Runs large in the band, small in the cup. It's less open on top compared to other Deco models, so I get less gapping. It gaps a little on my larger side, but I think that's due to being small in the cups. I don't have any problems with the gore, despite being close-set. It also gives slight cleavage.
The worst offense is that the underwires hurt like the dickens. They poke really hard at the top of the gore as well as at the tops of the sides. I tried pulling the back of the bra alternately tighter on the bottom, then the top, and nothing seemed to help. The wires are also really thick and inflexible.
This bra is really large in the band. I haven't measured it yet, but the band is soooooo loose on me. Also, there are only two rows of hooks, so your options are "loose" or "looser." I hate to imagine how much the wires would hurt if the band was ...properly tight.
The cups don't fit me either. There is a ton of empty space in the tops. I wonder if the wires would hurt less if I filled the cups better and some outward pressure was applied to the bra from the top that way.
Pros:
The bra is really pretty. I like that the patterned fabric is continuous over the whole band and even up the fronts of the straps. I also like the floral print and the Barbie-pinkness of the bra. The cups are soft and flexible, not thickly padded or with stiff foam.
The cups are narrow for this size which is fantastic and so rare to find in a half cup!
Conclusion:
It's too bad this bra is such and epic failure on me. I would be willing to try a 28D if I didn't think the underwires would probably pierce holes in my flesh. Read more 144 more words
I nearly ordered this bra from Figleaves last night, but I'm so glad I didn't! Boo to Freya and their loose bands.
Seriously. I would be willing to take in the band if the wires weren't so stabby (and if the cups fit me at all)! I wonder if they cut the band big on purpose in attempt to create "comfort" despite the wires. Ouch.
Ugh. Is the band really long or really stretchy or both?
It's long, but it doesn't feel stretchy.
That's how my Gem is too, but no stabby wires. I'm probably going to take it in some because the fit is good otherwise.
I kind of want a Gem, but I have only been able to find the red color, and I would want the blue or black. Good to know about the wires! If I find one I'll probably buy it.
Yeah, I'd totally get a second if I came across one. The red is actually quite nice. I don't think red looks good on me, but it's the bra I get the most compliments on.
Pics added! I know I'm twisting a little awkwardly but the cups really do gape that much. Also, a 25" long band is a little ridiculous on me because my "break the tape" underbust measurement is 25". lol
EDIT: Now too big and far too shallow, with a poke-y gore all of a sudden.
Definitely too shallow for me with the cups bordering on too small/too closed, but I love how supportive it feels and I couldn't bring myself to let it go. I'll probably wear it under a gauzy shirt this summer because no one will judge the ill fit but me. I feel like the straps are too thick to wear as a everyday bra too (at least on me), so this won't end up being a staple in my bra wardrobe but I like that I finally own a longline that fits at least decently.
First strapless bra to actually stay up! The band is nice and snug and grippy. Cups are comfortable and smooth under tight shirts. There are two loops on each cup and four loops in the back for attaching straps. Here's a comparison of this bra in 28D and 28DD:
28D (black) - cups fit almost perfectly when worn strapless. just sliiiiightly too small. - straps are most comfortable when placed on the outer loops in the cup, but create quadboob when placed on the middle loops unless worn quite loosely. - sadly only has two rows of hooks and a narrow band which HURTS digging into my ribs by the end of ...the day. it stretches out faster too so I'm on the last hook now.
28DD (nude) - cups are definitely too wide, with the wires sitting under my armpit, well past the edge of my boobs. this is not uncomfortable so I don't care that much. - cups have some gapping when worn strapless, but fit nicely with straps tightened just enough to bring the cup in a little (not enough to dig into shoulders). - can only wear straps on the middle loops because they'd be in my armpits if worn on the outer loops. - has three rows of hooks!!! yay! The band is wider and MUCH more comfortable than the 28D (but still not gentle).
Conclusion: I like both. The cups are a better overall fit for me in 28D, but the band is several orders of magnitude nicer on the 28DD. I don't understand why Freya would neglect the smaller-boobed ladies in that regard, because, having very little fat to pad my ribcage, thin bands (especially on a necessarily tight strapless bra!) get really hurty. I usually wear the 28D as a strapless for only a few hours as needed. The 28DD with straps attached works really well as a T-shirt bra because it's smooth and seamless and the nude colour matches my skin pretty closely.
Edit: I've noticed that both of these will gradually ride down in the front even when I hook them tight enough to leave angry red marks on my skin. The underwire marks are much lower than my IMF at the end of the day even though I'm very deliberate about adjusting it properly when I put it on. Too shallow???
Edit 2: Having also tried the La Senza Itec in 32B, Betsey Johnson Forever Perfect in 30D, and Thirdlove Everything 2.0 in 30C, the Freya Deco is still the best strapless I've found. It's not as comfortable as the super-soft Everything or the Itec, but it's overall the most workable. I'll hang on to it until I find something better. Read more 332 more words
mercury I love your review's! I think I have a reason as to why the bra keeps riding down in the front. From looking at your pictures it appears that your bra band is not sitting parallel. It looks like it is sitting much lower in the back then in the front, which would cause the front of the bra to gradually slip down till it sits parallel with the back of the bra.
I absolutely love this bra. It is so comfortable and is perfect for my wide roots, bottom heavy but shallow breasts.
The central gore was stabbing me initially but after some bending of the wires- it was fine.
The push-up padding was not as thin as I had expected but it is also not as thick as the ones you get in most high street shops! The padding did create quite some cleavage that I'm not used to! (Quite a pleasant surprise)
I have the freya deco plunge, soft cup and the strapless in 28d. I do quadboob slightly in the 28d strapless but in this 28dd half cup push-up ...model I was getting a quadboob! How crazy is that. Unfortunately this model is sold out everywhere I looked otherwise I might consider buying it in a nude/blue, maybe try on a 28e to see how it fits.
The band was definitely too loose on me which I was severely disappointed with. This band was much looser than the other deco bras! I had to stay on the last hook for the centre gore to tack! However it is such a good comfi bra - I will probably just get a rixie clip when the band wears out!
Two pieces of advice for Freya: - please make more of these and make them in different colours! -please make the bands true to size!! It was almost as if they took the wing measurements from the deco plunge and pasted those on the half cup (bearing in mind the half cup has a wider base than the deco plunge which is designed for those with narrow and talk roots) - please make some 26 bands!!!!!!!!! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":D" />
Bottom line: if you want to buy this try going down a band size and going up two or even three cup sizes!! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
I think that instead of Freya making 26 bands, they could just make their bands run true to size. Almost all of the Freya bras I have ever tried/owned were 28 bands that felt like 30 bands. The only 28 band Freyas that actually felt like 28 bands were the strapless styles and the longlines.
Thank you for making this review! I am waiting on my own Freya Deco Half Cup in the mail...
That's right! my longline however felt like a 32 band! Even on it tightest hook it did not tack! 😭 I love Freya bras but I sometimes hesitate about buying them as they are so loose in the band and are quite pricey too! Compared to Panach or Curvy Kate for example. I hope you love your new half cup！ I still remember the excitement whilst waiting for it in the post too 😉
Individually, the cups fit fine. The wires are just a tad too narrow for my preference. I like how the bra runs half a size large in cup volume and the cups cater to tall rooted people. The worst part of this bra is that the cups are simply too close together. This is a great bra if you're in between 28DD and 28E, are tall and narrow rooted, and have close together set breasts.
Also ich habe ihn in 28DD und habe eine Asymetrie (rechts ist größer) Rechts schneidet er an der Naht die auf der Achselseite ein und bildet eine hässliche Beule auch unterm TShirt sichtbar. Der Bügel rechts unter der Achsel, links ist er bequem. Dennoch würde ich eher sagen das ich ihn in 28E brauche.
I have shallow breasts with a tall root. I typically wear a 30D and prefer a snug band, so since I've heard that Freya's bands are stretchy, I sistersized down to a 28DD. The wires are slightly wider (<1/4") than my breasts, and I believe I have an average root.
The cups don't suit my tall roots perfectly: there's a bit of a shape mismatch. You can only tell if you look closely. I get slight gapping near the gore, but I lack inner fullness.
That said, those are small gripes, and it is a GREAT molded t-shirt bra. It is incredibly comfortable and doesn't poke me in any weird ways, and I don't need to adjust anything. However, for those of you who are of a warm or darker complexion, the "nude" color is more of a light pink, so for me, it doesn't work under white shirts.
I will likely also buy this in black, it's perfect for everyday purposes.
My right breast which is half a cup to a cup bigger than my left has a slight quad boob effect at times in this bra whereas the left breast doesn't quite fill the cup. However, the sides of the breasts feel supported, so I'm not quite concerned about the slight gap in the left cup. The underwires fit me very snugly, which makes me feel very secure. Though I wish the wings were slightly taller to really encase all the tissue beneath the arms, it's really minimal especially visually.
The shape the bras gives is not rounded, so I'll have to be careful with what I wear ...on top.
Lastly, the material sagged throughout the day so that it provided less support and needed its straps shortened. I also really felt the height and width of the center gore as the day wore on. Where the center gore ends, my breasts are barely a finger apart, but I didn't register this as a huge concern when I first put on the bra. At the end of the day though, it did get a bit irritating and then slightly painful. Read more 81 more words
Man, this bra is weird. I'm definitely returning it, but I thought I'd add it to the database first since I haven't seen any reviews of the Flourish range yet.
Pros: It's very comfortable with plush, soft wires -- I'm a big Cleo fangirl but I admit this is a nice change from their super-stiff sternum stabbers. It's also quite pretty; the lace is beautiful.
Cons: There are unfortunately lots. The band is very loose; I immediately reached for the tightest hook. The straps are only half-adjustable and are way too long for me. The cups themselves are just bizarre. I'm pretty projected for my size range and my nipple fills out the apex of the cups, but the top lace part wrinkles. If I scoop & swoop, it will lay flat for a few seconds and then pull away, flattening the tops of my boobs and simultaneously causing wrinkling and slight quadboob.
I really do like the design, so I'll be hunting for good deals on the padded longline that would hopefully be a better fit for me.
This bra is definitely for shallow, full on bottom breasts, I would say. It is so pretty and comfortable, although the gore sometimes hurts my sternum. The straps are more in the middle of the cup than on the outside edge, which means it doesn't dig into my armpits like my other bras!
The stitching on top of the cup of the Ashlee and Taylor make this bra a bit tighter on top even though it looks to be the exact same size as the regular decos.
I get slight quadboob, and my breast tissue starts to leak out very quickly. The band is also really loose on me. Still, it gives great shape underneath clothes, and it's one of the best wirefree bras out there, as it gives good shape and decent enough support.
This bra looks ok from the front and gives me good cleavage, but is SUPER uncomfortable. The wires dig in and sit on top of breast tissue near the armpit area. Also there is gaping on the smaller boob and mega quadboob on the larger one. The outline of the bra shows under almost every shirt I own. I also find it a little too molded. I don't like the fact that it looks and feels so unnatural. Instead of gently supporting my breasts, I feel like they are in a straight jacket or something... I also tried the 28E in this bra and there was a ton of gaping on both breasts.
It's a basic balconette bra, not really much to say about it. I think it only comes in one colour, which is like a mauve (although it's called dusty rose I believe). The fabric on the cups have a bit of a shine to it, and it feels smooth against the skin.
Fit:
The band fits fine. The cups techincally fit fine but it really flattened me and there was some wrinkling on the top seam of the cup.
It nearly fit! There's just a smidge of extra space around the top line of the cup. Despite that it still lifted and pushed me out. The band is quite generous. It's a fun and colourful print. Unfortunately for this specific bra someone has done a little damage to it with a pair of scissors, kinda surprised it was considered saleable. If i find this in a 28D i'd try it again.
Same bra as the Lydia 28DD, but this one seems to be straight from the manufacturer as it feels tighter in the band and closer in the cup. So i imagine no one has tried it on before me. Like the 28D Deco the top of the cup line does not lie flat against me. So it gets returned.
I nearly ordered this bra from Figleaves last night, but I'm so glad I didn't! Boo to Freya and their loose bands.