size with a bigger band size for a looser fit but this just did not work. The material is nice but it does not give me support. The band under my armpit is starting to wrinkle up and sometimes the bra rises up on the back. The cup does not cover my breast completely at all, only halfway. I'm struggling to find a bra with my petite frame but I guess I have to pay more for a better fit than to pay for something that is cheap but not going to fit comfortably. I'd rather be comfortable.
The gore and cups are so unique! And a weirdly decent fit. Nice find! I want one now haha.