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