Even though I went up a full cup size it still doesn't have enough depth at the wire for me and because of the bigger cup it poked me in the armpits to boot. I haz a sad cuz it's so beautiful and I had to return it.

Duck Egg colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Apr 24, 2017 Flag this

This was my first BTF! Very comfortable all around, and the stretch lace really allows my breast to fill the cup.

Updated on Feb 28, 2017 Flag this

I got a chance to try this bra on quickly today, but was unable to take any photos or measurements.

Every time I see photos of this bra, I love it more and more. It's pretty and lacy, but with a vintage feel. A little background: I first tried Clara in the Black/Gold colorway when I was a 30GG and it was a total fail on me. Now that I am in the market for an unlined style, I thought it would be worth trying it again. I found the new Royal Blue colorway in a UK department store. They also had other colorways, but I only had ... a few minutes to try things on, so I grabbed the blue in a 30E. Sadly, Clara doesn't come in a 28-band, or I would have chosen a 28F, which is most likely my unlined size post-2016 weightloss.

When I grabbed the bra off the rack and felt it, the first thing I noticed was that it seemed different to the Clara I had tried before. The materials seemed softer and finer/more delicate, somehow. I know a lot of people would be happy about that, but the Clara I tried in 30GG had more of an industrial, supportive feel to the materials. The bottom part of the cup was rigid/stiff and the top lace wasn't so stretchy. I was hoping for that again. I wonder if it's because the construction of the cup changes above a G?

As for the fit, when I put it on, I had to hook it on the last hooks straight away. The band was super stretchy and soft. I wasn't expecting that. I'm a little worried now because I ordered a Panache Floris Balconnet Bra (7311) also in a 30-band and I hope it runs tighter. But I digress. The other thing I remember about the first Clara I tried in 30G was that the wires and gore were murderously hard and uncomfortable. The gore on this Clara was fairly high for me, but for some reason didn't dig in (maybe because the band was loose) even though it tacked very well. I was surprised by that.

I had some difficulty adjusting the straps because of the decorate hoop edging along the edges of the straps. The fasteners just wouldn't budge. I was already in a rush in the dressing room and that got frustrating quickly. I'm short-rooted and high-set, so it took a while to get them short enough. I persevered.

The fit of the cups was... confusing. As someone who has been a 28G-30G for a long time and mostly wears padded/molded bras, the cups on the 30E looked so tiny. My boobs must have really shrunk. Thanks, genetics. I have plenty of other fat stores you can take inches off, you know. I was therefore surprised when I got it on and scooped & swooped that I was reasonably contained. Well, my larger side was quadding considerably and the lace was cutting into my roots (amazing, given how short my roots are when supported). I think it's because the bra really wasn't supporting me properly. The bottom of the cup was too shallow and had some space above the wire that I couldn't fill. The apex of the cup was too shallow, especially on my larger side. Since my tissue is very soft, it just sort of squished down. From the front, the cup might have appeared to fit my smaller side well. The outer side of the cups was a whole other story.

The inner construction of Clara comes with a side support sling. I dread these, as I have a ton of inner fullness but absolutely no outer fullness post-weightloss. The outside of the cup was weirdly empty on me, with hardly anything touching the side sling. It made my roots seem even narrower. The cups aren't technically that wide for me, but they are too shallow. So I had a lot of empty space at the sides of the cup while feeling squashed in the middle. To get enough volume in this bra, I'd probably need a 28FF to fit my larger side, but then I would have gaping on my smaller side and a lot more empty space at the sides of the cups. It would probably also feel more jiggly and even less supportive.

And finally, some brief notes on the comfort/feel of this bra. I found the material too thin for my comfort. Especially the lace top part, which is very thin, and the rest of the cup just wasn't supportive enough for me. I prefer thicker materials that give me more "coverage". If I run my hand over the cup of the bra, I don't want to "feel" anything through the material, if that makes sense.

Sorry, Clara.
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Royal Blue colorway

Updated on Jan 11, 2017 Flag this

letstalkaboutbras

1949 reputation

146 bras

My first bra that actually fits! Its so comfortable, and the cups fit perfectly.

Updated on Dec 22, 2016 Flag this

Lovely round shape. I wear a 34GG in this but a 32H in Cleo Lucy.

Updated on Dec 11, 2016 Flag this

Yes, it is that beautiful. It's also a little shiny, and more blue than the pictures implied! The stretch lace feels quite delicate and definitely does its job. I'm not sure if it's the perfect shape for me as the bottom wrinkles if I scoop and swoop, but if I resettle things that goes away.

Slate/Teal colorway

Updated on Dec 08, 2016 Flag this

This is a lovely bra, and the stretch lace works well for my uneven breasts. When I first wore it, the top of the gore really dug in and was painful. This is not so bad after washing it, however now I get pain under my right breast after a few hours wear. The bottom of the cup also feels like it is struggling to fit my breasts in (not enough immediate projection).

Heather colorway

Updated on Dec 05, 2016 Flag this

I have the Panache Clara in 32HH and can do it up comfortably (it's only had a few wears) but think the cup is too small, so I ordered it in this size in the same colour, and I can barely do it up. It was hard to do a full assessment on it for this reason, but I think it still might not have enough immediate projection for me, and clearly either this one is slightly faulty, or I need to go up a band size.

Black colorway

Updated on Dec 05, 2016 Flag this

I already have one of these and love it, see my review of 34GG - Panache » Clara Full Cup Bra (7255) for a longer review!

The color I already have is the duck egg blue, and when I saw this one on eBay for $15 in beige (which should work as a nude for me), I couldn't resist.

Takeaway: Stretch lace is forgiving, materials are soft/stretchy and comfortable. Functions like a minimizer on me, which I don't mind; everything is still very rounded. The elaborate all-over lace makes me feel beautiful even if it's not the most stunning silhouette.

Fit: Just like my other Clara, this one ... has very tall wires, both under the arms and in the gore, but it doesn't bother me somehow. I am beginning to think I might try a 34G (one cup size smaller) in the next unlined Panache I buy, simply because I've noticed the Envy fits me much better in that size and these are fairly similar/based on the same model. There's nothing here to actually indicate I need a smaller size, but I also think the stretch lace is so forgiving it might be hiding an imperfect fit and I might get slightly more uplift with a smaller cup. I hesitate because I know the G-GG jump is where the construction changes (goes from 2 to 3 hooks, straps get wider), and I'm not sure if I'm willing to risk the comfort of the wide band and straps I get her just for slightly more uplift. On the other hand, this is the absolute tallest gore I think I can wear comfortably, perhaps a cup size down will scale down enough to reduce the gore as well. We'll see.
It's kind of odd, in my other Clara there is an odd spot of tension on the lower-center cup area (the triangle panel nearest the gore) that I took to mean that this bra doesn't have enough projection for my center fullness, but in this one it's the opposite. There's some wrinkling in that same panel, whereas in the other Clara it's almost too taut. It seems like it might also be an issue with the construction; there are 2 layers in that spot, and it seems only the top layer is wrinkled. I am revising my theory - I think there is enough projection in that spot, but I think the shape of the wires/gore isn't quite right for my IMF in that region; like the wires are wider at that spot than my breasts so they are resting on breast tissue and I have a hard time filling it right there. Regardless, it's not an issue with comfort at all, and since that area is on the underside and in my cleavage, no one can see it, so I choose to ignore it because this bra makes me feel beautiful otherwise!

Appearance: The lace is beautiful, just like my other Clara. The color is a very yellow-peach beige... It's not the same color as, say, my beige 32GG - Fantasie » Rebecca Spacer Moulded Bra (2024) or my 34GG - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285) . It reminds me of the color of vanilla ice cream that has that bright pastel yellow color. It's not a true nude on me by any means, but it'll work under light shirts. The shape it gives is very round. My shape is very projected, and this bra handles it just fine, but somehow gives me a very shallow/minimized appearance. I don't mind this at all - I have my 75G - Ewa Michalak » Sf Gładzioch Beż (849) for days I want some real "oomph" with an unlined beige bra. I actually toyed with the idea of converting this one to a nursing bra (I'm always in search of more pretty nursing bras), but I won't, because the stretch lace portion actually extends up to the shoulder area which would put the nursing clip on top of my shoulder. The lace is flat enough to not show under clothes, even thin clingy shirts; the seams show more than the lace does, but it's all pretty smooth.

Construction: Stretch lace EVERYWHERE. There's a non-stretch mesh layer under the lace on the cups that actually does the heavy lifting. The straps in this size are wide and padded with some felt underneath. The back has 4 sets of 3 hooks/loops. There are side slings (double layer of the mesh), but I'm very center full with narrow roots and don't really need side slings ever so these just kind of sit there.

In summary, although this bra doesn't give the same stunning silhouette some of my Polish bras do, it still does an admirable job lifting/rounding. If I hadn't found Ewa's unlined bras, I'd probably love this one even more. This bra does make me feel like a very grownup classy sort of person when I wear it, and it's very comfortable!
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Beige colorway

Updated on Nov 02, 2016 Flag this

This is such a pretty bra. It looks good and is comfortable but the cup is too small; I get some side boob. The band seems perfect. I think I need a 32HH in this style.

My boobs start at my collarbone, I think they are average on the top, firm and bottom heavy with lots of projection.

Duck Egg Blue colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Oct 31, 2016 Flag this