Overall, I love this swim top. It's the first underwire swim top I've tried that I really loved.

Things I like:
- The navy blue and white high-contrast pattern is just gorgeous, very flattering. I love high contrast in a swimsuit.
- I have had problems with other underwire swim tops cutting in at the top of the cup, and this one doesn't do that.
- This swim top fits me well even though I had to go to a size 32D because Bare Necessities didn't sell a 30 band (although Prima Donna does make it). I usually wear 30DD UK / 30E US. I ... am curious to see if a 30E would look even better on me, but I think the 32D looks great so I'm keeping it. 32D has the advantage of less upper back bulging too, since the band is a little bit bigger than what I would wear normally.

Things I'm not sure if I like or not:
- I think there's a missed opportunity to create epic cleavage - see 30DD - Freya » Deco Shape Moulded Multiway Bra (1464) vs this swim top, and you'll see that this swim top makes me look pretty flat in comparison. I believe that is because of the cup shape. In a narrow cup, like Freya Deco, I have nowhere to go but up! This swim top has more room at the bottom of the cup, and my breasts stay down there to fill it. Anyway, half of me longs to see more cleavage with this swim top - especially with those lovely white lines that want so badly to draw the eyes to cleavage ...cleavage that isn't there. But the other half of me thinks it's a good thing that there is less cleavage. Good for a few reasons. a) Even if the straps fall off, my odds of a wardrobe malfunction seem very slim, with my breast securely encased in the bottom of the cup, instead of sitting up high on a shelf. b) I'll probably tan more evenly on the chest if I'm not being pushed up to high heaven.

Things I don't like:
- I was hoping to wear the convertible straps as a halter top, and I do have that option - but for various reasons I feel like the halter option is too awkward to actually use it. Wearing it halter-style requires me to adjust the straps so much that the adjuster slider hardware is in the front - with the sliders almost but not quite touching the top of my cup. In that state, almost the entire strap is doubled up on itself. This look - with hardware in front, and doubled-up straps - looks and feels very awkward in my opinion. Part of the appeal of this bra is the clean white lines, and sliders in front would break up two of the most visible lines. The stock picture shows someone wearing it halter-style without slider hardware in front, and without the straps doubled up. I was hoping to get that look out of the box, but now I realize that look would require a tailor to either permanently shorten the straps, or add convertible hardware to the middle of the strap (with convertible hardware at the perfect strap length to wear it like a halter). The second option sounds like it would be great, if I had a tailor that I trust. I'm hesitating to give a $143 swim top to a new tailor as their first project. I think I would feel more comfortable buying a second swim top that doesn't have these issues, instead of getting this one altered.
- Also, if I wear it halter-style, the strap fastener hardware on the back of the band is still visible. So that's another permanent modification I'd need to make the halter option look perfect: cutting out those two fasteners on the back. Unfortunately, doing that would instantly remove all of my other strap options except halter.
- Why not wear the straps crossed in the back instead? Because I want to be able to take down the straps and put them back up easily - down for tanning, up for swimming and walking around - and I want to be able to do this without anyone's help. And these straps only detach in the back. With crossed straps that only detach in the back, I would need to either find a bathroom where I can completely remove the bra to detach or reattach the straps, or stay out on the beach and ask a stranger to help me detach or reattach the straps. I don't want to ask a stranger for that, and I don't always have a bathroom nearby on a public beach, so crossed straps is not really a good option. And the thought of wearing them crossed whether I'm tanning or swimming doesn't thrill me, because of the awkward tan lines.
- So there's one option left that looks aesthetically clean and allows easy strap removal for tanning: wearing the straps straight. But that's sad: what's the point of having convertible hardware if my only good option is to wear it as if it wasn't convertible?

Overall, I love this swim top ... but if they could make the halter option look really clean out of the box, without the slider hardware in the front, without the straps doubled up, then I would love it even more. 65D - Marie Jo L'aventure » William (012-1276) solves this problem easily by adding convertible hardware in the middle of the strap (in the perfect position to snap the straps together as a halter) - and by having a hook in a loop of fabric on the band in the back (I can't see or feel the fabric loop when it's not in use). I think that type of hardware setup would be just lovely for future swim tops, just in case anyone from Prima Donna reads these reviews! And yes, mid-strap hardware would make the straps partially adjustable instead of fully adjustable - for me that would not be a deterrent at all.
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Updated on Feb 29, 2016 Flag this