You may recall that I bought a Panache Eliza bra off of eBay awhile back (I ended up with a second one via grab bag just a few weeks later.) At the time, I was undecided whether or not to ...
http://mycurves.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/bra-review-panache-eliza-balconette/
Updated on Apr 26, 2012 Flag this
Dear Eliza,
It's not you; it's me. I'm sorry, but things were never going to work between us.
For one, your straps are not fully adjustable, and I am tall.
For another, my boobs are a bit wider than your underwire provides for -- but really, just a smidge. Similarly, on a first wear, I already had to fasten the band on the tightest hooks.
I mean, when that happens, you know the bra-relationship days are numbered.
If it were just about the wire and the band, I might have been able to try to make it work. But... um... I'm not sure how to say this. You're ... kind of closed off at the top, and my boobs felt like you were suffocating them.
Phew. Glad that's off my chest.
Listen, I'm sure you'd be a fabulous bra for a bosom that's a touch narrower and fuller on bottom. You have a lot going for you. You're supportive, you're well put together, and you're pretty.
Someday, you'll meet the boobs that are right for you, and then you'll both be so happy.
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This bra is not owned any more
Updated on Jul 15, 2013 Flag this
There's nothing particular about this bra that's bad - it fits relatively well and it's comfy enough, but it just strikes me as a bit 'meh'. Like a lot of Panache styles, it's a bit dated and frumpy, and I don't think the lace is as pretty on as it looks in some pictures. That said, the little shorts that match are a lovely fit.
This has very 'round' cups - the underwires are pretty huge and come up very high under the arms, and there's very full coverage. As with a lot of Panache bras, it's good for wide boobs like mine as there's lots of room on the side, but I think this could be a bit lower at the front for a more flattering fit.
Updated on Jan 04, 2012 Flag this
I recently picked up two older Panache styles on deep discount to try, both in 30D. I found that both styles are actually quite similar, with Eliza being the half cup version and Loretta being the full cup version. However, neither really ended up fitting me as both had issues in this size.
I was drawn to Eliza because the style looks so frilly and vintage and romantic. Even though it's ivory, I don't think it reads as particularly bridal, unless your wedding dress is vintage lace. It's the equivalent of finding a gorgeous vintage lace slip to wear under some similarly floaty vintage dress ... where cakes-on-a-plate cleavage would be desirable. The cups have little wreaths of blossom embroidery scattered on top, and the upper cup is decorated with a scalloped hem and a small scalloped ruffle. Even the gore is made of embroidered mesh, with a long bow made of the same scalloped ribbon trim. I bought this blindly from Breakout Bras as a final sale item based on the appearance alone. I wanted to have this bra, and I wanted it to fit! Sadly, while it is more gorgeous in person than I had imagined, the fit left something to be desired.
Eliza is surprisingly wide and splayed, and it really felt like this bra was a 32C than a 30D. The band runs a little larger than Loretta, but because this is not a full band style, it feels much less secure on me. The wires are wide, splayed, and shallow. Center gore is set a bit far apart and is very thin rather than reinforced. Because this is a half cup bra, I actually didn't get any obvious fit issues (overflow, wires cutting into tissue) that I would normally experience in a bra that's too small. Instead, I can feel that the wires are too shallow and short and don't contain all the tissue at the sides. This bra gives a softly rounded shape on me, but isn't particularly supportive, as the mesh used is so soft and the cups are so short.
Unfortunately, all the lace, ruffles, and embroidery do show under clothing, so I'm not sure how much wear I'd actually get out of this. The biggest problem, however, is that the straps are really wide-set to the point where they are rubbing against my armpits. Again, this bra feels like it's proportioned for a 32 band and not a 30, therefore it certainly isn't designed to fit on a 28 frame. The front of the straps is actually decorated with mesh and embroidery overlay, which is super pretty, but adds to the chafing at the underarms. Since the cup depth worked for me and the frame is too wide, I think a 30DD would be out of the question even if it were available, which it was not.
Even though this shares the same materials as Loretta and much of the same construction, the partial band and half cups make Eliza a much poorer fit on me than Loretta, and the wide straps make it somewhat uncomfortable as well. I don't mind having this bra around to pop on and feel pretty once in a while, but unfortunately it won't be getting much practical use.
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Ivory colorway
Updated on Feb 17, 2020 Flag this
I really want to love this bra but it is so ITCHY. The fabric - especially at the straps - is like slowly being tortured. The quality is nice and it fits me well but the itchiness is something I can't get past. The fabric is a little stiff and I'm not crazy about the shape, although it is very round. It's a bit too low and natural for me.
Updated on Aug 11, 2017 Flag this
What to say about this bra.... Well it's a love hate relation, the fit is very good. But it is so itchy, hard to keep on all day. I want the same in a nice and soft fabric.
Updated on Jul 21, 2017 Flag this
A bra so matronly, it feels straight out of a 1950s Sears catalog. I would totally wear this if I was dressing up as a grandmother for Halloween. The lace is itchy and outdated and the long bow on the gore does little else than irritate my skin. I can't.
This bra is not owned any more
Updated on Dec 13, 2015 Flag this
This bra fits pretty well, but the lace at the top gapes slightly unless I lean or cross my arms. I guess I need a little more fullness on top to be the ideal shape for this bra, although it is pretty.
Updated on Sep 15, 2015 Flag this
So the cup was smooth along the top edge, but a little wrinkly across the horizontal seam. Also, the straps are covered with the lace mesh material making them kind of scratchy.
Ivory colorway
Updated on Sep 11, 2015 Flag this
This bra seems to have very wide wires, and they are also very uncomfortable especially at the gore. The cup is also too big, especially at the top of the cup. Sizing down a cup may help with the cup fit, but I think it would still be uncomfortable.
This bra is not owned any more
Updated on Sep 10, 2015 Flag this
