This pretty little thing is marketed as a sports bra, intended mainly for yoga and other low impact activities. I'll be honest, I bought it with zero intention to use it as such. It mostly struck me as a beautiful, minimalist layering piece. But since it's technically a sports bra, I will review it in that context first.

If you want something to keep your girls strapped down tight, move along. The Teardrop is not what you're looking for. The band is comfortable -- not as snug as I would like, not terribly loose either, but definitely too loose to provide enough support for something like running.

The straps are ... quite long and not adjustable, which is unfortunate if you are not a 6ft tall supermodel or if your boobs happen to be high-set. The band sits lower than my IMF because there isn't really any way to adjust it to sit higher, so again, not the best for support. It doesn't affect comfort though, so I'm not terribly upset about it.

In the product description, Montiel makes it very clear that this is NOT supposed to be a compression bra, which is kind of funny because it is actually fairly squishing, imo. Almost as much as my 32A Under Armour sports bra. In other words, it's not terribly flattering from the side. It does come with a thin set of pads, which appear to be primarily for hiding nipples. I am not wearing the pads in my pictures but the bra looks pretty much the same with them inserted.

All that being said, I'm still glad I bought it because support be damned, it's SO PRETTY! As far as I'm concerned, it's a strappy bralette made out of strangely thick but still breathable material. Unlike regular halter bras/bralettes, this thing doesn't put a ton of strain on my neck, which I appreciate. Interestingly, it doesn't ride up either. Layers well under open or sheer back tops and the double straps also look cute from the front. Comfortable enough to sleep in (if you really wanted to).

I haven't washed it yet*, but the care instructions claim this thing will survive the dryer. I intend to air-dry it, just in case, because it was a little on the pricy side.

TL;DR: not a good sports bra* and definitely not for big heavy boobs that need iron support. Would recommend to anyone looking for a comfy and simple strappy bra.

*2016 April update: I've been going to the climbing wall regularly since February and this is now my favourite bra to wear for bouldering. I have to revoke my previous comment that this is not a good sports bra -- it's by far the most comfortable thing to wear for low impact sports. It has also survived the laundry just fine so far, being machine-washed with cold water and left to air-dry (which it does quickly).

*2016 August update: Having now acquired the Thalia bra from the same brand, the Teardrop is no longer my favourite low impact sports bra because Thalia fits better. The coverage is higher and the cups seem to have more stretch which translates to more room and less squishing. I still wear this one lots but it's not as good of a fit. I do spill out slightly if I scoop and swoop very thoroughly -- not sure if this happened before without me noticing or if my boobs got slightly bigger.
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white colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Apr 25, 2018 Flag this

I sold my old white Teardrop bra to moriko but am regretting that now. I ordered a new one in black, but the material isn't the same at all. I haven't tried it on yet (will do tomorrow), but my first impression is disappointing.

This one is made of 79% recycled polyester (21% spandex) instead of 90% Supplex nylon (10% Lycra spandex). It's good that it's recycled but it feels slick instead of soft and is much thinner than the old one I got in 2016. The straps are a different elastic - skimpier and stretchier. The "teardrop" shape where the double straps meet in front looks like it ... was more sloppily made, because the base of the straps aren't equal in size and the fabric puckers a bit. The label still says "made in USA" but it definitely wasn't made the same way.

Edit 1: I contacted Montiel and they said the black one is the only one that is made with different fabric. They changed it a few years ago because supposedly black Supplex was "too coarse". All other colours are still made out of Supplex/Lycra.

Edit 2: The fit is pretty similar to the white one except the straps seem to be noticably shorter and dig into my neck more. it's not a dealbreaker, but it's definitely less comfortable. It still looks beautiful though.
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black colorway

Updated on Apr 25, 2018 Flag this

I couldn't even pull this over my head, so I can not say how this fits. But the material does pill with wear as I got this used and it does have some pilling from darker clothing. The band seems very firm and not stretched out at all. So would be a good investment if you get your size right.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Apr 04, 2018 Flag this