Brasockpuppet

Let me tell you about the Karen. Wouldn't you know it, I'm wearing it right now! So, anyway. This is a bra that I searched high and low on the internet for in my "default" size (30G). At one point I found it on Nordstrom's website on sale, but then I didn't act quick enough and it slipped through my grasp. Imagine my delight, when I found the Karen at my local Nordstrom Rack on clearance for $22.

But! I compromised with a 32FF. So I feel like I should put a giant disclaimer on this review, because while it technically fits, it is on the tightest ... hook. Like, if I had my way, I would much rather have a 30 band. However, given the nature of the cups, I wonder if a 30G would have ended up stabbing me in the armpits. But I digress.

Let me start by saying I've tried a couple of other molded "plunge" models and this one may be by far the most comfortable. For example, take the Freya Deco -- while I love that bra, it goes slightly farther up in the armpits than the Karen. The Deco also smushes your boobs closer together and up, while the Karen seems to just lift them up but not necessarily smushed together. Not that there's anything wrong with that! It just means, given the cut of the bra, you can wear something that is more of a V-neck with the Deco than you can with the Karen. The Karen is good for necklines that are open or wide but that don't dip down too low. In general, I love the rounded, uplifted shape that the Karen gives my profile. It might look like I'm getting some quadboob action, but that's only if I contort enough while taking photos (but I'm working on that lol).

Of course, I love the star pattern. This is why I sought it out! The material is soft and but no means scratchy. To me, the band is firm for a 32, given that I prefer 30 bands. I do wish that the straps seemed a little less flimsy. I mean, maybe I'm used to .75 inch straps now, instead of the half inch straps here. Another thing is, if I had my way, I would design this model with three sets of hooks, instead of the two that this model (and every other Cleo model I've tried) has. Why the resistance to the three sets of hooks? :'(

Okay, I'm done waxing poetic about the Karen. I say if you have boobs like mine, get your hands on a Karen and try it out for yourself https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />
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Updated on Mar 16, 2013 Flag this

This review can be summed up as: oh my god the fit of the Haussman, just WOW NO. Because I'm pretty sure the infamous Cleo Jude fit me better than this bra! So I tried it out in a 70G (or by ridic American sizing: 32DDDD) because I had better luck with an unpadded Chantelle bra in 70G - not amazing, but way better than this thing.
I should have known, because the Haussman has molded cups, and internet research has told me that Chantelles run pretty narrow, so really, what was I thinking?
No, what made me want to shoehorn my wide set, bottom heavy boobs into this model ... were the underwires ENCASED IN PADDING. Or some sort of foam. Either way, it looked so comfortable!

When it comes down to the fit, this bra was all sorts of wrong for my breasts. First, after I scooped and swooped, there was some weird lumpy wrinkling going on down at the bottoms of the cups, you know, where my breasts WEREN'T. Then, the tops of the cups cut into my breast tissue but somehow managed to have gapping at the same time? Like, when I bent over, or twisted my upper body around like I was looking behind me, there was gapping in the upper corners of the bra where it met the straps, almost like the strap positioning and top of the bra were too wide for my shoulders or frame. No matter how I positioned my boobs, there was either the wrinkling at the bottom of the cups, quadboob, gapping or ALL THREE at the same time. I just couldn't win with this bra. The straps also could only be adjusted halfway, and they seemed a little too loose. In addition, I had to fasten the band on the tightest hooks for a snug fit (which isn't surprising because I'm kind of between band sizes :/ )

It's too bad, because even with all these fitting flaws, the Haussman was quite comfy. This may not be the most sexy or elegant of bras, but if you have breasts that are somewhat close together and/or narrow and are looking for a comfortable T-shirt bra with some padding, you might have better luck with this bra than I did.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 20, 2013 Flag this

Man, I think I have an irrational love for these Cleo balconnet-style bras. They're all so colorful with cute patterns. As soon as I saw a Zia Balconnet online I knew I had to have one. While the last Cleo balconnet I got was a Meg Balconnet in 28GG, I'm glad I did my research and got this in a 30 band. The Zia is known to be tight. I opted for 30FF because 30G was not available and, crap, it was on sale. I figured if the cups were ridiculous, I'd just return it.

And no kidding, when I first got it, ... I took one look at it and was like "Did I order a 28FF by accident?? SHITTTT D:" The band looked TINY. Nevertheless, I gave it a whirl. You can't judge everything on appearances because I had no problems fastening it. Finally, I get to use the outer hooks! No using the middle or first hooks right away with this baby.

But does it work with my boobs? Well, it makes them a little pointy, not like with the Meg, which gives a more rounded shape. But like the Meg, the bra attempts to place my stubbornly splayed breasts in a more front and center position. So, pointy breasts aside, it looks pretty decent under a t-shirt. The gore also doesn't come up so high, like in some unpadded models (Wacoal, I'm looking at you!). What I also like about this model (and other Cleos I have) is that it doesn't gouge out my armpits. It seems like the underwires on a lot of bras, especially once you get into the G range, decide to make themselves at home in my armpits. Or the straps get too wide set for my narrow shoulders. It is the curse of the slightly petite :'(

The fabric is stiff: stiff enough that the cups hold their shape and are not flimsy but not so stiff that they would be nasty and scratchy. The straps are rather thin at a half an inch. The lace top portions are soft enough.

There are some minor fitting issues that I feel have more to do with the shape of my breasts than anything else. The top part of the cups cut in a little bit. Were I more full on top, that fabric cutting in would really be an issue. It could be that 30G would have been a better option. I'm not giving up on this bra yet! But I probably won't be able to wear it when I'm close to my period.

Overall, I give this bra a thumbs up, despite the pointy boob action.
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Updated on Mar 16, 2013 Flag this

This bra is lovely and I wish I could wear it without an extender. Based on the fit of my Kris Line Jasmine Soft Cup bra, and looking at what little measurements I could find on other Kris Line bras, I took a gamble and ordered a 30FF Mare balcony. It was hard to resist, because it was super on sale, and I loved the way the Jasmine fit. Well, that was a gamble I lost.

Not only do I have to wear the Mare with an extender, I have to wear the extender on the last hooks to get the full length. This is the first ... bra I've had to do this with. When I measured the band while stretched, it turned out to be a whopping 27"! Once I get it on, the Mare is comfortable, with the exception of the inside of the extender trying to scrape my back. The cups are partially padded with black cotton, and the green material feels almost like a soft stretch jersey material. The lace trim at the top of the cups is also slightly stretchy, and more importantly, not scratchy. The straps are just the right length and position for my frame. The cups come up a little low, but that could be because I should really be up a cup size.

This is one of those things were I was like "A Kris Line bra for $15?? Sure, I'll just get the size CLOSEST to my size that they have available!" I could really stand to cure myself of that habit. And indeed, the cups are too small; they runneth over. Oddly enough, they seemed more contained at the sides, which is usually the first place my boobs spill over when the cups are too small. No, what happens is that the top of the cups cut into my boobs. I thought the quadboob would not be too obvious under a dark knit dress, but I thought wrong! The thing is, the Mare lifts my boobs up in a spectacular fashion, and I can tell that if I had this in the right size, I would be happy with the shape it delivers. So far it has been my experience that Kris Line bras give a very lifted profile. It is not totally round. It is more like: round with a slight point. And because the gore is so narrow, depending on the position of the gore, your boobs will be pretty close together. In fact, if your boobs are already close together and you have issues with gores digging into your breast tissue, I highly recommend Kris Line in general for the narrow gores. Now, the gore on the Mare is also not as high as the gore on the 32F - Kris Line » Gladys Balconette Bra Khaki (GLADYS1) bra or the 65GG - Kris Line » Violette Soft Bra (6314). It is still not low like a plunge gore or anything, as I found out this morning when I tried on a dress with a lower V neck (not like obscenely low or anything!), and spied the gore peeping out. https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_neutral.gif" alt=":|" />

The Mare would definitely be a keeper if it fit at least in the cups. I'll probably end up listing it soon. It would actually be suitable for someone looking for a firm 28 band.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 Flag this

At first glance, the Bettina is a very unassuming bra. What sets it apart from being completely plain are the lace details on the straps and wings. The cups are seamless, but the fabric is rigid enough (but not TOO stiff) to provide good support.

This is a full cup bra, so don't expect any cleavage. The cups also have a slight minimizing effect. But! The comfort factor of this bra surprised me, in that it is almost like wearing nothing at all. The wires come up just high enough to contain my breasts but not so high that they would dig into my armpits.

If you are considering ... trying Empreinte, I recommend sizing down in the cup, and maybe sizing up in the band, if you are in between sizes. Normally I would wear a 30G or, if I go up in band, 32FF. I feel 32FF would have been too big.

While I like this bra, I don't think I could like it enough to pay full price ($100+). That said, I now have an eBay alert for Empreinte just in case one shows up in my size at the right price.
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Updated on Oct 13, 2013 Flag this

I think this is a good bra if you have wide set breasts like mine. I went for a 30FF instead of a 32FF and I find that the band and straps fit great. I'm getting just a little bit of quadboob, but this is nothing compared to bras I've worn in the past, not knowing what my correct size was! I will continue to see how it fits, but in the future I might go up a cup.
The straps are really comfortable: the material is soft and they don't dig into my shoulders or slide around and fall down. The inside of the cups aren't scratchy -- I'm really picky about that. My breasts are delicate creatures that hate rough and itchy lace!
I would for sure buy another Freya bra. The clashing prints on this one is so cute, and I had to buy the matching underwear https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />

Updated on Feb 08, 2013 Flag this

The Couture Contour is a pretty comfortable bra, made of smooth, soft material. The embroidered detail at the top of the cups gives the bra a nice flourish in what otherwise would be a very utilitarian bra. I also consider it a bonus that it is not scratchy. Some Wacoals I've encountered in the past were all up on my boobs with the scratchy lace and whatnot.
I am on the fence about the fit of this bra. On the one hand, when I scoop and swoop, I get slight quadboob at top. However, the breast tissue seems to settle down after a while, giving the bra a better ... appearance. Does this mean I need to scoop and swoop more or can I let the boobs settle where they choose? I'm going to have to wear this model more often, and give it some thought.
The straps are comfortable, although I noticed that the range in which you can tighten them is very short. While I was able to adjust them to a comfortable length, this could be an issue, maybe if you have a short torso? There is no gapping when I lean over, and I can fill out the bottom of the cups.
The 32 band is what I would call a tight 32 - compared to some other 32 bands I've tried. I measure about a 31 at a snug fit, and 30 if I pull REALLY tight like I'm going to break the tape. I found the last hooks to be most comfortable -which is how a 32 should be, but because of my in-between size I find myself in either 30 bands, or 32 bands using the middle or even first set of hooks.
I gave this bra what I call the exercise test --in which I go through my normal routine of weighted squats and other leg and butt exercises-- and it passed with flying colors. Granted, my routine doesn't include things like jogging (for that I guess I would need to bite the bullet and get a decent sports bra) but the bra didn't shift out of place or pinch, and my breasts didn't try to escape.
Overall this seems like a good bra. I'm going to give it some more time before I decide if I need to change cup size, or if I can live with slight, periodic quadboob. When I put on a t-shirt and moved around some, you couldn't really see it, so.

[ETA]: Oh dear no, this doesn't fit each due to tissue migration or I was off to begin with. Such a shame because I love the feel of the fabric. Oh well https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" />
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Updated on May 24, 2013 Flag this

The first thing I noticed about this bra is that it is very comfortable. I haven't had too much luck with Wacoal bras in that usually the material is too scratchy and depending on the model, my breasts end up kind of squished and separated rather than lifted but brought closer together. Often I've found the cups to be too narrow, but that may have been because I was trying on the wrong size.
I really want a bra to get up on there in the armpit area and this model does just that. The underwire is longer than what I'm used to, but the gore does not stab ... me in the sternum. My breasts seem perfectly encased in smooth deep purple fabric. I'm not going to lie you: I probably petted my breasts for a couple of minutes after I put this on, so entranced was I by this smooth fabric. I love the deep purple color, too!
However, this is no cleavage enhancing bra. It does the job of separating and containing my boobs, so I have put this in the category of being a practical full coverage bra rather than a ~*sexy*~ bra. I haven't tried sleeping in it yet (because I normally don't sleep in bras) but I have tried exercising in it (push-ups, crunches, hand weights). I didn't experience any weird pinching, and the bra didn't ride up, shift or stab me in the sides. One thing I noticed is that when I lie flat on my back, the bra keeps my boobs contained. This never happened with my old (pre-new-measurements) bras! https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_surprised.gif" alt=":o" />
Another observation I made is that the band is tighter than what I am used to in a 32 band. Not that this is a bad thing! I measure at 31, so I like to try out 30s and 32s, and most 32s I have to put on the second tightest or tightest hook. I don't have to with this bra, so I have a feeling a 30 band would suffocate me lol.
In conclusion: if you have bottom-heavy, spread out breasts like mine, even if you have had poor luck with Wacoals in the past, give this bra a try.
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Updated on Feb 13, 2013 Flag this

I tried out the Wacoal Alluring bra, because even though it seems rather boring in appearance (beige! full coverage! yawn!), it looked vaguely similar in shape to Wacoal's Inspiration model, which I love as a comfort bra. However, upon closer inspection, beyond the full coverage aspect, the two models are nothing alike.

When I first put on this bra, I noticed right away that I had to use the tightest hooks for my desired fit. So far that has been unusual with me for Wacoals in a 32 band. Usually they are snug enough that I can use the loosest hook (leading me to think that Wacoal bands ... run tight, because I'm in between band sizes). Anyway, I arranged my boobs in the bra and studied how they looked in it. Not bad. A little… retro, what with the seams and the full cups and the beige everywhere. The texture pattern is a nice touch, I suppose. My boobs were definitely lifted and separated, and felt fully supported.

I moved around some and that's when I felt it. OUCH, right in my sternum. It was sneaky, because I didn't notice it at first. But then after a while, the gore seemed like it was frantically trying to burrow its way into my chest. So much for lounging around or sleeping in this thing! A shame really, because the rest of the wires followed the outlines of my shallow breasts quite nicely (much like the Inspiration), even up into the armpit area. And once they got into the armpits, there was no breast tissue trying to sneak its way out!

Upon measuring, I realized the Alluring had the longest underwires I've encountered on my recent bra fitting adventures: 13 inches. It was also the first bra to give me stabbing gore issues. Lop an inch off each underwire, and it probably would have worked! The rest of the bra was quite comfortable, and I would've considered the comfort level marked down as "excellent" if it wasn't for that.
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This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Feb 21, 2013 Flag this

Kris Line is a brand I don't really hear much about. It seems to have been eclipsed by other Polish brands, which is a shame. I feel like you might be missing out if you don't give at least one of these bras a try! The Jasmine caught my eye when it was on sale on Brastop, and I read the few reviews I could find about it before deciding on a size. There seemed to be a consistent warning that Kris Line tends to have firm bands. With that in mind, I ordered a 32FF instead of, say, a 30G.

I probably could have gotten away ... with a 30G. Not to say the band is incredibly loose, but I have to use the tightest hooks. However, the bra is quite lovely. I love the color, and the lace is a nice touch. And get this: it's NOT SCRATCHY. I find the cup style is very similar to the Cleo Lucy (5851) however the resulting boob shape is quite different. It's one of those three part, unpadded cups. But unlike the Lucy, it seems to make my boobs quite perky and up front. Without a shirt on, the shape could almost be pointy, but trust me, I've had some bras that really gave me that pointy triangle look, and this isn't one of them. I almost want to call this shape "retro" because it's not uber-rounded? But it looks great under a fitted top.

The Jasmine is also a very comfortable bra. Its straps are set in a little closer and the cup height is good in that it doesn't gouge out my armpits, always a concern if you have a petite frame, or high set breasts. Yes, I have actually slept in this bra.

Since I was pleased with the Jasmine, I went ahead and ordered another Kris Line on clearance. I can't wait until it arrives https://d28qt14g3opchh.cloudfront.net/smileys/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" />

[Update]: The Bratabase info on Kris Line in general is that they are made for close set breasts. I forgot to add -- mine aren't close set, they are more average, with some splaying? Maybe this particular model is different. The gore *is* narrow, but I like it that way. I've found that gores that are too wide dig into my boob area in an unpleasant manner. In addition, I don't like my boobs pushed into my armpits, which some shallower bras tend to do. I like my boobs pushed forward and up.
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Updated on Apr 18, 2013 Flag this