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.
Last thing first: With the exception of the Charlotte, Parfait by Affinitas is not very good at making comfortable bras.
---My Shape--- Boobs: mostly even slight FOB, wide-set, 10.5-11" perimeter depending on place in cycle.
---The Bra--- This bra has a couple fit issues, one requiring adjustments when you put it on. First, the straps are quite long, even long for me as a 6'0" tall woman. When I put it on at first, there was slight orange-in-glass effect going on. I have perkier boobs, so I needed to adjust the straps quite a bit. After doing so, the orange-in-glass went away, and my boobs filled the bottom.
The second ...fit issue is the overall shape. This bra takes on a stiff, tear-drop shape that is common in American brands (this is a UK brand as far as I know, so that surprised me a bit). The shape bothers me underneath clothes, and contributes to the slight orange-in-glass effect I was experiencing. Thankfully adjusting the straps seems to correct that. If my boobs were totally even-shaped, this bra would be a dud.
The band is VERY VERY SNUG. I tend to prefer a snug band to extend the life of my bras, which Parfait by Affinitas has down. However, if it were any tighter it would be unwearable. Extremely small band for a 34.
The material is slightly scratchy. I don't think it was worn much before I bought it (from another user). The 3-hook structure also makes it a little difficult to undo. I really do not prefer 3 hooks as I tend to accidentally break one of the hooks off, as I've done with several bras. I have to be really careful about that with this bra.
Overall, not one of my favorite bras. I've been spoiled by my six Freyas, I think. I've owned a few bras by Parfait, and all had some component(s) that made them super annoying to wear. My first bra (the Tamara) was so ridiculously shallow in the cups that my boobs had nowhere to go but up. I've tried on a few others off Amazon, I can't remember the names now, that I pretty much returned the next day due to crazy fit issues, mostly with orange-in-glass and shallowness (Parfait is so extreme!). It's like they either make super shallow boobs-up-to-your-chin bras, or really stiff tear-shapes that hardly anyone could fit into right.
I believe Affinitas is actually an American brand.
>velociraptor
I generally wear a 34FF or 34G in PbyA, which are too small for me in American sizing.
What I mean is that, Affintas is an American company. As far as I know, they follow UK sizing standards.
Yep, Affinitas and Parfait by Affinitas are headquartered in the U.S.; specifically in the City of Industry which is located just outside of South-East Los Angeles. From what I've ascertained through their online catalogs, Affinitas has their A-D product lines, and Parfait by Affinitas is D-G...with some sizing overlap that doesn't include all styles from both. So Affinitas will have a couple styles that go up to DD, but Parfait doesn't appear to ever have a style that is available in under a D.
I plan to wash before the first non-try on wearing of any Parfait bra that I buy; whatever they apply to starch and protect the surfaces of the material makes me especially itchy, a problem that was resolved with washing my newest bra and panty by Parfait before even thinking about wearing them.
I am going to sew some 2 3/4" black stretch lace over the original lace of the Parfait Tamara I have. That original lace is low quality and either tearing away from or developing a hole at the outer edge of both cups but using a seam ripper to properly detach it is a lot of work and removing it while raising the overall cup height for a slight bit more coverage would probably lead to problems with gore height and a proper look to the final results. A slight overlapping of the new wider lace onto the cup should produce the effect I want and solve the structural stabilization issue.
30F/FF narrow and tall roots, projected, full on top
First of all, I found the band to be too tight for my 29 in ribcage. I needed an extender to assess fit because otherwise the cups became distorted. Fit wise, I have my usual problem of slightly too wide wires but aside from that I fill them out completely. There is a decent amount of lower project, which I don't need, so while I love the look of this bra it would probably be better suited for someone who is full on bottom or even. The top of the cup doesn't cut in a lot but the embroidery detail does cause it to be little closed on top.
This was my first experiment with my recommendations on here, and while the bra looked gorgeous I was a little iffy about a 32G instead of my usual 32F. But my other Parfait bras are a bit small in the cup, and this obviously has small cups in general, so I went with it. I shouldn't have.
For reference, I have a narrow root, fairly evenly projected/round (3/5 or 3/6) breasts and center fullness.
Pros: *Like my other Parfait bras, it has the tacking-est gore ever. It might be a smidgen wide for me, but it's amazing how well supported it makes me feel. *The cups are surprisingly sturdy, too, and actually ...encase nearly my whole breast -- probably because I did go up two cups. *I've seen some complaints of nipple slippage, but if you have low nipples like me, I think you'll be plenty secure here. I didn't test it out strenuously, but it seems pretty secure. *Oh, and did I mention that it's gorgeous?
Cons: *The band is very snug. It might stretch out with wear, but it's definitely more snug than I would like. *The wires are a little high (although the cup width is fine) for me, so they do pucker up under my arms. *And like most people have said, the lace bunches up. It's not horrible, since I'm a little fuller on top, but it is pretty bad on my smaller breast. *The straps are too widely set and only partially adjustable. If you're shortwaisted like me and/or have high set breasts (mine are only a smidgen high, but my torso is short period), it probably won't come anywhere near adjusting up enough to support you. I could deal with the other issues, and the lace bunching might even be solved, if the straps adjusted tighter.
Overall, this one is a no for me. It's so pretty that I really want to make it work, but the wires/straps rubbing under my arms and the lack of uplift from the straps keep it from being something I could wear everyday. There's nothing wrong with an, ahem, special occasion bra, but even then, I think I could find a better fit than this. Read more 249 more words
I've re-listed this bra just in case there's anyone here who thinks it will work better for them than it did for me. It really is gorgeous, I can't say that enough!
I did notice that Parfait can run small in both band and cup when I tried it. I know when I suggest it, I generally suggest it to to ladies in the 28-32 DD-F range, and mention they can run small in the band, so this is not surprising - and it looks like you bought a black one - the black dye does make the band run even snugger. It's really not the best brand for narrow/projected. I normally suggest it to ladies with a wide root. It seems to work fairly well for that.
Yeah, I think it's time to accept that no matter how pretty they are, Parfait is just not going to work for me. But you'll have to pry my Charlotte from my cold, dead hands (and anyway, my biggest issue with it is the trim at the top of the cups digging in).
Lol. How many brands have I said that about? :D. Curvy Kate, Panache, etc etc etc etc... Haha. I'd better start learning Polish, if my boobs insist on being this stubborn.
vexingbet My charlotte does the same thing. I've noticed that Parfait usually has the straps too wide set on their bras.
Charlotte is not nearly as bad as Tamara. I mean, look at that! The straps are behind my boobs. It looks silly, lol.
That's usually how it is for me too. :/
vexingbet ,What do you mean by 3/5 or 3/6 breasts? I'm not familiar with this. :0
This is a review for the 30G Parfait Casey I have in the European nude colourway. Other than being a different shade than the classic nude offered by this model, there are two very noticeable differences in construction.
The most obvious difference is that the straps are much narrower and thinner than the straps in the classic nude version. They are definitely more slicey (my word for uncomfortable). The next big difference is the firmness and thickness of the cup. Though moulded, these cups are much thinner than the classic nude's cups. They measure the same depth and width, but the cup appears to shape the breast less as ...it is softer and thinner. Rather than lifting and rounding, I find that it has more of a squishing affect. That's not to say that effect is totally undesired. In my case, I do have some shirts and jackets that require a lower profile which the Deco and Casey classic nude cannot accomplish. However, the design of this Parfait Casey colourway does in fact accomplish that. But because the cups are thinner, it has a tendency to flatten just before the edge of the cup and then curl outwards, and the flattening does dent the cleave a bit. http://media.bratabase.com/cache/29/4d/294dc893bb8586fd905b367ceb161d22.jpg
While I do prefer the construction of the classic nude colourway, the European nude Casey has its place in my bradrobe. I just wish there was some consistency from the manufacturer. Another point to note is that the size tag formatting is slightly different that other Parfait bras I've own. Very puzzling. Read more 153 more words
This is a very comfortable bra and although I am having to fasten on the tightest set of hooks, it fits fairly well. I do think that the cups are a bit odd. There is a mesh sling type support inside the cup on the outer bottom of the cup. It feels great support-wise. But I can see that indentation by looking at the cup in the mirror. It goes in where it is supported and then spills over in the rest of the breast. I have slight, very light quad boob, but it isn't noticeable and wouldn't really bother me. ...But there is wrinkling in the band under the arm right beside but behind the cup. And the bottom of the cup has some wrinkling in the fabric but I don't understand why because as I said the breast bulges out from the support sling and has a little quad boob. I can stretch the band tighter and the underarm wrinkling remains so maybe it is normal and not a fit issue? The underwire width is very comfortable and feels spot on. Gore is the first time a bra has ever fit as it is supposed to, and I can definitely tell the difference. I didn't know what I was missing. I don't know if the cup fit is right or not but it does look just a little "off." My husband loves this bra in shirts because he describes it as a very "natural" look. Read more 153 more words
Balconette with 3-part padded cups. Padding is thick, but not completely stiff. Outer fabric is matte and insides of cups feel cotton-y. Embroidery detail is in a gold color (more matte than shiny) with a circle/wheel design along the tops with scallops at the edge. Matching bow at center gore. I think the sides are some kind of powermesh. Straps are also blue with plastic blue hardware; they are elastic, but not super stretchy. Hooks and eyes are blue and are in sets of 3. Elastic runs along entire bottom edge.
~~~~~~~~ Not going to go into too much detail. Basically, this bra is typical fit for Parfaits on me: too wide, too shallow, and too tall.
I bought it hoping to help find my Parfait size. It helped confirm that I probably will never have a Parfait size. Their size/shape scheme just won't work for my boobs.
The things about Parfait that make them a not-so-great fit for you are what makes them a great fit for me. ;) Their plunge styles are the exception - they just aren't wide enough nor tall enough in the right places and the ones I've tried were padded in the bottom part of the cup so I run out of room and end up quadding beyond any quad level seen before and that just looks awful - my boobs would leave me and never return if they could when I try to stuff them into one of those.
I'm jealous! :D
But now I'm thinking I should try a plunge if they don't work for you. lol
It's worth a shot? I plan on looking into Parfait non-padded next.
Have you considered any of the Claudette styles?
valentine556: I do have a 32G - Claudette ยป Dessous Mesh Underwire Bra (CD2000) that I'm on the fence about. It mostly kinda sorta fits, but I think the wires are too wide for me. I've only worn it once or twice because it's so see through. Seriously, sheer body paint would camouflage me more!
I don't know if that's what is supposed to be a plunge or not. From what I remember the gore is low on me, but it has been a month since I last tried it, so I don't remember.
Ah, yeah the combination of the odd non-fit of the one Claudette style I've tried and pretty much all the others being super-sheer fabric are why they're off my "to try" list. Early on in my correctly sized bra finding journey someone recommended the brand so I tried the cool cotton and that made me want to find who recommended it so I could smack them with the bra. :P
I was so excited to see this fancy retro bra in large sizes here at the Bratabase, but Parfait By Affinitas really let me down. I should have been skeptical of a $35 bra. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
top boob near arms was baggy, underboob was okay, quad-boob was stupendous. straps to wide and I have really broad shoulders. A big fail all around.
Sorry, didn't think to measure or stretch...I wanted them out of my house as soon as possible for a refund/exchange.
The outfit I ordered from had them listed as UK sizes, but clearly neither the 40HH (I couldn't post that one) nor the 40J fit in any way, shape or form. I think I would need a 40L or M or a 42K/L. But the shaping was not for my boobage, so I sent them back and requested a non-bra item in exchange.
The design is really cute, but I don't like the peach color, it's more manila folder than a peach. I'm a 32G and I ordered the 32GG because I read the cups ran small, unfortunately the band size does too apparently or I'm not used to tight bands as this is my first normal fitting bra I've ever owned. It does fit at lot more securely than my other bras, but I found it uncomfortable and I do believe the band size was a little too snug, or the underwires were too harsh on my ribs. I'm debating returning it or keeping it and hoping it stretches to a comfortable level.
So, I hate pink... and since this bra only comes in blue and pink (I think) I dyed the pink one to be more suited to me. I love this bra! It's super comfy and gives a nice shape. So far it's held up really nicely.
This bra is made of the silkiest fabric ever! It's super soft and smooth, but it requires a tad more center fullness than I have... It would bee good for a FoB shape and can accommodate wide, shallow boobs. I really have zero center fullness though, so someone with even tissue would love this bra.
I really like this bra but it is not the same fit as the Charlotte (as lots of people have claimed)at all! This bra has seamless moulded cups and no side support sling. As such it tends to be a bit east/west in appearance, I also found the cups run large, the 30FF (my standard size) was much too large as was the 30F, the 30E has almost the same exact sized cups as my 30FF Charlottes do. I quite like this bra, it is comfortable and looks nice under clothes similar to the Charlotte, if you like that bra this one might work for you too once you find the size that you need. I also like the pattern and the detail of the red bow between the cups, and I do not like animal prints in general.
The 30F in this bra is a bit small on my larger breast (which is why it became my test dye bra) but the quadding is not bad enough to make it unwearable. I still find it extremely wearable and comfortable. I dyed this Charlotte teal blue, it got a bit wrinkly during the process but still fits exactly the same. When dyeing these do not smoosh them, I have dyed two others sans smoosh and they look just like the undyed ones but in different colors.
I love the Charlotte! Love! This is my best fitting bra so far I think, and while I generally prefer unlined bras the support and shape of this one has been just unbeatable. Plus it dyes really nicely. I love the Dusky Pink color of this bra, (I found the high waist panty runs large in this color though) it could almost pass for a neutral if it didn't have the black,of course then it wouldn't look so nice. I have found that the straps get a bit of fraying at the connection points after several wears though this does not affect the fit or sturdiness of the bra.
I've been buying this bra for years and, unfortunately, I've noticed a decrease in the quality of Parfait's bras.
My initial Casey bra had thicker straps, a three-hook back closure, and was made from very high-quality materials. My current one has straps that are too thin to adequately support my bust, two-hook closures, and is made from an itchy shiny fabric. My old ones I could wear for 12+ hours, my new ones I'm itching to take off as soon as I get home.
I still wear this style fairly often, but unfortunately the new Caseys aren't what I'm looking for and I don't plan on buying them again.
After reading nothing but great reviews about this bra, I decided to get one for myself. The wild pink colour is something between bubble gum pink and hot pink which a shade I am a fan of. The straps are very wide (the widest I`ve seen on any bra). While it is a god send to my shoulders, my brain is telling me it looks a bit too wide to satisfy my bra aesthetics requirement.
Regarding fit, the cups are a tad bit shallow on me, resulting in the wires being pushed out by my boobs and floating away from my chest wall. Sizing up would certainly make ...the wires too wide. The wing and wire height, however, are not bothersome though they are high. I did appreciate the side coverage.
The last item to note is the band stretchiness. I`ve never liked Parfait bands. I own 2 others that use the same band design. It`s a powermesh elastic panel that while good and tight, the fact that it is not lined (like on my Freya Decos), I actually find it to be less effective. Not only does the band ride up beginning at the point that the band transitions to this powermesh material, but it rides up with a vengeance. It also likes to pinch and showcase any flesh you might have on your back. So while I decided the bra looks great on me, the band construction/composition is what ultimately convinced me to return it. Read more 139 more words
This bra ALMOST fits... it seems to have the same problem that every other unlined bra has - I can't quite fill out the top. It's really close though, so it's probably great for shallow ladies who don't have splayed boobs like I do.
I really wanted to love this bra. The design is so beautiful and it gave me a lovely rounded shape. I also liked the soft lace/mesh that made up the top part of the cup. However, the bra has a few flaws.
I felt like the gore was a bit too high, but that's more of a personal preference mismatch than a problem with the bra itself.
The one major problem with the bra is that the seam running across the front of the bra is very thick and raised. This means that the seam is visible under shirts that are thinner and more fitted (the style I like to wear). I suppose that if someone liked thicker/looser shirts, this would not be an issue.
I believe Affinitas is actually an American brand.