Elphabra

Man but I wanted to love the fit of this bra as much as the look of it. Ultimately, though, I couldn't ignore the cons:

- I absolutely could not get the underwires to nestle and stay in the crease of my boobs. Instead they liked to do their own thing and float and run down my chest and generally party. I expect this is at least in part because the firm elastic band you usually find at the bottom of the bra is at the bottom of the longline, with nothing really tacking it to you at the underwire but the weaker powermesh.

-The side boning bulged strongly out ... towards the bottom and I couldn't get it to lay flat. This exaggerated my current bumps and created new ones, and wasn't a particularly comfy feeling, although it didn't hurt.

-The whole mess felt very unstable and jiggly. The gore couldn't be convinced to tack, in this or the too large size up I tried. You wouldn't want to be running for a bus in it, and while I don't mind jiggle too much, I think it'd be noticeable in daily activities too.

-There's a mesh outer layer on the cups which poofed out and looked kind of odd, at least in these cup sizes. It seemed to lay flat under clothes, though.

-The longline bit in front didn't want to actually stay down when I moved. Note, I am fat, so there's plenty of tummy influencing this. The elastic at the bottom hugged well, so it didn't want to flip up like Evenden's longlines, but it rode up instead. It also felt weird when trying to tug it down to adjust, like there wasn't an even length of fabric all along it, so you had to put more pressure in some places. Also, it was pretty impossible to accomplish this tugging down without also moving the wires down.

It was really nice having a band that deep in back, but I had to ask the boyfriend for help with it. I did also quite like the shape with clothes on.

Oh Carmen, you're beautiful, but it just wasn't meant to be.

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Updated on Mar 12, 2014 Flag this

Oh, boy. This is my most bittersweet bra in a long time. On the one hand, it actually just looked like how I think a bra should! Unlike all these patterned mesh concoctions I've grown accustomed to, it was basic, sexy, and even (gasp) gave me a bit of cleavage! Absolute winner when it comes to looks.

On the downside, the blasted thing was incredible uncomfortable. The band ran very tight (sister sizers rejoice! ...except not me because this is already the biggest band size they make.) The straps were also incredibly thin and actually too short for me, which rarely if ever happens. While the band was a ... bit better with an extender, the one of the straps kept twisting and wouldn't stay flat. The band also felt much thinner and more bitey, even compared within brand to the also two hook 38H - Cleo » Juna (6461)

The cups themselves fit mostly okay, although the wires were definitely too narrow and short for me. (Often a problem for me, though this was probably worse than average.) The lip of the cup on my larger breast also curbed out a little, like the foam wasn't quite right with the fabric case? In a way I've seen molded cups do before. Not sure if this was a defect or size thing, but there was no quadboob in sight.

All of that said, I'm still sorely tempted to keep this. I know,I know, that's a terrible idea, considering it was uncomfortable enough I haven't yetconvinced myself to try it on again after the initial five minute go. But I loved the look of it so much, I'm still tempted to try strap and maybe? Possibly? Band surgery (though I'm not actually qualified for either.)

EDIT: I tried it on for longer, and I'd say that the wires are quite U-shaped, making it hard to fully nestle in the bottom for me, and definitely quite narrow as well - they were slightly narrower than my 75JJ - Ewa Michalak » Pl Black (64) when I tried them on at the same time.

So, I'd recommend this bra for someone who wears true to size 36s or stretchy 34s usually, and prefers a narrow, U-shaped cup, with less projection than EM but not shallow. The cups felt true to size for certain shapes to me. (I'm a large 38H/small38HH these days, with Hs often taking some convincing not to quad, and had no signs of quadboob in this.)

For reference, I tried it in black.
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Updated on Apr 01, 2014 Flag this

This is just a quick note from a quick try on last night, better review to come. It fit decently well, and looked very cute! The profile is very much minimized from the side, as others have been saying. I found the wire width comfortable for my very wide breasts, though not as wide as, say elomi.

I sized up one both in band and cup from my most normally used size, 34J. / Contrary to fussy busty's review/, I don't think this bra is unworkable for H+ breasts. I'll have to see how it holds up to a full day's ... wear, though. For me, I got a small but of overspill on my larger breast one/ three times I scooped, but it seemed to settle. Again, we'll see.

As for the band, it didn't seem firmer than average to me. I could have immediately gone for the tightest hook but compromised myself to the middle to see if I could extend its life. the loosest hook was definitely too loose. It's certainly a firmer band than elomi, but it's no ariza.

In the few minutes I wore the bra, it seemed really freaking comfy. I was also surprised by how very thin the straps were compared to everything else in my size range, but they didn't seem to dig in. They also adjusted easily while on, which was a plus at the time, though I don't know if it'll mean they slip. possibly they just weren't taking much weight!

That's all I've got off the top of my head!
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Updated on May 29, 2013 Flag this

This ran waaaaay small in the cup for me, and I was quadding like nobody's business. Also was missing a bow from the strap when I bought it. the styling was gorgeous, but can't comment much beyond that because of the bad fit.

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Updated on Jan 04, 2013 Flag this

Pretty much the same issues as my 36J - Curvy Kate » Carmen Padded Balcony Bra (SG2201) review, except too big in the cup. I'd say the cup runs fairly true to size.

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Updated on Mar 12, 2014 Flag this

I loved the wire width and height on this size. Not perfect from me, and I didn't have a full day trial with it, but by comparison to the 38HH - Panache » Envy Balconnet Bra (7285) , much less inclined to stab me abd a comfier fit with its wider and higher wires.
Unfortunately, it was too big in the cup. The wrinkling isn't super obvious except on my smaller side, and with the stretch lace there wasn't really gapping, but comparing the profile to the size down, the much pointier shape seems like a giveaway of too large a cup based on what I've seen t_maia say.

For the bra itself, it seemed like a really sexy basic to me (although the boyfriend didn't agree, being firmly anti beige.) The cups had an interesting texture to them, and the materials felt good.

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Updated on Apr 07, 2014 Flag this

Pretty much agreeing with what everyone else has said -it's gorgeous on, pretty similar to the Panache Andorra Full Cup (5675) , and wrinkles from being too shallow in the bottom. Subjectively, I'd say the wires are lower than at least the older models of Andorra (haven't tried a recent one), and possibly slightly narrower, though I wouldn't call it a narrow bra. The straps are also miles better, being the thicker kind with felting on the back they use in Jasmine, for example. The vertical seam in the bottom of the cup also comes up higher, and I'd say it runs a little bigger than ... my pink 36J - Panache » Andorra Full Cup (5675) , as I quadboob after scooping in that, but not in this.
I found the band quite true to size, and need to wear it with an extender.

I reeeeeally wish that bottom section fit better, as the black/gold coming out is ridiculously gorgeous, but it's hard to justify two of a beautiful bra that's not an awesome fit.

Edit: actually, I wouldn't just say it's a shallow bottom section, more a shallow inner/bottom section. Most of my pulling is in the inner quadrant, closer to the gore.
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Updated on Apr 10, 2014 Flag this

Ick. I just tried this on very briefly in a shop and I was very unimpressed. It basically seemed to give me no lift or shape at all- my breasts were very wide and low looking, and the top mostly seemed to just be functioning as a boob cover, not really what I was hoping for. The fit of the cups seemed reasonable, I wouldn't say it ran obviously big or small. The fabric in them was really really stretchy, though, which may account for the total lack of lift I got. This was my first foray into bra sized swimwear though, so for all I know that's ... normal.
The attachment in back wasn't hooks and eyes, but the kind you slide into place at an angle and snap flat into place. After several flaily attempts to fasten it in back as I've grown used to, I had to give up and do it up in front and twist, something I haven't had to do in a long time. Ow. The band was definitely firm, though not so much I would have had to size up, though I also probably could have without problems. could have stood to be thicker.
Speaking of thicker, though, OW to the tiny useless skinny little straps.Do
yeah, overall, this was a fail for me.
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Updated on Feb 25, 2013 Flag this

I wound up returning this without managing to get measurements or pictures, unfortunately, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. The bra was gorgeous on, felt probably the most front and center and projected of bras I've tried. The material felt nice and firm, though the transition between the bottom cup and lacy bit was slightly more prominent under a shirt than I'm used to from Cleo.

The band definitely ran the tightest of that batch of bras - for reference, I couldn't close this without an extender, as compared to the 34j marcie that I'm wearing with an extender to break in the bra ... gently but I definitely could have closed and worn.

in the end, I had to send it back because the wires were just too narrow to get away with - I have an extremely wide root, so while almost all wires are too narrow on me, these were definitely on tissue to the point where I didn't want to risk bad migration. (I'm not sure this necessarily means these will be great for people hunting for narrow roots, but they at least felt narrower on me than marcie.)
https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" /> Sad times, pretty Melissa.
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Updated on Mar 18, 2013 Flag this

Long story short-this bra gives fantastic shape and fits me really well, except the perennial wires are too narrow and short for me. This leads to killer stabbing on my sides, so even though it's definitely my highest and roundest shape under a shirt,I would never reach for it in the morning. The gore also tends to dig in. The band runs tight imo, and is narrow like typical Cleo, making the straps take too much of the weight.

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Updated on Apr 07, 2014 Flag this