Am pleased with this bra! The only issue is the top of the gore slightly does not touch my sternum but it is longer than my other bras. Counting this as a win given it is comfy otherwise. I could have gone up one cup for my larger side but my smaller side would have needed a cookie or it would have been too large. Excited to rotate this in as a regular wearing bra. I also bought this in dusty rose and the tag on that one says US/UK size is both a G. Puzzled by that as I thought US and UK sizes are not the same in bra land.
I was excited to find a full cup bra in soft, stretchy 100% cotton without irritating seams or edgings, since I am apparently really sensitive to this. Of all the bras I've tried since beginning this Bra-Odyssey, this one fit the best and was the most comfortable. Unfortunately, the softness and give of the fabric wasn't enough support for my 40+ year old boobs, which are so soft they pretty much take on whatever shape they are poured into and are easily mashed by clothes. As a result, I didn't get much lift or projection in this bra under clothes. Because gravity has taken it's toll, I do ...prefer a bit of a push-up effect to give me back at least a little fullness on top, but this bra did not do that. Another consequence of the stretchiness: although I marked the "stretch band length" at 26" -- the point at which the distance between the tips of the wires began to spread, flattening the cup across the top -- the band actually does stretch from 23.5" all the way to 30", which could unwittingly warp your fit if you are above 26".
Another huge problem with this bra for me was that even through a heavy weight white t-shirt, the contrast between skin color through the top lace panel and solid white cotton in the wavy shaped cup showed right through in a really distracting way.
In addition, the workmanship of this bra was poor -- wads of thread in spots and bumpy vertical seams that also showed through clothes. It would be worth buying for $10; not for $50.
For those who are short torsoed, this bra had a very minimal underband width -- just .7 inches including the wire, so the relatively deep gore didn't cause issues, even when sitting.
This and the other one I bought in the desert flower colour-way are my new favourite bras! I was a tad worried that the high gore may rub/poke but so far so good. I's really comfy, I've worn it out and about this morning and am now lounging around this arvo and no discomfort anywhere.
I feel so much like a retro pin up in this it's amazing! It makes me think of Claudette who I love - I think the shape is very similar to Claudette Fishnet Scoop Neck Bra in that it's almost like a crop top style. I love the smooth clean lines of the straps ...and the neckline - it's a very basic utilitarian shape juxtaposed with a retro lacy layer over each cup. The design is really knock-out for me. I felt bad for buying another purple bra but the imperial purple is a really stunning rich jewel-y dark purple, not cheap and bright looking like some can be.
I purchased it in a wonderful store in Chicago called G Boutique (I was there last week on holiday and did research before visiting so that I could try and snaffle some lingerie delights whilst there!) that I can't recommend highly enough. They don't have a huge selection of fuller bust items (a few Cleo , Panache , Parfait etc.) but what they do carry is very well chosen. The store is beautiful and has a large array of other lingerie/nightwear that is wholly drool-some, like Cosabella , Fleur't , Mimi Holliday , Maison Lejaby etc. I bought the purple bra and matching knickers (and a Parfait cupcake hipster knicker - soooo cute!) and had to go back on my last day to buy the other colour way of this bra also as I couldn't stop thinking about it!
The shape is gives is beautifully rounded, very naturally so as there's a gentle but not huge amount of uplift. It still gives a more projected and rounded look under clothes than a lot of unpadded bras do on me (I'm looking at you Claudette Dessous ), a very satisfying side view I think.
Wires are gloriously wide. There is absolutely no cutting in or gaping on the top of the cups - not even on my smaller breast which often struggles to completely fill out some of my F cups and usually needs the strap adjusting quite a bit shorter than my other breast to compensate.
I think this is an excellent bra for full on bottom to even boobs. Unsure about how those with upper fullness would fair.
The purple seems to fit a bit more snuggly around band than the lighter one (as I know can often be the case) but both are a good firm fit for me. I almost think I prefer the slightly tighter grip of this one compared with the looser one I wore yesterday. The band has two hooks but feels satisfyingly wide and supportive. The non lace material eg the band is very soft to the touch, I would think this would be a good bra for those who have particularly sensitive skin and can't have scratchy/harsh fabrics There is nothing I don't like about this bra!
The matching briefs are beautiful as well, I really appreciate decent co-ordinates - they have a large lacy section over the bottom of each bum cheek and although they weren't cheap I have no regrets about buying them as they so wearable and comfortable yet feel really special too.
Ugh, I've been waiting for someone to get this bra and review it. i tend to do well in Parfait and liked that this one has a stretchy lace of decent quality - I want the desert flower version, I think it will be a good match as a nude for my super pale slightly pink porcelain skin.
I'd need to order online though, and I'm not sure if I should stick to the 32G/I as with their padded/half padded styles or since they've committed to using UK sizing now and it's a bit stretchy maybe a 32FF.
I love their cupcake hipster panties - so adorable and disappear under clothing, I have all the colors and prints plus double on the nude/black/ivory, after finding an eBay seller listing them in the complete sets of 3. I saw them being added individually as a gift with certain parfait bras but discovered they actually come in 3-pair coordinated packs. So very silky soft, and I have to wash them in a lingerie mesh bag to protect them from a premature knicker death. My underwear drawer is twice the size of the combined drawer space allotted to bras and bra/knicker sets. This is even with all the clear-outs I do (and need to do another one for the knickers and also my socks...).
The Mr. has graciously conceded much of the walk in and the double dresser space as his clothing barely takes up half of the home office/spare room closet. That and we're not quite ready to buy a bigger house which would obviously have to have a great deal more storage. ;)
Hi! I agree that these cups are quite stretchy/forgiving - I tried both the 30E and F in the shop and actually asked the advice of a salesperson regarding which to get as both actually fit pretty similarly and seemingly equally well, which NEVER happens to me. Usually trying a size up/down cements which one fits better, but not with this model. I went for the F as a had the tiniest bit of quadboob on my larger breast in the E (pointed out by the saleswoman!) and in case my boobs grow at all (also I love a nice wide wire and really didn't want to get home and regret buying too narrow).
So I think it's probably quite accommodating in the cups (as you say, due to the stretch lace) meaning you could probably go either way and get a reasonable fit. I'd say if you're full on top though then go for the larger size - as you can see, I'm not very full on top at all and it fits like a glove, so if you are FOT you may need the extra space/stretch in the top on the bigger size.
Ahh decisions! :-)
I just ordered the butterfly print cupcake hipster - I bought the purple wine when in Chicago and regret not getting more! They're quite hard to find in the UK.
RE: houses - I hear ya! I can't wait til my boyf & I move from our small flat to a house, I'm already planning my dressing room where I can house/display my lingerie! :-)
I'm even on fullness, breast roots are tall and wide so I'm somewhat shallow because of how much area my breast tissue is distributed over. I just barely have wide enough across the shoulders to keep the straps where they need to be.
I wish I'd tried the Panache Envy in a 32FF to see how it fit, but I did learn from buying the 32F as far as the minute details of fitting go. i went too conservative with the cup size and everything has to be adjusted and arranged exactly the right way but even then I still have escape artist boob on the sides though during shark week it fits better. I look for bras with stretch lace in at least the top section of the cups to accommodate the tall roots and look for wires that are similar to the bras I have found to work in terms of width. Buying bras online can be a challenge when the photos make it hard to determine if the lace is stretch or not and not every store or site bothers with such details - eBay has the worst photos and some sellers copy and paste but manage to leave off the bit on the stretch factor I look for.
I will of course have to buy the matching knickers but they're so lovely and I'm doing more sets since I have enough in the basics for now. Much of my life I avoided matching and assumed it would mean one bra style and a specific bottom coordinate - my knicker and bra drawers would be virtually empty and I'd hate having only one bra style in black and nude. My mom has only one choice of bra and those two colors - at least it's the right fit and proper size but she's skipped on the matching Chantelle knickers. I can't get her to avoid the foam dome t-shirt bras. Damn things are like tribbles.
How interesting! I have the Parfait Donna Wire bra in 30FF (trying to sell it, actually) and while it looks very, very different from this one, when I read your review I was struck by how similarly it seems to fit to the Donna. Wide wires, non-itchy fabric, stretchy and accomodating, but definitely made for even to full-on-bottom breasts. Which is, of course, why Donna doesn't work on me--I need narrow wires and my breasts are more full on top. I definitely agree about the other perks, though--I also worried about the high gore on the Donna and, to my surprise, it wasn't an issue at all.
I've not seen this one yet, but am FOB so may have to give it a whirl (especially since I hate scratchy bras—who doesn't?—but love lace). It looks/sounds like a good 'everyday' comfy bra that is still glam.
That purple is gorgeous on you—can't blame you for snapping it up!
Aww thanks TheNightingale :-) I think if I'd seen this online I wouldn't have liked it that much, but in person it's so pretty and soft. I'm really championing this bra!
Why is this thing being called a "bralette?" It's not even a bra. It's a medieval torture device. I got my week's worth of cardio in trying to put this thing on and tug it into the right place. The shape is so east/west it looks like my boobs have gone through a bad breakup. It's seriously the most uncomfortable thing I've ever put on my body--the boning and the bottom hook stab and poke everywhere.
All that said, it's goddamn beautiful. And I'm keeping it. Oh, the things I do for love... of bras.
This is absolutely a gorgeous bra. The colourway of deep red with pink trim is scrumptious. I love it. Construction is first-rate. The band is generously wide, which I like, and the straps are sturdy with cute little pink bows at the attachments points, along with a bow at the top of the gore.
The gore *just* lifts off my sternum (~1.0cm) and the neckline of the cup (on my larger breast) has just maybe a 0.2cm gap right down by the gore. It's difficult to tell, really, since it's very lightly padded and the lace overlay doesn't lie right ...on the breast. It might be that the cup is a shade shallow, or I just need a little more inner fullness. It may be that all I need to do is do a little reshaping of the wires and it will fit perfectly. And maybe after I've worn it for a few weeks, it will better conform to my shape.
I would hesitate to go a cup smaller, because if I press the gore up against my sternum then the cup fits perfectly.
I would not hesitate to recommend this model to anyone with similar boobs. Besides, did I already say it's beautiful? *grin*
What would I tell a friend with similar boobs? If you don't buy this bra, we can no longer be friends because I will have lost *all* respect for you. *giggle*
Seriously, BUY THIS BRA. It is extremely comfortable and fits like a glove. The cups, though lightly padded, are elastic enough to fit both my unequally-sized boobs.
A generously wide band and sturdy straps work extremely well for me to make me feel firmly supported, with all that underarm fat nicely dealt with. This bra will definitely help with tissue migration. Great fit and a lovely shape. This bra will work brilliantly under a t-shirt or sweater.
Oh, and the purple with small, white polka dots just trips every one of my switches!
A bit uncomfortable to wear all day. Underwires slide down, don't stay in inframammary fold. Underwires poke me in the armpit. Cups are very shallow, flattens out my shape. Has plastic boning on the sides, comfortable at first, but hurts after wearing for a few hours.
This is easily going to be my longest review so far, because it may be the only one in this size on Bratabase for a while. I bought this from the Parfait by Affinitas sale on Zulily, and the tag for sure says 32C. Apparently I bought a bra that doesn't exist, but photographic evidence is included. Maybe they quietly expanded their size range to include C cups?
Note that the band in this size only has 2 hooks, not 4. Another difference between this and the larger sizes is that the cups don't seem to run small or shallow here, as others have noticed ...with the larger sizes. I'd say this is a true to size 32C with average projection. It is definitely more projected than my b.tempt'd and Natori bras. I can only fill the cups with a LOT of scooping and swooping, but once I'm there, it keeps me in there pretty well. My larger left breast sits nicely in the cup, and the smaller right one has a small amount of gapping at the top, but not so much that I can't deal with it.
Anyway, I'm a bit conical, a bit shallow, splayed, separated (2-3 finger-breadths), with a wide root but not a super-tall root, and soft squishy tissue. My snug underbust is usually about 31" and tight underbust 29". This bra looks awesome, but there are 2 major comfort issues.
The positives: It brings my boobs front and center in a very "in your face" way. The whole "lifts and separates" thing is in full force here. I completely agree with the person who said "boob scaffolding," as it's extremely supportive. The wings go up high enough to bring all my armpit tissue inward, which is rare for me given how spread out my boobs are. It's also very well constructed and has a gorgeous 1950s vintage pinup feel. Looks awesome with the matching high-waist briefs.
The negatives: It's SO uncomfortable on me. The gore wants to eat my sternum. I have a very bony sternum, and this gore digs right in where my sternum meets my ribs. It's made worse by the fact that the band seems really small and really firm. Either a wider amount of space between the wires or a lower gore would be preferable. The band is also quite wide and very firm, so it goes up high enough to dig into my lat muscles and create a little bit of an unflattering back fat roll. However, wearing it with an extender all but eliminates the back fat issue and definitely improves the gore issue. Finally, the wires are not quite as wide as I prefer, but the construction of the bra brings my roots inward and keeps my axillary tails from leaking over the wings, so it doesn't seem to be a big problem. Read more 386 more words
Stretch lace on top is great. Band runs tight, bra is somewhat shallow. The fabric feels amazingly silky. The side support pushes the breasts forward but not as far as Panache Jasmine (6951). Also, the non-lace proportion of the cup is larger, so I feel better supported.
Despite saying I get quad-boob in this, it actually usually fits. There's a piece of elastic tape or something at the top of the lace which can cut in (and the lace above it does not). If I could get rid of it the bra would fit perfectly.
EDIT: I altered the band myself so it can stretch to 26 inches, and now it fits me PERFECTLY. No more gaping, and I finally have nice cleavage without quadraboob. If you experience gaping in the cups, I highly recommend altering- especially if you are a sub-30 band.
EDIT #2: Now that I've tried the Freya Deco bra, Casey's rival, I'd have to say that I VASTLY prefer the Casey. Although they share similarities such as both being padded plunge bras that run large, the shape of the cups are different. Even though the depth of the Deco is too small for me, my breasts still won't conform to ...the top part of the cups because I don't have a lot of upper fullness and the material is very frigid; the top of the cups are somewhat straight and don't curl towards the body. Meanwhile, Casey's cups are a bit more elastic and forgiving albeit still being frigid, just to a lesser degree than the Deco. I also find that the top of the cups on the Casey bra curls toward the breast. If I had to decide between the two, I'd have to choose the Casey. If they made Casey in a 28 band or even a 26 band, I'd be a very happy girl.
I special ordered this from Large Cup Lingerie (which by the way, is absolutely fantastic for special orders). Based on other reviews, I sized a cup down because it apparently ran big, which I'm glad I did. I have a 26 inch back and I found this stretched to a true 30, which is way too large for me. Note that my measured bra size is 26FF. I have narrow, bottom heavy breasts and I experienced several fit issues with this. First of all, this thing gapes on me; it is definitely not a good shape for my breast shape. Secondly, like I said, the band runs way too large. I do have to say that this bra is VERY comfortable and despite the gaping, I still get cleavage. The blue color is very pretty. This is a great bra for those who own standard American bras like Victoria's Secret but have recently discovered their 'new' bra size. The lace on the sides of the cup are reminiscent of VS' Angel push up bra, which used to be one of my favourites. I hope Parfait comes out with a lavender Casey... I dislike nude bras but lavender is an alternative for those who like pastel, girly colors but want a bra that does not show under white clothing. Read more 321 more words
This bra is absolutely beautiful and I wish it fit better. Got the Dusty Rose color and tried it on for ten minutes. My shape: short, narrow roots, somewhat even with more bottom projection, fuller in the center with less tissue on the sides, short torso.
Very comfortable and firm band, largely due to the vertical boning on the wings to help the elastic not roll and cut into you.
Unexpectedly narrow wire width at 5.1". For once, I didn't notice the wires bothering me at all, which was amazing.
The cups are a little shallow in bottom and center for the size--I got minimal quadboob toward the ...center because this was a balconette plunge style and not a full balconette. I don't think the cups run small--if my tissue had filled the top of the cups (meaning if my boobs were tall enough, not FOT enough), I think the volume would seem like a standard 28F.
Tall cups (6" tall from highest point to bottom wire measured vertically). I don't need the top inch of cup at all--the distance from my armpit to inframammary fold is about 5.5", so my breasts are even shorter than that. So, unfortunately, my arms were pushing the bra down so it wouldn't stay in the right place, and when I slouched even a little, the top triangular edges gapped.
The center gore was too wide--I prefer 0.7" or less, or else the wires end up sitting on my boobs in the center.
The straps were a little too far apart, but this is always an issue with me (my weird ribcage is smallest at the top and largest at the bottom).
The construction is sturdy, the design is great, the materials thoughtful (matte cups with satin side support panels) and the bra itself is kind of heavy--the wires are thick and don't bend easily. Overall, wish I could have a version that fit me.
Hope this review, measurements, and photos helped you! Read more 221 more words
I knew this would be too big, but I've wanted this bra for a long time, and I couldn't resist the sale price. I figured a little too big is better than too small, because, if needed, I could always wear push-up pads. It turns out I don't need push-up pads though, because this is not as "too big" as I expected it to be (meaning these cups run super small). Parfait is a line that understands shallow boobs, and I think it's become my favorite bra brand. Sofia Vergara I'm not, but this bra is sexy and comfortable and great for romantic evenings.
I'm a little conflicted about this bra, because it has so many pros going for it:
It's totally cute looking. It's got a lovely lace detail along the top of the cups, a little fancy-pants button detail, some also-cute seaming on top of the cups, and it's a really great dusty rose color, which is functions as a beige under clothes but just looks nicer in general.
However, the con is really just one, but it's almost significant enough to make it a deal-breaker:
It's a padded bra. Or rather, I guess in bra parlance they would call this a molded cup. It's not even super-thick but ...the point is that there is extra stuff between my boobs and my shirt than just a thin piece of fabric, and it kind of bothers me. Moreso because the shape that the cups are molded in is juuuust slightly off. The bra's cups seem to point slightly outward - the apex is right where the vertical seem design is, but my own personal apex is just slightly inward from there. Or perhaps the cup is slightly pointier than I am, when viewed from above? Even though, I have pretty soft breast tissue and I do conform to it, so it doesn't cause any major fit issues. There's just something a little strange about it, and the fact that I and the foam are not an exact match, and the fact that it feels a little like armor, are exactly what I don't like about padded/foam-lined/molded bras.
That said, should this be a deal-breaker? I don't know. I don't have any remotely nude colored bras, and this is a particularly nice specimen. I really like the stylistic details. Technically speaking, aside from the minor cup peculiarities, it definitely fits. And should every girl have at least one padded bra in her arsenal for some reason or another? I'm going to sit on this one a few days and think about whether I want to keep it. Read more 236 more words
Really happy with the fit of the cup...while the band is a bit tight, it's not too tight to be so uncomfortable. It also looks so pretty, with all the lace trimmings and bows, I never thought I'd own a bra of this size that's intricately designed !! Actually really happy about this
For a bralette at this size I don't have high expectations. It does help to give a little bit of support on days at home. I don't like the look of the seam line coming right up the middle. Band size and cups are fine, contain everything and is not too tight. I don't like the boning towards the back, I think it's uncomfortable but it is probably necessary for added support.
Fits ribcage 27 B. perimeter 11.5 Stretched Band 34.5 Band Length 26.0 Stretch ratio 1.3 Cup width 6.0 Cup depth 10 at rest, stretches to 12! So many sizes in one bra! Depth ratio 1.7 Wire length 12.0 Cup height 7.0 Cup separation 0.9 Gore height 3.7 Wing height 4.2 Strap width 0.6 Strap length 15 (at front seam) Hooks 2
Cup is a 2 piece build with a single vertical seam up the center- this design favors outer fullness as the inner panel carries only about 40% of the overall depth. Gore is about the same height as the wing, and wider and taller than I personally prefer having been spoilt with polish patterning, but am getting enough space ...in the lower inner where it's been 99% of the time too tight in the lower center cup. Not seeing any east west separation, but it's possible more side-set projected people may find this style not supportive enough to compensate for spread, as Marianna has a whole lot of width due to the super wide short wires. Fabric is 84% polymide, 16% elastane! That means a lot of spacious forgiveness in Marianna, but it's not a 'one size fits all' situation. So at first handling this bra feels extremely soft and lightweight, with a fine nonstretch duoplex lining, which has some mechanical give which is most evident about 1/3 the way up from the bottom. The outer lace only covers 5.5" cup height before terminating into a very fine dotted mesh which also has a super soft finish to it; upper cup is 5" long on the inner portion & another 4" long from the deeply curved armscye to wing. This proportion gives a really low neckline which could be fidgety depending on how short or high ones roots run, and how fast one fluctuates where one is fullest. My full on top teen declared this style to cut in during 1st day of high tide, and I found it felt like it was being pulled down strongly during mine. Otherwise evenly full folks may have it harder and need to opt for a size up.
The strap to armpit zone is *chefs kiss*, wow and finally, something I'll not need to carefully scoop out some space for super high set + short/FOB shape. Still must take in the buttery soft band (boo hiss oh well).
Marianna bucks a lot of style trends in that it appears to accommodate a variety of shapes and sizes, with the caveat that the very full on bottom will need to gauge their underwire tolerances well as this style is going to run on the tight/shallow/short end of fit due to fabric being stretched and pulled to accommodate lower fullness.
My only gripe with this style is that the upper cup is lined in a tight elastic which cuts into my tall roots and spoils the otherwise 'braless' feel. Read more 379 more words
Fits ribcage 27 B. perimeter 11.5 Stretched Band 30.5 Band Length 23.0 Stretch ratio 1.3 Cup width 6.6 Cup depth 10.5 stretches to 12.5!!! Depth ratio 1.6 Wire length 13.2 Cup height 7.7 Cup separation 0.9 Gore height 4.1 Wing height 4.0 Strap width 0.6 Strap length 12.2 to 16" (when including where strap attaches to in front and back) Hooks 3
There's a lot of powernet in Enora. Cups among the widest I've ever met in this size range, the bottom of the cup is wildly shallow. This spells disaster for those seeking immediate depth as the ...shape suggests the base will give the least, and apex area the most. There is a double lined powernet and smooth micronet band, but there is no wing to add structure and anchor the cups. Not sure how to gauge the 2" give in one size as this style runs tall/shallow/wide and sort of tolerates some projection but not a whole lot. It does bring things in, but feels unsupportive and bulky due to slinky materials and huge underwires on my wide/full on bottom/short shape. However, as with Parfait's Marianne, the armscye is so well shaped that the strap stays up out of the way rather than slip off or dig in; the materials are very sleek and nearly invisible under clothing.
I'm sure this is a wonderful daily driver for a lot of people, but honestly I am so done with wide shallow and frameless styles. To the butcher block. Read more 155 more words
This bra is surprisingly supportive, but it does fit differently than the same bra in black. When I measured it they actually appear to have different measurements, so that’s interesting.
This wireless bra has boning on the sides to stop it from rolling or flipping up. Like many of Parfait’s wireless bras, this one runs a size small. I currently wear a 32FF in Parfait’s underwire bras and sizing all the way up to a 34FF was perfect. The 34 band stretches to just under 32 inches, and the cup size runs small as well. In this larger size it is comfortably supportive, for a true lounge bra with less support I would probably recommend sizing up again to a 36 if your band size is normally 32. Overall this was a super comfortable bra and I intend to buy more in other colors.
Really love the 'pin-up' aesthetic of this bra, but sadly it's not a good match for me.
Fit issues: Bottom cups are way too shallow for me, causing me to size up to avoid quadding. This also adds to the tallness of the cups (but a smaller size cuts in). But my real deal-breaker is the amount of coverage in the armpit / tail of spence area!
I'm apparently someone with unreasonable tenderness there, who often experiences (even generally well-fitting) bras to 'chafe' my armpit area... (while I see other people wearing bras with much more 'armpit material' without trouble - so yeah I don't know, call me sensitive). But as Charlotte ...has SO.MUCH.MATERIAL near the armpit, I can't comfortably deal with it. Especially as it's thick/foamy as well.
As I really wanted this bra to work, I've actually attempted bra surgery and undid the sewing at the wing / where the strap meets the cup; toward the under-armpit. This sewing intervention is relatively doable, as the satiny fabric can be re-attached over the alteration, so the sewing underneath is pretty much invisible. So you can easily cut part of the material away and re-sew it in a more comfortable, lower-coverage position.
But you know, life happens, being too busy and with a too-large pile of sewing projects.. I never got around to finishing my alteration. Now I've moved countries and either this Charlotte is somewhere in storage or I donated it, can't remember.
I'm still low-key contemplating the Shimmer Floral though, which is supposed to have much better projection! So I could size down for sure, like 32G, which could hopefully also (partly) counter the too-much-armpit-material effect? Read more 163 more words
Thanks for @40G review