The recommendations page on Bratabase had this bra as a good match for me, though it recommended the 30E size instead of the 32DD that I ended up getting. I absolutely fell in love with this bra's retro look and bold colors, but I was really hesitant to order it. After looking at all the reviews and pictures on here for this bra, it seems to fit only a small number of people well. I'm really glad that I took the chance and ordered it anyway, because it fits surprisingly well for me.
I did have to bend the tips of the wires out a little ...at the gore, as they were a little bit uncomfortable. After I did that the gore was fine. I'm really, really glad that I did not size down in the band even though from the measurements it looks like this band should be slightly loose. The band is actually extremely firm and doesn't stretch as much as I thought it would. While it does stretch to 32", it's wide and very strong. I can wear it on the loosest hook, but find it more comfortable to wear it with a strap extender to give me a little more play in the band while it breaks in.
I did notice that after wearing this bra for about 8 hours, it left some red marks on my skin where the band and the side boning were. They faded quickly, but I've never had a bra leave marks on me before. I'm chalking it up to how wide and firm the band is. This bra isn't uncomfortable to wear, but I'm much more aware of it while on than any of the other bras I own.
This bra really "locks and loads" my breasts up high and front and center! I feel really trussed up, but not in an uncomfortable way. It looks great under shirts, but the center and middle seams do show through a little under thinner material. It was such a hit with my husband that I ordered this bra in two more colorways (hot pink and purple). Can't wait to see how those look. Read more 266 more words
This is a molded cup, underwire bra. The band extends below the cup more than most (trying to hint at the look of a longline bra, but not nearly that low). This was very flattering (holds in loose bits of skin & flab without looking dowdy) and comfy.
I really, really wanted this bra to fit because it is super cute and sexy, but it didn't. It is gorgeous in the purple. (Also tried the sister size of 34D which fixed many issues but made one much worse. Reviewed separately.)
Fit: * Strap separation was too wide. No amount of adjustment would ...keep them from slipping because of they laid on the highest point of my shoulder. I seriously considered keeping this bra and using a X-back style strap connector, but that seemed silly. * Band length was a bit short (the 34 band was a better fit). * Wing height was borderline short. (Tiny underarm spillage.) * Cup gapped at center edge. * Gore: good * Wire length: GOOD (This is a toughy for me. I need long wires for wide-set breast tissue but am petite so many long wires poke into the armpit.) * Cup width: Wider than most, so not bad (This is good since most cups aren't wide enough.)
About me: petite with wide horizontal oval, slightly conical breasts * average projection * wide-set (3 fingers width of space between breasts) * very wide roots (extend past the mid-axillary line) * short roots * even horizontal fullness (just barely outer full) * mix of firm & soft tissue (front molds to shape of bra, sides push wimpy wires away) * conical shape (but will squish to round) * full on top (2/4 shape, not even or very full) - BUT functionally even to FOB due to short roots and soft tissue * petite (5'3") so have narrow frame Read more 197 more words
Runs TIGHT. I'd recommend the 30 band for those who need a 26!
I first grabbed a 30E, and I could NOT get all the hooks closed without the delicate nylon lace feeling like it was going to rip!! The associate was able to help me, but the wires were SO strained, the cups were extremely east-west. We grabbed several 30 bands to see if the one I had was a fluke, but NOPE, all the 30 bands were about 2 inches shorter on both wings when held up to the 32!! I ended up going with the 32 band, because it was more comfortable, and because with my ...flared ribs in front, I need more flexibility since the bra has plastic boning that likes to dig.
I am surprised this molded cup looks and fits so awesomely on me. The wires fit perfectly, so narrow for a molded bra; there's no empty space in the bottom of the cup, so not shallow; and it BARELY cuts into my full on top breasts, not too closed on top! All three things that molded cups are notorious for!! The cup apex is a bit higher than my natural one, giving a slightly empty bubble in the direct middle of the cup, but I am VERY full on top and point slightly downwards, so that's fine. (I don't want upside down 7 boobs under shirts, so molded perky is just fine, haha). For those who are projected, the cup shape is PERFECT! Also, the gore is low, which is fabulous for my close roots. Being a long line, it feels very secure despite technically being too loose near the bottom of the band. It doesn't ride up, so I count that as fitting. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
The one downfall is that over time, the plastic boning has curved so that it stabs into my ribs. (Yay flared ribs.) This means that at the end of a long day, I want to rip it off, which I usually don't feel in bras that fit me! I've contemplated replacing the boning, or removing it all together. Because I freaking LOVE this bra! I want to wear it all the time!!
Other perks: BEAUTIFUL lace details up the straps. I honestly don't care if they show, because they're SO PRETTY. Also, they aren't too wide!! The straps don't cut into my armpits! The mesh is breathable, so I don't get sweaty despite it technically covering more skin. The color is FABULOUS on my skin. It's a bit more cool-toned than I am, but you can hardly tell. In some lighting, it blends perfectly. Works great for under thin summer shirts. Speaking of which...
...Now that summer is here and most clothing is thin and clingy, I need a bra that doesn't show through. I'm ok with seams showing, but prefer smooth under thin clothes. I never thought I'd have a molded bra again, especially being FOT and having immediate projection, BUT THIS ONE WORKS!!! YAY!!!
Would love to have this in black to wear as a crop top!
Shout out to The Pencil Test in Portland, Oregon for their forever excellent bra selection and customer service! ^_^ Read more 424 more words
Thanks for the detailed review!! Now I think this one will work for me in a 30DD so I'll have to be on the look out.
yogurt You're welcome! ^_^ I'm trying to catch up with all the reviews I'm lacking.
Thank you so much for providing such an informative review. I came across this bra online and really liked the look of it. There aren't many reviews for it but yours is so detailed that it makes up for that :-) I'm in a different size range to you but the projection, narrow wires, low gore and more centred straps give me hope that this might work for me. How is the cup height? Would you say it is average for your size range?
M91 Oi, in my head I had responded already!! Oops :P
As for cup height, I find it a bit tall. It seems kind of full coverage. I have tall roots, and it feels like it touches pretty high. Even in the photos, you can see that there is almost as much cup above the apex as below. If you have short roots, you might find empty space at the top. It's a great shape for tall roots especially if full on top.
The cup are also quite "closed" near the center, so while the gore is very low, don't let some of the stock photos fool you, there would be NO way to get crazy cleavage in this bra unless: A) you're quadding, B) you're spilling out the center and the cups are cutting in, or C) the cups are made more "open" on top by the breasts pushing the apexes to be pointing down towards the ground. For a plunge, it's quite closed all the way around and full coverage. Great if you want to for sure be strapped in, but not good if you have close roots and a lot of center fullness.
As for the immediate projection.... I have found that now that I've worn it for a while, it definitely slides down throughout the day. Now that the band has stretched and is definitely too loose even on the tightest setting, the wires end up sitting about a half inch below my breasts, and I feel like I always have to push them up. If I tighten the straps, then the wires stay put, but then the band rides up. :P So I'd say that for a molded, it's more projected than usual, and very projected at the apex for a molded, but definitely not Ewa-Michalak-worthy immediate projection.
Another update: I have ribs that stick out right below my breasts, and this has caused the plastic boning to bend so it digs in like crazy. I'll have to remove it or I want to die by the end of the day. :(
It's a really awesome bra, until it wears out. But I guess that's true for all bras?? Haha
Slava-Zone Thank you so much for your reply! You provided so much detail and it was really helpful 😁 I'm sorry to hear that the bra has work out and is not capable of doing its job so well anymore. It seems like this bra probably wouldn't work for me but I'd still like to try it some day. I think my roots are average-tall but I'm high set and so most bras do not work for me 😞 I think I sometimes stuff myself into smaller cups than I should wear because if I size up it will be too tall under the armpits. I suppose Comexims with alterations may be my best chance of finding a good fit.
I'm so torn with this bra! It's so comfy, and it's a plunge that actually fit my average projection - and I didn't have to go up a cup size. My only problem is that I don't have enough center fullness, therefore, the cups gap slightly in the middle. The gore is AWESOME. I need short gores and this is genius - the gore ends, but there is still the gore "tunnel" (for lack of a better word) but it's just thick fabric, so it's flexible, unlike a regular gore. I'm thinking about keeping this one as it's molded and actually fits my projection and it gives me a lined, rounded look. This bra has more projection that the Moulded Deco. I had a 30E in that and my breasts constantly pushed it down because it didn't allow for my projection.
Edit: Wore it...and it's too shallow. However, it would probably do OK for a temporary molded bra https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
It sounds like you should keep it. You want a smooth, molded bra, and this one stays in your inframammary fold. No one will see the slight gaping at the center gore. I need low gores, too, and I love my 30E Parfait by Affinitas Casey for that reason and the smooth cup. My beige one used to gap slightly at the gore, but no longer. I think wearing plunges exclusively for a year or so caused even more tissue migration toward the center gore area. I had thought I was done with tissue migration after the first year and a half of properly fitted bras. Now I have even more fullness in the center gore area. Formerly my breasts were very full toward the sides under the arms.
I've never tried the Jeanie, but if it's like the Casey in projection, you are correct about it accommodating more projection. I wear 30FF in Freya half cups and in Cleo Marcie.
Thanks for recommending I keep it. I tried it on once more and I've decided it IS a keeper!! I have the Casey coming tomorrow, so I'm excited try it out after a win with the Jeanie!
What color Casey did you get? I just got another Casey in the Fuchsia Rose color. It is beautiful. I got it from miodestino.com. They have an Amazon store, but it ended up being cheaper through their own site, after a coupon I found at retailmenot.com.
Tried it on through Amazon, but found the nude on Ebay for $19.99! Score! I'll have to check those sites...I have a feeling I will want a few of these bras.
I bought this bra after outgrowing the same model in a different size (30DD). This cut has been my favorite for a long time, though it does have its drawbacks. The wires on all the Parfait Jeannie bras are intense, regardless of the bra size, which I mostly find helpful but which can be irritating at times. The band on the 30DD is very firm, which gives great support, but there are times the underwire creaks with movement.
For this new bra specifically, the 32DD, the straps are way too far apart for me. This was not the case with the other size I had had, and the ...band on this new bra also feels a little big, so it’s possible I should have stayed at the 30 band and just tried a different cup size.
Update: I did not end up wearing this bra beyond trying it on, because between the loose band and the spaced out straps it just wasn’t comfortable. Now that I prefer a larger band size, I decided to go back and try this bra again, and surprisingly discovered that it’s still loose on me. The stretched band for this bra is 33.5”, and the cups are fairly wide and shallow. Overall I unfortunately think that the shape and design of the Parfait Jeannie no longer works for me, which is a shame because back in the day this model was my very first Bra That Fits. Read more 133 more words
Cups aren't big enough. This is my "usual" size. The material is great- thick enough, but not too thick. Bra appears well made. Band snug, in a good way. I am going to try larger cups, but worry the wires might be too long. will do fit request because i like this one.
I am tall, with low, wide, shallow, widely spaced, FOB breasts and a promient sternum. I am between a 32 and 34 in band size, so this fits well with a bra extender, which I'm happy with. This bra gives a nice projected shape to my shallow breasts, but the cut of the bra shows under most of my clothing. This is the ONLY bra I own whose straps do not have to be completely extended!
This bra was my least favorite buy. Such an odd fit! I bought the padded and unpadded version. The padded created quadboob. It was too small for me at the time. The unpadded though... my breasts didnt fill the bottom because it was too close to my skin, overflowed the top and created like muffins. I was a 32F at the time as well. 32E now, still a weird fit. Idk whats up with this bra. Im FOB as well.
This bra is beautiful, and fit, for the most part. I had a little quadboob in the 32D, while in the 32DD I felt like I was a little shy of filling the top of the cup. The foam padding of the cup kind of compensated. The straps are wide set, but not problematic. It looked gorgeous on its own, but the close set apex projection was more apparent under clothing, and I am not sure it is the right shape for my preferences. I felt a little pointy. I was torn, but ultimately decided to exchange to try something else.
This bra is a little too wide in the gore for me at the top. Lightly padded, seamed bra, with no push-up padding. Snug band. Full coverage on me. When i tried this bra in a 32D and 32DD, the height of the cup was the biggest difference. also the apex was in a higher place in the larger size.
The underwires of this bra come just shy of sitting on my outer breast tissue, but it still feels comfortable. The fabric and construction of this bra are a little stiff and the band is snug. It gives me a very lifted and centered shape under shirts, which I like. I already had this bra in red and I liked it so much that I got the wild pink and wine purple colorways as well. There is a very slight amount of gaping at the top outer edge of the cup when I extend my arm forward, but it is minimal. I also tried on the 32DDD in both the wild pink and the wine purple, so see my other review for comparisons.
This bra fits me very well and gives me quite a lot of lift. The construction is a bit stiff, but not uncomfortable. The band does not seem to be quite as tight as the red version of this bra in 32DD. The underwires are just shy of sitting on the outside breast tissue, but they feel OK (I'm shallow breasted, with wide roots). There is a slight bit of gaping on the outer top edge of the cup when I extend my arm forward, but it is very minor compared to the gaping that I got in the 32DDD. Love the dark purple color. I'm definitely keeping this one.
I love this bra and wish it had fit, luckily I got it for a decent price on ebay. I hope they have more in a larger cup though. I took a stab at my size since I tend to vary a bit in Parfait depending on the style, I wish I had researched more and thought to size up. I believe this is a true balconette unlike my Betsey Johnson which is a bit fuller cut. I'm giving all excellent ratings because the quality does seem nice, it is comfortable other than extreme quadding which can be resolved with a proper fit and it ...does look really pretty.
I did order this bra in a UK 30FF, though it was listed with the equivalent US size, so I'm hoping I get a 30FF. It was recommended I size up 2 cups in my fit request but there wasn't a 32F on ebay so hopefully the sister size will be a good fit. I will give updates about the 30FF when it arrives.
In the meantime if anyone wants my 32DD Parfait Bess let me know only asking $10 or will exchange for anything that has similar measurements to my Parfait Charlotte or Betsey Johnson Balconette.
I got my 30FF and reviewed it as well, the 30FF is a perfect fit, I just hope my 3 hook extender arrives soon. The band is on the snug side, but I'm also in between band sizes. Read more 144 more words
Tried out this 32DD Charlotte Balconet bra after having success with the plunge style. I love the deep purple color and black contrast on this. The band felt very snug on this, similar to my 32DD Charlotte plunge, but was not uncomfortable. The fit on this bra was pretty good. I only got a slight quadboob effect on my larger side, but it was very minimal. The straps on this are very wide, wider than I'm used to. They are also the widest set straps of any bra that I've tried on so far. They don't fall off of my shoulders, though. The gore tacked and the top edge of the cup followed along the top edge of my breasts without any gaping. I will be returning this bra, however, as I also tried on the 32E in this bra and like the fit better. I also have a review on the 32E, if anyone needs to compare measurements between the two.
I got this bra in a 32e also when this size didn't fit. Now I realize should have gone up in the band size too. The band is firm but seemed to fit. however, it's actually pulling the wires too much and distorting the shap of the cup forcing the bottom the lay flat against my sternum. I didn't know that was what was happening when I tried the bra on, I thought it was just to small in the cups. When the same thing happened in the larger cup size I decided to measure them and then noticed the bottom of the cups going flat when I stretched the band.
This bra was too big for me. The cups were huge and the band was loose. From my experience, I would size down in band and cup. The cup is too shallow for my average projection.
The bra is very pretty - almost bridal-ly (got white). Probably the first thing that popped into my mind was.."Wow, this may be a challenge to clean/keep clean" as it's got a lace overlay and truly is like a pure white color. Cups are lined with foam and are soft. I didn't mind the wide band, however, it's probably too wide for me.
Keep in mind: this is a full coverage bra, which means the cups are tall and wide. It wasn't awful on me (5'5) but it would probably be too big for someone more petite.
Very slight wrinkling at mid bottom of cup. Lace cut in very minimally at the top of the cup, but is stretchy and wasn't very noticeable.
Cup didn't quite encompass everything on the sides, so there was some wrinkling. I've not had this problem yet with a bra, so this bra could potentially be geared towards a wider root (I'm more average).
Band/cup was accurate and material was comfortable. Did not give me any shape though.
Depending on the shape you prefer, this bra might be better for someone with more rounded breasts as opposed to conical.
Bra is not lined, so I would feel a little exposed.
Good: soft material, very cute, cups give nice shape, band is true to size
Bad: Not "padded", I would call it molded/lined. The cups are definitely misshapen, if you get this bra shipped. From the shipping, the cups pinch out by the gore, which gave me the impression the cups were too big. Cups were OK for my conical shape, gave more of a rounded shape. The straps didn't adjust short enough (there is lace high on the strap, which make it hard to really adjust too short), therefore, there was gaping at the top of the cups. The cups are also a little too "full coverage" for ...me (even fullness) and maybe that was also a problem that led to the gaping. The straps also sit pretty wide, which would be perfect for wide necked shirts - I think they would probably stay put. I didn't feel like I got any "lift" or support from the bra - probably because I couldn't adjust it high enough.
Just going over some reviews on Amazon; the description of this bra says that the cups run big. Unfortunately, I won't be finding out because I won't be trying another bra in this size.
I think this is a bra that would be work appropriate as it separates and probably won't give you cleavage if you have a smaller bust size. Read more 121 more words
This bra is absolutely gorgeous but I think meant for more close set boobs with inner/upper fullness. The cup has a strange little wrinkle right in the inner cups. The straps and everything make me think that it's actually meant for a larger framed person - the cups would sit right if I was able to pull the straps tight but they are set just a little too far apart.
This bra is gorgeous. It looks like it was made for you!