Definitely runs small in the cups and tight in the band! See review on blog for details.

http://www.venusianglow.com/2012/11/review-parfait-affinitas-charlotte.html

Updated on Dec 29, 2012 Flag this

eternalvoyageur

54 reputation

10 bras

This bra was really cute but I bought it in a size up (30F instead of a 28F or a 28FF) which made the wires too wide and the cups gape a lot.

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Updated on Mar 18, 2017 Flag this

After trying on the 32DD in this bra and getting a pretty good fit, I thought there was no way the larger cups of the 32E would fit me. Wrong. Not only did the cups on the 32E fit, they were much more comfortable. The band also felt much more comfortable (not quite as snug) as the band on the 32DD despite being the exact same measurements. There is no quadboob effect on my larger side (left side) in this one, and as long as I swoop and scoop first no gaping on my smaller side. The top edge of the bra is ... higher up on my breasts but still follows the contour well with no gaping. The apex of the horizontal seam also sits just a little higher. The side wing and outer edge of the cup are slightly higher but don't come up too high under my armpit (hooray!).

The differences in the photos between the 32DD and the 32E are so slight that it's hard to see, but I was amazed at how much more comfortable the larger size was. The funny thing was, the smaller size wasn't even uncomfortable, just not as comfortable as the bigger cup size. Lesson learned, try on both sizes if at all possible.

*See my review of the 32DD Charlotte Balconet Bra for pictures of the 32DD.
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Wine Purple/Black colorway

Updated on Aug 27, 2015 Flag this

This bra has some down sides and some pluses. Make sure you know your shape before you buy! This bra is good for my very soft breasts as it gives them more shape, and as I am fob it works well for that too. My roots are narrow so the wires are a bit wide for me. Since they are not poking so I will live with it, but the wires are very firm. In the peach colorway mine runs about 1/2 to a full cup size small, so bear that in mind if ordering. The straps are very wide set, and I angle them in a little, but they stay up just fine. Overall this bra has very cute retro styling but it definitely will not work for all shapes.

Updated on Dec 17, 2014 Flag this

My current starting-point size is 30FF, and I had originally ordered this bra in 32FF because it was said to run small in both cup and band. My verdict: Cups, yes; band, not really.

Cups: I needed one cup size up for my even fullness; those who are markedly full on top will probably want to go up two cup sizes, since the tops of the cups are quite closed. (Actually, I'd strongly recommend that the FOT try the Parfait By Affinitas Charlotte (6901) padded plunge version instead, as it's more open on the top.) The cups are shallowish, but have enough room at the bottom to ... accommodate my immediate projection.

Wires: On the wider side, although not the widest I've worn. The wires are very tall under the arms, great for those of us who need that to corral sideboob and usually can't find tall enough wires. (Not a good choice for the narrow-rooted, nor the high-rooted, nor the short-torsoed.)

Wings: Also quite wide, giving me smoother lines under my arms and on my back than any other bra I've tried.

Band: I'd say it's nicely firm, but not a full band size small. I'd try your usual band size first, unless you need/strongly prefer bands on the looser side. It has three hooks in this size range.
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Updated on Oct 29, 2013 Flag this

I ordered this from the same closeout eBay seller where I ordered my 28E Red Charlotte Padded Plunge that measured at least a size too big (ordered 28E, measured between 28F and 28FF). This bra has the same problem. I ordered a 30E to try because the 30DD I got originally felt a size too small, and I read that this bra runs small. However, the bra I received measures at least a 30F, potentially 30FF (the measurements listed for both sizes here are pretty similar and I'm not sure which set is more correct). Therefore, it is far too big.

Once again, I highly recommend ordering Parfait bras only if they are returnable, since there can be a lot of inconsistency.

Peach colorway

Updated on Jun 16, 2020 Flag this

Lately I have been intrigued by all things Charlotte, since I revisited the fit of my Wild Pink Charlotte Padded Bra in 28E and found it to be better than I remember. I was never interested in the stock photos of the Charlotte Balconette version, but I saw some real photos of this bra in Peach and really liked the vintage look.

(I'll refer to the Charlotte Padded Bras as the Plunge and the Charlotte Balconette Bra as the Balconette)

I wasn't sure whether or not to heed the warnings that this runs a bit small, so I stuck with my normal sister size of 30DD. In hindsight, ... I think the 30E will be a better fit, so I am trying to get my hands on the larger size to compare. Regardless, the 30DD is a pretty good fit all around--the band is firm, and the cups do enclose my breasts entirely while giving me a nice rounded shape. I can just tell that the wires are a little bit small, the cup depth is a little bit shallow, and the height is a little bit short. In the past, when I was used to seeing myself in much smaller bras (30C/D range), I would've thought the fit was absolutely perfect!

Charlotte Balconette is constructed as an underwired bandeau, similar to the B. Tempt'd Ciao Bella, or the Masquerade Antoinette. However, those bras are made from soft, flexible foam, and Charlotte's cups are much more structured as they are made from the same firm foam as the normal Charlotte Plunge. This gives the cups a much rounded, structured appearance even when it's not worn, almost like a molded foam cup. The upper edge is slightly closed off, but it is much shorter on the Balconette than on the Plunge. The cup width and wires are very similar between the two bras, but this is much shallower and has a shorter cup height. So if the bottom cup of the Plunge fits you but the cups are too tall, give this a try. If the Plunge fits you throughout, you may want to start by sizing up.

The construction of the cups on both bras is very similar, as they are both 3 piece cups with a 2 piece bottom. Fullness on this bra is pretty evenly balanced. The outer cups and cradle are made from satin, the upper edge is matte chiffon, and black seams run up the entire vertical length of the cup for a corset-like appearance. I did not notice the seams much under clothing. The straps on this bra are thankfully not particularly wide-set, and the picot-edged satin straps are attached to the outer third of the cup right above the outermost black seam detail by a large black bow. I really like this detail and I think it contributes to the bra's overall vintage look. The band is firm powermesh, and fits TTS. Unfortunately the straps are not detachable, because I think this could make a great strapless bra! Instead, the fully-adjustable straps taper to a standard leotard back, and there are no additional trims.

This is a super gorgeous bra and looks much better in person than it does in pictures. I also have a Red Charlotte Plunge in my possession and think this style would look great in Red as well. I am happy with the 30DD but would like to try sizing up to the 30E to see if I can get a better fit, but I may just end up keeping this one as it's always good to have some bras that are a little larger and a little smaller in your collection for size fluctuations.
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Peach colorway

Updated on Jun 09, 2020 Flag this

This is probably the best-fitting bra that I own! The tall wings and gore keep my soft FOB breasts in place, and create a nice rounded D shape under clothes. There is boning on the sides next to the wings, which makes them extra supportive. However, this does detract a bit from the comfort of this bra. I normally wear this on the middle hooks- Parfait seems to run small in the band.

The black piping does show under thinner shirts, which is kind of a pain, but I just pop on a tank so they don't show! The fabric over the gore is not sewn down to the gore, so it kind of sticks out oddly, but this doesn't show under clothes and isn't a dealbreaker.

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Updated on May 26, 2019 Flag this

The band on this bra is quite a bit looser than the 32F in Dusty Rose, and the 32F i had in the plunge version. The cups are also smaller than the dusty rose version, but larger than the 30FF sister size.

Updated on Apr 18, 2017 Flag this

Surprisingly smaller in the cup than the 32F in dusty rose. I get a fair amount of quadding in this bra.

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Updated on Apr 18, 2017 Flag this