Empreinte Grace (in which the angels sing a second verse)

First, let's establish which bra we're talking about; Empreinte can be confusing.

I tried the Low Neck version: 

Empreinte Grace Low Neck   HerRoom.com

There is also a Full Cup version.

One sentence review: Now that I have met Grace, and found her to be deeply fabulous, I will be spending less time with my Curvy Kates, which are the equivalent of mean girl friends compared to the gracious Grace.

I'd seen Grace, but was on the fence for quite awhile, afraid she might be 'too much bra' for my liking. (I'd only seen the full cup version reviewed or available on eBay). But this review made me think she was worth a try:  Review of Grace on hourglassy.com  And when a Low Neck version came up, it seemed like fate.

Beauty

Grace is quite delicate looking(please ignore those crazy morning curl tendrils, pre-taming; I was so excited at the feel & fit, I took these before my 2nd cup of coffee).

The lace pattern features large flowers, which renders it basically opaque. I'm still trying to figure out which flower it is: pansy...? dahlia...? I think it looks most like cosmos. Anyhoo. The lace is very flat and completely invisible under clothing. It is also very strong. I cannot imagine any situation that would allow you to put a fingernail through the lace - something you can easily imagine happening with Panache Jasmine. The color is a warm tomato red; as I have pale skin with an olive cast, I prefer a cool, cherry red instead. But this is a personal preference, and the red is still very nice and infinitely preferable to the dreaded beige.

Comfort & Fit

(Do settle in, while I babble on for awhile)

Cups.  Deep, and with plenty of room for my upper fullness. This is a very full-on-top friendly shape. Note how happy the tops of my boobs are, especially if you compare how sad they looked being wrangled into last week's bra. They give a weightless feel that is quite rare, and the mark of a great bra. The cups are seamless, but offer some rather amazing lift:

Shape.   Very rounded, but not orb-like. There is a defined apex and plenty of projection. The silhouette is much nicer than the round, wide, undefined 'boob mound' padded T-shirt bras often give.

Neckline.  The 'Low Neck' designation simply means balconette. It is in no way an actual low necked or 1/2 cup style. The gore is still fairly tall, but lower than the full cup styles I have tried previously, Capucine and Rose.  I find this style to be a better fit for me than the full cup. 

Tack.  The lower height allows a better fit for my relatively closer-set boobs. Although the gore tacks the same as the Rose: it floats 1/2" or so. This seems to be a consequence of my decidedly full-on-top shape, rather than a need for more cup depth - there's plenty of depth; it's just located in the upper and lower cup areas, rather than the inner center area near the gore. Tellingly, I find this to be the case in all of my most comfy bras; they are supportive, but the wires are soft enough to allow my natural shape to assert itself. Whereas in the bras were I get perfect tack (Curvy Kate, Panache, Tutti Rouge) the reason is because the wires are more rigid and are wrangling my boobs by force to fit the shape of the cup & wires. 

Straps.  Really nicely designed. Wide and flat, they distribute weight beautifully. The picot trim, bows, and subtle stitched detailing make them pretty, tailored, and well-proportioned. Not center-pull, but not too widely-spaced. They rival the straps of the Anita Twin and contribute a great deal to the weightless feel. 

Band.  Stable and comfy, similar to the other Empreintes I've tried. The Grace band runss slightly looser than the other styles I've tried; not a full size loose, but enough to mention. I would actually consider a size down in this one, whereas I am happy with the 40 (90) in the other styles.

Compromises

Fabric.  This is the only thing that could be improved upon. The fabric could be a little softer. Part of that is a Me thing. At the end of a 9-hour day, one of two things things will usually be irritating me:  too rough fabric, or too tall/rigid wires. 

Buttery-soft microfiber fabric with some stretch will always be the comfort gold standard for me. But: lightweight and airy, preferably stretch, lace is the silver standard. The Grace is rigid lace, but flat and smooth, and very light. The rigid lace and the substantial straps combine to provide weightless lift, which is wonderful. The only thing I notice at the end of a long day is that the fabric along the upper outer cup, where it runs along the underarm and connects to the band can feel slightly rough. It is not noticeable until then, and is the only minor quibble I have. The Grace is otherwise overwhelmingly wonderful.

When Do Don't I Wear It?

There's really no situation where Grace isn't a great choice. She is invisible under thin knits; provides enough lift for a lower neckline blouse with limited bust room; gives a moderately projected, yet rounded, shape that works under structured clothing. 

Size:  40F (fits me like a UK 40G or loose 38GG)