I have to admit that I am not the target audience for Charlotte. My reason for trying this bra is solely curiosity, coupled with a discounted price on Nordstrom. I hate padded bras, Charlotte is quite projected in shape and I am shallow, and someone on Nordstrom described this bra as "a Halloween costume for a character from Pirates of the Caribbean." I hoped this was unnecessarily harsh judgment from a disgruntled customer, but she was spot on. This bra is totally not for me.

Yes, I can totally see why this might remind someone of a campy lady pirate. The bra is extremely ... structured, and the cups are made from a very firm foam covered in heavy satin. Potentially sweaty satin, depending on the climate--I doubt you'd want to actually wear this in the Caribbean. There's something a little Frederick's of Hollywood in the design, a little too cabaret for my tastes. There are seams galore, anathema for anyone who is looking for a smooth look, although the two front stripes on each cup are actually just topped on ribbon detailing. The exterior also has a decorative side sling panel, and I have a hard time imagining this sitting smoothly under any item of clothing lighter than a sweater. The padding feels about 1/4" thick, and because it is so stiff, there's no ignoring it. You are committing to a padded bra when putting on Charlotte. This bra is a comfort-seeker's worst nightmare, but it'll give you a fabulously structured shape if you can put up with the ruthless foam cups.

Unfortunately, because of the materials and construction, this bra is not forgiving in any sense, least of all the fit of the cups. I found the cups to be too deep and projected for my shallow shape. While the top of the cup laid smooth, thanks to the nicely-angled upper panel, I could feel the emptiness at the fullest portion of the cups. Charlotte won't work for shallow shapes, tall roots, or FOT, and I am unsure about FOB. I feel the ideal shape for this bra is someone who is projected and evenly round with short roots. The underwire shape is a deep angled U, rather narrow on the bottom, but thanks to the angling is more open on top than a standard U.

Now, I do have to say that the construction of this bra is excellent. The seams actually end up giving a pretty rounded appearance given the stiffness of the foam. You won't see harsh lines like in Cleo Juna. The proportions of the bra look good, the straps are wide and fully adjustable, and the band is amazing. My favorite part of this bra is the band. With a powermesh-lined cradle, extra-firm mesh wings, and firm elastic, the band was lightweight, comfortable, and supportive. I wish more brands would take a cue from this construction and make more supportive bands (I'm looking at you, Natori!)

Overall, while Charlotte is definitely not for me, I can see why it has so many fans. It's a polarizing style as it's not for everyone, but if you're looking for a solidly-constructed, supportive, padded bra to wear in cooler climates, give it a try!
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Black colorway

Updated on Sep 20, 2019 Flag this

This bra gives me rolls in places I never had rolls before! The band leaves me sore and I feel I am constantly trying to adjust it throughout the day.

Updated on Feb 18, 2013 Flag this

Me: Average projection. Fuller on bottom. Slightly wider left breast (I suspect this breast is also 1-2 ml taller than my other breast). Usually wear 28DD or 30D.

I bought this on sale from BreakoutBras and it looks like it wasn't properly shipped. It came in a small box but the molded cups were a bit folded in. Anyways, this bra isn't for me. The bra seems like it would do a good job hiding nipples and it's comfortable. If I was very projected and totally FOB, then this bra would be good. I feel a bit of empty space where my nipples should be. It's enough that I don't want to keep this bra. Now the bra might be that way because of the way it was shipped but it still makes me uncomfortable.

Bronze colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 29, 2020 Flag this

The outside fabric is soft and the pattern, called 'Floral Shimmer', was very pretty. Even without a shirt on is was hard to tell that the cup size was too big, there was no gaping unless I purposely tried to make it gap. I found the cups to be very comfortable but the wire was poking me in the armpit. I had some sizing issues with this bra so that could have been the reason for the uncomfortable wire.

Floral Shimmer colorway

Updated on Jun 15, 2020 Flag this

I have a weird history with Charlotte, as this is my third one. I despised my first one (30D black satin) and never saw myself going back to give it another try, but since then I've tried it in 28E and once again in 30D as Breakout Bras had it on deep discount.

Unlike the original black satin 30D, which was a newer generation that I purchased from Nordstrom, this one in Dusty Rose is one of the older iterations. The cups on this bra are mostly made from lightweight matte crepe, with an outer sling and cradle made from thick, heavy satin. The band is ... still powermesh and fits very snugly for the size. The fabric of this bra feels much more comfortable than I remember, and it looks nice under clothing. I like the appearance of this colorway the best out of all the ones I tried, as the color is subtle and sophisticated.

The band is nice and snug and works for me in the 30, though I prefer the 28. The 28E was a bit too tall at the upper outer cup where the straps are attached, so it creates some emptiness that I have trouble filling, and also causes some chafing. However, going down a cup size to the 30D results in a cup that's definitely too small and too short for me. I fill the volume with no issues and don't get any of the pointiness I get from the 28E on my smaller side, but the cup width is too narrow, and the top closes in too sharply into my tall roots.

When comparing the 30D and 28E side by side, it is obvious that I need the volume of the larger cup size. So, I'm happy I have been able to try both. Now I know that Charlotte is just not exactly right for me and my shape, and I'd probably fit best somewhere between 28DD and 28E with a lowered outer upper cup.
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Dusty Rose colorway

Updated on Feb 17, 2020 Flag this

Wires are too narrow for me. Depth would be okay if the wires were wider. I think because the wires were too narrow, the bottom of the bra ended up being too shallow for me. Unfortunately this wouldn't work for me in a bigger size, the wires would be wide enough, but there would be too much depth.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jul 16, 2016 Flag this

Prettyncharmeuse

4198 reputation

338 bras

Good looking bra, though the wires dig in at the gore and squeak like crazy. Bending the wires might help with comfort.

Updated on Jul 23, 2015 Flag this

I should note that I got this bra as part of a giveaway from Parfait, I have the matching high waisted brief as well.

Such a stabby gore. These underwires are some of the firmest I've ever encountered. Pretty closed on top, gives me quadboob. I'm not sure if I should go up a cup or not. I haven't worn it since I'm going to post a fit check and see if there's any chance of swapping it for a cup up. Since it was a giveaway I'm not sure if I'll be able to. I'd say it could still be wearable despite the quadboob, but not ideal. Maybe for small boob times of the month only. I'll edit this review after wearing if I end up keeping it in this size.

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 28, 2015 Flag this

Update: I've had the bra for over a month and it still fits great. My only concern would be the fit of the band and how the straps sometimes would slip from my shoulders. The band seems snug, but I find myself adjusting the bra during the day when it starts to feel like its slipping down from the bottom of my breasts or just a feeling that it slipped from its most comfortable place. The straps, on the other hand, keep slipping from my shoulders and I have to keep slipping them back on during the day, but not as often as it may seem.

It definitely fits ... great for shallow, slightly FoB breasts. It's the first great fitting bra that I've bought and I'm glad I did. While I find the band to be a teensy bit tight, it's pretty much because I've been using the wrong band size forever (around a 32 or 34), so that will take some time to get used to.

My boobs feel like they're being supported completely. Not to mention that my smaller breast actually feels great, and I don't think I would need something to balance it out with the bigger one. The cup doesn't gape at the top when I'm standing up straight, and only does so a little when I'm hunching over and when I'm raising my arms. But other than that, It's flush against my breast and it doesn't bother me at all.

The center gore sits flat against the sternum and doesn't budge at all. And the band stays in place no matter which way I move. The straps are the only things that may be bothersome, but only so very slightly. I adjusted them a little, to be shorter, because I fear that they slip off of my shoulders, but I'm going to see how they behave when worn for a day out. However, they're not uncomfortable at all.
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Purple Wine w Black colorway

Updated on Jan 31, 2015 Flag this

Beautiful bra, I tried the 28DD but the band (for once!) was far too tight. It wrinkles a little on my smaller breast, but just barely. It works for my FoB boobs and FoT from what I've heard!

Updated on May 05, 2014 Flag this