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.
It looks great on you. I love the Clara, such a beautiful bra, it hates me though š The 28 band is too big and the wires are agony. I still have it sat in my drawer though!
It is a lovely bra. If you are going to Pokemon a model, this is a pretty good choice. :)
Heck yes I think the Clara is suchhhh a beautiful bra, my personal favorite is the peacock/petrol color with navy blue.
Sadly I passed it on to a friend as it didn't fit me right, but I keep being tempted whenever I see a Clara online.
I purchased the Tango in a 32J in both Pale Jade (light green) and Tiger Lily (orange). To my surprise, the pale jade one seemed to fit perfectly, and the tiger lily was a little too big (wrinkling at the top of the cup). Currently, the tiger lily is a better fit for me. Since the pale jade was an older colorway, maybe the Tango has been redesigned recently? Back when I was a 32H, I owned the Tango in pale jade, blue/gold, wisteria, and forest, and all the colorways seems to fit me the same way back then. I'm hoping Panache brings back some of the old colors eventually, because orange is not exactly my color.
My shape is low set, short and narrow rooted, and soft.
I previously tried a 30E - Panache Ā» Cari Moulded Spacer Bra (7961), but the cups were too small. The band, however, was perfect in the 30". I knew that the band on this 28FF may be a bit tight when I bought it based on how the 30" fit (and from reading reviews), but I wasn't expecting it to be quite as firm as it is. I bought this one off ebay for a bit less than the 30F, so I thought it would be fine. I can fasten it alright without an extender, but ...I find it much more comfortable with the extender on the 2nd or even the 3rd set of hooks. The straps are fully adjustable and they have a J hook on the back, which is a nice feature since I don't have any racerback bras or other J hook bras currently. The detail on the band of the bra is pretty...the bottom of the gore comes up in an upside down V, which makes it look nice. The pattern on the gore and lower band is little circles. The shape that the bra gives is nice and rounded, but perhaps slightly minimized. The cups fit me perfectly! It's a great everyday bra really. I have a feeling I'll get a lot of wear out of this one because the cups fit so well and look great under a t-shirt. The cups have the spacer foam, which is flexible and not very thick.
Overall, it's constructed very well and is of excellent quality from what I can tell (only tried on so far). The comfort is great as long as I'm using the extender. A 30F would have been better of course. The appearance is okay being that it's beige, but this bra in another colour looked quite nice. Read more 207 more words
I keep thinking about getting one of these again. I do have sacrifice fit a bit but it does look amazing under clothes!
confused Same here! My current one in 28F is perfect in the wires and cup volume, but the top edge is just a little too closed off on me and gives me quadboob. But I just love it because it's so comfortable, and I always try to wear it with clothing where the quadboob won't be as noticeable lol
The Panache Idina was one of the few "older" Panache bras I haven't tried yet. But I was always curious about it. It's discontinued now but can be found for low price on ebay, that's where I found mine. It's an interesting bra - but it did not work for me.
First, the Idina is not like other Panache balconettes. I speak of Jasmine / Envy / Floris cut, they have very deep projected cups. Idina has moderately deep cups. It is also not like Tango Full cup cut, as it's wires and gore are lower. I also find the wires to be one of the narrowest wire ...I found on a Panache bra. So it's narrow, moderately deep - sound good, but for my tall shape (+ full-on-top) it is not tall enough. There isn't enough coverage and therefore less support in the upper cup (which I also need at my size ). It kinda looks on me like a half cup. Or maybe it is just too small. As the Idina stops at a J-cup I cannot try a larger size and the band already is stretchy enough so I shouldn't size up to 34J. If I compare the cup height of Panache Idina to a bra that fits me well aka 30JJ - Bravissimo Ā» Lacey Bra (LN486) then I notice that the Lacey cup fabric comes like 2 cm higher than Idina cup. So that explains why I cannot work for me.
I'd recommend it though if you need a shorter cup and all Panache bras have been too tall for you. The fabric is super nice and soft, the bottom cup is lined and the top half is a stretchy lace. The color is a pale beige that works well on pale skin types. It's overall well made and it felt supportive when I wore it... I just had issues with the top part and slight quadboob above the cups. Read more 219 more words
I have heard great things about this bra, but was hesitant to try it as I was exclusively wearing plunges due to my close-set breasts and centre fullness being unable to withstand any higher gores. The gores on Marcie and Hettie were unbearable even though the overall shape of the bra was highly suitable for me. But, since I tried a Comexim Bianca 3HC without a lowered gore, I found that a higher gore isn't that bad. So, I decided to order this bra (along with the Envy).
The cups are the narrowest I have tried in UK bras and they are deep. The stretch lace accommodates top fullness ...well. Everything was good, except the gore which is unfortunately too high and wide for me. It wasn't too uncomfortable, but the wire marks are on the inside of my breasts instead of at the outline / on my ribcage. So, I decided to overlap and narrow the gore, which I always do for my UK bras. That's where the problems start.
It seems that I have taken in the gore too much, which somehow changes the fit of the cups, and there are now wrinkles at the bottom of the cup. But, due to unknown reasons (or physics?), the wrinkles disappear when I wear the straps more inwards. I think I might need to buy a J-hook to wear this bra as a racerback to eliminate obvious fit issues. I feel that my centre fullness isn't really accommodated by the closer cups and was bulging out. It seems like I have made the fit worse by altering the bra https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
Now, it seems that I should stick with plunges, although they never really provide enough stability for me with my centre fullness and soft tissues. My breasts were almost always jiggling in plunges, especially those with stretch lace. I will have to accept my fate that nothing will ever fit me perfectly because my breasts are simply too close together.
Update: I have taken the stitches at the bottom of the gore apart and reinforced the gore without narrowing it too much. The wires returned to its normal position and the cup doesn't have fit issues anymore. Lesson learned it, never take in the bottom of the gore too much or the cup fit will be messed up. Read more 282 more words
I canāt sew so I have no good advice there re:alterations but I see what you mean in the before pic of you from the front about the gore being too wide. Itās too bad because it looks like great fit in the cups on the side angled pics! I love Jasmine and have it in three different colorways- Iāve never noticed this pattern for sale before itās very pretty! Hopefully Envy will be better but I really canāt remember if the gore is any narrower since thatās not usually a problem for me unless itās like suuuuper wide. Which plunges are your fave?
Jolie0216 This pattern is called the Paisley I think and I got it from Bravissimo recently. I love it too! I purchased Envy with this but returned it because I prefer the round shape that Jasmine gives, and Jasmine seems to provide more stability without stretch lace in the entire cup. My favourite plunge is Ewa Michalak M cut, although it gives a slightly more pointy shape than I desire, it is narrow and deep with very low gore.
Too bad it didn't work out for you... you could always try a Comexim 3HC with a lowered and overlapping gore. It makes the bra fit sort of like a plunge but with vertical cups. I did this with my 65J - Comexim Ā» Natalie Half Cup (491) .
Wilderness1 I have a 60HH 3HC with a lowered and overlapping gore, but the EM M cup fits better with more depth.
kate166 oh yeah, I can see how the Ms would work for you.
Thank you for documenting your bra altering journey. It reminds me how little changes can affect fit so much and how a well-fitting bra can flatter so well! Good on you for persevering for a custom fit.
I'm also center full but I've nursed 3 babies, making finding bras challenging. I overlapped my cleo hettie gore and that made it bearable, but I have the same problem with higher gores. I desperately want to try Ewa bras but at closer to a 34/34 F/FF depending on the brand I'm not having much luck finding any second hand and I'm scared to order and be out the money :(
confused If you are in the US, you may order from Levana which offers returns if the bra doesn't fit. :)
I will check them out! I tried a few Comexims from Breakout Bras but wasnt sure since they're marking them UK sizes. I also have a Comexim on the way from Sophisticated Pair but want to try EM so badly!
So I made it to LA after a full day of travel yesterday (partly because we opted to leave a lot earlier than we actually needed to but we were cautious in case of weather delays) and I convinced hubby that we should grab a lyft to Jenette Bras on Santa Monica Blvd today, as the convention officially starts tomorrow, making today a free day for us. He was quite happy to stay out in the waiting area as they were playing a great Spotify playlist of his favourite stuff and they had a photography book that had lots of musicians he liked (book was by a fellow ...that was a photographer for a lot of musicians in the early 80s or something like that).
They pretty much took me at my word for my size and evaluated the fit of the bra I was wearing today (65FF BM Cabernet) which she agreed fit but she did adjust the straps a little bit tighter. She pulled out a few things from the drawers, and I went out to them and grabbed a few. One of the bras that she had grabbed for me was a 28G Envy in a beautiful blue...itās called Navy, but mine seemed like it had a tinge of teal in it, but maybe itās a trick of the lighting? Seriously though, this colour is really stunning! On my own, I went to look at the drawers in my size range and pick out some stuff, and I came across 28FF Jasmine in caramel, a bra in a size that Iāve actually tried before (but never got any pictures of up here). I just reviewed that here before this one.
Now traditionally, Envy and Jasmine have not been my friends. They are too projected at the apex, and in the case of Envy, too tall. However, I have had some growth since the summer and itās evened me out some with a little bit more tissue/volume on top that I did not have prior. My lack of upper tissue and softer, pendulous, fob breasts is often a problem for this kind of bra style, so I usually end up with a bit of a pointy shape because I just sink into the cups and fill the space until itās done and then I often have spread out so forward in that deep apex that I no longer have enough tissue to round out in the bra on top. Given that I am somewhat more full on top now than the last time, I thought I would try them again and see if it is still a shape mismatch or if itās a better fit.
In the case of the Jasmine, this was definitely the case. I got a bit more of a rounded and fuller profile than I have had in the past. I donāt know if itās because of the size or the increased fullness. With this bra, I feel like I am getting a little bit better shape than I have, but itās still a little bit pointy on me. Itās not as bad as it has been. Iāll have to see if I can find other pictures of me in various sizes of Envy, because I have certainly tried more than a few sizes.
As with the 28FF Jasmine, I felt like the band was tight. The fitter thought that it was the right size and not too tight or putting too much strain on the hooks. Itās making me reconsider the 28G Lily I have. That said, Iām sure that I would still be a bit more comfortable in the 30 band for now. I was unsure if the cups would be a better fit in the 28FF, but when I tried it, I had a small amount of cutting in, so it is definitely a better fit in the cups in the 28G.
I donāt quite fill the bottom of the cups, and if you look closely at the images, youāll see the wrinkles at the wire. To me, itās not a huge problem, as I do not think that itās going to be a problem with my imf. But itās a bit annoying still that I donāt have a smooth cup there. I am pendulous and definitely need a bit of immediate depth.
I still think that itās a bit too tall for me and a bit of a shape mismatch, but I think that itās a little bit better of a fit for me now with my increased growth. I do love the Envyās signature houndstooth print on the lower half of the cup as well as the colour of this one. They do have a great selection of colours for this style.
The big question is probably if I would buy one, and I think that it would be dependent on the size and colour, but also the price, because I know that itās not a perfect fit, but itās a doable one that might be a good fit for me under my work uniform.
Update: I have found the various fit request albums that included the Envy in various sizes and included the screenshots in the gallery for the 28G that I am reviewing here.
The 32E (peacock) is the oldest and from the trip I took with my husband to England for our 20th anniversary in October 2016. Itās back when I was still wearing 32 bands.
The 28F (black) and 30E (beige) are from January 2018, so a little bit more than a year ago. I went to the local specialty shop we had at the time feeling confident about my size but agreed to get measured anyway and they told me that I was a 28F. I agreed to try the 28F in Envy, as it was the only one that they had, and I surprisingly got it done up, but it felt really tight, and I asked them for the 30E to compare. The 30E felt better in the band but the fitter was insisting that it was not as good a fit as the 28F, at least technically, though agreed that it was a shape mismatch and not a good style for me anyway.
Hopefully the extra pictures are helpful in comparing the fits in Envy I have had in the past with the 28G of this review. Personally, I see a small difference, but not a huge difference. Read more 967 more words
oh wow the peacock and the navy are really gorgeous colors. Beautiful! Visually they really do look fine, even the peacock tried earlier looks quite passable on my screen. I agree the difference is not especially striking.
So, idk, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer... if you love it go for it! But this is pretty subjective... if it doesn't feel all that great and you aren't a fan of the shape, that is a totally valid reason not to buy/keep this one. Shape and coverage-wise this would not bug me, on my own body that is. I do like a good old traditional full or nearly full coverage style and I am not averse to a bit of retro pointiness either. That's why I enjoyed the Prima Donna Deauville when i could find it! Then again, Prima Donna has very soft wires so I found even PD full cups sat very lightly on the body so to speak, whereas it sounds like maybe this was a little much. Panaches like Envy/Jasmine are "a lot of bra" compared to other options in your size range, so, perhaps it's overengineered compared to what you need.
Also FWIW I'm not a fan of fitters assuring you a band is fine if you feel it's too tight... you know your body... Especially for bras with notably hard wires--nobody wants those bad boys embedded halfway into their pancreas tyvm.
If I were you, I wouldn't even be trying 28 bands anymore. So far few seem to have worked, which is fine, sometimes the measurements don't match how we feel. I know in my case it was like that and I decided to just stop torturing myself with a smaller band when I clearly am more comfy in larger.
Anyway, I tried Envy when I thought I was a 34E (and got it in that size) and I was not at all impressed with the fabrics and just the bra overall seemed more like body armor (for something looking so delicate).
Such a lovely color! Amazon often has Envy available at good prices and with free returns if you are interested enough.
And glad the weather didn't impede your travels! :-)
The colours are pretty :) I think that the amount of fit or style compromises that it makes sense to make really depend on your other options. If it's already hard to find anything that fits, then something wearable but with a few flaws is the best option available, maybe even some bra surgery or alterations are worth trying. If however, you already have better fitting, comfier and prettier option in your bra drawer or that you can buy, I fear that a bra that's just meh will end up gathering dust and not being worn, so it's not really worth buying in my opinion :)
I'm happy you were able to go there and had a good experience!
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I did try on some Prima Donna, Simone Perele, and some of the other French brands but I didnāt document anything that I tried on. I could probably try to find the names on the site and match visually, but as many were 30G and didnāt fit, I think that it was not worth reporting on. As far as trying the 28 bands, they only had Panache and Cleo in 28s, so it was really the only chance that I had to try them on and gage cup fit. That said, one of them was a Cleo Mimi in 28GG, which was too large in the cup but was perfectly fine in the band, so it is really dependent on how big or stretchy the band is. But yes, mostly I need 30 for comfort. Or at least 29ā stretched, whichever size fits like that. The peacock and navy are so rich and beautiful, and there are a ton of beautiful shades. Ultimately, I donāt think that I would buy it unless I was able to get a 30FF for super cheap and it fit as well as this, but I also have so many other bras that fit me better that I would probably not look at this one. Jasmine is a more noticeably better fit with my size and shape changes.
For the record, does this 28G Navy Envy look like it fits any better than the others or about the same? Also, I will say that although it was a bit tight, I feel like it was not as tight as it was when I first tried the 28s. That said, back then, my snug under bust measurement was closer to 29ā (28.75-29.25ā) and now it is closer to 28ā (28-28.5ā). So maybe itās not as bad as then because of this? But like I said, I prefer 29ā minimum, whatever size it comes from, so I am kind of in between the 28 and 30.
It is frustrating being between sizes, sorry honey. :-(
I think the older photos aren't really comparable since your size and fullness has changed, so comparing the older photos at different sizes vs the newer ones is tricky.
I know the Panache bras I have tried (like most brands) vary with each bra you try, so even if you try the exact same model and colorway, you likely will experience a slightly different fit. It is more of a bra by bra trial and error experience.
Are you going to be able to buy any bras on this trip, or is it more of a solidifying your wish list for future buys situation?
I wonāt be buying anything on this trip unless Iām able to get to the Nordstrom rack, but when I was there last, they didnāt have any bras. But that was a year ago. This trip is expensive as it is, with some things that are limited to this convention, like a picture with Catherine Tate, whereas I can buy a bra any time, you know? I mean, I might see some of the guests at other cons, but this is a grab it while you can kind of thing, and I prioritize it higher than more bras. Plus, I am getting the 65G S bras this evening. So Iām still getting bras on the trip. I guess I was just trying to figure out if I fit it/them better now BECAUSE of the growth which is why I added the older pics of how it has fit in the past.
Completely understandable. Hopefully your trip is enjoyable and your bra treasure tonight fits beautifully. :-)
agh.. I don't think I can judge confidently about the relative merits (or not) of the navy Envy because on my screen it is a bit hard to tell due to the darker color. But as you say, it's a moot point when you have so many preferred options: on paper you're a very decent match for this Panache shape because you have only moderate root height and a pretty straight tapered upper boob curve, but in reality it sounds like it's just meh in terms of comfort and preferred appearance. And I agree with both you and brasaremean about 28s, you prob only want to consider those in brands known for stretchiness. Was it you who said you had a little rib flare (one or two ribs a bit out of alignment just below the bra band)? If so, I think that is an important factor in sensitivity to tight bands for a lot of people. I have a slight prominence difference in the ribs, sort of between the front and side of my body, right where many underwires settle, and that's the reason I can tolerate much tighter non-wired bras than wired ones--those ribs don't like being gouged!
This looks pretty good on you, but the band is pulling the wires too wide. It certainly doesnāt look any better than the 30E.
I would take the fitters advice with a grain of salt especially if this was the only bra she had left in this size. Maybe they donāt sell too many 28Fs and she finally wanted to get rid of it.
The fitter was not being any more aggressive about this one than others that I had tried, which is to say that she was not aggressive at all. I simply asked her opinion about the fits of the 28 bands and she gave me her thoughts.
The fitter was not being any more aggressive about this one than others that I had tried, which is to say that she was not aggressive at all. I simply asked her opinion about the fits of the 28 bands and she gave me her thoughts.
The 30K of this bra is too small. The band is too tight (I'm wearing an extender for these pictures) and the cups are slightly small. Check out my review for the 32K Tango in the pink Color for more information and how this bra can fit better.
Don't have many bras that currently fit me, so I still wear this bra occasionally. It gives me very good support and uplift. The shape is okay, although I prefer a more front and center shape compared to the slight east-west appearance of Tango. The cups are deep and roomy in all directions, but not in the top section. So ...if you are full on top, this could be difficult. But I have to say, that I have had worse fits with full cup bras than the Tango. So it is not a full-on-top friendly bra but still better than many others.
30K, even though it is too small, to me is much more comfortable to wear than my 32K and that is only because of the center gore. On the 32K the center gore is 13cm tall, and it very much hurts me. It is too tall for me. On the 30K the gore is 11cm tall, which works just fine and does not hurt me. Just for that reason I prefer to wear a too small 30K over a 32K that actually fits. The things you have to do for comfortā¦
Oh and I have to say, that for me it is not quadboob, if it not visible under clothing. That's just something when you are at the upper end of the size charts you learn to make things work. But technically I have slight quadboob in this bra and also cutting in of the cups under my arms. So this bra is wearable to me but not a proper fit. Read more 201 more words
Yeah, if there's one thing I don't miss from panache is their wires at the gore. I love the colour though!
Personally Tango has never worked with my shape but this doesn't look too bad. And yeah I can understand that about the minor cutting in..I usually just compromise if it doesn't show through. Or find a way to work it if it does, sometimes I have no choice. Lol
Yes it is not that bad. Imo one of the best bras big cup sizes when it comes to support and uplift. That's why it's still around after all those years. The band and cups are really designed for hard work of lifting heavy boobs and not put too much pressure on straps. I rather have great support and no pain on my neck from too much weight on should straps than a flimsy bra with stretchy lace with no quadboob but also no support.
I honestly wish I could say the same for Tango, because it's a no go for me. I didn't even know it could give that kind of shape..lol.. As for me, stretch lace is an absolute must (it doesn't always work, but it does better my chances of a fit).
It's always amazing to see how different shapes can affect fit and how they work with different styles.
I still don't know why the Tango somewhat works for me. Back in the day everyone told me to avoid it with my full on top shape, but I ordered one and was impressed. The Panache bras with stretchy top section were such fails for me, because they felt flimsy and unsupportive because of that. I felt like so much pressure was put on the shoulder straps because the bra cups would not hold in my boobs properly.
Jasmine has been recommended to me (very pendulous, very projected, VERY soft tissue, wide/low set, even to FoB - not sure about this one) numerous times. I can definitely see why, it is sturdy enough at the bottom of the cup to give a nice lift and hold up weight. Most importantly, it does all of this while remaining very comfortable. I can barely even feel the wires, they seem to be a great fit, and the gore tacks beautifully. This colourway is amazing, it looks so good! The lace is very soft, and somehow they've made it so it doesn't cut in and give me quadboob at ...the seam (a very common issue for me with stretch lace.. or any lace... or any seams in most bras I've tried so far).
However, I can't help but feel something about this fit is off. It looks fine in the photos, but when I look down or when I look in the mirror, I feel like it gives me major Madonna bullet bra pointy boobs. It is a problem I've been encountering a lot on this brascapade I've been on. After years of wearing moulded bras that squished my chest, maybe I just need to get used to this look. Read more 100 more words
The Jasmine will give a bullet shape if it's a mismatch to your shape. You don't have to get used to it if you don't like it! If you like Panache, there's a ton of other styles available.
So far I have gotten the bullet bra shape (in my perception, maybe it's really not and it just feels that way cause they stick out kind of) in nearly every bra I have tried on. I'm scared that at this point it's probably a 'me' problem than it is a problem with the bras :/ I felt the same with Panache Envy (in nude, if that makes a difference) in 34E, and in Freya Fancies Plunge (34F and 32FF). I'm completely out of ideas anymore...
I don't really see the bullet shape too much in the photos, how does it look under a shirt? Sometimes pointy is our natural shape, not all boobs are round.
I just uploaded two photos wearing a t-shirt over it.
Okay, I see what you are talking about. It looks like you have tall shallow roots, getting the upper part to be rounded is difficult. If you want a more rounded shape, Comexim's 3HC and Ewa Michalak's CHP will give you that shape. The upper portion will probably stay as a slope though, just based on my own experience with those bras.
Sadly padded bras don't get along with the girls at all (quad boob galore) no matter if I'm in the right size. If it has a hard edge, it will cut in. Oh well, the search continues.
This bra gave me bullet boob too, which I was sad about because it was a beautiful bra that I wanted to love.... I think it's a combination of projection and soft tissue that did it for me. It does look nice on you, but it does give a more naturally pointy shape rather than that super round look. Some people like that look...it's a matter of preference really.
Some half cups are unpadded, and you can make any unpadded Comexim into a 3HC. http://bra.pe/MHUp/
Ewa's half cups are open on top so might cut down on your quadding.
Wilderness1 I'm thinking along those lines too. The tissue is just too pliable and it doesn't sort of work with the bra to get that nice round look, just lets the bra completely shape it. At least that's what it felt like in Envy, and it feels like in Jasmine.
Wilderness1 I'm thinking along those lines too. The tissue is just too pliable and it doesn't sort of work with the bra to get that nice round look, just lets the bra completely shape it. At least that's what it felt like in Envy, and it feels like in Jasmine.
Hold up Sovavosi, they will make whatever I ask of them?
Hold up Sovavosi, they will make whatever I ask of them?
Also I am not sure why it's posting all my comments twice lol
Mostly! You put what you want in the comment box during checkout. Sometimes they won't do the alterations and they won't tell you. I haven't ordered from them in about a year so I don't know if they've gotten any better about this.
That is very interesting. I ordered their Comexim Tropical Garden Plunge Bra (191) but unfortunately it was a comically bad fit. The cups felt like they were too close to each other and I had a huge gap around the gore (which actually was tacking perfectly lol) but I was spilling out on the sides.
brasaremean I was the exact same boob size as you (though with different body composition, I suspect you are taller and leaner than me whereas I had more chubbiness on a smaller height and build) for a LONG time! But at every size I had this issue, except even more dramatic/obvious, with all of the Panache full cup or balconnet bras. If you like I can describe the issue with me and you can try to consider if this might have some relevance for you. (Also if you dig around in my profile to look at bras no longer owned etc. etc. you will see a lot of the bras that did work for me when I was around 32FF-ish, perhaps that will also give you a frame of reference to compare!) As far as I can tell, for me the incompatibility with Panache is due to the shape and angle of the upper portion of their cups: compared to the natural shape made by my center-full and projected soft boobs when they are supported, the Panache cup design tries to shape the breast into a fairly smooth, continuous, gentle curve from apex to top of breast root. The mismatch with me is double: first, Panache designs assume a lower apex than what my boobs effectively have in a bra, so the upper half ends up rather brutally smashed down (so strange-looking that the first time I tried a Panache, back in the late 1990s, I got a severe fit of giggles in the changing-room!) My boobs, when supported, just do not make that smooth gentle curve--they do not have tall roots so since it's a really projected, compact mass of breast tissue, at the top they curve sharply back towards my body and then it's just "finito"--there is no more breast tissue going upwards; in fact it ends a good 8-10cm below my clavicle, even though I have a super short torso with very little space on it overall. So, as a 32FF I was able to wear SOME of the (non Panache) UK balconnet or full cup styles that also make a closed-off shape at the top, but not many of them because they have to have a very high apex, a generous amount of space on the upper inner quadrant of the breast, and narrow-set straps. Most of the UK bras by 2010 and later had been redesigned (compared to the ones I used to buy in the 90s and early 2000s) to have more wide-spaced straps, to allow open necklines, and to stay on me they needed to be angled in and this created too much slack in the cup and a weird, unnatural shape.
Anyway this may or may not be relevant. I just thought I would describe the issues in case it can help you find a kind of bra design that would work better! If you do a fitting request with body measurements and so on that may help people give advice too.
wendybien Thank you so much for this writeup. You know, now that you mention it and this was something I noticed with Envy especially, when I would pull on the outer part of lace a little bit the shape was noticeably nicer. I'm no seamstress so that was as far as I got with seeing what would actually make the bra work. The top of the cups where they meet straps feels like it needs to be different for me. I will check out some of your bras and see what you have working. From what you describe we do have similar issues (body shape aside). I did learn my lesson with Panache here... and while I don't find the wires uncomfortable (quite contrary, they don't bother me at all), I think they may be adding to the overall issue. That being said, I didn't keep the Envy, but I am holding onto Jasmine. Just in case someday I need the pointy boob look, I will have one (secretly I'm in love with this colourway). I was thinking of making a fitting help request but I need to buy a tape measure first as mine seems to have gone completely missing.
I agree with Wilderness1 ... she and I have pretty close shape and size. I also canāt do Jasmine or Envy. My soft tissue just sinks into the cups like pudding. Just filling up whatever space there is, which usually is not all the way up because I lack the tissue on top to fill the rest of the cup properly.
Yeah, it seems like it's just a bra/tissue mismatch. Shame, Jasmine is a beautiful bra, I had high hopes.
I don't particularly think that this bra looks all pointy and madonna-esque to me, but we all have different opinions on that. But what I think you could do to help make it more rounded for youself, you could try lining the cup (top of the cup/lace portion, using light hand stiching you can play with it) with a much firmer fabric and also moving the straps in more towards the center of the breast. I think this would help with a rounded profile.
I may be completely off with this recommendation, but you may want to look for a very FULL CUP bra that is non-padded, meaning it would literally encase the entire breast with supportive fabric. Similar to my 30DD - Claudette Ā» Paramour Underwire Bra (101015008) . Though you may feel a bit squished in it like I do, especially since you are so very projected.
LeProfessor I actually prefer fuller cup bras as I feel like I'm spilling out of anything less. Unfortunately most of them have rigid edges that cut into my tissue but it's something I'm used to. Does Love Claudette no longer exist? I remember ages ago seeing their bras on ASOS and ogling them, but now I can't even find the website.
Yes brasaremean Claudette is a defunt brand. Sadly so. They did so well while they were in france, but when they moved to California they started creating very different, very wide & shallow bra's compared to their previous nicely narrow, slightly projected bra's. I've tried almost all of their styles and have maybe 3 more that I need to get my hands on. XD I pointed to the paloma I have because generally speaking I also have the problem with full cups rigid edges cutting in, but since the paloma literally wraps around the breast, the cups like settle on the rib/sternum and hold the breast within instead of settling on any breast tissue. Which would technically stop all cutting in. Albeit I still have some in the paloma because the gore is too wide. If the gore were narrow enough the cup edges would rest on sternum instead of breast as the outside of the cup does. I do know this isn't always possible depending upon breast shape and how much surface area the tissue takes up. But I thought it would be worth mentioning and hopefully I am making some shred of sense! XD
Yup you're making total sense. I found a cheapo one in 32FF (red one) so we shall see when I get it.
Please excuse my dummyness here. I kept saying the "Paloma" bra, but I meant the "Paramour" bra. XD. I need to try the Paloma, it's not quite the full coverage of the Paramour and I would not recommend the Paloma for you.
Yes I figured it out ;) don't worry. I did order the Paramour so fingers crossed. I also found the fishnet scoop in that beautiful baby blue (I wanted it so bad when it was on ASOS) and got that too even though it doesn't look good for me at all but I couldn't help myself. If anything it looks comfy enough to wear around the house.
This bra is gorgeous. It reminds me of a carribean night. The name means "dove" in Spanish. The print is reminiscent of palm trees. There is beautiful scalloped lace across the tops of the cups, and it is echoed at the bottom of the gore. If this bra had the fabric continued around the back it would be so pretty to wear in lieu of a bralette with an open backed shirt. The fabric is mesh, perfect for hot summer days.
This is a bra whose straps do not adjust as short as I need. Of all the bras I have tried this is the first bra ...whose straps don't adjust enough, which I imagine may be a bigger problem for people who tend to need shorter straps. Like other Panache bras, the wires are a bit too wide, I have about a thumb width of fabric beyond where my breasts end under my arm. Related to this, also similar to other Panache bras, the upper edge of the cups are way in to my arm pits. I think this bra is for someone who is more full on top, I am not getting a smooth line across the top. The bra does have enough immediate projection for me, and the gore is comfortable for my close set breasts, although is hovers just barely off of my sternum. Finally, this bra does not give me a very supported shape, the top of my breasts just go in a straight line down like a ski jump. Read more 155 more words
That is such a pretty bra! The shape it gives you looks sorta retro, like a 50's lady, if that makes sense. :) I've always had the same problems with Panache bras eating into my armpits, as well. It's too bad this doesn't work for you! It's really a gorgeous print.
I wonder what that bra would do on someone who already has a pointy shape.
Thank you for the Spanish lesson. :-) Such a beautiful word, fabric, and bird. I wish Panache would try some new design characteristics.....
This bra reminds me of easter. I have the mint and lavender colorway. The spring colors are combined with the delicate feminine touches like ruffles on the straps and thin ribbon edging.
This bra comes close to fitting. The gore tacks, but my close set breasts push one wire overlapping the other. The wires seem very wide, and there is a bit of empty space on my sides. Thankfully the wires do not go up to high to poke in to my armpits. The bottom part of the underwire curve presses a bit uncomfortably into my ribs, I suspect it would bother me more if I wore it all day. The bra is wearable for me, but gives me a rather pointy shape, which is not what I prefer.
So, I had tried a 32JJ red floral floris last year, and it seemed huge and I returned it. But this was a good deal, NWT, and this white floral colorway I had actually bought myself for a birthday present in 32J, and was pretty bummed that it no longer fit, so I was pretty excited to have it. Which is probably part of why i will forgive some problems with this bra!
It is slightly too big. There is some loose fabric on the top - but this happened with the 32J when I first tried it, too - since there is no stretch, there ...is very little wiggle room between loose fabric and quadding. But the loose lace does not show under shirts
The wires on my smaller side poke me in the armpit, esp in certain positions (like driving). I dont remember any other bra doing that so much, and I assume its a combination of slightly too wide wires - I do have empty fabric on my smaller side - and the slightly higher wires in this size.
As usual, its a more projected (almost pointy) shape which I like under more shapeless clothing, to give more definition. The cups give great support. It feels like my boobs are strapped in to a harness with lots of hardware holding it in place - which is not super comfy, but at least it does not require as many adjustments throughout the day as my EMs do.
Its big enough, firm, and I do like the pattern, but no, the proportions in this size are not quite right for me.
Note, I did wear this, until a wire broke Read more 177 more words
Excellent support!! Wow! I completely understand why you recommend this bra. Gorgeous!
Yes, when I fit the 32J, it was the first bra I'd found that really, really fit! I was so sad that I grew out of it. But i cant seem to stop gaining weight . . . but at least the girls are still supported
Looks great on you .. very good support too
dbmamaz I wonder if the Thea, which is a sister cut with stretch lace on top, would be right fit you in the 32J? It gave me so much lift my boobs pointed up, but there was no cutting in because of the firm stretch lace top.
I have a jasmine in 32JJ, and it fits fine .. similarly to the floris, but slightly better I think, but the fabric is sorta itchy. Mostly, i'm happier w EMs. I need her upcoming purple SF!!
Your Jasmine probably fits better because it's a four part cup instead of a three part cup like this one . I find that the three part cups have that extra room on the side near the armpit and always a bit of loose upper cup lace on me. Something to consider . I am beginning to think I need a purple sf lol
I really, really like this bra on you dbmamaz! It looks really good!
Thank you! I had bought THREE Floris when I was a 32J, but then I outgrew them and fell in love w EMs. I do wonder if I ever lose weight if they'll fit again - you never know how bodies change
I really wanted to love this bra. The color is gorgeous, peacock blue. It has a firm band, comfortable stretch lace, and provides nice shaping. I was happy with everything about this bra, except the one thing that made it unwearable, the cup cutting in to my armpit. I felt like the cup was sized pretty well for me, it went a little farther around my side than necessary, but not bad. The top of the side cup is just so tall. It feels like it is a shape mismatch for me. I'm curious if other people have experienced this with this bra, and I would love to hear suggestions if you think I can get one to fit.
My pictures that go with this review were approved, but I am not seeing them here... Does anyone know how I can fix this?
At the top of the Manage Pictures page for your bra, check the box where it says āMake pictures visible next to my bra information.ā
I'm not sure you can get this one to fit without altering it yourself. The top part looks like it's cut for someone with much wider shoulders than most people have.
As strapless bras go, this one's okay. Not my favourite, but better than most I've tried. It's quite projected and closed on top. I think the cups run pretty true to size. The deepest part of the bra is near the centre. Empty, the bra looks kinda pointy. On, the bra looks very saggy and pointy - like a witch's nose in profile.
The band is lined with something that I think is supposed to keep in from slipping down. But unlike the silicone you find on most strapless bras, this has no stickiness to it. It's very smooth and I think it contributes to the bra wanting to ...slide down.
On the plus side, the seams in the cups are pretty low profile. I think it would be pretty invisible under most clothing.
The bra fits and doesn't slide down too, too much. I think this bra would work well under a structured dress, like some bridesmaid dresses. But for under the lightweight, cute summer clothes I was hoping to wear with it, the shape it gives is a deal-breaker. Read more 70 more words
I have wide roots and even, full all over boobs that are close at the top and splayed at bottom. This bra pushes all the fullness of my boobs out to the sides making me look very bulky and matronly.. I hate it https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> the only good things are that itās a good looking bra, feels sturdy and well made and in profile makes my bust look rather perky but yet somehow still low and heavy :/ Anyway stupidly I bought this bra because I doubted myself and listened to others who criticised my preference for having my boobs pushed together.. donāt let anyone tell you what bra to buy or what is acceptable or not.. the only way to know what you like is to try different bras and stick to what you believe looks and feels good, you are the one wearing it.
I think all the Panache Black series (which I think this was originally part of) were very shallow. I saw some online 'expert' saying that most women with larger boobs WANT them flattened (so they fit in clothing better). I dont really get it.
Really? I donāt want them flattened at all lol! Minimised sometimes can be good but not flat smh.. some expert
My shape: mid-height front-facing teardrop-profile (ski jump with no "jump") with tall shallow roots, low apex, lots of immediate projection underneath but moderate overall projection, wide roots with lots of side fullness and shallow tails that wrap all the way to the shoulder blade, extremely close-set center tissue (possibly a trace of natural symmastia), and very firm self-supporting tissue that when pushed out of shape will push right back.
Oh, Jasmine, I was hoping at least one of you would work. Oh, well. This one is a pale nude color that is nice enough on my skin, although it's a bit on the beige side and might be better with olive tones.
The 30 band is perfect on the loosest hook (measuring snug 72/BTT 66.5 cm today). I'd say it runs between slightly tight and true-to-size, because I need 28s in Freyas (which are stretchy) but also lots of other Panache and Cleos.
The wings are tall, which I like, and the wires are wide enough and sit comfortably. In combination these keep my root tails in check, and they are not the tallest I've had, although they might be too high in the armpit for very sensitive people.
The cups are where the problems are, though, and there are lots: too projected overall, top panel has too much space but closes too soon, apex is too high, not enough immediate depth at the base OR at the center gore. I think the cups are also a half-size too large today, too, but it's hard to tell with the rest of the issues; they seem roomier than the 30FF in black, though.
Man, this gore. Stab-city. There's no space to shift the wires in the channels, either. No thanks. It has an unusual shape and flares out more from top-to-bottom than most, and mirrors my own IMF shape pretty closely, though, for what it's worth.
When will people learn that small band/large cup people are not 2-dimensional? My shoulders and my ribcage are not wide enough for these straps, and they cut into my armpits and make the cup issues worse whenever I'm not perfectly still and stiffly upright. The straps aren't even broad enough to be really comfy (although they aren't especially UNcomfortable on me, since my tissue is mostly self-supporting). I'm used to it from Freya, but this is annoying! Read more 333 more words
I admit I had high hopes for this baby. I am newly embarking on my "perfect fit" quest, btw. Everyone was hyping it like it was the holy grail of bras for women with a lot of immediate projection, which I have. I purchased the 36D in the "mosaic" colorway (the pattern is kinda pretty but not my first pick), and it was immediately apparent that the 36 band was too big for me, and the cups... I don't know. I THINK they're too small, but it's challenging to pinpoint the issue-- I seem to bust out of it in some places and have issues with excess in ...others. The gore on this was just shy of 3 inches, and a half inch too high for me-- it dug into my sternum. So here's what I was working with: I have boobs that have roots that are wider than they are tall, and are fairly wide-set, slightly splayed, with a couple generous fingers between them. I have obstinately firm breast tissue, a lot of immediate projection, and usually don't fill the bottom bit of bras because the wire gets pushed down by my bossy ladies. I gently bent the underwires into more "swoosh" like shapes (they are pretty u shaped), but they still seemed off-- they chafed like they were too tall, but I felt like I had a lot of under arm muffin-top over the wings in this bra, especially considering the looseness of the band and the height of the wires. The stretch lace is very nice for moving with you and preventing quad boob-- although it made it harder to determine if cup size was an issue. Generally shape it created is ok -- they seemed a bit torpedo-shaped on me, possible due to being too small. One other thing-- the gore was too narrow for me, which I thought might happen based on other reviews by close-set women praising it for being small. The back has three hooks (nice!), and it a bit scratchy in a few spots by the hooks. I was surprised I had to put the straps on the loosest setting to keep them from digging in, as my boobs are pretty high up my torso. I think it my just be the wrong shape for me, so if my shape sounds similar to yours, you may find this one doesn't work out. If you are "between band sizes", definitely size down-- I am: snug:34.75 tight:32.75 loose:37.75 and 36 was too loose for me. Read more 313 more words
I got a great deal on this bra from someone who ordered the wrong size from (zulilly maybe?). Its a discontinued bra (and super cheap on amazon right now). While most reviewers found the band to run tight, this 30 runs large - the previous owner measured it at 32, but I measured it at 31.5. While i could close it without an extender, I felt the cups were slightly flattened, so I used an extender for the pictures and will wear an extender for probably the first month or so.
As you can see from the pictures, the fit of this bra is just ...'eh'. Other women in the larger cup range also commented that this is just the least supportive Panache we've seen. Now, the cup also might run a tad big - it measures in between my 32JJ cups, but is a bit loose on top. But definitely a droopy sort of fit for me.
I actually like the lace pattern, but its basically just a beige bra. However - I do not currently own any beige bras that fit! So at least I can wear that white shirt without the color of the bra being visible!
I will keep it for a beige option and an easy-wear option. Not exciting, but worth it for the price I paid.
I wonder if an Ewa pad in the bottom would help? Read more 131 more words
Do you sew at all? Even by hand? I swear I have seen the perfect tutorial for fixing this exact problem on a blog and the girl (woman, sorry. I'm 30 and still call my peers girl) hand sewed and little seam in the cups and it totally changed the shape and supported her breasts more. Hopefully my rambling will spark someone else's memory and they will post the link because I can't for the life if me remember who it was.
I have a plain beige bra that fits similarly, it's about right most of the time to changes of a 1/4 to a half cup size larger than I'd like based on where I am with weight fluctuation. Padding might help, if you have some handy, try them and let us know if it improves the fit!
I've tacked the top of the cup to the gore or strap before to get a better fit on top.
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 Ā» 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.
I have never had a bra fit me this perfectly. Yet, I had to return it! Just thinking about it makes me want to cry, but even with a camisole and heavy weight Tshirt on top, there was a HUGE line visible with this bra! I can't handle that. I tried on so many shirts and it looked terrible. SO SAD!!!!!!!!
I have a 27 inch snug underbust and 33.2 inch leaning bust measurement and the calculator said I was a 28E/F. I think I have tall, shallow, narrow roots. Centre full, splayed, projected and even fullness. I have never really worn proper bras before but after reading through abrathatfits and letting my tissue finish migrating with snug sports bras, I got this and two others from amazon. And it fits (IMO) really quite well. The cups are slightly to wide for me, and is perhaps a teensy bit too projected, but now I can use this to work out the sort of measurements I need (somewhere in the ...ballpark of 4.6-4.8 width cups, depending on the gore width, and a depth of 7.6-8.1) The gore is fine and not too wide, despite me being quite close set. I'd definitely recommend this for those who are even fullness and have a decent amount of projection, as it'd probably fit weirdly if you're full on top or have tall, not particularly shallow roots. Be aware it gives you a natural 'pointy' shape and is made of stretchy lace. No rounded cups here, though it has pockets in the cups for padding or whatever. If you have other bras you should pinpoint the fit issues, check their measurements on here and work out what you should try next. (Just because the calculator said you were such and such doesn't mean you should get that size on every brand and style of bra and it'll fit you with no issues!) anyway...This is a great bra, and I'm very happy to wear it. Just wish I knew it was sheer beforehand *cries* and could get it in heather. I had my heart set on that colour but they're all sold out. Any idea if they'll make more of them?
*edit* I have no idea what I was thinking. Actually, I do, I wasn't. This Is waaaay to wide for me, by about an inch and a half on each side. The depth is good though. A shame because it is really quite pwetty. Read more 238 more words
It looks great on you. I love the Clara, such a beautiful bra, it hates me though š The 28 band is too big and the wires are agony. I still have it sat in my drawer though!