Bra Review: Freya Arabella, 28FF

So I’ve been a little obsessed with the aesthetics of this bra ever since I discovered its existence.  Most Freyas I have tried have given me a pointy shape and the “Freya pucker” at the top of the cup, where the bra seems to ask for some tissue I just don’t have.  But when I came across this beauty on Reddit’s Bra Swap sub, for a very reasonable price, I couldn’t help myself.  It is pre-owned and shows some signs of wear, but still in good shape overall.  Enough rambling, let’s take a look at her.

Just…. wow.  This is basically transparent black, and the front seams look a little wonky since I edited out my nipples for privacy.  Arabella is simply stunning, and sexy in a romantic, ballerina-esque way.  My typical unlined Freya size is 28FF, and this holds true for Arabella.  And in contrast to other Freyas I have tried, the shape is very naturally rounded and the top edging does not cut into me in any weird angles.

I really can’t stop staring at this beauty.  Arabella is true to other fairly recent Freya unlined bras in that the wires are very narrow and the bra offers plenty of immediate projection.  It’s a very good shape match for my bust.

As you can see, I don’t get any pointyness.  I really like this shape, it’s lifted and rounded in a more subtle way than Cleo’s unlined balconettes, so it’s good for those days you want a break from the basketball shape.  I find I can wear this bra under my flowy shirts and scrub tops without creating the dreaded boob-tent effect.

There are some downfalls to Arabella.  Some may find the lace edging itchy – mine is pre-owned and I still wanted to wash it with a tiny bit of fabric softener because it was mildly irritating.  And the band is typical Freya-long, and it’s exacerbated in this case because the bra is not brand new.  My UB measures 27.5-28″ and the band easily stretches to 29.5.”

As you can see, it’s clasped on the tightest hooks.  Typically one wants the bra to fit snugly on the loosest hooks, to allow for the band to stretch with wear.  But because I’m so in love with the bra as a whole, I will overlook this and consider an alteration in the future, should the band stretch further and be unwearable.

Arabella is discontinued, but during production it was also made in a black and hot pink colorway and a sheer nude with blue trim.  I would possibly gnaw a limb off to get my hands on a nude one, so if somebody happens to stumble across a 28FF nude Arabella, please let me know!!

Bra Review: Comexim Coco half cup 60HH

I’m back today with another Comexim!  Surprised??  You shouldn’t be.  Today’s lovely lady came via a secondhand purchase from my dear friend over at Brog with a Dog, and her name is Coco.

The bra, not my friend.

It was supposed to have alterations, but now we aren’t sure it if that request translated properly.  I don’t think it would fit me if it had the alterations that were ordered – straps moved in, reduced cups, etc.  60HH is my Comexim plunge size, and the half cup cut is said to be a little shallower and therefore fit a bit smaller.  But this bra isn’t a bad fit on me!  The wires are nice and narrow and the cup barely fits.  After scooping & swooping, I have to kinda “reverse scoop” my bigger left side back into the cup. After that, the gore tacks nicely, and oddly enough it gives a very minimizing appearance.

Hmm, my girls seem to have gone into hiding here…

You can see where the tops of my boobies are wanting to quad out of the cup.  I’ve never met a narrow-wired bra of any kind that gave a minimizing appearance, and I actually like it in this case.  I wear scrubs to lab and work, and the Coco works fabulously to prevent the dreaded “boob tent”  look under baggy shirts.  I wonder if I had this bra half a size up, if it would be just as minimizing.

Aesthetically, Coco is kind of a cross between cute and grown up.  The lace pattern is unique and grown up, but the bright pink bows are cute.  Coco does have a 3×3 fastener, which is an alteration and not standard until sizes 60J and larger.  So we know at least that alteration translated!  I prefer 3×3 fasteners for added stability. Coco reflects the typical Comexim good quality, narrow wires, allowance for projection, and attention to detail I’ve come to expect and rely on.  One more look at her before I call this a review.

Thanks for reading!

Bra Review: Curvy Kate Bardot 30FF

Hello loyal readers!  I’ve been seriously slacking this past week – to say classwork is dominating my time is an understatement!  So I’m going to try to make up for it today and do 2 reviews.

First up is the stunning offering from Curvy Kate’s SS2015 (I think) line named Bardot.  She’s a gorgeous sheer black and purple number and for AW2015 is coming out in black and red.  Bardot is simply sexy, no other way to put it.

Please note – the bra is see through, I’ve only edited out my nipples for the sake of trying to prevent total creepers from stalking my brog.

Bardot is the longest standing member in my current bra wardrobe, which has been basically a revolving door this year as I’ve nailed down my size and shape, so that’s saying a lot.  The back is a 3 x 3 fastener – and I love Curvy Kate for consistently offering that in my size range, because believe it or not it’s not common and I feel I benefit from the added support it offers.  Curvy Kate also always nails the little finishing details that make a bra unique. The bows, oh the perfect lilac bows!  The purple trim that runs all the way around the back! The black satin contrast on the gore and band! Yes please!

Curvy Kate has long been known for making FOT-friendly bras that are relatively wide-wired and shallow, even in the larger sizes, with stretchy bands.  At the beginning of the year, it was rumored CK changed their fit for the better for us larger end ladies – and I’d have to agree.  I’d say the band runs tight for CK, it only stretches to 29″ and is wearable on the loosest hooks for me, fastenable on the middle hooks. I was worried about this since the bra was not offered online in my usual 28G.  The wires are narrower than in the past and this bra offers plenty of immediate projection.

As you can see, the top of the cup is fairly closed off, almost too much so for my even fullness boobs.  It works for me because I’m very short-rooted.  So if you’re FOT or tall rooted, this is not the CK bra for you. It cuts in just a bit on my bigger side while simultaneously wrinkling on my smaller side. It’s not a perfect fit, but these minor issues are unnoticeable under a loose tee shirt, and I wouldn’t wear this bra under a tight tee shirt due to the lace and seams.

I’m impressed by the amount of lift and overall roundness I get from Bardot.  It provides a lovely rounded shape in a bit more natural way than Cleo’s ultra-round and out-there apple boobs.  I also love the very narrow center gore – no sitting on my close set breast tissue here.

Bardot will be a fantastic bra for many.  It is just screaming for narrow to average width, projected, very FOB or short rooted shapes. I highly recommend it.