I'll have to review this again in a few months for sure, but as of right now, with a few modifications I have never had a bra look like this on my body before.

The pictures I took made me REALLY see my own shape, what I'm supposed to look like in a bra and what support is supposed to feel like. I learned that I don't like too tall a gore, which led to me learning how to modify gores and wires and I bought some meshy athletic fabric that's coming for me to pad a little bit behind the gore and behind another itchy spot. I learned ... that I had quilting soap in the back of my closet and that you can use that for bras!

The uncomfortable parts: I've worn sports bras for... pretty much my entire bra life. So having a real band is taking some getting used to. The gore itches like mercy and I'm not quite sure why, I'm hoping it was excess soap but I'm going to probably sew a tiny thing on the inside to protect my skin from it, and I'm going to bend the wires a bit so it isn't touching as hard. The part where the bra cup turns into the strap has some lace that itches as well so if you have super sensitive skin you might have to do a little modification of this bra.

I don't know what it'll be like in six months, but as of 3/17/2017, Panache is getting some money from me.
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Heather colorway

Updated on Mar 17, 2017 Flag this

The fit of this bra isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn close. I have a fun backstory with this bra though (sorry it's a bit long)-

I've been breastfeeding continuously for 3.5 years. During that time I've been pretty prone to clogs anytime I even LOOK at a wired bra, so I've been mostly wearing bras I affectionately call "stretchy beige tarps." My youngest baby is a little over 1 year old and only nurses twice a day now, so I was VERY excited to make a trip to the local fancy bra boutique (Breakout Bras!) and have a proper fitting. Even before I got pregnant, I was wearing ... super old stretched out bras. I honestly can't even guess what size they were. In preparation for my fitting, I measured myself and followed the directions on r/ABTF and come up with a size somewhere in the neighborhood of 34G/GG. That seemed about right to me, I knew my band was 34ish but I couldn't find cups big enough in stores. I planned a girls' luncheon with my friends to try on bras, and off we went.

When I got to the bra boutique, the clerk (fitter? salesperson? I don't know her actual title!) gave me a once over in my stretchy beige tarp and declared me a 32HH. I was skeptical I'd be able to breathe, but figured she was the expert, so I eagerly waited while she brought me some bras to try. She brought a mix of Elomi, Fantasie, and Panache bras... everything was VERY full coverage. Not that I really requested super sexy/plunge stuff, but I'm very petite and have a short torso, and full coverage bras always feel like they come up to my neck. (I've since determined that my shape is very short-rooted/high set, narrow, and projected. I'm 5'2" and my bra band in the back is usually only 4-5" above my pants... super short torso.)

So I started trying on these bras, and I could BARELY fasten them... as in, if my ribcage were even 1/4" bigger, it wouldn't have happened. I was worried I was going to break/rip the bras. In hindsight I am certain the wires were probably distorted in everything I tried on. To say I was uncomfortable would be putting it mildly... my "break the tape" measurement is 32.5" and most 32" bands are painful. I told the woman that was helping me, and she dismissed my concerns, and said I'd get used to it. In all the bras I tried on, the straps had to be adjusted as small as they could possibly go. I realize now this was a sign that the cups were probably a bit too big and she was pulling up the slack (and they all still gaped a bit on my smaller side); it didn't actually make the straps too short. What it DID do was pull all the cups straight up into my armpits (I'm sure the super tight band and wire distortion played a part as well). The upper/outer sides of the cups were digging into my Tail of Spence and armpit and the area was red/raw feeling after about half a dozen bras. Again, I was told it was just because I'd been used to nursing bras, and I'd get used to it. She never took any bras back to try a different size, and according to her the band looked great.

Despite these red flags, I really liked several of the bras she brought me. My very very favorite was this bra - the Panache Clara in Duck Egg blue. When it came time to pick one to purchase, I picked a Fantasie Rebecca (basically a beige t shirt bra) and this one in a 32HH. The last step at the boutique is that a manager/supervisor has to come over and "approve" your fit. Well, the manager didn't care for the fit of this one. Not for any of the reasons I would've cited though; she said it looked like the gore and armpit wires were too high on me and even if it were comfy then, it would bother me within a couple of hours. She did not approve it for purchase. (I think I could've bought it anyway, but forfeit returns? or something, I didn't push it.) So even though it was beautiful and I'd made all my friends that were with me come look at it in the dressing room because I loved it so much, I didn't take it home that day... which is probably for the best because it was a 32HH.

I spent the next month obsessively reading bra blogs and reviews and measurements on Bratabase. I ordered a bunch from Amazon Prime just to try different sizes. And, lo and behold, I determined that a 34GG was a MUCH better fit for me in Panache bras! So I bought this one and am very tempted to wear it to the bra boutique, just to show it off. The fit is great now, the band is comfortable, the wires are comfortable (for Panache), the cups fit perfectly (it's like a second skin!), the straps are adjusted properly, it encloses all my tissue, and the cups are not up in my armpits/ToS. It's a bra miracle. I even posted a photo here in Bratabase, I was so excited about the fit. When I opened the package from Amazon and tried it on, angels sang. I lounged in it and read a book in bed, it was THAT comfy.

It's not quite perfect - I am still a short person and it does have a tall gore (it comes higher than the majority of my breast tissue), but I think I can bend it just enough to make it work. I also think I could use just a smidge more projection near the center (just below/beside the gore). The bra fits strangely in that region (it's that inner triangle of fabric near the center), and it creates an oddly flat area, but you can really only feel it, not see it, because of the location. My only other complaint (if you could call it that) is that the wire swings a bit wide under my arm, and ends up about 1" past the end of my breast tissue. It doesn't bother me comfort-wise, just worth noting for others that have narrow roots. The lace around the band is a bit stiff but I fully expect it will soften up after a few washes/wears.

Moral of the story: Don't let someone else tell you what bra you are comfortable in!
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Duck egg colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 29, 2016 Flag this

Oh dear, this would be my epic dream bra if only it was more comfortable and fit better!
The gorgeous rich colours, the stretch lace, nice rounded profile.. I absolutely love Clara's appearance!

Tried this bra in a couple sizes (30H, 30HH, 32GG, 32H) and actually they all 'kind of' fit.. No major jumps in band and cup between sizes, stretch lace makes for a forgiving fit. The 30 band made the hard wires + gore too stabby for me. The 30HH and 32H were too full coverage for my taste. In the end I went for 32GG as it had the least issues. Clara works much ... much better for me than Andorra, which I tried (but hated) in a 30H. They're supposed to be sister cuts but I found the Andorra's cups less flattering and too tall.

However, in Clara the fit is still not great and comfort-wise it could be better as well.

Gore: too wide and too tall for my fairly close set boobs. At first it tacked like a bench screw, but I used pliers to bend the upper gore outwards. Somewhat better now, but still pokes my tissue in certain poses (reclining, leaning).

Cups: too shallow at the bottom I guess? They tend to slide down from my IMF, leaving empty space at the bottom. Hoisting the cups up makes it better (should've added a picture), but this also causes the gore to be even taller.

Wires: quite firm and long, but most of the wire length is in the gore, not on the sides. For me I don't like (or need) much side coverage, but others may find the sides too low.

Straps: are mostly ok, but as usual they're too wide in my armpit area.

Band: went with a size bigger than usual (32 instead of 30) because in this style it feels more comfortable than the 30 band.

All in all this is a gorgeous bra IMO, and like I mentioned it is pretty forgiving size-wise.
If you don't like hard wires and stabby gores, sizing up in the band helps a bit.

Because of how much I like it, I'm willing to ignore some fit issues. And as for comfort, I can work a full day in Clara without it being too chafey. But because of the gore it is definitely not suitable for after-work relaxing on the couch in the evening. Matching panties are very pretty too and fit my bigger hips & bum well in UK size 14.


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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 22, 2016 Flag this

I had a hard time figuring out what didn't quite fit about this bra until I started taking photos. I've pointed at the empty space below & beside the cups. The wire is nowhere near my IMF at all. Not enough projection either.

Comfort-wise this bra isn't nearly as bad as it looks. The band lays mostly flat all the way around and feels surprisingly wearable for a 30. (I wear 28, but I think Clara only comes in 30+)

Clara has a wide-feeling gore. It's quite close at the top (so it fits my close-set boobs) but quickly widens and separates. The gore isn't uncomfortable, but ... I think the end result is a little...... splayed.

But only a little. If I was a true 30, I think the shape would be fine. The side support panels work hard to keep everything forward.

I have tried a lot of Claras because I really like how the Clara style feels & looks on. I find the wide band sits comfortably and the gore also sits fairly smoothly. The lace is too cute and I don't find it scratchy. I like that they provide a side-support panel and feel this adds to the comfort. It's really too bad the wires are so far off where I'd like them......... but if I found a Clara that was comfortable enough to wear anyways, I'd keep it. This 30FF wasn't quite right but the larger 30G ended up being keepable. I'd not buy this bra full price but older colors can be had for < $40 (nude, charcoal).
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Nude colorway

Updated on Oct 13, 2021 Flag this

I had Panache Andorra a few years ago, which is similar in cut to Clara. I can confirm that both bras are rather shallow.
my shape: full on top (fot), medium wide tall root, center full projected.

Actually I don't mind the wires on this one... they are quite good in width, height and shape for me. The cups however are quite shallow all over. The bottom part is too shallow and doesn't have enough projection. The wire wants to slide down and I have to adjust the wires up which is annyoing. The top section is made of stretchy lace which is good for fot shape, however there isn't enough room for my boobs in this bra. (I need 34JJ or 32K which they don't make) The band is okay but I would size down to 32 if I could. I like a firm band.
I recommend this bra if you have slightly wide, tall and shallow breast shape - and it can work for fot with the stretch lace but maybe size up 1 cup size.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 01, 2020 Flag this

PL/ENG review available https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />

Blog o bieliźnie; biustonosze, gorsety, bielizna, staniki, pończochy, bielizna e

http://miskidwie.blogspot.com/2017/03/panache-clara-65f-ooh-la-la.html

Updated on Mar 20, 2017 Flag this

MiskiDwie

6201 reputation

586 bras

Back when I was a 32H, I owned this bra, and loved it so much I collected colorways like they were Pokemon. I would literally go to Intimacy/Rigby and Peller and buy the colors they had in stock, then scour Amazon for the ones they didn't have. Then dark days came (i.e. I outgrew all my bras), and I frantically searched high and low for Claras in long-since discontinued colors. I eventually found it on eBay in both plum/silver and emerald/gold, and practically wept tears of joy when I tried them on. Yes, they do fit me in a 32J, which is fortunate since that's the biggest size the Clara comes in. The gore tacks, the wires are comfortable, and I don't get any quadding. The photos I took don't do the colors justice.

Plum/silver colorway

Updated on Jan 09, 2021 Flag this

Beautiful bra! It's my perfect fit as well. I have a hard time finding unpadded bras that gives me the same round shape and lift. I tried the 32FF - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285) but it gave me a weird torpedo shape becuase I couldn't fill out the top of the cup correctly. This bra has a shorter cup, if that makes sense. I'm FOB and full in the center, usually I have some spill-over in the middle. The gore in this bra is really high and the stretchy lace keeps me from quadboobing.

Updated on Apr 27, 2017 Flag this

This is one of those times where it's important to note the colorway in review because it ends up fitting differently from the rest.

Duck Egg Clara is indeed an abberation in fit compared to all the other colorways. It does have more room at the bottom, the wires do fit all right in my IMF where they belong, unlike with Heather or Slate/Teal. It is probably too much to hope Panache would go back to this particular cut on further Clara colors, as overall I rather enjoy the look of Clara, and the bottoms are just great (unlike Jasmine, sadface).

With Clara I get a not outrageous but lifted, round appearance, and not exactly east-west but further separated look than Envy or Jasmine.

Duck Egg colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Dec 02, 2016 Flag this

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

THE TAKEAWAY: Best for shallower breasts or breasts that don't need much immediate depth. Full cup + stretch lace on top half is quite accommodating and I think would work well for the whole range of vertical fullness. High gore is no bueno for close set busts. Band is stretchy, consider sister sizing down if possible.

DETAILS: Partly because the fit issues in my 30E - Panache » Clara Full Cup Bra (7255) have become much harder to ignore since I've had a slew of really good fits lately, and partly just ... for fun, I decided to size up in the cup and give the Clara another shot in the new AW16 Slate/Teal colorway. My hope with sizing up in the cup is that I might get a smidge more depth and that would alleviate the bottom of the cup wrinkling I get in the 30E. No dice. While I daresay the top of the cup actually looks better (I get a touch of quadboobing in the 30E, but none in the 30F), everything else is all wrong: the wires are about 1/2" too wide, the gore is waaaay too tall and does not play nice with my center fullness, and what's with the fact that my nipples are STILL in the sheer portion of the cup? For real, what's with that?

Clara, you're elegant AF, but you just won't work for me https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
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Slate/Teal colorway

Updated on Oct 27, 2016 Flag this