I love it! Great clevage, small gore, I only had to alter the band down a bit, but as I am a 26F actually, it should fit true to size. The cups run a bit big, or better said, they need much volume in the upper middle. If you don't have it, go a cupsize down, the wires should be wide enough for that. I am between the sizes 28E und 28F, and I wear the Rhea in 28DD and 28E
I have very shallow, wide breasts that are moderately conical in shape.
This is a pretty bra. The embroidery on the cups is intricate and there are no frayed threads. The embroidery kind of matches up at the seams, but not very well. The straps are half adjustable, but adjusted far enough for me. The front half of the strap starts out at about 1/2", and then gets wider so that it's about 1" wide at the shoulder, which is a nice detail.
The band is very stiff, not much give to it. It is very plain: no embroidery, and a simple bow in between ...the cups.
Unfortunately, this bra did not work for me. While the top edge of the cup was open - very open - there was too much projection for me. However, the wires were barely wide enough, so I think that if I went down a cup size, the wires would be sitting on breast tissue. The base of the cup, though, was perfectly shallow enough for me.
Overall, I think this bra would be perfect for someone who is less shallow and more just full on top. Read more 89 more words
I'm not really sure about this bra. The center gore is pretty pokey in my sternum. Sometimes the top of the cups wrinkle, sometimes they don't. It almost seems like the cups come up higher on me than they should. I'm going to try ordering a size down and maybe that would work better. The bra itself is absolutely gorgeous. It's well made and the detailing is beautiful.
Most of the bras I see listed as running tight don't really seem bad for me--I have a 27" rib cage and prefer very snug bands. That said, wow does this run tight. The satin band does NOT stretch much and I need to wear it with a band extender if I want to be able to inhale.
The straps are partially adjustable, and are just barely short enough for me. The satin front part of the straps are not padded (maybe just in larger sizes?), so at least in this size it would be really easy to re-sew them to make them shorter if you needed to.
The bra is beautiful. Husband agrees. The black satin and ivory embroidery is just lovely.
The first bra I've owned where the wires have been exactly the right width. Panache is too wide, Cleo is a little better. Freya is generally okay, but this bra is perfect. The band is insanely firm, there's zero stretch. For the first two weeks or so I was wearing it with an extender, but now I'm on the first set of hooks where it's become reasonably comfortable. There's no way the gore could be any narrower; the wires are literally touching which is great for my close set boobs. I could maybe go up a cup size - there's some minor quadding when I breath in but not really enough to bother with. The shape it gives is very upfront, round and lifted which is what I want from my bras, so I'm happy.
This is a beautiful bra but the cups are too big for me. The band is wonderful on my 26 inch ribcage as it runs very tight. I will probably try to get it in a 28F as even in the wrong size, it feels comfortable and supportive, and it is undeniably beautiful!
A very pretty bra. For someone needing narrower wires and more projection, not for a shallow chest. The band runs small and has very little stretch, so a 28 would be best suited for 26 or lower.
Rhea is absolutely gorgeous, but sad thing is it doesn't really fits me. Design, fabric, attention to details... It all was praised many times )
So I will concentrate on fit. I'm pretty much shallow and have very wide "breast roots". My first impression was that the bra is simply too big for me in the cups, despite being my go-to size and all reviews saying that it's a ted small in the cups. But after more thorough look I understood that size smaller will do nothing good for me. The real culprit is strap separation. Straps are very far apart, so the angle is totally wrong. When I place ...the straps so they don't fall off my shoulders they drag cups to the center and I'm getting underwire on my right breast and gaping near the central gore. And I have quite broad shoulders. Central gore pokes. I have prominent breast bone, so any bra with center gore height higher than 1.5" pokes. But I think that it's an easy fix.
I have straps moved closer and now cups are totally ok. The big surprise for me was the wires: they restore it's shape when I'm trying to bend them! If cushioning doesn't help I think I will have to clip them.
UPD I was totally wrong about wires bending: it's almost impossible, because they bend very easily and return to their previous shape. But moving the straps totally worked: no more gaping. Read more 130 more words
I purchased the Persia in Sapphire from Figleaves as it was on sale. I was very pleased with the appearance of the bra and the feel of the fabric but I experienced issues with the fit, such as:
- The high centre gore being uncomfortable. It was painful against my sternum and the wires were too far apart for me as I am quite close-set.
- The band being too firm for my liking. I measure 28 inches around my ribcage although I could quite easily fasten this band on the second set of hooks, it was uncomfortable for me and I felt great relief when I removed the bra. ...I am sure this is because of the type of fabric and the lack of stretch. I think if I were to wear a 28 band size in this bra, it would put undue stress on the band and on myself; I believe a 30 band would be more appropriate for me.
Other things I would like to note about the bra:
- I found the cup to be the right size but it gave a flattened appearance which I find unflattering.
- I found the lining on the bottom of the cup to match well with my skin tone.
- I did not find the straps too wide-set in this bra. Because of this, the area under the arm, between the underwire and straps, did not rub against me painfully as it has done with other balconette styles I have tried.
- The straps are partially adjustable. The adjustable part of the strap measures 1.7cm; the non-adjustable part of the strap measures 1.4cm and has lace detailing which makes the bra as wide as 2.9cm in some areas.
I really am a fan of this bra in terms of how it looks and feels to the touch, but unfortunately it does not work with me so it will be returned. I would like to try this bra in 30GG (and I'm sure I would be tempted to keep it) but I know that it ultimately wouldn't work for me. Much to my disappointment, I am starting to believe that I cannot wear balconette bras at all. Masquerade make stunning bras; I really hope that in the future they will release a greater variety of styles and sizes so their creations can be more greatly appreciated. Read more 282 more words
I purchased the Masquerade Delphi in the black/ivory colourway on sale from Figleaves. The bra is very attractive and appears to be very well-constructed. I would like to note that each cup has two seams in this size. The fit of the cup was very good, as was the uplift it provided. However, I experienced the following issues with the bra:
- The straps are too wide for my shoulders. I understand that balconette bras have wide-set straps but I do not have particularly narrow shoulders. I worry that the straps are not placed appropriately to suit many women.
- In combination with the wide-set straps, the cups are high ...under my armpits causing the area between the strap and the underwire to rub uncomfortably against me. I have experienced this issue with several bras and I think that if the straps were not so wide-set, there wouldn't be much discomfort. Please note that I do not find the underwires to be uncomfortable.
- The centre gore does not lay flat. Similarly to the Curvy Kate Tease Me I reviewed, the gore is pushed out a little as there is not enough space for it on my chest. On some bras (Masquerade Persia, Panache Confetti), the wires at the centre gore feel very rigid which means that they will sit on my chest but on breast tissue (which is very uncomfortable). The wires on the Delphi do not feel so tough at the centre gore and so they do not cause discomfort despite not fitting me well. I like that the gore is a bit lower than on some other balconette bras.
- I found the band to be uncomfortable. I measure almost exactly 28 inches around my ribcage but I would have been much more comfortable in a 30 band. This may be due to the materials used in this bra and the lack of stretch, or it may just be a matter of personal comfort.
Although I would like to keep it, I will be returning this bra. I believe that balconette bras are a style that will very rarely work with me. Masquerade make lovely lingerie to a high standard and I look forward to trying more of their designs in the future. Read more 263 more words
I have been quite hesitant to try Panache brand bras. I am not really sure why. I guess because all the pictures are of skinny women, I have never thought of them as a brand for larger ladies. It was only after finding bratabase and reading reviews, recommendations on here that I decided to try a Panache product and the Delphi is my first.
First off the bra is very attractive. I have the black with gold accents with matching brief. My husband says it is very regal looking. The materials seem to be of very good quality. The bra feels ...quite sturdy, no loose threads, uneven seams etc.
I really like the padded straps but I am a huge fan of thick straps so someone who likes thinner straps may not like this feature. I was hesitant to try this bra due to the fact the straps are not fully adjustable but this is not an issue at all as it offers much more room in the straps than I thought it would.
I found the cups to be a little larger than previous brands (Elomi and Curvy Kate) and smaller than Fantasie's cups in an H. The band is very firm and tight which I like. It is not uncomfortable but I did have some back-fat spilling over the band. I may have been better off with a 36 in this bra, however as I am still losing weight I am sure the band will fit me better with time. I viewed the two hooks as a potential problem but even with just two hooks the support this bra gives is amazing.
The bra gives me a very rounded profile and my breasts sit in their natural position, unlike Curvy Kate which seems to squish them towards the center. My breasts are actually minimized under clothes with this bra. The bottoms of my breasts fit the cup perfectly, so Panache's wider wires seem to suit me well. It is extremely comfortable to wear. The seam does tend to show under my scrubs/t-shirts but not nearly like the Curvy Kate tease me does.
My test of a bra is a 12 hour shift in it. I wore the Delphi last night and was seriously surprised by its comfort and durability. No back-ache at all! While the material of the bra is thick it did not feel too heavy at all. In fact I forgot I had it on. I went my entire 12 hours without having to adjust it once! The bra did not stretch out at all! My only issue is that it is so pretty, I am not sure I could ever use it as an everyday/work bra.
Overall this bra gives my full on top, extremely saggy, wide spaced and wide at the root breasts a beautiful rounded shape, better than any other bra I have tried so far. It seems to be of good quality and was extremely comfortable. Overall this is the best fitting bra I have tried so far.
Got this bra from another user. I never wore it, and it didn't fit her either. Very pretty bra. 3 part cup that provides nice lift (and the seams feel flawless) but lifts me to the point of quadboob. I normally wear a 34G Deco and have been looking to expand my bra horizons, but this isn't the bra for me. Even on the smallest hook, I find the band a bit loose for me. The band is not a stretchy as Decos and is thinner across the back. The shoulder straps are also thinner than the Deco.
I bought this bra because I'd read it gave that amazing "shelf-like", "Marie Antoinette" cleavage and I wanted something more cleavagey than my soft cup bras.
It... doesn't quite work that way for me. I think I have "short" boobs/not much breast tissue on my upper chest. It doesn't really give me that sort of cleavage. It does, however, give an awesomely rounded shape, and it's a very pretty bra. The wide straps are incredibly comfortable without being aesthetically unpleasant (unlike those reducing bras and whatnot that try to convince us a D-cup is huge and needs huge straps). The band is also pretty sturdy and seems that it'll take a long while to stretch.
Pretty cofy standing, a bit uncomfortable sitting because the underwires begin to poke into the underarms - no real surprise there. The gore pokes a bit as well, but not horribly. The fit seems a bit tighter around my torso than perhaps it should but the cup size is pretty good. Certain postures are a tad gappy, but it's generally pretty good. I would wear this on my wedding day but for the fact that it shows in the back, above the cut of the dress. Damn David's Bridal for taking 1.5 months to order a dress... now I seek a good strapless.
this fits perfectly except the band is too tight, going to exchange for a 30FF and see if that helps. This looks VERY nice on far skin and works well for my petite frame
B-. I really wanted to love this bra, since it's so gorgeous, but the gapping was ridiculous in this bra. I've been told that the wires were too narrow for me, but they don't seem that bad?
I saw reviews that this ran small so I ordered a cup size up. The cups don't quadboob but they push away the center gore, which is good in a way because if my breasts didn't push away the gore it would hurt because it's too high. As it is, the gore rests on close-set breast tissue. This bra only lasts half a day - but OMG the silhouette it creates! It's a very pretty bra, it's lined.. I wouldn't say "padded" - maybe very lightly, but it makes my boobies ginormous. Which in certain outfits might be a good thing https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> but not for everyday wear.
And now it's gone, I've swapped it. Hopefully it will work better for someone else https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
This is a really nice bra, and as someone who is in between band sizes, it worked well, although the back did need a tiny bit of breaking in beforehand. The cups fit me ridiculously well, so that the skin effect works, even if I'm too pasty white for the more tan bra.
Just received this today and it is truly beautiful. I love the plunge and the top edge only causes a small amount of "fluff" on my larger side and I don't think it will even show in a tshirt weight top. I walk a fine line trying to fit both breasts when they are a half cup apart and I don't think I could have done much better with the fit of this bra. The gore sits nicely and nothing appears uncomfortable. Very happy.
