Oh Rosa, Rosa, Rosa! Though she may hate the reference, the name of this bra always brings to my mind the tough-as-nails detective Rosa Salazar from the comedy series Brooklyn Nine Nine. Actually, I can see Rosa wearing this bra that bears her name, though only in the floral print colorway--somehow it never made sense to me that this style also comes in a pink and white polka dot. In the floral print, this style is feminine but a bit edgy with the black seamed trim, and I was smitten with this thing the moment that I saw it. After much hunting, I ... found one in my sister size of 30DD available on eBay. I wanted it so much that I forked over way more than I would normally pay for a blind bra purchase, and shortly, it embarked on its transatlantic journey over from the UK.
I was really scared to purchase this bra blindly because of the horrible shape mismatch I experienced with Masquerade Athena, which I purchased in my normal size of 28E. The cups of that style were way too closed off for me and shaped to be very center-full. After doing much research, I was a little scared that Rosa/Amira cuts would have the same problem, but after reading all the reviews and not seeing any that mentioned the same kind of shape problem as Athena, I crossed my fingers and hoped it would work out for the best.
Actually, the cup shape didn't turn out to be the main problem in this bra. There are a myriad of fit issues present, but most of them stem from the fact that this is a style where sister sizing ended up a huge fail for me:
Band: The band is too loose on me and rides up. Though this measures the same as my other 30DD Masquerade bras, this band is made from the same thin matte poly fabric as the upper layer of the cups (the printed fabric) and backed with lightweight mesh. There is a strip of "Masquerade satin" along the bottom of the band about 1 1/8" wide, which is the normal material used on most of their bands, but this thin strip of firmer material doesn't make up for the flimsiness of the rest of the wing material. The elastic at the top edge is also on the narrow side. As a result, the band measures the same as normal, but clearly rides up on me. However, thanks to the very shallow leotard shape at the back, I should be able to take off close to 2" from the band rather easily.
Cup proportions: The cup proportions are clearly off for me. The cups on this bra are exceptionally wide, so while most of the wire fits well, the cups are at least 1 cm too wide for me under the arms at the top of the cup. The wires are also rather short for the channel because the plunge styling forces the wire to sit down at the gore, so the floppy upper edge of the cup is more noticeable. The height of the outer cup under the arms is too tall for me, so this part ends up chafing, and because it is tall and empty there, it causes gapping in the cup when I move although the I have no problem with the cup volume. Strap placement isn't uncomfortable on its own, but combined with the cup width and height, contributes to the gapping, and I can feel them when I move.
Cup shape: Thankfully, this is a better match than Athena, but still not ideal. The cups are cut very shallow at the outside and very center full, which I know is supposed to help the plunge cleavage effect, but on me a more evenly distributed shape would be better due to my splayed roots making me the very opposite of center-full. The upper cup is also too closed off for me while the center of the cup, being at the wrong place for my body, ends up too projected. I get a bit of orange in a glass here as the center of the cup is a bit empty but the upper cup clearly cuts into my tissue especially if I scoop. The good news is that if I don't scoop, it looks fine.
I also noticed a bit of discomfort from the gore before I adjust the bra properly, but since the band isn't a good fit on me, it's hard to say if this is a separate issue or part of the band fit problem. I usually do have trouble with low gores being a bit stabby, and need the stability from a gore of average height.
The fit of the cups kind of reminds me of the problems I had with the Ewa M plunges, though Ewa's bras didn't have the center fullness or closed upper cups. It seems that certain low plunges are rather tricky for my shape and a risky bet to order blindly.
Although I just described a ton of fit issues, the fit of this bra is actually quite passable, especially if I alter the band. I think this bra would definitely still be wearable even though it isn't a technical fit. I love the styling of the bra and I'm still glad that I went ahead and purchased it, since I didn't want to wonder about Rosa if she were gone forever. The aesthetic is similar to the other Masquerade bras I purchased, but much cleaner in terms of embellishment. Details on this bra really come from the contrast of floral printed fabric and black satin trim, which extends to the straps. The only adornment to be found on this bra is a simple ribbon rosette at the gore. I could actually see Comexim making a similar kind of style in their Standard Plunge cut, maybe because it bears a resemblance to their Rose Longline which you can order in different cuts. Since that is next on my Comexim list, maybe it's the best way to get a bit of Rosa in my life, as Comexim plunges and I get along much better.
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Floral Print colorway
Updated on Apr 11, 2020 Flag this