Because Freya bands stretch out so quickly, I decided to try a 30 band. Right away the support was noticeably different. The gore tacked firmly, and suddenly I could barely feel the weight of my breasts, which is wild. I noticed as I was putting it on that the wires felt narrower than the black 32J, but I do think they got distorted slightly from stretching. When I wore it with an extender, the wires felt like they sat closer behind my breast tissue. So I think I'll need to wear it with an extender to break it in, but I also suspect that it may not stretch ...out as badly as the 34 and 32 simply because there's so much less band to stretch. Despite the tightness, it didn't hurt. It felt reasonably comfortable. This was for about ten minutes, so that could change after a few hours, but my main discomfort with bra bands tends to be when they stretch after a few hours of wear and the weight of my breasts starts to push the wire down into my ribs. I think this band might stretch out less, hopefully.
The cups don't really have any more depth than the 32J, technically, but there was slightly more immediate projection and more height, so the shape better accommodated my breasts without squishing them painfully or pushing them to the side. I was able to tighten the straps without squishing them unreasonably. The straps are on the wide side, but they don't really dig in. So it's not bigger, but the projection does feel better. I think I got a more flattering shape, high and round without being under my chin, very much firmly in place and not moving around. It did make my breasts look kind of huge, but they were comfortable, which is what matters. It feels very forward-facing, with a lot of open room on top for upper fullness, but I wasn't in danger of falling out when I leaned over. The gore was able to sit slightly lower, so it was more comfortable for my close-set breasts.
The material is light, but it feels strong. It's a very breathable lace. I can't really see the seams under a shirt, but the scalloped pattern on the edges of the cups does peek out unless I pull my collar up higher. Read more 284 more words
Great review! I think I'm gonna get a Fancies too. It sounds so good from your review. Lots of projection and lots of room for upper fullness. It's a shame about the bands, I had from Fantasie one that stretched out very badly in only 4 months.. at least in Freya we have the option to size down to 30 bands.
alisa, thank you! Yeah, I've been pretty happy with the Fancies except for the band issue. The cups are on the wide side for me (the end of the wire is on my side), but that doesn't seem to affect the support. But those bands! After a few hours with the 32, it feels like a 34 and can't handle the weight anymore. So hopefully sizing down will counteract that issue. I bent the wires on the 30JJ quite a bit (after measuring) to suit my ribs better, so hopefully that will also help with the wire distortion and keep things comfortable.
What I'm noticing with the Fancies (having tried about four now, I think) is that the depth really starts to increase as the band goes down and the cup goes up. So having to size down in the band might work in favor of people who really need that projection and room for upper fullness, since those cups are going to have more outward room than the sister size with the bigger band. It's the closest I've been able to get to my natural shape (which is very projected and very full on top and really does not like to be squished). I've actually been able to tighten the straps on it without squishing anything too much (which is what normally happens once I tighten straps, so I end up having to leave them loose and they fall constantly). So for that, I'm okay with the wires being too wide. And I've been able to find them for decent prices, so it's a reasonably affordable option that's also just more available and easier to find than some of the suggestions I keep seeing for that breast shape. Not perfect, but definitely wearable.
One thing to note is that the lace cup isn't stretchy at all. If it's just a bit too small, the little elastic strip at the top kind of cuts in and leaves a bit of a groove and quads slightly, and if it's definitely too small, that can kind of hurt. So it's mostly very open and good for full on top, but not that forgiving if the cup is too small.
Anyway, if you try it, I hope it works for you!
I actually need lots of projection + upper room. It sound good. I have Freya Viva in 32JJ which almost feels a bit big after one day wear. I guess it is the band stretching out so much which you also experienced? Also there is sligh room in cups as viva has stretch lace. So looking at your measurements both 32J and 30JJ Fancies have exactly the cup depth I need... but I'm really not that size I'm usually 32JJ or 32K so you say they run big in cups too?
alisa Yeah, it could definitely be the band, but I haven't tried the Viva or any stretch lace styles so I can't say for sure. The Fancies cups have no stretch in them whatsoever, though. The cups don't stretch by the end of the day, just the band. The 32J is good for me, but I think I could be comfortable in the 32JJ. I sometimes get very slight but tolerable quadding in the 32J (though that could be from the band slipping down slightly or just the size fluctuation I get). And I might try the 30K, as the 30JJ is comfortable and feels stable but makes my boobs look huge, which I think wouldn't happen if the cups were just a bit bigger. Generally for other bras, 32J is definitely a little small for me, and the gore wouldn't come close to tacking, though, so I'd say the Fancies do run bigger, since it does tack before the band stretches. The comparison for the Viva 32JJ and the Fancies 32J certainly seems to bear that out. I did try a 32K, though (but didn't get the chance to measure it, sorry), and I got some wrinkling on the top.
Every time I sort bras by depth, Fancies comes up right at the top, so hopefully you'll get the depth you need. It's such a balancing act finding enough projection and room for upper fullness in a large cup without ending up with wires wrapping around to your back.
I have ordered 2 Freya bras thanks to your review. I got my first one, Freya Florri in 30K and the fit is spot on and it's very supportive. Thanks for letting us know that the bras are actually supportive in large sizes! (I have tried Freya bras years ago and found them very weak and unsupportive in large sizes which kept me from every trying one again - but it looks like they totally stepped up their game!)
I am adding this bra for data/informational purposes only. This Bra is not owned by me at the time of addition to the database.
Just Flew In is an underwire soft cup bra in a balcony style. The color/pattern is lavender “lilac” with birds and cream leaves, with cream lace on the top of the cups.
The band measures 25.5” to a max 32” with 3 hooks and 3 rows of eyes.
Cup Depth as measured by: 1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance. This measurement is: 13.5”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 15”
I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands.
For reference. I am usually a 30JJ or 32J, depending on the stretchiness of the band. I am center full and slightly full on bottom. My root is short and slightly narrow. I need a lot of immediate projection. My tissue is fairly soft, and my shoulders a little narrow. My main fit issues tend to be not enough immediate projection and too high cups and gores. I've yet to find my ideal bra, but I think it would be a cross between a balcony and a plunge (almost a balcony, but with a gore height that is somewhere between the two, and a little narrower straps)
This bra ...runs extremely large. The 30 band on this bra passed the backwards band test, but on the looser side. The cups were about a size, maybe two, too big (Because the cup was rather high, maybe 2 cups on my short rooted, full on bottom breasts, but maybe only 1 size if you tend to fill the top of a cup better than I do.) The cup width was nice. Slightly wider than I need, but narrower than many bras and not so wide that it would have been uncomfortable. It was hard to determine if there was enough immediate projection with the overall size issues, but I think in the right size it would be an "almost enough and passable, but not quite" situation. The gore was higher than I need. I couldn't tell if it was so high as to be uncomfortable, though, in this size. The straps were placed very wide. Although my shoulders are somewhat narrow, this is very rarely an issue that causes a problem for me, other than cutting in a little at my tail of spence. On this bra though, the straps were set so far out, that they were hitting right past where my shoulders end if completely vertical. I am not going to try a different size at this time, because although it would fit many of the fit issues, I think the straps would still be an issue for me.
The quality overall looks pretty good. The only area that looks a little cheap is the stretchy part of the band. It seems like the type of fabric that would start to run quickly. The straps are nice, with some stretch, but still very firm. They feel like they would be very comfortable.
Appearance...meh. I'm going to be a harsh critic on this, but I've yet to see any bra at my size that I don't find old-fashioned and matronly. This is no exception. Not the worst that I've seen, but I'd hate to show it to anyone. It didn't look bad in the pictures of smaller sizes when I bought it, but at this size it's not cute. The pattern and edging on the lace was kinda cute. The pattern on the cups looked a little like a grandma's curtains from the 70s. Read more 382 more words
I am adding this bra for data/informational purposes only. This Bra is not owned by me at the time of addition to the database.
Minx is an underwire soft cup bra in a balcony style. The color is “Tabasco” which is a black white and orange/brown animal print with black lace tops. I tried Minx in both 30JJ, reviewed here, as well as 30K.
The band measures 26” to a max of 34” with 3 hooks and 3 rows of eyes.
Cup Depth as measured by: 1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance. This measurement is: 14”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 16”
I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands.
Hopscotch 30JJ I am adding this bra for data/informational purposes only. This Bra is not owned by me at the time of addition to the database.
Hopscotch is an underwire soft cup bra in a balcony style. It has a square pattern in light blue, med blue and pink, with pink lace on the top of the cups.
The band measures 25.5” to a max 32” with 3 hooks and 3 rows of eyes.
Cup Depth as measured by: 1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance. This measurement is: 13.5”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 15”
I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands.
I am adding this bra for data/informational purposes only. This Bra is not owned by me at the time of addition to the database.
Afterglow is an underwire non-padded plunge/balcony bra. The color/pattern is black with small multi-colored flowers, and horizontal teal on black lace tops. I tried Afterglow in 28J, 30JJ, and 30K, reviewed separately. This review is for 30JJ.
The band measures 25” to a max 32” with 3 hooks and 3 rows of eyes.
Cup Depth as measured by: 1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance. This measurement is: 14”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 15.75”
I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands.
Faye 30JJ White I am adding this bra for data/informational purposes only. This Bra is not owned by me at the time of addition to the database.
Faye is an unpadded underwire bra in a full cup balcony style. It comes in a White, Black or Beige w/cream dots/snowflake type pattern. There are 3 sections to the cup, 2 lower vertical and the top horizontal lace section.
I tried Faye in 28J, 30J, and 30JJ in black, as well as 30JJ in white. This review is for 30JJ in white, but please see the other 3 reviews for additional information.
The band measures 25.5” to a max of 33.5” with 3 ...hooks and 3 rows of eyes.
Cup Depth as measured by: 1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance. This measurement is: 13.4”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 15.25”
I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands.
Faye 30JJ Black I am adding this bra for data/informational purposes only. This Bra is not owned by me at the time of addition to the database.
Faye is an unpadded underwire bra in a full cup balcony style. It comes in a White, Black or Beige w/cream dots/snowflake type pattern. There are 3 sections to the cup, 2 lower vertical and the top horizontal lace section.
I tried Faye in 28J, 30J, and 30JJ in black, as well as 30JJ in white. This review is for 30JJ in black, but please see the other 3 for additional information.
The band measures 25.9” to a max of 32” with 3 hooks ...and 3 rows of eyes.
Cup Depth as measured by: 1 Hovering the cup between the knees, then placing the tape measure into the cups without any resistance. This measurement is: 13.5”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 16”
I feel these two figures give you a general idea of the minimum and maximum depth that the cup can accommodate, just like the flat and stretched band measurements do with bands.
Oh my god, loose band! Fits more like a 34band (and not even a tight one!) I knew this, and that's why I went for the 30, but it made it difficult to sister-size to the right size - JJ was not enough for me.
omg, people were right when they said this was loose in the band! I am in between 32 and 34 bands, and this was not too snug. This fits more like a loose 34band!
Great review! I think I'm gonna get a Fancies too. It sounds so good from your review. Lots of projection and lots of room for upper fullness. It's a shame about the bands, I had from Fantasie one that stretched out very badly in only 4 months.. at least in Freya we have the option to size down to 30 bands.