The Fleur
Let's just get to part I care about most:
Comfort
Fabric. Yes. Yes yes yes! Here is where the faeries wept in bliss. Silky satiny goodness. It is double-ply, yet still very light. It is actually silkier, softer and thinner than my previous gold standard for this, the Anita Twin. And it certainly gives a better shape.
Wires. Perfection. They are happily narrow, with just the right amount of flexibility. This means they are not Panache rigid-harsh, but not so Bali-flimsy they will distort under the weight of your boobs and stab you in the inner arm.
Band. Joyously, the band is of the same soft satin as as the cups. No scratchy mesh. It is the standard Natori band: a wider band, with 3 well-spaced hooks; it anchors well, without digging or needing to be overly tight.
Cups. I was surprised to find that the cups are seamless. The impression of the photo is of a 2-part diagonal seam, with the upper cup stretch lace, and the lower, satin. I didn't even realize that Natori had a non-padded seamless style. All other styles I have by the brand have a single vertical seam. Nope. That is simply a deep band of applique lace. The cup beneath is seamless satin. Basically irritation-proof.
Beauty
Fleur is sleek and lovely, even in the 8 a.m. gloomy Alaskan 'light'.
The satin fabric has a really pretty sheen, especially in this deep seaglass hue. The styling is minimalist and would be quite plain without the deep band of lace.
Fit
Wire height. The wires on all the new Natori styles run taller. I prefer the lower height of N by Natori wires, but they are still narrow and flexible, and so still comfy.
Shape. Excellent. I get a better shape from Fleur than I do many seamed bras. The outer cup fabric is thicker and inner is molded for quite a bit of depth, so the cups accommodate a good deal of projection and provide a lot of lift. They seem to be meant for a balanced shape, but they adjusted to my full-on-top shape, and I believe full-on-bottom ladies would fare equally well.
The shape under clothing is exactly what I want 80% of the time: rounded, moderately projected and lifted, centered, and not too wide. This is an ultra fine-gauge sweater, and you can see a faint line where the lace is, but this doesn't bother me. Personally, I'm a little unnerved by the 'breastplate of absolutely smooth orbs' look afforded by thickly padded Tshirt bras.
Sizing. The band runs loose, partly due to the fabric, but the new Natoris all run looser in the band than the old. A 38 fits well; the equivalent of a 40 in the older N by Natori styles. The cups also have more capacity; a full cup size more. So sister-sizing won't work as well, but also, there is no need to size up anymore. Fewer women will be sized out.
Compromises
Here's where the angels subside into modest humming.
Straps. They are the standard new Natori straps - not at all an improvement over the old. On the thin side, though adequate. But they are not really restricted stretch; that, along with slightly more width, would really make this bra unbeatable for comfort and support. The straps do not dig in, but I do notice they are not as comfy and secure as Freya or Empreinte straps. Though they are more comfy than Curvy Kate. And they are more centered, so narrow shoulders will rejoice.
Tacking. This tacks as usual for me with Natori. The gore floats 1/2". This is fine by me. I don't care for a hard tack, and the fit is very secure. Even or bottom-full ladies will likely get at least a soft tack.
When Do I Wear It? A lot. And I plan on more. I purchased this one for $27 on amazon, and found another on eBay. Fleur works well with both knits and structured clothing, giving a round, moderately projected profile. And a full day's worth of comfort. Because it works so well for me, I fully expect Natori to discontinue it, like Luxe, because, that's how it goes, right?
Size: 40G (I have to wear it on the middle or tightest hooks)
My correct size in Fleur is 38H and the rest I'm buying are in that size.
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