I recently decided to give some Freya bras a try after years of avoiding them. Back in the day the J+ range was just no good, scaling was just off and they weren't supportive enough. It seems that they improved some styles but there is still a lot of hit and miss going on. Wires in general feel more sturdy in newer bras. This Florri bra from SS19 I'd put in the "hit" categorie. I was shocked at how decent it looks and how supportive it felt. Maybe I just rate it so high bc other bras by Freya were so bad? It's not the best bra out there ...but it's decent.
The fit: I went for 30K here because about 1 month ago my size fluctuated just a tiny bit lower and many of my bands felt too large. I can easily wear a 30 band in this bra when I need 32 in others. So I recommend if you like a firm band, to size down. The wires are of average width and height for the size range therefore just okay for me. I often have issues with too wide and tall wires in the K-cup range. So they did good with the grading here. The cups have a nice depth and the upper section is roomy enough to not cut in on full-on-top boobs despite there is no stretch lace there. The material feels soft and smooth it's a nice woven fabric. the lace is delicate but not flimsy or itchy. Cups in this size are fully lined on the inside. Straps are fully adjustable and quite long so good if you need that.The bra gives a really nice uplifted, front and center round shape. It feels supportive enough for a full day of wear.
I just have 2 issues with it: first the wire channel isn't very much padded and the wire can give me pain on the bottom towards my side until the end of the day. There is some slight wrinkling in bottom so maybe there is not enough immediate projection to fit properly there. It's not bad by no means, I still find this bra more projected than many others in the size range. Second issue is just a size issue as I recently fluctuated just a tiny bit up in size I get slight overspill on top towards the center. The bra is still wearable and one of my better fits these days. Read more 301 more words
That bra is so pretty! I love the stretch lace. Glad it fits you well.
This is a lovely bra. I must keep an eye out for it!
In regards to your pain at the wire, I am going to go on a round-about gander...
With a different Freya bra I have, the cups were too tall, and I decided to do a different alteration than I normally do to get a good fit. Instead of folding and tacking the lace, I shortened the cup at the wire. I folded the material and tacked it in place - no cutting as I was not sure if I would be successful. The alteration turned out beautifully, and the bra is in my rotation. Good fit, no pain, and pretty. Win Win Win!
For me, when the cup wires sit too low, my ribs get painful quickly. With your comments and the pictures, the cup wires are sitting too low and causing you pain. Painful bras are no fun regardless of how pretty they are.
Folding the bra cup at the wire and sewing it down would address the fit and pain concerns. I do not know alteration terminology, but it is like a dart. You probably would not have to do the whole length, just more at the center angling out to taper off at the sides. This alteration would allow you to have that much-needed projection at the wire as the cup is essentially moved down and more room is available at the wire. This would allow the wire to fit further up on your torso firmly into your IMF.
Basically, removing the ill-fitting wrinkled part of the cup at the wire and raising the cup wires off of your ribs for a pain-free fit.
If this works, you've just opened up your world into pretty, more inexpensive unlined Freya bras that do have consistency in their models and sizing. Win on the pretty and win on a painless fit.
I want to know if it will work, so you must give it a go!
bustyand no it's not stretchy lace on this. Maybe it is in smaller sizes? Im this size it has extra lining in top which isn't stretchy.
edit: just checked it, the lace itself is actually stretchy but the lining isn't, which makes it redundant. :/
jazzypants That sounds very interesting and I love to try this with my bras. I have quite a few here that are not super awful but just slightly wrong. I really struggle in my current size with too tall fabric under the arms or / and too much cup height - but at the same time don't have enough room in bottom and top center area. So I dread sizing up bc there will be even more excess material where I don't need it and some bras even poke me under the arms or the fabric comes so high it just bothers me. Do you have pictures of your altered bras? I have sometimes trouble visualize it from written tutorials :S
jazzypants Btw thanks for suggesting and the long comment <3
The alteration in the bra is not visible as I put a liner in the cup. To get a better visual of what I mean, picture this....
Place the bra on a table in front of you with the inside of the cup visible.
Horizontally, pinch the fabric of the cup along the wire for 3 inches length-wise centered in the cup
You'll probably need an inch of fabric in height right at the center than tapering out to either side.
One thing to think of is the height of side wires though you may have enough space to play with there.
I do think this kind of alteration could salvage a lot of bras when options are not readily available or perhaps financially feasible. Or even when the bra is really pretty and everything else is lovely. Basically taking a bra without enough projection at the wire and moving the projection that does exist in the cup lower to where it is needed.
Must try to see if it will work!
jazzypants , that makes ME want to try this alteration. It could solve two problems at once for me. If I get the guts to try it I’ll let you know.
Yes! Let me know and I shout out the challenge to all - I know there are lots of folk out there!
I decided to try this because it comes in so many pretty colours and can be found for very low discount prices. So I assumed it has to be a good bra if there are so many colours out? Turns out there is a reason it is priced so low. This bra has all the issues of a badly scaled bra. It's a K-cup nightmare
It's how bras were like 10 years ago. It kinda reminds me of 30KK - Panache » Harmony Underwired Balconnet (4031) . The cups are super wide and tall. On the plus side they are also very roomy on top which ...is good for my FOT shape. But they are just too much of everything. I can barely get support from these cups because the wires almost end on my back and I can't fill the top section. The straps are super seperated as if I need a much wider frame to fit this bra. But how you wrap a 30 inch band around such a wider frame? Stuff doesn't add up here. So really a miscontruction is happening here.
I tried to get rid of the gaping by tighening the straps a lot, you can see that it gives a fairly round shape then on my last 2 pics. But the straps would kill me, as they dig into my arms & shoulders very badly so it also isn't wearable that way. The 30K - Freya » Florri Balcony Bra (3102) which is a newer style from 2019 is far better constructed than Fancies. I don't recommend Fancies in K - cup unless you really look for very wide set straps, wide & tall cups. Read more 175 more words
I had similar issues with this one and I’m in a different size range. But I’ve found that no Freya unlined work for me so I gave up on them LOL Sorry it didn’t work for you either
Too bad about the fit because the color is gorgeous!
My first trial of a Freya bra in years, the brand never worked for me in the past, but I was curious about how their bras fit nowadays. First I have to say, that I wanted to order this bra in a 30JJ, but the size conversions on the zalando website where I found it, were all over the place. It was recommended to size down in band, that's why I tried to get a 30JJ instead of my usual size 32J.
How the bra fits: It is just huge! In every direction. The cups are super wide and also super tall on me. (Note: I have quite tall boobs!) ...Also there is like so much empty fabric on top of this bra! On the photo were I did not adjust the straps very short, my boobs only fill the bra a bit over the seam where the lower cup meets the upper cup!
The band did not feel big, but too big cups can make a band feel bigger. The measurements seem tts for a 30 band and it looked small. The wide cups definitely work as part of the band here. I think If I got this bra with the correct cup volume I would not need a 30 band! Actually this is like an example of a reverse letterphobia fit, too small band + too big cups. Not a good combination.
If I adjusted the straps very shortly, it looked a bit better but I still wasn't able to fill these tall cups.I could try this bra in 32J or even 32HH but I doubt it will work. There is a lot of room on top and on the sides. I think the wires would be still too wide. Maybe the HH would be ok, but I doubt the bra would be deep enough in that size. It's difficult to say since the bra was so big, but I think it would be quite shallow on bottom in the right size? I'm not sure about it.
1-2 words about the bra itself: the fabric is mesh / lace and a bit see through. It also feels kinda itchy, not a soft mesh. I don't think the fabric is high quality feeling. The straps are wide and comfy. The band is a thick material and very sturdy and not super stretchy. I don't recommend it, at least not in large cup sizes. Read more 292 more words
Wow. I have this same bra but I tried on sizes from the opposite end of the cup spectrum, 28D and 28DD. I actually felt the cups ran small for Freya unlined bras. Those cups look totally massive, I can’t believe they are the same bra! The shape of the cups also looks really different. I agree it runs a little shallow on the bottom.
I also totally agree with you on the fabric. I was surprised the fabric is so stiff and scratchy. I’ve purchased quite a few Freya bras now and none of them feel like this. What a weird bra!
I ordered this bra on eBay in my usual size 32H uk. The band was loose and the cups were massive. I am returning this bra back to the seller. It fits like a 34HH. The manufacturer mislabeled the size of the bra. So disappointing!
The bra is a nightmare. Totally off sizing- wise. It looks like it concerns all GG+ sizes.
This is just a preliminary review - I will have to have the back taken in before I can wear it properly. But anyway, first impressions.
- The back is on the large side for a 30, which sucks for me as someone who is really a 28 anyway.
- The straps are pretty long - they were juuuuust tight enough when I had tightened them as much as possible.
- I'm not in love with the shape, but it's not bad, and the bra itself is very pretty. Love the little lace and button details on the front.
- I had wrinkles in ...the bottom of the cup that I could only get rid of through ridiculous amounts of maneuvering, which makes me think it's a shape issue and not a size issue. For reference, I am full all over, and generally do well with deep cups.
- I don't think I could go down a size, MAYBE a half, but that's it. However, I felt like it takes a good amount of jiggle, scoop and swoop, and repositioning to get my boobs to fill the cup. Once they're there, though, there is little to no extra space, especially with the straps tight enough.
- I'm pretty full on top, and the lace at the top is thisclose to cutting in.
- Seems like it will be very comfortable, once I get all the fit stuff right. Read more 143 more words
This bra is too big in the band for me just. And might possibly be a cup size too small, but I have not been able to find any bra that could fit me better.
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 got this one thinking it would be similar to Panache Paloma, not factoring in the animal print. Minx is not as appealing in person to me, but truer to color than Paloma was. Overall, Paloma is far prettier. I tried Minx in both 30K, reviewed here, as well as 30JJ.
The band measures ...26.5” to a max of 33.5” with 3 hooks and 3 rows of eyes, and the straps are wide set.
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: 14.5”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 16.5”
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.
Lauren 30K 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.
Lauren is a non-padded underwire full cup balcony bra. While available in multiple colors, I tried it in a Magenta pink.
The band measures 25” to a max 31” 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.
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 30K.
The band measures 25” with a max of 31” 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: 14.5”
2 Placing the cup over the knee and stretching it similar to what a breast would, to the maximum resistance. This measurement is: 16.5”
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.
This bra is comfy but the band feels like it's riding up and the gore isn't against my chest. I also have to tighten the straps all the way in order to get support.
I think this would be a nice bra in the right size. The material is comfortable, it seems to be sturdy and well-made, and the color is pretty. It doesn't work for me, though. In addition to just being the wrong size, the cups are better suited to shallow breasts and the wires are far too wide for me. The cups are too big in general, but I think even in the right size, they would be less round than I like, and they are ridiculously full coverage, more than any bra I've owned. I think one would only be able to wear it with boatneck or turtleneck tops. However, I think this might be a great bra for someone with wider and softer boobs, especially if they are slightly shallow.
That bra is so pretty! I love the stretch lace. Glad it fits you well.