MY SHAPE: round, projected, even, tall roots, close set, on the narrow end of average root width.

THE TAKEAWAY: Elegant plunge style gives a more natural shape with low apex. Good for those who are wider set and/or outer full. This bra wants more separation than you'd think for a plunge! Ladies who are centerfull, look elsewhere.

DETAILS: _Love_ this elegant gray number with contrasting cranberry bow! So very pretty. I'm a fan of plunges because I'm so close set, and the gore on this is super low and comfy (the underwires overlap at the center), but unfortunately this is otherwise a shape mismatch for me. There's an internal side ... sling in the cups which pushes my breast tissue towards the center, but not only does the side sling awkwardly indent into my breasts, there's also not enough cup fabric towards the center to adequately contain my already centerfull breasts. Thank goodness for stretch lace because it partially hides this fit issue from the front; however, I still get some minor quadding out of both cups. Sizing up won't help because the cups are already about 1/4-1/2" too wide for me.

Shape-wise this is similar to the Cleo Piper, a less lifted, more natural shape. It's very slightly pointy, but no torpedo boobs like the Jasmine due to a lower apex. No cleavage to speak of. Those who are FoT might get slight cakes-on-plate if you don't quad out of the stretch lace first...

I had a feeling this might have a stretchy band, so I sized down to a 28F. It's not crazy stretchy; I'm on the lower end of a 30 band and this wears like a slightly loose 28 (stretches to about 29"). I would not recommend sizing down unless you're in the bottom of your current band size.
Read more
190 more words

Pearl Grey colorway

Updated on Nov 04, 2016 Flag this

Cons:

Dear Panache, your plunges need to be plungier. See: Elomi's killer plunges. On your model the gore looks much lower; at my size it's 3.25," or at least 1.25" more than I like to see in a plunge. We sacrifice coverage (and maybe some support) at the center to be able to wear deep v necks. PLEASE PLUNGE MORE.

Also, this band is super stretchy! I bet the combo of soft stretch lace and I having 2 hooks instead of 3 is the key. Wore for half an hour, did light chores, lots of band movement. Went to second hooks, still some movement but not nearly so ... bad.

I should add I have been losing weight and it's possible I've lost enough to be in SUPER AWKWARD between band territory. So first I'll order the 34H, try it, and keep the one that fits best.

Pros:

SOFT! Based on the model I was expecting something like the Jasmine, but the lace is much softer, even more so than the Envy. I was hesitant to buy the matching bottoms because Jasmine bottoms just do not work for me, but... now that I have to exchange anyway I am going to give them a try.

Partial transparency. Also based on the model I was expecting the more opaque appearance like the Jasmine, but the two inner panels have a slight transparency, I love it.

Oh yeah, the straps! They're thinner than average for my size, which is GREAT! Usually I'm looking at .75-1" for straps, and tho' these straps are more like .6" it's a noticeable and welcome difference.

Neutral:

The grey is darker than expected, so those of you with darker skin tones looking for a good "nude" should consider this.
Read more
176 more words

Pearl Grey colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 14, 2016 Flag this

This is a heartbreaker bra. Let me explain.

At the end of 2017, there was an off topic post in my fb group which was a girl asking for DD+ bra help. Some 300 comments later, I find out that I’d only ever known the bare essentials or bare minimum of bra sizing and fitting, and I learn about Reddit A Bra That Fits. Being a Facebook girl more than a Reddit girl, I turned to the Facebook version of the group. In the first few months of 2018, I tried a lot of bras on, did a bunch of fit checks, and figured out what was and ... wasn’t working for me. One of the admins had suggested this bra, in this size for me. I had always wanted to try it, but never got the chance as it was always too expensive, and any listings were just slightly off in size. A little more than a year later, I finally have this bra as it was one of two bras I received from martka00 in a swap.

Let me start with saying that I was 100% aware that this bra might not fit in this size anymore (as I had a growth spurt in late summer of last year), given measurements, but I still opted to try it because it was possible that the stretch lace *might* be a bit more accommodating and because I really had a desire to test the style out at long last. Not to mention, it’s a gorgeous lilac/heather colour, perfect for spring, lightweight/breathable, and just a nice simple lace without fucking bows all over the place. Lol!

The bra is simply stunning. Simple but elegant and classic at the same time. I just *love* the colour, and I think it really suits my skin tone. The lace is lovely, and the upper portion is stretch, with no inner strip (yes!), which is quite boob fluctuations friendly. The lower cup is two parts in my size. Details at the gore are simple...bow and a tiny bead-like shiny thing. The band is a perfect stretch comfort for me, and I have enough room for the straps to adjust. It’s a great U back (leotard back) which I always find to be comfortable and supportive. The gore is nice and low, and there’s this interesting bit where the elastic from the band crisscrosses at the gore. There’s a section of double mesh side support panels on the inside of the cups, with the intent of pushing or encouraging the breasts in a forward and inward shape.

The heartbreak is that it doesn’t fit. IT DOESN’T FIT! 😭 It might *look* like it’s fitting in the photos, but I’m spilling on both sides...the stretch lace is hiding this somewhat and reducing how bad the quadding would be if it wasn’t stretchy on top. The bra is at least half a cup size too small, if not a full cup small. But I’m leery of a 30FF, as I’m not sure how much wider the wires would be. Not to mention, the bra is slightly too shallow, but not horribly shallow, and the classic rock hard we aren’t budging Panache/Cleo wires did bother me a little bit today.

This said, for the time being, I’m still wearing it, but under selective tops...ones I know that are a bit looser on top so they won’t show quad boobs. My pharmacy assistant scrubs fit this category. I’m not sure if I will keep it or list it yet. I do wish it was a little bit bigger. It’s almost perfect.
Read more
495 more words

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 10, 2019 Flag this

This is the best bra I have found so far, but still has a couple of problems for me: the gore is a tiny bit too wide (3/4 inch wide) and the wire is a bit too U-shaped, so it doesn't capture all my tissue off to the sides.

Updated on Jul 20, 2022 Flag this

I understand this is the new version of the Ava. I only ever tried the Ava in a 30F before figuring out that I'm closer to 30DD and 30E depending on the brand, so I can't speak to the changes/differences between them. The Ana is just gorgeous and works great with my close-set breasts. The 30E doesn't quite stay put for me. After wearing it for 2-3 hours, it had wiggled out of my IMF a bit. There's extra space on the sides in this size for me, so I will need to size down to a 30DD. I hope it works, because the colorways are just beautiful and classy in this plunge.

Dusky Pink colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 16, 2019 Flag this

Shape: projected, average roots, slightly narrow, close set, even fullness

Overall I love this bra. It offers a good amount of projection and the gore is low enough not to sit on my close set breasts. The wires are wide on me, so there is some wrinkling at the side, but personally its negligible and dosn't seem to be affecting my comfort or support. The top of the cup has a stretch lace with a stretchy mesh underneath. It does however feel a little closed so it may not be good for very full on top shapes, but it works well for my even fullness. The side support in ... the cup is a nice addition. I find that it gives me a slightly pointy shape, this may be a concern for some but I don't mind the shape it gives. Like most Panache bras it comes with 2 hooks in 3 rows, and while 3 hooks would have been nice I still find the band to be supportive.

The look of this bra is lovely. Its lacy design and pastel lilac colour are very pretty, and the gore has a nice matching lilac bow with a small shiny bead sewn on for good measure. I would recommend this bra to anyone with a similar shape to mine but it would work even better with a wider root.
Read more
123 more words

Lilac colorway

Updated on Jul 29, 2018 Flag this

The color of this bra is very ordinary grey, not too light, not too dark. The band and the cups are true to size. Ava gives not perfectly round but more natural shape. My breasts are supported enough, but I'm not sure about bigger size, as the lace is very soft and elastic. I like that it's a plunge stile, so the gore is quite low and the wire channels are overlapped, but Ava doesn't give cakes on the plate view.

By the way, undies run bigger. I usually wear S in cleo's, but here S was way too big for me, so I reordered XS, and it still is not a perfect fit for me. I'd prefer XXS ( that doesn't exist)

pearl grey colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on May 31, 2018 Flag this

The gore is too wide on this bra. I ordered a 30DD earlier but it was too small in the cups and too big in the band, so I got 28F instead, which is my usual size. I don't know why the 30DD came with an overlapped gore, but the 28F didn’t, so I took it apart and narrowed the gore. It gives a more comfortable and better fit when the cups are less far apart. There is some quadding along the centre at all times of my cycle. My boobs are bulging out the cups along the edge of the cups. There is also some wrinkling near ... the wires, but minimal and not a big problem. The wires are too wide, but every UK bra does that on me. The band is quite lose. I've only worn this bra a few times and already on the tightest hook. And it still feels like the wires are riding up or sliding down sometimes. I think this bra would be great for someone who has top and centre fullness and projected boobs like mine. Size is the major issue for me here.
Read more
83 more words

Blush colorway

This bra's measurements have been altered

Narrowed gore

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jan 28, 2018 Flag this

I wanted to try this bra in 28F but couldn't find one that is reasonably priced and not hot pink, and 30DD is the closest size I could find cheap. The band is too loose and the cups are too small, but the stretch lace accommodates my top fullness / tall roots. The gore is low and narrow - it's even overlapped, which I've never seen in a mass produced bra. The side support seam also brings things centre, which I like very much. I think a 28F would fit me perfectly, but it's been discontinued and mostly sold out https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />

Pearl grey colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 25, 2017 Flag this

Better than most wired bras for center full, close-set breasts. However, the wire still sits on 1/2 the circumference of my most center-full breast. Sigh. This is so typical of my experience in wired bras. And, it is the primary reason I wear wireless exclusively.....until I find a wired bra that liberates my breast tissue from wires.

Additionally, I can obtain this shape and lift with a wireless bra. There is no reason I would subject my ribs and breasts to a wire for this. Panache should take lessons from Leutus and Fall Sweet. Although the stretch lace is soft, supportive, and leaves ample room for more upper fullness ... than I have, the straps and band are unimpressive. After experiencing Leutus, Fall Sweet, and Wacoal straps, Panache/Cleo straps are trash bin material. For a $60 bra, Panache absolutely needs to improve their bands and straps. Compared to Leutus Ava Petal Lace, this bra is worth $.50 USD. If 30G measurements were already in Bratabase, I would not have purchased this bra. Science.

Narrow, flimsy straps, narrow two-hook band, stretch lace, slightly overlapping gore, better than average immediate projection, better than average center projection among plunges, wider wire (6" ), lower gore (2.4" ). This bra has features others will love! It is just not a bra I can live with.
Read more
111 more words

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Aug 17, 2017 Flag this