I keep trying Mae bralettes because they used to produce some bras in 30 bands, so I was hoping they would have something suitable for small band, medium cup wearers who don't fit into normal bralette sizing. However, based on my experience so far, this hasn't been true. The Mae Lace Wirefree Padded Bralette is a great longline bralette, but it doesn't meet my needs.
The main problem is that Mae's bands, like most mainstream brands, are too big. Sizing down to XS in the band means that the cups end up several sizes too small. I tried this bralette in both XS and S:
- ... XS: Band feels ok, can fit large 28 or small 30. Cups are quite small, around 28D/30C
- S: Band is too loose and not supportive, would fit large 30 or small 32. Cups fit 30D-DD/32C-D
Since I am currently a 28E, the band of the XS is OK for me, but the cups are about two sizes too small and give me.a completely smushed look. The S looks like it fits, as the cups fit my body, but the band is so loose I feel absolutely no support. However, because this has a wide band with 4 hooks. it will stay in place and not ride up. The main issue is that the elastic and lace used on the band are too flimsy and not up to the standard of a normal bra band, thus contributing to the loose feel although the measurements appear OK.
The same dahlia floral lace is used throughout the bra, from the cup overlay to the cradle and wings. The cradle is backed with nonstretch tricot. The cups are molded one piece foam cups and have a triangular shape. They are on the shallow side, but not as bad as some bralettes I've seen. Straps are very skinny. Mae does list this as being designed for A-C cups, so we can assume that support is not the name of the game here, but it still shouldn't feel like you have pressed some foam cups against your chest with no lift from the band.
However, if I were a smaller cup size, 28D/30C, I think I would really like this bralette. Despite the obvious hassle of hooking 4 sets of hooks by yourself, it does look nice once it's on, and the lace doesn't feel compressive on the ribs like a longline usually does on me. The foam is normal, thin foam used for "lightly lined" bras and isn't heavy padding. It helps even out your shape, although in my case since there is band support, the shape it gives me is a bit flat. I think that if you were the correct size, it would give you decent enough shaping that you could wear this under clothing as a normal bra.
There are definitely flaws in the design and it's unsuitable for small band/medium cup wearers, but for self-supporting 28D/30C sizes who want a casual longline that can be worn under clothing (or potentially as a crop top), this is a really nice little option.
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Updated on Jun 11, 2020 Flag this