People, choirs of angels started singing when I put on this bra. It was epic.
Why do so few bras have much depth in the bottom of the cup? It hardly seems to be an unusual bra-fitting problem. Whatever the reason, if that's one of your problems, too, the Envy is well worth a try.
My breasts have average height/width roots, set low on my chest, and are self-supporting, with even fullness, average projection, and firm tissue. The Panache Envy just might be the only bra I've ever tried that has enough depth in the bottom of the cups that my breasts don't push down the underwires to find enough ...room (which seems to be their superpower). Can't and don't even want to. Wow.
My previous best fits were the Cleo Lily and Panache Jasmine (both also in 30FF), but while those are pretty good, neither of them have quite enough projection at the bottom of the cup, which leads to me needing to hike the underwires back up into my inframammary fold every couple of hours, just like other bras.
The Envy, though? I wore it all day yesterday and the underwires did. not. budge. No readjusting; no real need to think about my bra at all. Took off my bra at the end of the day, and there were the temporary red marks, right under the breast roots where they belong, rather than a finger's width below. The lovely round, uplifted shape it gives me is the icing on the cake. I have the [white person's] "nude" color, and I plan to buy the black and cassis colorways, too — and every other colorway Panache releases in the future.
Ah, you found your angels singing bra? How wonderful! I'm very happy for you, especially because you can find it in multiple colors from a major manufacturer, probably often on discount.
I love how you said your breasts' superpower is pushing down underwires. LOL!
Yes, I found my bra, and it only(!) took two years and at least 75 bras to find it. I am truly fortunate that it didn't end up being a discontinued-years-ago style from a hard-to-find brand.
There's nothing like a bra that hasn't been discontinued turning out to be "the bra".
Now if they would just drop the price a little. lol
I do love my envy, as well. I purchased panache jasmine, panache envy, and panache Andorra around the same time. I ripped through the lace on both cups of the jasmine, one cup of the Andorra. No rips to the envy, however! Much tougher lace. The Envy really lasted much longer than either of the other 2 bras. I also love the cleo lily!!! I bought 2 of those suckers!
Do you fit in 32 bands? I have a black 32F that I've only worn 2 or 3 times before realizing I need I need much narrower wires.
plutonium743, I wish I did, especially because now I have both the "nude" and cassis colorways and still need a black one, but I definitely need 30 bands.
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). Read more 156 more words
I have a friend who takes photos of every clothing item she tries on and then looks through them before deciding to purchase. I decided to try it with bras and I'm not sure why but it helps me diagnose fit issues and see so much more detail. I do it with every bra now. It's so much easier to see wrinkling at the bottom of cups.
My shape: mid-height center-set slightly conical teardrop with lots of immediate projection; super wide and tall roots, close center tissue, and allover fullness that gives me similar fitting issues to shallow breasts; and firm self-supporting tissue that fights back and doesn't like to be pushed around.
This review is for a gently used ebay purchase in the Caribbean Blue colorway.
For starters, in case there was any doubt, I should point out that this bra is sheer. Only the lower outside part of the cup is lined, which could make for a great summer bra. For me, the exposed lace just made it a little itchy (you can see the ...slight redness it caused on the photos of the wire marks). Since this bra has supposedly been washed before, I can't assume it will get any better. With a combination of very sensitive skin, a recent struggle with mysteriously recurring hives, and ADHD's sensitivity to irritations, this is a deal-breaker for me. On the other hand, the tag doesn't scratch and I never noticed it at all.
The band fits alright, I suppose. I'm not 100% sure how stretched out the elastic is from wear by previous owners, but either way I was still on the tightest set of hooks. I suspected from reviews that I would need a 28, but, not knowing for sure, took the chance. It doesn't ride up or shift, but I can still pull it away quite a bit on the tightest set, and it feels loose. I think my underbust measurement has shrunk a little lately, though, which may also have something to do with it.
The straps are quite stretchy, which surprised me. They seem supportive enough for me, given how slim they are, but I have self-supporting breasts and this might be important to some people.
The gore is low-ish, but still pokes. Shifting the wires around didn't seem to help much, but compared to the plunges I used to wear the gore is pretty tall. Panache plunges are not very plunge-y. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
On to the cups, which are the real interesting part: There seems to be enough inner fullness by the gore, which is great. The immediate projection from the wire at the bottom is ok but I still need more, which means the wires want to creep down, especially before swooping-and-scooping. I also noticed loose fabric wrinkling across the top of both cups, which is made worse by reaching or slouching and I think also indicates that the bra anticipates a little more upper fullness than I have. It's possible that some of this would be made better by a 30F (or 28FF), but I'll have to find one before I can try it and know for certain. The fit issues, or possibly the fact that it's a cup size too large, give me a fairly pointy profile, especially if my nipples push out on the horizontal seam.
The wires are a decent length, I think, but the wrong shape for my underarm-tissue and roots, which are flattened curves reaching back to my shoulder blades (like the Nike swoosh). The wings are also slightly too tall to dodge the tissue there, so it pokes just a little as though it were actually too short, although I didn't notice this until I saw the marks when I took the bra off. The outside-bottom part of the curve is also too wide and misses the InfraMammary Fold (such as mine is, which admittedly isn't much).
Summary: Probably not for me, and I guess I am slightly conical and maybe a little FOB? Read more 491 more words
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 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!!!!!!!!
Hiya! Would like to ask for suggestions for lightly lined t-shirt/ balcony style bras please https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> I am 30:8, full on top, centre full, close set, soft tissue (30FF in Panache Envy and Jasmine are perfect fits).
Recently tried the Panache Porcelain Elan Moulded t-shirt bra and everything was great except the gore - it was too wide for my close set breasts so ends up sitting on top of my breast tissue. Tried fastening the back on the tightest hook and I still have the same issue, and then one cup ever so slightly cuts into my ...larger breast while the other is completely fine.
Does anyone know bras with similar styles and have small (<2.5cm) cup separation? I like the shape of this bra and lightweight lining. Have tried Freya Deco Moulded plunge bras in 30FF and 28G but felt the cups were too thick (made my breasts look even bigger than how they are already) and I'm not a huge fan of plunges as my soft tissue likes to move around when I move. Thanks for your help in advance https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /> Read more 93 more words
I feel like you might like an Ewa Michalak bra of some sort. Their S bras might be too solidly padded for what you're looking for, but maybe their SF bras might work even though I know they're not exactly what you're asking for?
I like comexim bras, they make non lace bras that are pretty smooth under shirts.
This was my favorite when I was in your size range, I dont know that they still make it, but maybe you can find something similar, it is a super soft stretchy satin material, it was awesome, my favorite bra for a long time, and I have close set breasts as well, I think the deep plunge helped. https://www.bratabase.com/browse/prima-donna/satin-plunge-bra-0161335/
I also tried the Elan years ago and it was awful on me, I think it maybe just isn't a very well designed bra. Finally, I happen to really like wearing panache underwired sports bras, they are very comfortable, give a great shape, and are pretty smooth under clothes. Hope this helps!
Thanks bustyand I have yet to try Polish bras! Will have to do my research on their different models :)
veggiechic Thank you for your suggestions, using panache underwired sports bras as an alternative is such a good idea! I have two already so can definitely give that a go :D
My shape: center-set mid-height FOB teardrop with super tall and super wide roots that give functional allover even fullness, super close center tissue, and very firm tissue that fights back when pushed around.
This review is also for the Blush/Floral colorway.
Basically, the fit problems that I have with the 30F - Panache » Thea Balconnet Bra (9261) are exacerbated by the larger cup size: the gore is even taller, more wrinkled extra fabric in the upper cup, more obvious underwire riding down due to shallowness in the bottom of the cup, and the apex is even higher. The cup edges under my arms still have little ...to no stretch and I can't really tighten the straps without hiking them right up into my armpits. Curiously, the band feels firmer, but the photos don't seem to indicate any difference, and I still tried it on the tightest set of hooks.
Definitely one for someone with shorter roots than mine!
EDIT: this bra does not have enough projection for me. When I hike the underwires up into my inframammary fold and tighten the band to force it to stay there, I get spillage all round the sides. It is probably a cup size too small for me, but I can tell it's also just the wrong shape, based on the fact that cups are already in my armpits in this size. I would recommend this to someone with moderate projection.
The fabric of the cup (not the wires) comes up too high for me in the underarm area. The straps themselves are not too wide, which I appreciate. ...Still, I wear this bra in my rotation because even though it's a size too small, it's very well made. It fits comfortably enough and gives me a lovely shape that is smooth under Tees (lace does not show). Excellent lift for heavy breasts. The 30 band is perfect for my 29" ribcage: I waver between the first and second hook after owning it for 6 months, wearing twice/week. Quality is HIGH, materials are comfortable but sturdy, and I particularly enjoy the copper-colored metal fastenings they chose. At certain times of the month, my smaller breast leaves a bit of gapping, but it isn't noticeable, and it fares much better than my Deco, for example. The padding here is not so stiff. If I could get this in the next cup size up with narrower wires, I would. Read more 138 more words
For reference, my measurements are: 1: 30.5 2: 27 3: 36 4: 37.5 5: 35.5 Size: 30F or 28FF Full on top, slightly wide roots.
Good: It's cute. The gore tacks.
Bad: This bra is so uncomfortable for me. Although I can stretch the band reasonably, it feels too tight. No matter how I adjust it, it feels like it's sitting too low on my ribcage and poking in. I believe the wires may just be a bad shape for me.
Additionally, I believe this bra would better fit someone whose breasts are fuller on bottom. The cup was slightly loose all over, but I wouldn't be able to size down because the top of the cup slightly cut into my tissue. It created a bit of a quad-boob, but I believe that it would be a problem if I were to get a smaller cup size.
Overall, I think the bra runs true to size. I would imagine that it would look and feel good on a lady with a smallish ribcage and full-on-bottom breasts.
I love how this bra looks and how it makes my breasts look. The colour is gorgeous! Unfortunately the gore feels too high and/or wide, it digs into my sternum and breasts. So I ended up returning it.
I normally wear a 32F, according to the bra fitter the band on this bra runs large.
I love it too, but it is a shape mismatch for me. The cups are a little bit too shallow for me. It's so soft and beautiful though.
That color looks great on your skin and the shape amazing too!
Yes I definitely think you should be wearing a 32 band, I also feel like your about to burst out of this bra! As long as your comfortable that's all the matters. ^.^ It's is quite beautiful and matches your shape lovely.
As this is my first bra of the correct size, I'm not sure what I'll get used to and what is a sign of a bad fit. The only discomfort I know of is the gore. None of my other bras have ever had a gore that touched my skin, so I'm wondering if it's merely a matter of getting used to that new fit. However, I do find that the top of the gore feels like it's digging, and when I look down on it, it looks like some breast tissue is being pushed into it. Also, I'm not sure that I'm filling out the bottom/sides of the cups completely; it feels comfortable, but there's some wrinkling in the fabric and there's fabric between the wire and the start of the breast.
My shape: projected teardrop/FOB with super wide/tall roots and very close-set tissue in the middle.
This review is for the nude colorway.
The Search for a Strapless Bra, Part I: The Beginning
I just got this bra because I didn't own a strapless, I had a cute off-the-shoulder top to wear, and it was the cheapest I could find in my size. It's alright, although I should note that I am not generally a fan of strapless, whether it be bras or anything else.
I always have trouble with strapless stuff (dresses, tops, bras) making an inadvertent quad-boob effect not because they are too small, but because I have very tall breast ...roots, and nothing strapless is ever cut shallow enough on top for people my shape, with the exception of some corsets that have all the boning to support elsewhere and allow the cups to support instead of squash. This bra is no exception, and it is in fact a pretty significant culprit in the cups-at-the-wrong-angle-for-my-chest department: too much projection, too short and too quick to close on the top of the cup. However, since I am pretty sure that almost any strapless bra is going to be like this on me, I guess it's not any worse than any other.
I have noticed the bottom of the cups wrinkling a lot, and I am a little concerned that maybe a 30FF in Panache is a cup size too big for me, but I think sizing down would also make the pseudo-quad-boob thing worse; plus, I have the orange-in-a-glass effect in lots of bras, so this is just be a combination of not being FOB enough plus the cup volume being at the wrong angle to contain more of my breast tissue. The wires are also not quite wide enough to contain all of my super wide roots on the sides.
The center gore of most strapless bras are too high for me due to super-close-set boobs, but this one is actually pretty low! It's the reason I considered it in the first place, and I was not disappointed! Hooray! Thanks for the plunge, Panache!
Also, it will slide down a bit, even hooked as tight as you can go, but all strapless bras slide a little, so again, no surprise here. I am sensitive to clothes things (scratchy tags, socks bunching around ankles, etc), so it bugs me, but like I said, it comes with the territory. Read more 294 more words
Hi, I just read your review and was wondering if you ever found a good strapless bra? I have nearly the same shape as you and it's hard to find a strapless bra that's projected when most of them are SUPER shallow so that they 'stay on' so to speak.
My 30G - Gossard » Egoboost Strapless Bra (6288) does alright in that regard. It's still not perfect, and it might be too much of a boost for some of your clothes to still fit (seriously, it has double cookies), but it's the best I've found so far for my projection and tall roots. Plus, the band is wider than most others I've tried, and it is SUPER tight: I need a 28 in other brands, got a 30, and have just recently stopped using the extender I bought for it.
The lace on the upper cups is gorgeous, but this is very much a full cup bra. It will probably show under scoop neck shirts. The cups are very thin so they don't shape a lot and there may be a little show through, but the support is still pretty good. It's definitely not a round shape, but kind of a gentle slope on top. Does tend to widen me out on the sides. Because it's completely unlined, I wouldn't want to wear it under a thin shirt; and it doesn't shape enough to wear under heavier clothes.
Oddly, the gore doesn't bother me as much with a smaller band (I tried 32F last week), I mean, I can feel it's there, but I think I could wear this bra all day.
The cups seems bigger than 32F, but they should be the same size - maybe they just appear bigger with the smaller band.
Now that I have 30FF, I would like to try 30G, but I didn't order that size, haha.
Cups seem good, I'm not "quad-boobing," but I wish I could compare to a 30G.
30 seems like the correct band size for me in the Panache Envy series, firm but I can still breathe.
This bra gives a bit of a bullet shape, but it fits me *almost* perfectly.... a tiny amount of wrinkling at the top. I don't really like the embroidery on this, but there aren't too many bras that fit me! I also don't like it in black, so I'm going to get a different color.
Now, how it might fit you!!! I am full on bottom and close-set, so this plunge works for me. The cups are not TOO high, like the high apex plunges or Bravissimo plunges. I'm also center-full, but I don't spill out, perhaps because the cups hold me in that bullet shape! (I'm also splayed, so that might help.
Absolutely love the color and the lace is extremely comfortable. The seams are well placed and do not itch or rub. I am a big fan of full cups, so I have to be honest, I did panic in the balconette style when I didn't have as much coverage as I was used to! But with a lack of top fullness, the stretchy lace, and the lower cut is very flattering. The satin/lace fabric combo seems to sit well under clothes. I normally wear a UK 32F, but whatever size I tried on in-store was wrinkly/ gappy in the cup under the arms. The fitter suggested the 30FF and I like a tight band so I was on board! I'll need to give the band time to relax, but I am otherwise very happy with the bra! I think I'd try a 32F in the future, in case the fashion color was the cup-culprit. Could not say no to soft sage though!! This is my first panache and I don't think it will be my last!
This is my first almost perfect bra after finally finding my true size thanks to this community and /r/abrathatfits. It fits me perfectly in every way except for the gore diggin into my sternum. I can’t decide whether it’s uncomfortable enough to return it though, because everything else is so perfect! I have worn it all day and the gore digging is somewhat livable. The only other thing is that the shape of my breasts in this bra is good but not great. They are definitely a little torpedo-y. Still on the hunt for absolute perfection.
I felt the same way when I tried it! Sort of torpedo shape, lol! It's such a beautiful bra, very romantic in my opinion. I wish it fit me better. I'm glad you like it laurapalmer
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.
30 band on the loosest hook fits great (snug 72/BTT 66.5 cm today). Wings are tall and wires are wide enough, keeping my root tails snug, although they might be too high for very-sensitive people. The gore is also an unusual shape and flares out a lot toward the bottom, mirroring my own IMF surprisingly closely. The cups seem slightly smaller than the nude version in this size.
The bad:
The gore, in spite of its convenient shape, is tall and stabby. The straps are way too far apart and cut in, and they aren't even wide enough to be pleasant and comfy to make up for it. The cups are ALL wrong, too, with too much overall projection, not enough immediate projection at the base of the cup or the gore, too high at the apex, and the top panel is too roomy and closes too soon. I can't tell if they're a size to large or not.
Ah, you found your angels singing bra? How wonderful! I'm very happy for you, especially because you can find it in multiple colors from a major manufacturer, probably often on discount.
I love how you said your breasts' superpower is pushing down underwires. LOL!