Expression is another new Freya style. Sometimes Freya's unlined plunge styles don't work for me because they can be too tall in the cup for me, so my lack of upper center fullness makes the cup look pretty empty. Thankfully, this turned out to be the Fancies Unlined Plunge cut, which is their only Unlined Plunge cut that works for my shape. The main difference is that Fancies is made from completely rigid lace, while Expression is stretch lace lined with mesh, so the cups have some give.
One big difference I've noticed in Freya's new styles is that their bands are much more TTS. ... Gone are the 28s that feel like 30s . . . this 28E is very snug on me because it's so firm, though the measurement doesn't look unusual. I suspect that they have switched elastic qualities, since the Viva I tried has a similar snug fitting band, despite both styles having short wing heights. This is so snug on me that it'd be more comfortable with an extender to break it in, however there's no issues with wire distortion, so I wouldn't personally go up a band size.
The cups are made from a very unique stretch lace that gives the look of round crochet flowers. It gives off a 70s vibe, especially in the Ruby colorway I purchased, which is more of a wine red than ruby. The upper cup is delicate diamond pattered mesh. Both upper and lower panels are lined with mesh. I find this to be a very nice combination as it gives support but is still stretchy. Since I am currently between sizes 28E and 28F, many of my existing non-stretch 28E Freyas are now too small in the cup. This still works for me, both in the cut and fabrication. The upper edge is trimmed with open mesh elastic, though the elastic is stretchier than the seam connecting it to the upper cup, so tall roots may still feel a bit restricted by the seam rather than the elastic. Note that the wires are basically the same as on the Fancies Plunge as well--on this particular bra, they are a gentle shallow curve with longer sides. Wires are comfortable and have good flexibility.
I don't have much upper inner fullness, so sometimes this Fancies Plunge cut works for me, and sometimes the upper inner cup is really empty on me. Right now it looks pretty good. If you have very little fullness in this area, however, you might want to skip this cut entirely, as the cup will just be baggy and empty in this area. Many of Freya's unlined plunges are designed for a round breast shape with lots of upper inner fullness.
Since the crochet lace is the star of the show, the rest of the styling is kept simple. Straps are wide satin elastic with picot edges and are fully adjustable. There are no bows, simply a folded piece of ribbon at the center gore with a small rose gold hoop charm. For once, I find the metal charm on this style to be appropriate, and add to the vintage vibe. This would've been even lovelier if they had kept rose gold hardware throughout!
Expression is a nice update to a Freya classic. Skip it if you can't stand the Fancies Plunge, but if you're a Fancies lover, give this a try! You may want to size up in the band depending on how current Freya bands fit you.
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Updated on Sep 11, 2020 Flag this
