The Curvy Kate "Ella": Another Success

After my luck with the “Angel”, I decided to buy it in a second color, and since Brastop was doing free shipping, I got some other things to try as well. I noticed the “Ella” was back in stock in Ivory/Coral in a 28J and decided to try it. I needed a new Ivory colored bra because my Panache “Confetti” wasn’t too happy with me after I wore it literally every day for the whole summer. I had bought a ton of matching underwear so I wanted another bra in the same color.

I really wasn’t wild about the floral design on the “Ella” from the online photos. I sort of thought it looked like something a kindergartener would draw. But I do crave novelty so I decided to jump on the crazy train and give it a shot.

When the “Ella” arrived, I was thrilled to see that it didn’t look at all like a child’s scribbling! I’ve included some of my own photos, but even these can’t really communicate how pretty it is, I think it’s just a bra that you have to see in person to know how attractive it is. 

It also gave me a really good shape. In the “Angel”, the ribbon did cut into my boobs a little bit, and I really would do better in a 28JJ, but the “Ella” fit perfectly in the J-cup as there is nothing stiff going across the top of the cup at all. It also gives a nice rounded shape, more so than the “Angel” and almost as good as the Panache “Confetti” (nothing is really QUITE as good as the “Confetti” at giving a round shape). As you can see from this side view, the “Ella” is the tiniest bit pointy but it looks rounder than this under tight stretchy clothes, which is really all I wear anyway. 

Panache "Confetti"

Curvy Kate "Ella"

The “Ella” is definitely the best of the Curvy Kate bras I tried. It’s not as sexy as the “Angel” but more of a heavy lifter. The “Ella” is discontinued, so I may buy the other two colors while Brastop still has them in my size. I have to admit those colors (pictured below) look pretty crazy to me from the online photos, but my experience with the Ivory "Ella" has me convinced that maybe I just need to see them in person.

Also, I’m fairly convinced that the new Flirtelle “Dahlia”, pictured below, which comes in black, white and nude, is the same style as the “Ella” because they have exactly the same floral pattern and embroidery. So I’ll probably give the “Dahlia” a try soon too.

A Bit of Happy: The Curvy Kate "Angel"

I was going to do all my sad Curvy Kate stories first and then work up to the good ones, but I’m beginning to depress myself. Plus I want to talk about something I like for once. Despite all the complaining I’ve done on this blog, I really do love great bras, and when I find one I like, it gives me a happy buzz that I can't hold in for long.

That’s how I feel about the Curvy Kate “Angel”. I was quite surprised at how much I loved this! I had always overlooked it online, partly because I was convinced the pattern wouldn’t flatter my size and partly because you really can’t tell how beautiful it is from online photos.

I ordered it in the Black/Ivory in two different sizes, a 28J and a 28K. (They were sold out of 28JJ.) To be honest, there wasn’t a huge difference in how the two sizes fit me—I really could wear either size, although I think a 28JJ would have been truly ideal. Because of the shape of my boobs, a lot of times I can size up a few sizes and the extra fabric will just end up going around my side, so I nearly never get wrinkles in the fabric or a cup that is too big. I ultimately decided to keep the 28J because the shape it gave was just a tiny bit better than the 28K.

Angel 28K 

Angel 28J: More Lift

As you can see, neither bra is giving extreme lift or a very round shape. With the straps properly tightened, it is better under clothes, but it's still not a show-stopper:

Despite this, I really, really love this bra for how it looks. I was able to improve the shape and make it slightly more rounded by taking in the center gore, and I've found myself wearing it basically non-stop for these first few days after getting it. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve owned a bra that genuinely excited me. Since I’ve been wearing it so much, I can report that the shape doesn't change throughout the day, and once I bent them into a human shape, the underwires barely cut into my ribs. One concern to keep in mind is that the “Angel” seems to me to have slightly wider-set straps than my normal Panache bras, so they do cut into my arms a bit. It’s not really an issue for me, but if you normally have problems with straps cutting in, this bra might not be your favorite.

The criss-cross ribbon detail where the band begins is great. Since it's not elastic at all, I feel that it will be a big help in preventing the band from stretching out. I bet the Angel will last twice as long as most of the bras I've had.

I quickly ordered a second Angel in the Black/Raspberry on Brastop, which has a lot of good bargains on older Angels (and the shipping is often startlingly fast if you're in the UK). I ordered it in a 28J, as the 28JJ was sold out and I figured I would fit it fine if I altered the center gore. The black/raspberry Angel is so beautiful. It’s the prettiest shade of dark, rich pink and the lace is a really wonderful quality. I like this one so much that the black and ivory one has been sitting in my drawer, abandoned.

I am happy to have found a Curvy Kate bra that not only fits, but really SUITS me. It’s also refreshing to have a bra that doesn’t have any flowers on it. Don’t get me wrong, I love flowers and floral designs, but it’s great to add some variety. I would definitely recommend trying the Angel because it is so pretty in person. However, because of the all-over embroidery, it does run a bit smaller than other Curvy Kate bras and is much less forgiving. So if your boobs are full on top, I would say go up a cup size from the size you wear in other Curvy Kate bras (for me, this means two sizes up from the size I wear in lower-cut Panache balconettes). In fact, I would suggest possibly trying a cup size up even if your boobs are fuller on the bottom.

I think the design of the Angel makes it look endlessly interesting in various colorways. I like this one, coming up in the Spring/Summer 2012 collection:

I also think these colors from the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection are eye-catching and attractive.

Who knew the “Angel” would be my favorite unpadded Curvy Kate so far? 

The Curvy Kate "Portia"

I really wanted this one to fit because it reminds me of a black-and-pink Betsey Johnson bra I used to wear back before my boobs got so out of hand. However, the “Portia” was my least favorite of the Curvy Kate bras I tried. It was a big disappointment because it’s a really beautiful design, subtle but still cute and flirty.

I ordered it in a 30J because I figured I would need a 28JJ cup to avoid quadraboob with the ribbon along the top, and 28JJ wasn’t in stock on Amazan. As with the “Emily”, though, I think I overreacted a bit. I probably could have worn a 28J in this style (I’m usually between a HH-J in Panache).

Once again, I had to shorten the straps quite a lot to get the right lift. However, even after I’d done this, I didn’t like the shape the “Portia” gave. The upper section was made of a slightly stretchy material, so it felt pretty flimsy and didn’t contribute anything to the hard work the bottom sections were doing to support me. That meant it gave a very pointy shape.

It was also a visually huge bra. In the pictures below I’ve shown what it looked like on me, and what I wished it looked like.

Apologies for horrible photoshopping. 

Looking at the photo, I think it actually doesn’t look so bad from the front, but here’s how pointy it looked from the side.

Super Meh!

If the “Portia” works for you, I’m jealous, because it’s so adorable. If you haven’t tried Curvy Kate, though, I wouldn’t recommend starting with this bra. Interestingly, Cheryl at the blog Invest in Your Chest has also written that this is one of her least favorite Curvy Kate bras. That suggests that the “Portia” has problems in a wider range of sizes. Here’s her review.

Check out my updated review of the Portia (in the RIGHT size this time!) here. 

The Curvy Kate "Emily"

As I mentioned in my last post, I ordered 1-3 cup sizes bigger than my normal Panache size in all the Curvy Kate styles I'm trying in an effort to eliminate the problems I'd had with shape and cutting in/quadraboob. The Emily looked to me like the one with the softest seam on top, and therefore the one that was most likely to fit me. I ordered it in a 28JJ and 28K (I usually wear 28HH in Panache).

I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of the bra, as this lilac color had looked pretty dull to me online. It’s actually a combination of purplish blue and bluish blue, and the details are really attractive.

I have to say though, that it’s sort of “a lot of bra.” The cup came up higher than on the other styles in equivalent sizes. It was also made the same way as the Freya bras I lambasted in my earlier post—the sheer upper section was the part that got bigger and bigger, which I find very unflattering. A lot of this is due to the fact that the 28JJ and 28K were both too big--a 28J would be the right size for me in this style and would eliminate a lot of the issues I had.

First, the 28JJ. Sorry for the terrible photoshopping, but something about the cut of this bra was giving me a bit of nip-slip on one side only.

And here is the 28K. As you can see, it is so big on me that it is really not giving any lift.

I don’t like bras that come up this high, but the fit was better than my pessimistic expectations (in both the JJ and the K). Everything sat where it should and there was definitely no quadraboob so it was a start. The seam along the top of this bra is actually very stretchy, meaning the Emily is the most forgiving of the Curvy Kate bras I tried.

My main discovery, though, was that in order to get rid of the “sad”, down-pointing shape I’d gotten in Curvy Kate previously, I had to shorten the straps A LOT. This was most necessary in the Emily because I tried it in bigger sizes. Here it is with the straps shortened to a comfortable length:

Terrible! To get a better shape, I had to shorten the straps ALL the way, just as the model needed to the photo below.

It looks better on her than on me, by the way.

When I did this I could barely fit my arm through the hole, but it gave a pretty good shape under clothes. The shape wasn’t the best of the bras I tried, but it also wasn’t the worst.

If your boobs are full on top like mine, I would recommend you get this in what you consider your “regular” Curvy Kate size, or go up one cup size if you’re in between sizes and mostly wear Panache/Freya. The Emily fits me best in a 28J, as you can see here in my updated review.

A Plethora of Curvy Kate Bras

Some of my selections.

I’ve always fantasized about ordering a huge heap of bras in every color and size just to try them all on and see what fits. It strikes me as more practical than the agonizing and soul-crushing process of choosing a single bra, ordering it, hating it, and sending it back. But I’ve never been able to do a massive order before. The fact is that you need to have a decent chunk of money in your bank acount t be able to do a big order, especially with shipping to the US. For a lot of last year, my bank balance hovered around $20--ah, the life of a student.

However, last week I realized that with my summer savings, and my Amazon Prime free trial, and the fact that I'm living in the UK right now, I was in good shape to figure out Curvy Kate bras once and for all.

For obvious reasons, I’ve been pretty obsessed with Curvy Kate ever since I discovered their existence. I love the fact that all their bras come in a wide range of sizes. I love the fact that they engage with, and clearly appreciate, their customers. I love the fact that they make bras in fun colors and beautiful designs. I love the fact that you can get their products at super-reasonable prices with great availability on brastop.com, lovebras.com, and amazon.co.uk.

However, after an initial success with the Tease Me bra last winter (the one I just gushed about in my last review) I had a lot of really negative experiences that put me on edge. The Thrill Me bra that I got in the same size didn't work as well for me, and I only kept it (and struggled with it) because it’s so pretty. Over the summer, I agonized over and finally ordered the Princess only to find that it made my boobs point straight to the ground. I persisted and tried again with the Criss Cross and the Flirtelle Petal (Flirtelle bras are constructed the same as Curvy Kate). No dice—both these bras gave my boobs a downcast, “sad” shape, identical to the Princess. The hardest part was that all the bras were really beautiful—clearly comfortable, clearly good quality and even prettier than they looked in photos. It really pained me to have to send them back (especially with the shipping—I think I got something like $4 back on the Princess after paying shipping both ways) and I began to think that Curvy Kate just wasn’t for me. This hypothesis was solidified by my failure with the Elegance just a few weeks ago. I struggled to come to terms with the fact that one of the only lingerie companies I took seriously didn’t make bras that suite my body.

So when my large order of Curvy Kate arrived on Friday, I wasn’t exactly optimistic. I’m glad I didn’t have my hopes up TOO high because there were definitely some disappointments in that package. But the order really cheered me up overall due to a few surprising successes! I’m going to review each model separately over the course of this week—I hope the reviews can be instructive for those who, like me, have longed to enter the happy land of Curvy Kate.

My major lesson from this big order is that the sizes I had previously tried in Curvy Kate were too small, and that's why I got a downward-pointing shape. In an effort to prepare for this, I ordered 1-3 cup sizes bigger than my normal Panache size in all the Curvy Kate bras I tried, and this made me realize what I was doing wrong before. If you get that "sad" shape in Curvy Kate, try sizing up one or two cup sizes. If possible, try both. For a lot of people, Curvy Kate runs a bit smaller in the cups than Freya or Panache, but it's not as obvious--sometimes the only clue that your Curvy Kate is too small is a bad shape. 

Check out my reviews of the Emily, Portia, Angel, Ella, and Princess. 

The Curvy Kate "Tease Me"

The “Tease Me” is the only Curvy Kate bra that I’ve had luck with so far (although I’m not close to giving up yet, as you’ll soon find out in a later post). The thing I like best about it is that it’s really comfortable. The straps are medium-width, the underwires are really friendly (I think they might be plastic instead of metal? If so, everyone should use plastic). The bra is padded but not molded, so it can actually fold up and fit in a drawer. It looks really nice in a lot of different sizes, it doesn’t cause me pain, it’s just… a normal bra. Its design doesn’t make a huge deal about being “plus size.” It’s a real bra for real people.

You can clearly see that it doesn't cover a lot of my chest--the opposite of "a lot of bra"--but doesn't give too much cleavage either, so I find it appropriate to wear in any situation.

It has a great back band. Most bands, I’ve found, have a much tighter bit of elastic running along the base, which makes it cut into my skin and leave an indentation that can be seen under clothes. Not too sexy. The band on the “Tease Me” is all one kind of elastic so it doesn’t show at all. Not quite as great as the laser-cut back bands on otherwise crappy Victoria’s Secret bras, but getting there. Many people find that they prefer to go down a back size in this bra, but I can't (28 is of course the smallest one they make). However, I didn't personally find that the back was too loose, and I don't get back pain from wearing it.

It also uses the vertical seam construction, shown below, which gives such a nice shape. I wish all bras were made like this.

The shape is a little bit low, but very round, which I think is nice. Again, since it's not too in-your-face, it's appropriate for any occasion.

Check out this new color from their upcoming season, though. Although I myself find it pretty adorable, I have to laugh when I imagine the look of horror on my boyfriend’s face if he were to see me wearing this. It’s like the “My Little Pony” of bras!

But I might buy it anyway

The Panache "Melody"

Sometime in the course of this summer, I lost my black Freya Deco. I will never understand how I managed to LOSE a bra that holds its own shape and takes up as much space as a violin case. (The pink Deco I have doesn’t even fit in any of the drawers in my new flat!) After losing the black one, I spent awhile feeling wronged and frustrated that I had misplaced one of my favorite bras and one that I actually spent real money on (about $80; I usually try to get things for under $30). But eventually I realized that I needed to get a new black bra.

I took the opportunity to head to Bravissimo as soon as I arrived in Edinburgh. I’ve lived in the US my whole life, forced to depend on eBay and specialty stores that charge $80-$150 per bra (an experience that I’m sure to rant about in a later post). Heading to the UK for a year abroad, I was so excited to be able to go into an actual store that would have actual bras in my actual size. Unfortunately, my trip to Bravissimo fell far below my expectations. I was in a hurry that day and didn’t actually get fitted, so I’ll wait to write about my trip there until I can take the time to go again. But I do want to write about the bra I bought that day, which happened to be the only one they had which fitted me properly.

I was interested in the Melody because it's supposedly based on the Panache Harmony, a bra I’ve depended on heavily in the past. I feel the Harmony was a bit prettier (it had roses instead of this leafy design), and the shape isn't the same. The “Melody” seems to be cut differently than the “Harmony”—the upper leafy section was higher-cut and very firm, and it pressed a straight surface down my boobs, which caused a bit of a double-boob at the top. I proceeded to fix this with an alteration I do on almost all my bras, which turns the cups a bit and gives them more room at the top. There’s a wonderful description of this alteration here.

The alteration happened to give this bra one of the tightest bands I’ve ever experienced, which is GOOD considering most bra bands stretch out in about ten minutes. It also made it look like a Freya bra! By that I mean the cups went up towards the straps in a V shape, just generally covering more skin than the bras I normally wear. This meant there are little leafy bits poking out from a lot of my shirts, due to my stubborn refusal to dress modestly.

It also poked into the sides of my ribs like a bitch until I bent the wires into a more person-y shape in a fit of (tipsy) rage. Really, I wish Panache wouldn’t make the wires QUITE so wide in their small back sizes. I’m all for wide underwires but the ones on the Melody are literally almost going onto my back, which seems a bit excessive. Also, although the alteration got rid of most of the quadraboob, there is still some going on, and not in the way where your bra inches slowly down your body and you pull it up every hour, but in the way where your bra is angry and wants to make your boobs sad and presses them down towards the ground. (This is a pretty frequent problem for me as my boobs are very full on top.)

That can't be what it's supposed to look like....

Here's another image of the side view.

As you can see, it's definitely not giving much lift. This causes a peculiar phenomenon, though... under clothes, the shape is fairly good, and it makes my boobs look about five sizes smaller than they really are. It is literally the most minimizing bra I've ever worn, without any unhealthy squashing going on. Depending on what you're looking for, this might be a good thing once in awhile (or all the time) and that's the main function I'd recommend this bra for.

It’s still an okay bra but won’t take the Harmony’s place in my heart even though the Harmony and I have broken up and grown apart. I’m not saying the Melody is a terrible bra, and it has found a steady place in my bra rotation despite the odds. I just sort of wish it was… better for me.

To clarify some things

I’ve had a bit more activity in the comments recently than I expected, having only started this blog about two weeks ago. So it’s definitely been coming to my attention that being aggressive and taking a mocking tone has the obvious downside of potentially offending people, since everyone has different opinions.

I do want to clarify something I didn’t fully explain in my first post “Why I’m Doing This.” When I criticized the other blogs I read for tending to only take a positive tone, I wasn’t saying that these blogs aren’t great—if they weren’t, I wouldn’t read them. Instead, I was trying to justify my reasoning for starting up yet another lingerie blog when there are quite a few good ones out there already. I feel there’s a niche to fill with a blog that frankly (and grumpily) discusses the frustrations of poor fit and poor quality.

I can also really only speak for myself, and my best friend with whom I’ve talked at length and whose bras I’ve actually seen. That’s why I called this blog “Bras I Hate” instead of “Bras That Suck" (which I actually considered). There is definitely room for more than just one opinion here and I would be very interested in posting other people’s opinions about which bras they hated, even if it happens to be one that I liked. We all have to claw through a whirlwind of crappy mail ordering and dressing rooms to find the few things that will work for us. I don’t think I’m speaking just for myself when I say this experience can get very discouraging, and mess with your head (and your body image). For me the hardest thing about big boobs is feeling that I’m alone in a struggle with my body and fashion. That’s the real reason I wanted to start a blog—to fight against that feeling.

Cleo "George" Review

This is a bra that I love the look of, but which has ultimately disappointed me. I normally love Cleo by Panache bras, which are usually cuter and “younger” looking than the normal Panache bras. This George bra is an older model—I’m not sure exactly what season it’s from, but more than a year ago. However, these bras still show up on eBay sometimes--that's where I got mine.

See, look how pretty it is!

When I first put it on I was pretty happy. I ordered it in a 28J as I’ve been having so much trouble cramming my boobs into a 28HH lately. It was just almost too big in the cup, which was better than the opposite.

From this photo, you can see one of the small problems with this bra--the extra fabric under the cups curls up and doesn't lie flat on the ribs. I find a lot of Panache's older bras have this stupid bit of fabric. At least this section on the George is soft and doesn't rub very badly.

The shape seemed unique, but in a good way—sort of lifted high, but not rounded.

There were some obvious problems. I had to fasten the band on the tightest hook right away, so it's not a very tight 28. Also, the straps barely adjust—less than halfway. As I say though, this was one of Cleo’s much earlier bras, and their more recent bras tend to have fully adjustable straps and aren’t so loose in the band.

So… my first reaction was positive, until I wore it out, caught sight of my reflection in a mirror in a pub and was actually ashamed of how I looked. The cups were just too pointy for me after the shifting from just a few hours of wear, and though it actually looked great from the front, from the side it was just Madonna-esque. Since I never wear loose clothes, it’s not really workable for me. I felt there was just too much space at the apex of the cup. For those of you with boobs that can fill out a bra with more projection, you may like this.

I was surprised to realize that it’s actually the same bra as a yellow and blue gingham Cleo bra I tried on in an actual store the summer before last. Panache doesn’t usually have such a big variety between patterns in a specific bra, and the green one I bought is spotted, not checked. Anyway, when I’d tried on the yellow version I remember that I wasn’t very impressed with the shape, so I wish I considered that before buying this one.

I find myself deciding to end this negative review with the sort of positive-thinking crap that normally eludes me: I can’t bring myself to hate Cleo for this bra, as it was made so early in their evolution, they’ve since improved so much, and after all I have to have one true love in the lingerie world.

Why I Hate Freya

Hate is a strong word, but my frustration with Freya, and my aloneness in this feeling, is probably the biggest reason why I felt a need to have my own lingerie blog even though there are a lot of really great ones out there already. I just get tired of hearing Freya described as a conquering hero and the ultimate champion of big boobs, when a lot of their designs and choices cause me to resent them. Here’s why.

1.    Freya doesn’t design their bras to look good on big boobs. I know this isn’t a popular viewpoint, but I really believe that Freya missed the boat ages ago on how to design for big boobs. Their bras look great on F cups and thereabouts, but as the cup sizes climb, the proportions of the bra expand clownishly. The wires come up higher and higher between the breasts. The upper lace section gets bigger and bigger, throwing off the aesthetic proportions of the bra if it’s a different color or texture than the rest of the bra. This all translates to bras that look frumpier and frumpier on bigger-boobed customers. I’m not okay with that. Customers who don’t have many bra options will see a photo of a cute, skinny model with F-cups and order the bra, and then be disappointed with the huge difference in how it looks on them. Living in the US and usually not being able to try anything on, and with shipping being so expensive, these unlucky customers will come to terms with the way their bra looks and carry on, feeling a little less cute. Freya never sells their bras using pictures of models with REALLY big boobs because the bras wouldn’t sell then—they’d look unfashionable.

Freya Estelle on little boobs

Freya Estelle on big boobs...hmmm

2.    Freya doesn’t listen to their customers. With Panache asking fans on Facebook whether a 26 band might be a good addition, and Curvy Kate and Bravissimo producing every single bra in a huge size range, Freya has gotten totally left behind in terms of sizing. Their cute designs tend to stop at a G cup, and they stated on Facebook that they believe molded cups won’t support boobs above that size. Um, molded cups could easily provide way more support than flimsy fabric. Get it together.

Size range for Trudie bra on Bravissimo--gosh, notice what's selling out fastest!

3.     Freya doesn’t understand how to design straps. This complaint may be out of date, since I haven’t bought any Freya bras in about two years, and things may have changed since then. But when I did wear Freya bras all the time, they always had one of two kinds of straps. The first was cute and narrow, but made of a shiny material that slid off my shoulders constantly. The second and more common were these really thick, utilitarian straps that just looked absurd with sleeveless tops. Not only that, they were adorned with a criss-cross pattern of tiny rope which was heinous and always began to fall apart long before the bra wore out, so there were always little strings poking off my shoulders.

4.    Freya produces the same exact bra over and over with different names.

Go check out some of their past products. You’ll begin to realize that the Celia is the Estelle is the Nancy is the Latisha—same shape, same lace, just different patterns. The Clarissa is the same as the Lucy and the Antoinette. The Deco bra comes in solid colors as well as patterns but each pattern is named something different: Lydia, Frida, Carly, Crystal. Calling the same bra shape a million different names doesn’t mean you’re really giving your customers options on fit, it just means you’re misleading them. (I’m also bored of Freya’s repetitive designs and twee patterns, but that’s definitely just a matter of personal taste.)

Freya Nancy (left) and Latisha--these came out as separate models in the same season!

I would also like to note, on the other hand, that the Deco is one of the best bras in production, despite Freya's refusal to offer it in anything approaching a diverse size range. I'll write more about it later.

The Curvy Kate "Elegance"

I’m not listing this as a bra I hate.  I sort of do hate it, but I’m primarily baffled by it. I accept that there are certain styles in which no size will fit me, but I’ve never had a bra fit me so ODDLY as this one. Because of the lack of available reviews of this bra, I’ve decided to do a somewhat detailed one in hopes that it can help any prospective buyers decide whether it will fit them well.

I coveted the “Elegance” ever since I saw pictures of it in the Curvy Kate brochure. Pretty lace! Plunge! Molded! Satin! Not sold in hideous nude! I couldn’t wait to buy it, but at the time I didn’t have enough money.

Then, once I finally did have enough money, I got cold feet. It was full price, I normally don’t buy full price bras, and I couldn’t find any reviews of it online (even though I saw bloggers wearing it in various photos), which made me suspicious. But when I found it 40% off on Amazon with free shipping one-day shipping, I decided my moment had come. I ordered one in black and one in white in a 28J.

The bras arrived the next day and looked beautiful—when they weren’t on me. As soon as I put it on, this bra made me look like a goon. The first major problem was that my boobs just are not that far apart. So although it did give me some cleavage, it was a weird triangular cleavage—my boobs met at the top and then separated as the bra dragged them down and to the sides.

 The other big issue was that the cups of this bra are VERY shallow at the bottom. So, although the bra looked as though it should be big enough for me, almost half of the cup just rested on my ribcage, and my actual boobs were forced upwards into the small remaining portion of the cup. I suspect this is meant to help give more cleavage to people with wider-set boobs--for them, I think this bra would work better.

The third complaint I had about this bra, which alone wouldn’t have ruined it for me, is the shape it gives—not quite rounded, but pointing out to the sides a little. You can see it a bit better here:

I did think about keeping the Elegance and trying to alter the center gore so the cups would hopefully work better for me, but then I suddenly realized that the lace on the top of the cup makes it look a bit like a Venus fly trap was eating my boobs and I couldn’t quite get over that.

All this being said, though, the reason I don’t completely reject this bra is that I think it could fit some people well. I think people with wider-set boobs who want to create some cleavage (generally the opposite of what I want to do) will like it. I also think it will work better for people whose boobs are a bit less stubborn and can actually take the shape of a bra—those people may find they can fill out the bottom of the shallow cup well. Failing that, I guess I would recommend going up a cup size or two. (I think I would have needed to go up 3 or 4 cup sizes, and I was already in the biggest one they make.)

DD and DDD

         Dear everyone commenting on every article about big boobs on any blog (other than blogs specifically about lingerie fitting),

           DD is a relatively small cup size, unless perhaps you have a 40 inch back. If you think you’re a DD, you either have smallish boobs, or you are wearing the wrong size.

           
           DDD seems to be used as a general term to mean “anything over a D cup, which is spilling horribly over the cups of the ill-fitted bras I am forced to buy at department stores because I’ve never been properly fitted and have no idea what size my boobs really are.” Maybe work on that, ladies.

           PS. DDD isn’t even a real cup size. It goes from DD to E.