This is a gorgeous, sophisticated looking mesh bra in a mocha color scattered with small red embroidered flowers -- I SO wanted it to fit. Sensitive types will appreciate the thin, flexible wires, which have extra cushioning like all of the Prima Donna bras I've tried, and the lack of scratchy picot edging and side seam boning. The lower cup and side-support panel are lined with very soft, light cotton so the nips don't show. The upper lace panel is very stretchy, soft and the edge is reinforced by elastic. The wide straps are almost fully adjustable, smooth, satiny elastic, with a couple of inches of small embroidered ... applique flowers climbing them like a trellis. Delightful!
PETITES:
Short women with small rib cages will appreciate the close-set 6.5" back strap placement and the diminuitive 12" distance from outer wire tip to outer wire tip, as well as the minimal 3/8" underband, which is scooped out below the gore to give lots of tummy room. This is not a bra that will dig into short girls' ribs when you sit down.
BAND:
Like the 65F - Prima Donna » Aurora Underwired Bra (0162631), the 22.5" unstretched band is even shorter than the usual Prima Donna 65 band, which I measured at 23.5 in the Prima Donna Madison Plunge and 24" in the 65E - Prima Donna » Couture Underwired Bra (0162580). The band stretches about two inches before the wire tips begin to spread out and distort the shape of the cup, so if your tight underband measurement is more than 26.5", you may have issues with the wires poking and the cups not fitting properly. I am a snug 27" and I had quadboob and poking under the arms despite not filling the cups fully due to the distortion. The band is very stretchy and will not feel too tight on a 29" ribcage -- but the super-flexible, narrow wires, very short band, and elastic-backed edge of the upper lace panel will magnify each other into disaster territory. Go up a band size or two, or expect to use an extender.
CUP:
The Prima Donna First Lady has a 3-part cup consisting of a curved side support panel that comprises the outer 1/4" of the cup, a deep, lower "cat's ear" shaped panel with a curved transverse seam about 3/4" above the nipple that comprises approximately half of the cup, and a 2" wide sheer rectangular mesh panel that comprises the upper 1/4" of the cup. It is almost identitical in cut to the 65F - Prima Donna » Couture Underwired Bra (0162581), except there is no hidden vertical center seam in the lining of the lower cup for extra lift. In my opinion, this makes the First Lady a great bra for very full on bottom or very full all around shapes. For those like me who are deflated on top, somewhat full on the bottom and very squishy, the result was two pyramids! I did not have that problem in the 65E - Prima Donna » Deauville Underwired Bra (0161810) which has the same design, except the upper panel is a full inch wider -- putting the curved transverse seam right at the nipple -- and the shorter lower panel has a center vertical seam in the cup lining to give extra lift.
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Updated on Jun 30, 2015 Flag this
This is a fabulous review. I love Prima Donna quality. I didn't know about the First Lady model. Thanks for the review!