Thenightingale

Very nice bra—comfortable, simple but not plain—but the cups are a bit too big. I do like the narrower, slightly padded straps a lot!

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Jun 06, 2015 Flag this

Well, upon initially trying this one on I thought the cups were much too big and went instead for the 28F. (http://www.bratabase.com/bra/dlxu3/) Even so, I wasn't sure about that, nor were fellow Bratabasers, so I decided to try this one on again to see, being sure to firmly anchor the underwires in my IMF. It does seem to fit much better, I have to say, though there is gaping at the top—it's mostly the lace, but the cups do gape a bit (see laptop-held-above-my-head photo). I'm still not sure and per the comments on my 28F, may try 30E and 30F to see what happens there. ... That does make me nervous, though since I really do prefer 28 bands. We'll see.

All of that (and the odd dents in the fabric I'm not sure would come out in the wash), this is a really comfortable bra, just as the 28F. The fabric is soft, it is comfortable, I do not feel as if the girls are being manipulated (if that makes sense), and though it is plain, it's kind of a pretty plain. As someone who wears a lot of light tops, I do need lighter bras, and though this is a bit dark on me, it's fine.

Just as with the 28F, I am not too keen on the way the straps adjust—from the top down, on the back side of the bra. But that is a small quibble. The straps themselves are slender enough—I think it's the (always failing) Curvy Kates I've tried where the straps seem to be a mile wide, but that's not the case here. They're also sort of slightly padded—it's not obtrusive or bulky, but there is more to them than the standard bra strap.

Now I really just need to figure out the size. As this one has what I consider a fairly obvious defect on one cup, I'll try for the 30 bands, much as I hate to, and see how they look. I do see that the horizontal lines in the band in this are not so bad as those in the F cup. That generally indicates 'too small', though I always wonder how much my spinal deformity affects that, as it definitely causes issues in clothing.

Overall, though, this is a lovely bra. IMO it would be nice if Cleo also released it in other colours once in a while!
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Updated on Jun 15, 2015 Flag this

I've this and the 30DD, and can't really figure out which is the better fit. In the 30DD (http://www.bratabase.com/bra/dlvh7/), there's a lot of 'oomph', and I wonder if it is that I like about the smaller one.

So far as the E cup, the band is a fine fit and it's comfortable, but there's gaping at the top of the cups, as I tried to show in one of the photos. That's probably to be expected with a molded-cup bra for someone who is much fuller on the bottom, but it's bothersome to me, is bound to show through certain shirts, and is probably the other reason ... I prefer the 30DD.

Fit aside, it's a beautiful bra, per usual. I know some won't like the little dangly heart beneath the bow (or the bow!) but thus far I seem to have been restricted to boring bras, so any embellishment is good in my book!

TBH, I will probably send every single bra I bought back and try to start over again. :'( It's too bad, because I love the quality of Parfait bras!
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Navy Blue colorway

Updated on Apr 24, 2015 Flag this

My 30D Deco bands seemed rather loose after a brief period (I like a snug fit and didn't realize when I first discovered Freya that the bands do stretch), so I gave this a try along with another 30D and decided to keep this one.

The first all-day wear (during a road trip...oops) was pretty uncomfortable; I ought to have gone for a breaking-in period! The band remains pretty snug, but this I actually like. That said, the top of the wire does poke into my left side a bit, to the point it's pretty uncomfortable by the end of the day. Maybe I'll try to bend it ... out? Also, my right girl tends to sort of slip back into the back my bras—sideboob, I guess?—but this is consistent with all bras for me, and is perhaps due to my scoliosis. The 28 band definitely makes this less of something to deal with than my 30 band bras, though, which is probably another reason I like the tighter fit.

This bra DOES give all kinds of oomph, which I definitely like, having pretty wide, full on bottom, and what I suspect are shallow breasts. I do occasionally feel as if the girls are going to spill out of the bra, but they never have, and my husband never seems to mind that effect, either. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" /> As someone who spent much of her life feeling inadequate and ugly after being given nothing but 32 and 34 Cs to swim in...I'm not going to complain about the cleavage. Ever!

This is probably my favourite bra, mostly because of the super-snug band (and the oomph). My next try will probably be a 28E, just to see if that helps with some of the poking and the migration during the day, and also because I'm sure tissue has been migrating back to where it belongs since I was introduced to the correct fitting method about 3 years ago.
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Updated on Apr 02, 2015 Flag this

Now that we've moved and are fairly settled in I wanted to try bras again. Trying ANY non-moulded, non-padded bra is a big step for me, but quite a few ladies here have suggested doing so, and seeing the wisdom I've decided to try a few.

This bra is very pretty, especially in the soft green (granted, a favourite colour of mine!), but just does not fit so I really cannot accurately judge the bra. I would not call this a real balconnette bra—the cups come up quite high on my chest, though this may be due to my not fitting it right. Anyhow, too much gaping at the ... top of the cups—it is absolutely the wrong size, much too large for me. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> This is one Bratabase recommended in this size...I'm starting to think I'm just defective or am somehow measuring improperly. Or both!

Failure #327 aside, it IS a pretty bra; lace is feminine and seems soft and comfortable. I just do not have nearly enough 'ooomph' to fill the top of the cups and my husband has absolutely put the kibosh on my getting implants so things fit correctly. Darn (to both problems)!
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Sep 13, 2015 Flag this

I may actually have a winner here! This bra actually seems to fit quite well. I fill out the cups nicely; there is only a little gaping at the top of my smallest breast. I am not quite sure if the wires are wide enough, but don't think sizing up a cup would be right (the FF seemed a bit too big), and really hate the idea of a 30 band. This band seems quite firm, but I'm a) paranoid about a too-small band b) accustomed to my Freyas stretching out pretty quickly c) carrying more weight than I ought to for my frame but am exercising diligently. ... I think an extender for the first handful of wearings might be well-advised.

The bra is quite comfortable and soft; the lace, which of course has the potential to be itchy, was not irritating at all. The straps should adjust long & short enough for me (I'm 5' even), though I'm not especially keen on the way they adjust from the shoulder instead of the back band of the bra. Personal preference, I guess. The shape is nice, too, though I do wonder if it is going ever-so slightly downward 7? I used to think I'm shallow, wide-rooted and FoB, but having done the "lean over" test, wonder if I am in reality fairly even.

Overall, this seems like a nice bra. It's plain, of course, because of the colour, but neutral bras are always good to have, and I am still trying to find my size. The narrow straps are nice—sometimes the wider straps on some bras seem a bit overwhelming on my frame. They're also lightly padded (very lightly—it's just thicker fabric, I guess) for additional comfort.
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Updated on Jun 06, 2015 Flag this